Compal: Memory Costs Have Doubled as a Proportion of PC Components

Anthony Peter Bonadero, General Manager and CEO of Compal Electronics, a major notebook computer ODM, recently stated that while memory typically accounts for 15-18% of a PC's component costs under normal conditions, it has now reached nearly 40% at its peak.

Bonadero revealed that due to persistent memory shortages and price increases, some customers have begun stockpiling components during relatively low-price periods—a trend that emerged in the fourth quarter of last year and is expected to continue into the first quarter of this year. He anticipates that as stockpiling gradually increases while demand fails to keep pace or slows, the real impact may begin to manifest in the second quarter of this year.

He noted that the current tight supply of memory is likely to extend until 2027 or even 2028, though the severity of the shortage is not expected to return to levels seen five years ago. Compal is maintaining close collaboration with the three major memory manufacturers. To cope with the situation, players across the PC industry will employ various measures, including price hikes, configuration adjustments, and cost optimization.