We just lost a huge RAM and SSD manufacturer to AI — Micron is killing Crucial after nearly 30 years to support “larger, strategic customers”

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Today is disappointing news for PC gamers, builders, and tech enthusiasts. Micron, a major manufacturer of RAM, SSDs, and other storage, has announced it will discontinue the Crucial brand, which sells RAM and SSDs directly to consumers.

For almost 30 years, Crucial Consumer Business has been a well-known name in building PCs, going head-to-head with companies like Samsung, SK Hynix, Corsair, and Seagate. However, the company is now closing down because its parent company, Micron, is deciding to focus all its manufacturing on serving businesses that develop artificial intelligence technologies.

Micron revealed on Wednesday that this decision demonstrates their dedication to reshaping their business and focusing on long-term, profitable growth in the memory and storage industries.

The main aim is to improve long-term business results and benefit key clients and investors – meaning large companies exploring and building artificial intelligence products, not everyday individuals.

Demand for memory and storage is rapidly increasing due to the growth of artificial intelligence in data centers. To better serve our biggest customers in these fast-growing areas, Micron has decided to stop selling products under the Crucial brand, which focuses on consumers, according to Sumit Sadana, an executive at Micron.

As an analyst, I’ve consistently observed Crucial build a strong reputation thanks to its dedicated customer base. The brand is now widely recognized for its innovative, high-quality, and dependable memory and storage solutions. I understand they recently expressed gratitude to their millions of customers, hundreds of partners, and the entire Micron team for supporting Crucial over the past 29 years, and that’s a testament to their success.

Micron plans to keep selling Crucial memory and storage products through February 2026. After that, in March, retailers will no longer carry Crucial RAM and SSDs.

The company has announced it will support its partners and customers during this change, and will continue to offer support and warranty service for Crucial products. It also plans to keep selling its enterprise-level products under the Micron brand to businesses worldwide.

Micron says it plans to offer job opportunities within other parts of the company to employees who will be affected by the upcoming changes at the Crucial brand.

Overall, it’s positive that the company appears to be, or intends to be, closing Crucial responsibly. However, it’s still unfortunate for those who buy or build PCs. We’re losing a trusted brand for RAM and storage, and prices will likely increase as a result.

RAM prices have already jumped significantly because AI companies are buying so much of it, making both RAM itself and devices that use it more expensive. Demand is incredibly high – even with companies like OpenAI facing critical needs and resorting to borrowing money to fund their AI work – as developers invest heavily hoping to profit. Micron is ready to meet this increased demand.

From a business perspective, I understand the logic behind the current situation, but as someone who builds PCs for gaming and creative work, I’m really concerned. The existing RAM shortage is already a pain, and I worry it’s going to become even more difficult and expensive to get affordable RAM and storage. It’s frustrating for builders like me.

FAQ

When is Crucial shutting down?

Micron will stop selling Crucial RAM and storage products, including SSDs, at the end of February 2026. After that date, you won’t be able to buy new Crucial products.

Why is RAM so expensive right now?

RAM prices have recently jumped significantly because companies building artificial intelligence, such as OpenAI and Google, need increasingly large amounts of it to power their growing businesses. Micron, a major RAM manufacturer, is prioritizing these high-paying AI customers, which is leading them to discontinue their Crucial product line.

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2025-12-04 02:10