It appears that distributors within the supply chain have found ways to capitalize on memory shortages to drive extra margins, and this is apparently done by 'forcing' consumers to buy motherboards with RAM purchases.
Are You In The Market For RAM Modules? Well, You Could Be Forced To Get a New Motherboard With It
We have seen the trend of retailers offering 'pricey' combos that include components in short supply, and this was particularly common with CPUs like the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. However, according to a report by the Taiwan Economic Daily, it is disclosed that Taiwanese distributors are forcing customers to buy motherboards with each RAM module purchase. This essentially means that if you are in the market for a DDR5 RAM stick, purchasing a compatible motherboard is a must. This is simply beyond shocking and 'hilarious' at the same time, since it shows us the state of the industry.
The reason behind this move is likely to clear out inventory levels, as we are entering a new era of CPUs that will feature their own chipset lineups. Distributors are apparently capitalizing on consumer demand for memory, targeting customers who are looking for a motherboard and RAM combo. However, it's simply absurd to see them forcing customers to purchase motherboards if they are in the market for just a memory module. The retail supply chain consistently fails to deliver when it comes to driving margins in desperate times.
Hopefully, this tactic remains confined to Taiwanese markets, but it could be one of the ways vendors like ASUS, MSI, and others might adopt to supply RAM modules to customers, as it allows them to boost motherboard sales, reflecting a broader sales traction. There's no doubt that the memory market has entered a 'panic buying' phase, with both customers and retailers struggling to obtain DRAM inventory. At the same time, consumer memory prices have skyrocketed in just a few weeks, forcing gamers to wait on memory upgrades.
About the author: Muhammad Zuhair is a hardware and technology reporter for Wccftech, specializing in the semiconductor industry and the complex interplay between technology, manufacturing, and geopolitics. His coverage focuses on the corporate strategies and technological roadmaps of industry giants like TSMC, NVIDIA, Samsung, and Intel. Zuhair's expertise lies in deconstructing complex topics such as fabrication nodes (e.g., 2nm process), the economic impact of policies like the CHIPS Act, and the strategic development of AI infrastructure from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel.
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