Key Points
- Micron has defended its decision to shut down its Crucial consumer RAM brand.
- An executive said the company continues to support consumers by supplying RAM to PC manufacturers.
- Micron will continue to sell its memory chips to other third-party consumer brands.
- The company’s expansion plans won’t have a meaningful impact on RAM supply until 2028.
Micron is defending its recent decision to shut down its popular Crucial consumer RAM brand, a move that has angered many PC enthusiasts. In a recent interview, a Micron executive said that the company is still “trying to help consumers around the world,” just “through different channels.”
The RAM crisis has been a major headache for anyone trying to build or upgrade a PC. The massive demand for memory chips from the AI industry has led to a global shortage, and companies like Micron are making much more money selling their products to data centers than to consumers.
Micron’s decision to kill off the Crucial brand, which sold RAM sticks directly to consumers, was seen by many as a clear sign that the company was abandoning the consumer market. However, the executive, Christopher Moore, argued that this perception isn’t entirely correct.
He explained that Micron still has a “very sizable business” supplying RAM modules to PC manufacturers like Dell and HP. So, while you may not be able to buy a Crucial-branded stick of RAM off the shelf anymore, you will still be getting Micron’s technology when you buy a new computer.
Moore also noted that Micron sells its memory chips to third-party brands, so the same chips that would have been sold under the Crucial label will now carry a different company logo.
While this explanation may not satisfy frustrated PC builders, it does highlight the harsh reality of the current market. With a limited supply, the industry will capture the lion’s share because it’s simply more profitable.
Micron’s move is a business decision, and while it may feel like a betrayal to some, it reflects where the money is in the tech world right now.
