<p>新加坡：在新林广场的一家零售柜台后，阿卜杜勒·巴里先生发现内存芯片的价格以他从未见过的方式上涨。阿卜杜勒是计算机零售商 Dynacore Technologies 的店长，他表示，就在一个月前，一些品牌的随机存取内存（RAM）芯片——现代计算机的基本电子组件——在一次价格调整中上涨了令人震惊的金额。一款原本不到 200 新元的 32GB RAM 芯片，现在的价格在 600 到 700 新元之间，店长称这是有史以来的最高价。因此，顾客们在购买新电脑或升级现有电脑时变得更加谨慎，多家新林广场的零售商告诉 CNA，他们正在遭受重大损失。阿卜杜勒表示，这样的价格飙升 “从未发生过”，他在这一行业已经工作了十多年。实际上，RAM 是计算机用于短期内存存储的组件。它对于高效运行设备的操作系统和应用程序是必不可少的，并且对计算机的处理速度有影响。最近几个月前所未有的价格上涨原因有二。人工智能（AI）推动了对各种硅材料的需求激增，而芯片制造商也相应地通过限制消费者供应和将生产能力转向利润更高的 AI 芯片来应对。在供应紧张的情况下，电子制造商急于囤积芯片以满足生产需求，包括彭博社和日经亚洲等主要媒体报道。这被业内人士称为 AI 繁荣的另一面，导致新加坡在 2025 年末意外的经济增长。在新年致辞中，劳伦斯·黄总理表示，新加坡受益于 AI 繁荣推动的半导体和电子产品需求激增。因此，制造业在 2025 年第四季度单独增长了 15%。 价格创纪录的零售商告诉 CNA，RAM 单元的价格已飙升至创纪录的高位，影响了他们的收益并改变了顾客的购买习惯。对更高容量版本（如 DDR5）的需求使得三星、SK 海力士和美光等制造商——占据超过 90% 的 RAM 市场——转向这一领域，这一举措更具盈利性，但限制了普通计算机用户的供应。美国内存巨头美光在新加坡生产约 98% 的高端闪存芯片。在 Computer Safari，首席执行官坦维尔·阿哈迈德表示，所有内存细分市场的价格都在上涨，无论 RAM 的类型如何。他的商店销售较旧的 DDR4 版本。三周前，一款 32GB 的单元价格约为 65 新元。现在是 160 新元，涨幅约为三倍，阿哈迈德指出。虽然这样的价格波动通常是季节性的，但他指出，今年的价格飙升异常高。阿哈迈德同意 Dynacore 的阿卜杜勒的看法，称这次涨价是他作为计算机零售商 20 年来经历过的最严重的一次。同样，Bizgram Asia 的一位经理告诉 CNA，过去一个月 RAM 价格上涨了近 400%，32GB 单元现在售价 600 新元，64GB 单元售价 1399 新元，而巨大的 128GB 单元售价 2699 新元。来自台湾的供应商已通知零售商，价格上涨可能会持续到 2027 年，甚至可能延续到 2028 年，原因是全球对芯片的需求和随之而来的短缺。新加坡国立大学商学院分析与运营系的副教授吴培冠表示，高端 AI 内存芯片的利润率更高。因此，制造资源被转向生产这些芯片，而不是智能手机和消费电子产品所需的 RAM 类型，他解释道。“建立半导体制造能力需要时间和大量的资本投资，” 吴教授指出。“在制造能力有限的情况下，制造商生产更高端的、更有利可图的产品更有意义。” 对零售商的影响 RAM 价格的快速上涨给零售商带来了重大损失，同时也改变了顾客的行为。阿哈迈德分享说，Computer Safari 的收益在过去一个月下降了 50% 到 60%。这是由于销售下降，因为顾客——包括常客——在不紧急的情况下推迟升级他们的设备，阿哈迈德说。在过去，当每个 RAM 单元的价格约为 60 新元时，阿哈迈德表示他的公司有时会为顾客提供免费升级。“那时顾客会很高兴。但现在，160 新元的价格，我们当然也无法承担，” 他说。阿卜杜勒分享说，Dynacore 的业务损失约为 20%。RAM 销售每月占其销售额的 15% 到 20%。他的顾客——包括零售消费者和企业客户——仍然购买 RAM 芯片，因为他们需要使用计算机，但在升级其他部件时有所减少。“他们必须在 RAM 上花钱，别无选择。由于 RAM（价格）的上涨，他们减少了其他部件的支出，可能是显卡或 CPU，” 他说。Bizgram 的经理分享说，高价格使他的顾客转向购买较低容量的 RAM 单元。“我认为以前购买高容量 RAM 的人，现在转向了较低容量的，就像以前一样，” 他说。他解释说，顾客以前购买 8GB 到 16GB 的 RAM 模块，但当部件变得便宜时，开始购买更高容量的 64GB 和 128GB。有些顾客将设备用于工作，无法等待价格下跌，因为他们真的急需，他说。这些顾客会使用较低容量的部件，同时监控价格，并在未来价格下跌时进行升级，他说。Bizgram 的经理表示，其他业务方面也有溢出效应。“例如，显卡受到影响，因为人们有预算。他们不会在显卡上投资，因为他们需要在 RAM 上投资。两者之间是平衡的，” 他说。来自 HP 和戴尔等品牌的整机也将因内部的 RAM 模块而变得更昂贵，他补充道。吴教授指出，价格上涨可能会推高其他产品的价格。“RAM 芯片占智能手机价格的 10% 到 20%。随着 RAM 价格的上涨，这也会对手机和电子产品的价格产生影响，” 他说。 应对价格上涨 尽管面临价格压力，零售商告诉 CNA，最终没有真正的方法可以转向 RAM，因为它仍然是计算机正常运行所必需的。阿卜杜勒表示，他的商店保持冷静，采取观望态度，即使现有库存几乎售罄。“我们以约 400 新元的价格出售，因为这是旧库存和新采购的混合，因此我们做了一个平均值，并以该平均价格出售，” 他说。在过去，零售商可能会在预期短缺时订购和囤积商品。然而，他们在当前的价格环境中却犹豫不决。“现在我们非常害怕，如果价格突然下跌，我们就会遭受损失，” 阿卜杜勒说。阿哈迈德也表达了类似的观点，他分享说他的公司仅在顾客下单后采购必要的单元。“现在，购买能力很困难。我们不能买这么贵的，因为我们不知道（价格）何时可能会突然下降，然后我们就会亏损，” 他说。阿哈迈德表示，他打算监控未来几个月价格是否会下跌，如果价格回到更可接受的水平，他将开始再次囤积库存。他补充说，以前当价格较为稳定时，他的公司会为每个 RAM 型号囤积约 10 到 20 个单元。在 Bizgram，经理表示他的商店将开始囤积较低容量的 RAM，因为对高容量单元的需求下降。“我们仍然会继续引进库存，因为如果你停止供应，那就无法销售，对吧？” 他说。使用 RAM 的行业也在通过调整商业计划来适应价格变化，吴教授表示。例如，智能手机行业正在通过使用低端产品或放缓新产品的推出来适应。</p>

