The old saying of 'It never rains but it pours' couldn't be more apt when it comes to describing the current state of computer manufacturing. Alongside shortages of DRAM, NAND flash, processors, and copper, it turns out that there is yet another vital component that's in high demand, short supply, and with significant price hikes.
It's a very simple little thing called an MLCC (multilayer ceramic capacitor), and if you grab any CPU, graphics card, or motherboard, you'll see hundreds of them all over the place. They're used for various kinds of roles, but in these instances, they're implemented as part of voltage control and noise filtering, and according to a report by DigiTimes, the supply of them is being significantly affected by—you guessed it—AI.
