The entire chip supply chain depends on energy and chemical imports from the Middle East

Samsung, SK Hynix, and TSMC depend on oil, gas, helium, sulphur, and bromine coming from the region, or through the Strait of Hormuz.

Marko Papic, chief strategist at BCA Research … predicts a severe hit to chip production if the strait isn’t back in operation within a month.

Could mean higher PC component prices, or even a halt in production. Could mean global recession.

  • Passerby6497@lemmy.worldEnglish
    25·
    10 hours ago

    Yeah… The Iran war is why the bubble will pop… Damned Iran destabilizing the very healthy AI market!!1!

  • humanspiral@lemmy.caEnglish
    5·
    7 hours ago

    The biggest user of Helium is MRIs at about 40% of global demand. Chips were 20%, but maybe they are catching up. Since AI chips, or even ddr5, has such huge profit margins, expect MRIs to be less insurable instead. No more fiber optics or quantum computing research.

  • pivot_root@lemmy.worldEnglish
    20·
    12 hours ago

    No, it won’t. It will cause more of the supply to be reallocated away from consumers into enterprise, and that is exactly what the big tech companies want to see happen.

    Having access to a computer and phone is as much of a necessity to survive in modern society as internet is. When personal computing is unaffordable to the point where subscription computing is a good enough “deal” for consumers to jump on, the ball will start rolling towards the inevitable price squeeze that we have no choice but to accept.