Memory Supply Crisis Rages On

The memory supply crisis is set to persist until at least 2028, with major players Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron expected to complete capacity-expanding builds during this time. However, the industry is not waiting for these expansions to meet their memory demands. Instead, a number of component companies are turning to another China-based competitor, ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), to meet their needs.

Source: cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net

CXMT’s Rise to Prominence

CXMT has been gaining attention in recent months due to its growing presence in the memory market. According to the Financial Times, the company has transformed its fortunes, becoming the fourth-largest producer of DRAM behind the usual suspects. Accounting for 11% of wafer capacity last year, CXMT’s share is expected to grow to 15% by 2028. The company’s net profit during the first quarter of 2026 stood at 33 billion yuan, representing a staggering 719% year-on-year jump.

Source: cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net

However, CXMT’s rise to prominence is not without controversy. A former Samsung researcher was recently sentenced to seven years in prison for leaking core DRAM semiconductor tech to CXMT. Furthermore, the Pentagon has blacklisted CXMT for allegedly working with China’s military, according to Bloomberg. This has left Apple to lobby for the clearance necessary to buy CXMT’s memory.

Source: cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net

Motherboard and Component Makers Validate CXMT Memory

As the industry looks to CXMT to meet their memory demands, motherboard and component makers are now validating the company’s memory. MSI has announced BIOS support on its AMD motherboards for DDR5 memory from CXMT, allowing users to utilize CXMT’s modules up to DDR5-8200. Asus has also joined the party, sharing a similar update for its own AM5 socket mobos. Depending on the hardware loadout, this update can support up to DDR5-8200.

Asus’ BIOS version 1686 is available via its global support pages, making it accessible to users worldwide. This is in contrast to MSI’s update, which is limited to use within the Chinese market. If you’re interested in giving CXMT’s memory a try, be sure to read Nick’s market research on Chinese DRAM first.

Besides KingBank and its DDR5 kit’s tasty overclocked results, there are a few other Chinese options to keep an eye out for. Tom’s Hardware reported earlier this year that Corsair had started using CXMT DDR5 DRAM dies in its Vengeance RAM kits aimed at the Chinese market. Lexar is also reportedly planning to use CXMT DRAM for its new Thor DDR5-7600 CL38 memory kits, with a DDR5-7200 CL38 configuration expected to also be available.

The memory landscape being what it is, there’s a lot of interest in CXMT. With its growing presence in the market and the industry’s need for alternative memory solutions, it’s likely that we’ll be hearing a lot more about the DRAM chipmaker in the coming months and years.

Key Players and Market Developments

Besides CXMT, other key players in the memory market include Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron. These companies are expected to complete capacity-expanding builds by 2028, but the industry is not waiting for these expansions to meet their memory demands. Instead, component companies are turning to CXMT and other Chinese competitors to meet their needs.

As the memory market continues to evolve, it’s likely that we’ll see more companies validating CXMT’s memory and turning to the company for their memory needs. With its growing presence in the market and the industry’s need for alternative memory solutions, CXMT is poised to play a significant role in the memory market going forward.