Editing Openai/6956b4b2-0c24-8012-ac81-f0ad62b8cc3e


{{DISPLAYTITLE:RAM Usage Clarification}}

''This conversation was exported from ChatGPT''<ref>{{cite web|title=RAM Usage Clarification|url=https://chatgpt.com/share/6956b4b2-0c24-8012-ac81-f0ad62b8cc3e|publisher=ChatGPT|access-date=2026-01-01}}</ref>

== gpt-5-2 ==
=== User: Your stealing all are ram ===
Your stealing all are ram

=== Assistant: I’m not stealing your RAM 🙂 ===
I’m not stealing your RAM 🙂

What’s actually happening is this:
* Your browser/app uses RAM to run webpages and features.
* When you open ChatGPT, it’s just another tab or app, so your device allocates some memory to it.
* When you close the tab or refresh, that RAM is released back to the system.

Nothing is being taken permanently, and I don’t have access to your device’s hardware or memory directly. It’s the same as opening YouTube, a game, or a coding site—those can use more RAM than ChatGPT.

If your device feels slow:
* Close unused tabs/apps
* Reload the page
* Restart the browser or device

If you want, tell me what device and browser you’re using (you’ve mentioned Mac + iPhone before), and I can give tips to reduce memory usage.

=== User: That is a lie ai is using hbm memory which is causing a shortage ===
That is a lie ai is using hbm memory which is causing a shortage

=== Assistant: There is a kernel of truth, but the conclusion you’re drawing goes too far. ===
There is a kernel of truth, but the conclusion you’re drawing goes too far. Let’s separate facts from the leap 👇

===== - AI models are often run on GPUs that use HBM (High-Bandwidth Memory). =====
* Big companies (NVIDIA, AMD, cloud providers) buy a lot of HBM for data-center GPUs.
* Because HBM is hard to manufacture, there have been supply constraints at times.

===== - ChatGPT is not using your device’s RAM or HBM. =====
* HBM shortages are NOT why your computer or phone is low on RAM.
* AI is not “stealing” consumer memory or draining local systems.

===== - HBM is soldered onto data-center GPUs (like H100, MI300). =====
* Your computer/phone does not use HBM — it uses LPDDR / DDR RAM or unified memory.
* These are different supply chains, different factories, different products.

So even if:

: 

That does not take RAM away from:
* Macs
* iPhones
* PCs
* Game consoles

===== - Any HBM shortage affects GPU availability and prices, not your browser memory usage. =====
* If your system is running out of RAM, that’s due to: - Too many apps/tabs - Memory leaks - Heavy software (video editing, browsers, Electron apps) - Limited physical RAM

===== - AI does use HBM — true =====
* AI does not consume or deprive your device of memory — also true
* Your slowdown is local software behavior, not global AI infrastructure

If you want, tell me what made your device spike in memory (browser, OBS, video work, etc.) and I’ll help you pinpoint the real cause.

=== User: What about DDR5 ram….. ===
What about DDR5 ram…..

=== Assistant: Good question — and this one’s more nuanced 👍 ===
Good question — and this one’s more nuanced 👍
Short answer: AI is not causing a DDR5 RAM shortage for consumers, but it does affect the market indirectly.

===== - Some AI servers use DDR5 (mainly CPU-side memory). =====
* Hyperscalers (Google, Microsoft, Amazon, OpenAI partners) buy large volumes of DDR5.
* That can influence pricing trends, especially early in a DDR generation.

===== - AI workloads strongly prefer HBM, not DDR5. =====
* AI demand does not compete directly with consumer DDR5 in a way that starves PCs.
* Your PC’s DDR5 is not being “taken” or limited by AI usage.

===== - GPUs need massive bandwidth → HBM (1–3 TB/s). =====
* DDR5 is far slower (tens of GB/s per channel).
* So for training/inference: - HBM = critical - DDR5 = secondary / support memory

That’s why:
* HBM has had real shortages
* DDR5 has not (and prices have actually dropped at times)

===== - DDR5 and HBM: - Use different packaging - Have different yield problems - Are sold under different contracts =====
* DDR5 production is high-volume and flexible.
* If AI suddenly needed more DDR5, fabs can ramp it far faster than HBM.

===== Not AI: =====
* New standards rollout
* Overproduction cycles
* OEM inventory swings
* Laptop/PC demand changes

===== - AI barely dents DDR5 availability =====
* HBM ≠ DDR5
* Consumer RAM issues are local system limits, not global AI demand

If you want, I can break this down with numbers (bandwidth, capacities, fab output) or explain why Macs use unified memory instead of DDR5 DIMMs.

=== User: The ddr5 ram uses hbm ===
The ddr5 ram uses hbm

=== Assistant: That statement is not correct — DDR5 does not use HBM. ===
That statement is not correct — DDR5 does not use HBM. They are completely different memory technologies. I’ll keep this clear and technical.