<p>在新加坡，内存芯片价格急剧上涨，32GB RAM 芯片的价格从不足 200 新元飙升至 600-700 新元，仅在一个多月的时间内。这一前所未有的涨幅归因于人工智能的繁荣，导致芯片生产转向更高利润的人工智能芯片，从而限制了普通消费者的供应。零售商报告了显著的损失，一些商家的收益下降了 50-60%，因为顾客推迟购买。专家预测，由于全球需求持续和半导体行业的供应限制，这些价格上涨可能会持续到 2027 年</p>

<p>SINGAPORE: Behind a retail counter at Sim Lim Square, Mr Abdul Bari has been seeing memory chip prices being marked up in a way that he has never seen before. As recently as a month ago, some brands of random access memory (RAM) chips – electronic components that are fundamental parts of modern computing – were upped by eye-watering amounts in a single price adjustment, said Mr Abdul, a store-in-charge who works for computer retailer Dynacore Technologies. A 32GB RAM chip that would have cost less than S$200 just about a month and a half back, now costs between S$600 to S$700, which the store manager said is the highest it has ever been. Because of this, customers are holding back on buying new computers or upgrading existing ones, with several Sim Lim Square retailers telling CNA that they are making significant losses. Such a price spike has &#34;never happened before”, said Mr Abdul, who has been in this line for over a decade. Essentially, RAM is what computers use for short-term memory storage. It is necessary to run the device’s operating system and applications efficiently and has an impact on the computers’ processing speed. The reason for unprecedented price increases in recent months is twofold. Artificial intelligence (AI) has fuelled a surge in demand for silicon of all varieties, and chip manufacturers have responded in kind by limiting consumer supply and redirecting production capacity to AI chips that have higher profit margins. Amid the supply crunch, electronics makers are rushing to stockpile chips to meet their production needs, major outlets including Bloomberg and Nikkei Asia. This, said those in the industry, is the other side of the AI boom that led to Singapore’s unexpected economic boost at the tail end of 2025. In his New Year’s message, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said Singapore benefited from the surge in demand for semiconductors and electronics driven by the AI boom. As a result, the manufacturing sector expanded by 15 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2025 alone. RECORD HIGHS Retailers here told CNA that the prices of RAM units have surged to record highs, impacting their earnings and changing customers’ purchase habits. Demand for higher capacity versions, like DDR5, have seen manufacturers Samsung , SK Hynix and Micron — who account for over 90 per cent of the RAM market — pivot towards that space, a move which is more profitable, but limits supply for regular computer users. US memory giant Micron produces about 98 per cent of its top-end flash memory chips in Singapore. At Computer Safari, chief executive Tanveer Ahmad said that prices have surged across all memory segments, regardless of the type of RAM. His shop sells the older