A report by The Information claims that the world’s biggest chipmaker is considering adding memory back into its portfolio, starting with next-generation 3D DRAM.
With demand still outpacing supply and prices sky-high, the outlet says it could compete with memory giants Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix to develop and produce 3D DRAM technology that stacks chips vertically for increased bandwidth, capacity, and power efficiency.
[Link: TSMC Weighs Making Advanced Memory Chips to Capture More AI Spending | https://www.theinformation.com/articles/tsmc-weighs-making-advanced-memory-chips-capture-ai-spending?rc=v4bmzs | The Information]
The kind of memory the current manufacturers are focusing on is specialized for data-center-grade GPUs. These GPUs are insanely power-hungry and require data-center-grade cooling. When the bubble pops and data centers go under, you’re not going to see consumer-grade RAM flood the market. So if TSMC wants to enter the market conservatively with the assumption the AI surge will not last, going into the consumer RAM side would be a better bet.