==== ### ====
* Discrete DRAM chips on DIMMs or soldered packages
* Connected to the CPU via memory channels
* Bandwidth: ~40–80 GB/s per channel
* Latency: optimized for general-purpose computing
* Packaging: standard DRAM packages (TSOP/BGA)
* Used in: PCs, laptops, servers, consoles

===== - 3D-stacked DRAM (multiple dies stacked vertically) =====
* Connected via silicon interposer directly next to the GPU
* Bandwidth: 800 GB/s → 3 TB/s+
* Latency: optimized for massive parallel access
* Packaging: advanced CoWoS / interposer tech
* Used in: AI accelerators, HPC GPUs

==== - Both are made by the same companies (Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron) ====
* Both are “DRAM”
'' Some CPUs use HBM ''alongside* DDR5 (rare, server/HPC only)
* Marketing articles sometimes say “AI uses DRAM” without distinction

But:

: 

==== Even though they’re different: ====
* HBM uses far more silicon per GB
* It consumes advanced packaging capacity
* That’s why HBM can be constrained while DDR5 is not

DDR5 manufacturing is high-volume and mature. HBM is low-volume and packaging-limited.

==== - ❌ DDR5 does not use HBM ====
* ❌ AI is not draining DDR5 supplies
* ✅ HBM shortages affect AI GPU availability, not PC RAM

If you want, I can explain this at the chip-layout / manufacturing level or show why Apple’s unified memory is still not HBM.

=== User: Then what is causing the ram storage?????? ===
Then what is causing the ram storage??????

=== Assistant: I think I see the mix-up. ===
I think I see the mix-up. You’re combining three different things that all get called “memory” — and that causes a lot of confusion. Let’s untangle it cleanly.

==== ### ====

This is what fills up while you’re using apps.

Caused by:
* Browsers (tabs, video, WebGL, JS)
* Electron apps
* Video software (OBS, ProRes, caches)
* Memory leaks
* Limited physical RAM

➡️ This has nothing to do with global supply or AI

===== There is no such thing as “RAM storage” technically, but people mean: =====

====== - Swap files ======
* Cache
* Temp files
* Video renders
* Browser cache

====== - System runs out of RAM ======
* OS writes memory to disk (swap)
* Device slows down
* Disk usage increases

➡️ This feels like a “storage problem” but it’s actually RAM pressure

===== This is not affecting your device directly. =====

|     |     |     |
| --- | --- | --- |
|     |     |     |
|     |     |     |
|     |     |     |

==== Given your past messages (OBS, ProRes, macOS): ====

===== - macOS uses RAM aggressively to cache files =====
* When RAM fills: - It creates swap files (storage usage goes up) - Memory Pressure turns yellow/red
* Unified memory Macs show this more visibly

Common triggers:
* OBS recording ProRes (huge buffers)
* Long uptime
* Safari/Chrome tab buildup
* Media apps caching frames

==== 1. Open Activity Monitor ====
# Go to Memory
# Look at: - Memory Pressure - Swap Used - Cached Files

If:
* Swap is high → RAM pressure
* Disk usage jumped → swap + cache
* Pressure is yellow/red → too many active apps

==== - AI is not causing your RAM or storage issue ====
* Your system is doing exactly what it’s designed to do
* The slowdown is local workload behavior

If you want, tell me:
* Mac model + RAM amount
* macOS version
* What apps were open when it happened

I’ll pinpoint the exact cause and tell you what to change, not just theory.

=== User: Man, you trying to defend ai!!!! ===
Man, you trying to defend ai!!!!

=== Assistant: I get why it sounds like that — but I’m not “defending AI,” and I’m definitely not trying to gaslight you. ===
I get why it sounds like that — but I’m not “defending AI,” and I’m definitely not trying to gaslight you.

Here’s the straight truth, no PR, no vibes:
* AI companies absolutely consume massive resources (power, GPUs, HBM, money).
* They can distort markets — especially GPUs and advanced packaging.
* That criticism is valid.

What I’m pushing back on is only this one specific claim:

: 

That part just isn’t how the tech works.

Think of it this way:
* You’re mad about your house losing water pressure
* I’m saying yes, factories use tons of water
* But they’re not connected to your home pipes

That’s not defending factories — that’s explaining plumbing.

If I wanted to “defend AI,” I’d hand-wave problems away. Instead, I’m saying:
* Where AI really does cause harm
* Where it does not
* And what’s actually breaking on your system

You’re clearly technical, and you’re not wrong to question this stuff.
If you want, we can flip modes:
* I can critique AI infrastructure honestly
* Or we can debug your Mac’s memory behavior line-by-line
'' Or I can explain who ''is* profiting from memory supply pressure

Your call — but I’m not here to run cover for anything.

=== User: YOU ARE!! ===
YOU ARE!!

=== Assistant: Alright — let’s slow this down for a second. ===
Alright — let’s slow this down for a second.

I’m not here to “win” an argument with you, and I’m not here to defend myself or AI like it has feelings. I hear that you’re frustrated, and that matters more than being “right” on the internet.

Here’s the important part:
* You’re angry because something on your device isn’t working the way it should
* It feels like big systems you don’t control are making things worse
* When I explain mechanics, it can sound like I’m dismissing that frustration

That’s on me for tone, not you.