DDR4 version. Three weeks ago, a 32GB unit cost around S$65. It is now S$160, which is around a three times increase, noted Mr Ahmad. While such price movements happen seasonally, this year’s spike is exceptionally high, he noted. Agreeing with Mr Abdul from Dynacore, Mr Ahmad said this hike has been the worst in his experience as a computer retailer for two decades. Likewise, a manager at Bizgram Asia told CNA that RAM prices have risen almost 400 per cent over the past month, with 32GB units now going for S$600, 64GB ones for S$1,399 and the massive 128GB units at S$2,699. Vendors from Taiwan have informed the retailers that the price hikes will likely continue through 2027, maybe even trickling into 2028, due to the global demand for chips and the resulting shortage. Associate Professor Goh Puay Guan, from the analytics and operations department of the National University of Singapore’s Business School, said that higher end AI memory chips have higher profit margins. As such, manufacturing resources are being diverted to make these, instead of the RAM type that is needed for smartphones and consumer electronics, he explained. “It takes time and a lot of capital investment to build up semiconductor manufacturing capacity,” noted Assoc Prof Goh. “With limited manufacturing capacity, it would make more sense for manufacturers to produce higher end products which are more profitable.” IMPACT ON RETAILERS The rapid rise in RAM prices has brought significant losses for retailers, along with shifts in customer behaviour. Mr Ahmad shared that Computer Safari’s earnings have dropped between 50 and 60 per cent in the past month. This is due to a drop in sales as customers — including regulars — hold off upgrading their devices if it is not urgent, said Mr Ahmad. In the past when each RAM unit was about S$60 each, Mr Ahmad said his firm would sometimes provide free upgrades to customers. “Then the customers will be happy. But right now, at S$160, of course we cannot afford as well,” he said. Mr Abdul shared that Dynacore’s business has seen losses of around 20 per cent. RAM sales contribute 15 to 20 per cent of its sales each month. His customers — which comprises both retail consumers and also corporate clients — still buy the RAM chips as they need to use their computers, but cut down on upgrading other aspects of their machines. “They have to spend money on the RAM, no choice. Because of the RAM (price) increase, they cut down on the other parts, maybe like the graphic card or CPU,” he said. The Bizgram manager shared that the high prices have driven his customers to buy lower capacity RAM units instead. “I think the people who used to buy the higher capacity of RAM, they've come down to lower capacity, like in the old times,” he said. He explained that customers used to buy 8GB to 16GB RAM modules, but started buying higher