OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s comments about RAM have sparked widespread reactions among gamers and computer users at a time when memory prices are rising rapidly. Altman argued that it is inefficient for the world’s limited DRAM supply to sit largely idle in personal computers and that the memory would be better used in data centers.
According to information compiled by Oyun Günlüğü, Altman made the remarks on the October 29 episode of Cheeky Pint, the podcast hosted by Stripe co-founder John Collison that is also published on YouTube. Pushing back on the idea that running AI models locally on personal computers will reduce the need for data centers, Altman said: “From a global allocation perspective, actually, it’s quite terrible to have everybody have a bunch of the world’s limited supply of DRAM sitting in their own computer and being used 5% of the time. You want maximum utilization in the cloud if you’re trying to deal with this very supply-constrained environment. And somehow many people’s intuition is the opposite of that.”
Altman’s comments came during a discussion about local AI rather than about gaming PCs specifically.
Altman: The invisible hand is failing
When Collison asked why sky-high hardware prices hadn’t lured new suppliers into the market, Altman replied: “I think the invisible hand is failing right now.” He added that the memory industry remembers the days when a DRAM producer “would invest $20 billion of CapEx to make $19 billion.”
Elon Musk mocks Altman
Altman’s comments quickly drew backlash on social media, with countless memes shared. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk also mocked Altman’s remarks with a meme on X, saying: “The people deserve to have their RAM too!”
RAM prices squeeze gamers
Altman’s remarks come as demand from AI data centers drives memory prices sharply higher. DRAM is the active memory that lets PCs, phones and game consoles juggle open applications. According to TrendForce, conventional DRAM contract prices rose roughly 93% to 98% in the first quarter of 2026. The firm expects increases to slow to 10% to 15% in the fourth quarter but warned that PC memory supply could shrink next year as more production shifts to servers. A Tom’s Guide investigation found that a 32 GB DDR5 kit now costs about $500, up from roughly $400 in early April.
The price hikes go beyond memory kits. Apple raised prices across its lineups this year, while Lenovo said in June that it doesn’t expect prices to return to pre-2026 levels anytime soon. Samsung and SK hynix have warned that the AI-driven memory shortage will last until 2027 and beyond, and SK hynix predicts it could persist through 2030.
OpenAI itself is one of the biggest buyers of memory. In October 2025, Altman signed letters of intent with Samsung and SK hynix to supply memory for Stargate, OpenAI’s data center buildout. According to SK Group, the deals could put demand at up to 900,000 DRAM wafers per month, which equals as much as 40% of global output based on TechInsights’ 2025 estimate.
