Dell and HP are testing DRAM chips from China's Chang Xin Memory Technologies (CXMT), according to Nikkei Asia, as persistent memory shortages force PC makers to look beyond Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron.
The testing targets non-US markets. HP confirmed evaluations are underway. Dell is in qualification phase. Acer and Asus, both relying heavily on Chinese contract manufacturers, are open to local sourcing. No commitments have been made: all four vendors say they're monitoring options through mid-2026.
The supply reality
Global DRAM and NAND shortages, fueled by AI infrastructure buildouts and lingering post-COVID capacity constraints, are expected to push prices high through 2027. Samsung, SK Hynix, and Morningstar all confirm extended timelines. Advanced smartphone chip shipments are down 7% for 2026, per Counterpoint Research.
CXMT and YMTC (China's top NAND maker) together hold roughly 15% of global memory market revenue. Both are running at full capacity. CXMT operates facilities in Hefei and Beijing and is exploring high-bandwidth memory (HBM) production. YMTC is pivoting resources toward DRAM and HBM.
Qualification processes typically take six months, meaning any CXMT supply won't materialize until Q3 2026 at earliest.
The trade-offs
Memory is largely commoditized, but China prioritizes domestic customers like Huawei and Lenovo. How much capacity CXMT can allocate to foreign PC makers remains unclear. US export controls add procurement complexity for American vendors, though non-US market deployment sidesteps direct restrictions.
Geopolitical concerns around quality, reliability, and supply chain resilience are noted but unverified in public statements. One tech analyst told Reuters that Chinese memory expansion could disrupt traditional supplier dynamics long-term, though current volumes are modest.
The pattern is clear: PC makers are diversifying memory sources not by choice, but by necessity. Whether CXMT can scale production for foreign clients while meeting domestic demand is the question that matters for 2026 procurement strategies.