capacity ones like 64GB and 128GB when the parts became cheaper. Some customers use their devices for work and cannot wait for the prices to drop as they really need it urgently, he said. Those customers will run their devices on lower capacity parts while monitoring the prices, and upgrade when the prices drop in future, he said. The Bizgram manager said there are also spillover effects on other aspects of business too. “There’s an impact on graphics cards, for instance, because people have budgets. They will not invest on that (graphics cards) because they need to invest on RAM. Both are balanced,” he said. Packaged computers from brands like HP and Dell will also become more expensive due to the RAM modules within, he added. Assoc Prof Goh noted that the rising prices could bump up the prices of other products too. “RAM chips make up between 10 to 20 per cent of the price of a smartphone. With the increase in RAM prices, this would also have an impact on phone and electronics prices,” he said. RESPONDING TO PRICE HIKES Despite the price pressures, retailers told CNA there is ultimately no real way to pivot away from RAM, as it remains essential for computers to function. Mr Abdul said his shop is staying calm and adopting a wait-and-see approach for now, even as it has almost fully sold out its existing stock. “We sell at around S$400, because it's a mix of the older stock and new purchases, so we do an average and are selling at that average price,” he said In the past, retailers may order and stockpile an item if it is expected to face a shortage. However, they are hesitant in the current pricing landscape. “Now we are so scared that if the price suddenly drops, we have to suffer losses on our side,” said Mr Abdul. Echoing his sentiments is Mr Ahmad, who shared that his firm only procures the necessary units upon customers’ orders. “Now, buying power is difficult. We can't buy so expensive because we do not know when it (prices) could suddenly go down again, and then we will have a loss,” he said. Mr Ahmad said he intends to monitor if the prices fall in the months ahead, and will start to hold inventory again if they return to a more acceptable level. Previously when the prices were more regular, his firm would stock around 10 to 20 units for each RAM model, he added. At Bizgram, the manager said his shop will start stocking up on lower capacity RAM, as demand for the higher capacity units falls. “We will still keep up bringing in the stock and all, because if you stop supply, then you can't sell right?” he said. Industries that use RAM are also adapting to the pricing developments with adjustments to their business plans, said Assoc Prof Goh. For instance, the smartphone industry is adapting by using lower end products or slowing their new product introductions, he said.