DRAM vs NAND
DRAM is fast, volatile working memory; NAND is slower, non-volatile storage. The two have separate supply bases and price cycles.
DRAM (dynamic random-access memory) holds the data a processor is actively using and loses it when power is off. NAND flash keeps data without power, which is why it is used in SSDs, phones and other storage. Both are commodity memory products, and their prices are set largely by supply and demand for each type.
Memory makers report results across both, but their earnings can swing sharply with contract prices for each. A shift in AI server demand tends to lift DRAM, especially HBM and server modules, while consumer device demand affects NAND more. Read a memory company's guidance by segment rather than as one number.
Worked example (illustrative numbers, not real data): a maker earns 60 percent of revenue from DRAM and 40 percent from NAND. If DRAM contract prices rise 10 percent in a quarter and NAND prices fall 5 percent, blended pricing rises about 4 percent (0.6 × 10 minus 0.4 × 5), before any change in volume.