AI Made Everything Expensive (ft. GamersNexus)

What you'll learn

• 1 (02:01) **Why RAM Is So Expensive Right Now** - Ed Zitron and Steve Burke (GamersNexus) introduce the core question: the price of RAM has skyrocketed, and the surface-level explanation (data centers consuming all memory) doesn't tell the whole story.
• 2 (05:12) **The DRAM-to-HBM Shift & The Wafer Capacity Squeeze** - The key mechanism: HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) uses far more silicon wafer area and DRAM dies than standard consumer memory, creating a supply crunch.
• 3 (07:22) **Price Fixing Allegations & The "New Normal"** - The episode introduces a class-action lawsuit alleging price-fixing collusion among the memory manufacturers, with evidence of parallel behavior and signaling through earnings reports.
• 4 (15:14) **Micron's 84.9% Margin & The "Fill Your Boots" Mentality** - Ed and Steve break down the sheer profitability of the memory companies, questioning if they are simply setting prices arbitrarily high because they can.
• 5 (20:03) **The 700% Price Increase & How This Cycle is Different** - Steve explains that this isn't a normal cycle; the magnitude of the price hike is completely new, driven by internal competition for supply from the same industry.
• 6 (28:47) **The HBM Bubble: What Happens When AI Bursts?** - The conversation pivots to the massive, potentially catastrophic oversupply of HBM waiting to happen.
• 7 (37:03) **The Spillover: SSDs, Laptops, and Phones Are Getting More Expensive** - The price gouging isn't limited to RAM; it's destroying the entire consumer electronics market.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app