With the wafers used for RAM being gobbled up by AI...I wonder how this will affect Fractal and the Axe Fx 3 and possible 4?

W

webe123

Inspired
I know that Fractal uses some PC parts for their flagship and floor models....so with the manufacturers of RAM moving MOST of their production to AI (They have already confirmed this in numerous news articles)....and the wafers used for RAM and other electronics being made for AI..... I wonder how this is going to affect newer products like the Axe Fx 4 or floor models for it?

It might delay it. It could even affect the current Axe Fx 3 and current floor models because RAM right now is SKYROCKETING! There are simply not enough wafers being made for BOTH AI and consumer electronics like phones, tablets, computer components, car electronics, etc. And the manufacturers like TSMC have already said they prefer AI manufacturing customers over other manufacturing customers.

Already video card manufacturers are having to cut the usual RAM of video cards from 12 GB or 16 GB to just 8 GB! And the prices reflect that! Now days 32 GB of even DDR 4 RAM costs way more than it was just a few months ago. Don't even try to buy DDR 5 RAM! THAT just doubled or tripled in price!

I am glad I got my 32 GB DDR4 RAM in my computer before the prices went up. I would not even THINK of upgrading my computer now! I have a bad feeling this is going to affect everyone. From new cars to new computers to new phones...and the list goes on. Not only Cliff, but the other manufacturers that make musical products that use those wafers.

I do not know what kind of stockpile Cliff has in parts....but even if it is huge it will run out at some point. What will suck is what happens then?
 
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I was thinking about this same thing on my drive home today. I have to imagine that the combination of tariffs and the RAM shortage will probably make lots of companies rethink their entire business models and product lines. But then again, I'm sure the whole RAM demand is gonna crash within 6 months so I'd imagine some companies are playing the long game with this.

I'm just pissed that the RAM shortage is making Valve delay announcing the Steam Machine's availability and price along with HALF-LIFE 3 of all things.
 
deathbyguitar said:
I was thinking about this same thing on my drive home today. I have to imagine that the combination of tariffs and the RAM shortage will probably make lots of companies rethink their entire business models and product lines. But then again, I'm sure the whole RAM demand is gonna crash within 6 months so I'd imagine some companies are playing the long game with this.

I'm just pissed that the RAM shortage is making Valve delay announcing the Steam Machine's availability and price along with HALF-LIFE 3 of all things.
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Boy I hope you are correct! It would be nice if all this was was just a bump in the road for manufacturers.
 
You think AI is bad, wait til you see what it'll do to the global chip market if China tries to take back Taiwan. </ fear mongering>
 
deathbyguitar said:
It's a bubble and it's gonna pop hard. Everyone is predicting infinite growth but infinite growth isn't real. And so many of these companies are overvalued like crazy.
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I though the same thing but every new mobile phone has tons o AI features baked in. The future is looking bleak.
 
The first one to engineer AI to use a fraction of the memory and power will be a Gazillionaire . (it will probably be AI itself...or a virtual AI version of ELON ;) )

Elon Terminator.jpg
 
Don't worry, once peeps figure out (finally😳) how much BS is in AI, demand / price will fall and I'll be able to buy a slightly used data center on the super cheap to run AxeEdit, GB, and Solitaire.
 
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I get it though. The potential is huge. The first company that discovers a pill for cancer that you have to take every day for the rest of your life will become trillionaires. And, of course, they'll also discover a chemical that gives everyone cancer.

I'm a bit cynical about the whole thing. Even in this industry it's being marketed as the holy grail and a lot of companies are just sticking an A.I. label on their products (or making videos claiming they use AI to develop models even though the math doesn't work) to dupe unsuspecting consumers.

I've spent over 20 years researching tube amps and effects and trying to understand every little detail that goes into making things sound the way they do. When I'm gone and all the tube amp designers are gone there will be nothing new. It'll just be millions of captures of existing amps that you'll have to sort through. Of course A.I. will make this "easier" as you'll just prompt it: "Find me a capture that sounds like Eddie Van Halen during the Fair Warning tour".
 
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