A Samsung strike could make your RAM even more expensive

Samsung's unionized workers may strike for 18 days starting May 21st over bonus pay disputes, potentially costing the company $700 million daily in lost memory production. PCWorld reports this strike could worsen the existing chip shortage and drive RAM prices even higher than current levels, which are already 3-4 times more expensive than last year. The disruption threatens global electronics supply chains despite Samsung's $13.4 billion profit in 2025. As if the AI data center boom wasn't causing enough problems for PC hardware, a looming strike in Samsung's home territory of South Korea could grind the memory giant's already-strained production to a halt. According to the latest reporting from Reuters, a long-simmering dispute between Samsung and its unionized labor force has boiled over, with no compromise in sight even after days of government-mediated talks.