# AI Inference Demand Keeps High-End MLCC Supply Tight Through First Half of 2027 By John Kim Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/business/44219 Published: 2026-10-30T03:56:10.000Z Updated: 2026-10-30T03:56:10.000Z Section: Business > NVIDIA's Vera Rubin shipments are expected to rise month by month in the fourth quarter, while Advanced Micro Devices has begun sourcing specialized high-capacitance MLCCs for MI450. High-end multilayer ceramic capacitor shortages are expected through the first half of 2027 as AI workloads shift component demand from GPUs toward CPUs and DDR5 memory. As AI applications move from model training to inference and agent tasks, demand is shifting toward CPUs and DDR5. High-capacitance MLCC use around CPU motherboards and memory modules has doubled as processors are paired with power modules and DDR5 memory, leaving general-purpose high-capacitance parts especially constrained. NVIDIA's Vera Rubin shipments are expected to rise month by month during the fourth quarter of 2026. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has begun sourcing specialized high-capacitance MLCCs for its MI450 platform. The most severe shortages are expected in the first and second quarters of 2027. The AI-driven squeeze contrasts with weak consumer electronics demand. Major laptop ODMs forecast fourth-quarter 2026 orders to average 10% to 15% below the year-earlier period, while smartphone brands are reducing shipments of entry-level and midrange models. Consumer-grade prices have softened even as high-end supply remains tight. Spot prices for low- and mid-capacitance consumer MLCCs fell about 5% in early October before stabilizing, while price increases for high-end specifications began to moderate. Japan's import-price index rose 24.5% year over year in September, adding cost pressure for nickel, copper and silver used in MLCC electrodes. Murata said it would accelerate capacity expansion, but new capacity is not expected until after 2028. The added supply constraints extend beyond high-capacitance parts: [Samsung Electro-Mechanics customers faced MLCC delivery waits of up to 52 weeks]() in October for low-capacity, high-capacity and automotive products. Talks on first-quarter 2027 pricing could begin as early as November 2026, with Japanese manufacturers expected to follow Samsung Electro-Mechanics' price increases. ## Links in this article - [Samsung Electro-Mechanics customers faced MLCC delivery waits of up to 52 weeks](https://www.tokenpost.com/news/business/36969)