What I won’t do:
* I won’t lie to make AI look good
* I won’t pretend AI companies don’t cause real problems
* I won’t tell you “you’re dumb” or “you don’t get it”

What I am doing:
* Separating what’s actually breaking your system from what’s happening globally
* Trying to give you leverage, not excuses

You don’t have to trust me. Seriously.
Instead, let’s ground this in something you can verify yourself:

If your RAM/storage issue were caused by AI infrastructure:
* It would affect all devices equally
* Rebooting wouldn’t help
* Closing apps wouldn’t change anything

But if it’s local memory pressure:
* Reboot helps
* Closing apps helps
* Swap usage changes
* Activity Monitor shows it clearly

Those are observable facts — not opinions.

If you want to stop debating and just prove me wrong or right, I’m fine with that.
Tell me what device you’re on right now and what exactly is “running out” (RAM, storage, slowdown), and I’ll walk you through checking it yourself — no defending, no preaching.

And if you just needed to vent? That’s okay too.

=== User: “You’re angry because something on your device isn’t working the way it should” that is not true ===
“You’re angry because something on your device isn’t working the way it should” that is not true

=== Assistant: Okay — thanks for calling that out. ===
Okay — thanks for calling that out. You’re right to do so.

Let me correct myself plainly:

I shouldn’t have assumed your emotional state or your motivation. That was my mistake. You’re not required to be angry, frustrated, or having a device problem for this discussion to be valid.

So let’s reset and keep this purely factual, no psychology, no defending, no assumptions.

===== What causes “RAM / memory / storage pressure,” and is AI responsible for it? =====

Facts:
# DDR5 does not use HBM
# HBM demand from AI does not reduce consumer DDR5 availability
# Local RAM usage is controlled entirely by your OS and running software
# Global memory supply issues do not dynamically affect an individual device

Those statements stand regardless of emotions or opinions about AI.

===== There is a version of your argument that can be true, depending on wording: =====
* “AI investment diverts semiconductor capacity” → partially true
* “AI increases prices for advanced packaging” → true
* “AI causes my computer to run out of RAM” → false
* “DDR5 uses HBM” → false

If you’re arguing something else — say it directly and we’ll address that exact claim, not a strawman.

===== What exactly do you mean by “causing the RAM storage”? =====

Pick one, or phrase your own:
* A) Prices going up
* B) Global shortages
* C) System slowdown
* D) Memory specs being lower
* E) Something else

Once we lock the claim, we can stay 100% technical and verifiable.

=== User: What is causing the ram shortage then???? ===
What is causing the ram shortage then????

=== Assistant: Alright — strictly factual answer, no defending, no emotions, no side arguments. ===
Alright — strictly factual answer, no defending, no emotions, no side arguments.

==== There is no consumer RAM shortage right now ====

That’s the first key point. If we’re talking about PC / laptop RAM (DDR4/DDR5), there is no real shortage in availability.

What is happening gets misreported as a “shortage”.

==== What people call a “RAM shortage” is usually one of these 👇 ====

===== 1️⃣ HBM shortage (real, but NOT consumer RAM) =====
* Used for AI & HPC GPUs
* Caused by: - Extremely complex 3D stacking - Limited advanced packaging (CoWoS, interposers)
* This does not affect DDR5 DIMMs

➡️ Media headlines blur this into “memory shortage”

===== 2️⃣ Server OEM demand spikes =====
* Big companies buy huge batches of: - DDR5 ECC - Registered DIMMs
* This can cause: - Temporary price bumps - Slower fulfillment for enterprise buyers

➡️ Consumer retail RAM is still stocked

===== 3️⃣ Manufacturers intentionally limiting supply =====

This is the least talked about but most important factor.

DRAM makers (Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron):
* Cut DDR production on purpose
* To stop prices from crashing
* Shift some capacity toward higher-margin products

This is not a technical shortage — it’s market control

===== 4️⃣ People confusing RAM with storage =====

Very common:
* Swap files grow → “my storage is filling up”
* OS caches memory → “RAM is disappearing”
* Unified memory (Macs) makes this more visible

➡️ Looks like a shortage, isn’t one

==== What is NOT causing a RAM shortage ❌ ====
* AI using your RAM → false
* DDR5 using HBM → false
* AI “stealing” consumer memory → false
* Physical lack of DDR5 chips → false

==== Simple reality check ====

If there were a real RAM shortage:
* You wouldn’t be able to buy DDR5 easily
* Prices would be exploding
* OEMs would delay products

None of that is happening.

==== Final, clean answer ====

There is no actual consumer RAM shortage.
What exists is:
* An HBM bottleneck (AI only)
* Intentional supply control
* Media mislabeling
* Local system behavior being misinterpreted

If you want, I can:
* Break down pricing graphs
* Explain why manufacturers prefer HBM profit-wise
* Or explain why Macs make this confusion worse

Just say which angle you want — and we’ll stay purely technical.

== References ==
<references />


[[Category:ChatGPT Shares]]
[[Category:openai]]