Global PC makers have started using DRAM from China’s ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) in some laptops. Adoption is limited for now, but it is drawing attention because Chinese-made DRAM is entering a validation stage as a real supply-chain option in a global memory market led by Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Micron.

On Aug. 6 local time, IT outlet TechRadar reported that HP, Asus and Acer completed qualification checks for CXMT DRAM around mid-year. Some laptop products have begun to ship with CXMT memory, and those models are not currently sold in the United States, it said.

The scope of application is still limited. Volumes are small and the number of affected models is not large. Those products are not sold in the United States. PC makers are not sharply expanding adoption of CXMT not only because of U.S. policy, but also because of existing relationships with Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Micron, which hold about 90 percent of global DRAM supply, it said.

An executive at a PC maker said, "The top three companies hold more than 90 percent of the global market, so buyers have to handle the fact they use CXMT quietly." The executive added, "Right now we cannot source too much volume from CXMT." That reflects how the structure remains strongly in place in which it is difficult to provoke existing suppliers during a supply crunch.

Another point is that CXMT is not simply a low-cost alternative. CXMT’s DRAM prices are said not to be lower than Samsung Electronics, and it is not easy to reserve supply beyond the current quarter. It was also mentioned that demand competition is intense and CXMT is prioritising support for Huawei’s AI business.

PC makers completed CXMT validation to secure supply options. A supply-chain manager who deals with HP and Asus said they did not want to ignore a potentially important source when the market was extremely tight. Qualifying a new DRAM supplier requires months of engineering work, signal integrity testing, thermal design and platform validation. HP, Asus and Acer have effectively finished preparing to switch.

The backdrop is expanded investment in AI infrastructure. As demand for high-bandwidth memory surged, wafer capacity at major memory makers shifted away from commodity DRAM, and the fallout spread to PCs, smartphones and the components market. Samsung Electronics has said the RAM crisis will continue for some time.

Market impact is already visible. Over the past 12 months, spot RAM prices have risen more than 400 percent. PC makers are allocating memory first to premium models and have raised prices across product lines by hundreds of dollars. IDC forecast the global PC market will shrink by more than 11 percent this year, and expected supply conditions to worsen toward year-end.

The smartphone industry is under the same pressure. Some manufacturers have lowered memory configurations to previous-generation levels, and others are passing rising component costs on through price increases. Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo cut their 2026 shipment targets at least once. Suppliers one step below memory are also being affected. Mainboard makers have absorbed a roughly 50 percent rise in printed circuit board costs and have reduced shipment targets accordingly.

For Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Micron, the short-term impact is likely to be limited. That is because several thousand units of low-end laptops using Chinese-made DRAM cannot significantly affect current pricing power and profit structures. Over a longer horizon, the significance could change. Three of the five largest PC makers have already finished validating alternative sources, and if supply conditions ease or U.S. policy toward China shifts, the cost and time required to move volumes would be much lower than in the past.

Companies’ official responses also reflect this cautious stance. Acer did not name suppliers and said it is working closely with various global manufacturers, with the goal of securing supply-chain resilience. HP declined to comment, and Asus did not respond to questions. For now, it appears closer to laying groundwork for supply diversification than a large-scale switch.