</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>新加坡：在新林广场的一家零售柜台后，阿卜杜勒·巴里先生发现内存芯片的价格以他从未见过的方式上涨。阿卜杜勒是计算机零售商 Dynacore Technologies 的店长，他表示，就在一个月前，一些品牌的随机存取内存（RAM）芯片——现代计算机的基本电子组件——在一次价格调整中上涨了令人震惊的金额。一款原本不到 200 新元的 32GB RAM 芯片，现在的价格在 600 到 700 新元之间，店长称这是有史以来的最高价。因此，顾客们在购买新电脑或升级现有电脑时变得更加谨慎，多家新林广场的零售商告诉 CNA，他们正在遭受重大损失。阿卜杜勒表示，这样的价格飙升 “从未发生过”，他在这一行业已经工作了十多年。实际上，RAM 是计算机用于短期内存存储的组件。它对于高效运行设备的操作系统和应用程序是必不可少的，并且对计算机的处理速度有影响。最近几个月前所未有的价格上涨原因有二。人工智能（AI）推动了对各种硅材料的需求激增，而芯片制造商也相应地通过限制消费者供应和将生产能力转向利润更高的 AI 芯片来应对。在供应紧张的情况下，电子制造商急于囤积芯片以满足生产需求，包括彭博社和日经亚洲等主要媒体报道。这被业内人士称为 AI 繁荣的另一面，导致新加坡在 2025 年末意外的经济增长。在新年致辞中，劳伦斯·黄总理表示，新加坡受益于 AI 繁荣推动的半导体和电子产品需求激增。因此，制造业在 2025 年第四季度单独增长了 15%。 价格创纪录的零售商告诉 CNA，RAM 单元的价格已飙升至创纪录的高位，影响了他们的收益并改变了顾客的购买习惯。对更高容量版本（如 DDR5）的需求使得三星、SK 海力士和美光等制造商——占据超过 90% 的 RAM 市场——转向这一领域，这一举措更具盈利性，但限制了普通计算机用户的供应。美国内存巨头美光在新加坡生产约 98% 的高端闪存芯片。在 Computer Safari，首席执行官坦维尔·阿哈迈德表示，所有内存细分市场的价格都在上涨，无论 RAM 的类型如何。他的商店销售较旧的 DDR4 版本。三周前，一款 32GB 的单元价格约为 65 新元。现在是 160 新元，涨幅约为三倍，阿哈迈德指出。虽然这样的价格波动通常是季节性的，但他指出，今年的价格飙升异常高。阿哈迈德同意 Dynacore 的阿卜杜勒的看法，称这次涨价是他作为计算机零售商 20 年来经历过的最严重的一次。同样，Bizgram Asia 的一位经理告诉 CNA，过去一个月 RAM 价格上涨了近 400%，32GB 单元现在售价 600 新元，64GB 单元售价 1399 新元，而巨大的 128GB 单元售价 2699 新元。来自台湾的供应商已通知零售商，价格上涨可能会持续到 2027 年，甚至可能延续到 2028 年，原因是全球对芯片的需求和随之而来的短缺。新加坡国立大学商学院分析与运营系的副教授吴培冠表示，高端 AI 内存芯片的利润率更高。因此，制造资源被转向生产这些芯片，而不是智能手机和消费电子产品所需的 RAM 类型，他解释道。“建立半导体制造能力需要时间和大量的资本投资，” 吴教授指出。“在制造能力有限的情况下，制造商生产更高端的、更有利可图的产品更有意义。” 对零售商的影响 RAM 价格的快速上涨给零售商带来了重大损失，同时也改变了顾客的行为。阿哈迈德分享说，Computer Safari 的收益在过去一个月下降了 50% 到 60%。这是由于销售下降，因为顾客——包括常客——在不紧急的情况下推迟升级他们的设备，阿哈迈德说。在过去，当每个 RAM 单元的价格约为 60 新元时，阿哈迈德表示他的公司有时会为顾客提供免费升级。“那时顾客会很高兴。但现在，160 新元的价格，我们当然也无法承担，” 他说。阿卜杜勒分享说，Dynacore 的业务损失约为 20%。RAM 销售每月占其销售额的 15% 到 20%。他的顾客——包括零售消费者和企业客户——仍然购买 RAM 芯片，因为他们需要使用计算机，但在升级其他部件时有所减少。“他们必须在 RAM 上花钱，别无选择。由于 RAM（价格）的上涨，他们减少了其他部件的支出，可能是显卡或 CPU，” 他说。Bizgram 的经理分享说，高价格使他的顾客转向购买较低容量的 RAM 单元。“我认为以前购买高容量 RAM 的人，现在转向了较低容量的，就像以前一样，” 他说。他解释说，顾客以前购买 8GB 到 16GB 的 RAM 模块，但当部件变得便宜时，开始购买更高容量的 64GB 和 128GB。有些顾客将设备用于工作，无法等待价格下跌，因为他们真的急需，他说。这些顾客会使用较低容量的部件，同时监控价格，并在未来价格下跌时进行升级，他说。Bizgram 的经理表示，其他业务方面也有溢出效应。“例如，显卡受到影响，因为人们有预算。他们不会在显卡上投资，因为他们需要在 RAM 上投资。两者之间是平衡的，” 他说。来自 HP 和戴尔等品牌的整机也将因内部的 RAM 模块而变得更昂贵，他补充道。吴教授指出，价格上涨可能会推高其他产品的价格。“RAM 芯片占智能手机价格的 10% 到 20%。随着 RAM 价格的上涨，这也会对手机和电子产品的价格产生影响，” 他说。 应对价格上涨 尽管面临价格压力，零售商告诉 CNA，最终没有真正的方法可以转向 RAM，因为它仍然是计算机正常运行所必需的。阿卜杜勒表示，他的商店保持冷静，采取观望态度，即使现有库存几乎售罄。“我们以约 400 新元的价格出售，因为这是旧库存和新采购的混合，因此我们做了一个平均值，并以该平均价格出售，” 他说。在过去，零售商可能会在预期短缺时订购和囤积商品。然而，他们在当前的价格环境中却犹豫不决。“现在我们非常害怕，如果价格突然下跌，我们就会遭受损失，” 阿卜杜勒说。阿哈迈德也表达了类似的观点，他分享说他的公司仅在顾客下单后采购必要的单元。“现在，购买能力很困难。我们不能买这么贵的，因为我们不知道（价格）何时可能会突然下降，然后我们就会亏损，” 他说。阿哈迈德表示，他打算监控未来几个月价格是否会下跌，如果价格回到更可接受的水平，他将开始再次囤积库存。他补充说，以前当价格较为稳定时，他的公司会为每个 RAM 型号囤积约 10 到 20 个单元。在 Bizgram，经理表示他的商店将开始囤积较低容量的 RAM，因为对高容量单元的需求下降。“我们仍然会继续引进库存，因为如果你停止供应，那就无法销售，对吧？” 他说。使用 RAM 的行业也在通过调整商业计划来适应价格变化，吴教授表示。例如，智能手机行业正在通过使用低端产品或放缓新产品的推出来适应。</p>
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高昂的记忆成本：人工智能推动的芯片热潮使价格飙升，新加坡零售商受到影响