Korean vendors pump up the DRAM prices

[Lionfish]

Just when you thought it was safe

The Register

Korean DRAM makers are hiking production in the face of an apparent revival in the sector.

According to the Korea Times, Samsung Electronics expects demand to increase 40% to 45% this year, and will increase its total DRAM output by 50% this year. It plans to up production of 128Mb DRAMs by 62.5% this year, and at the same time will increase the proportion of 256Mb DRAM from 40% to 50% by the end of this year. Hynix Semiconductor plans to increase 128Mb production by 63%.

The company is currently negotiating the sale of its DRAM operations to US vendor Micron Technology. System vendors have made reference to increasing DRAM prices of late.

Apple Computer recently said DRAM increases, together with TFT screen prices, were the reason it increased the price of its latest iMac by $100. The high memory demands of Microsoft's XP operating system are another reason why the DRAM sector is seeing an increase in demand.

[dimmreaper]

I think the memory manufactures are over-projecting demand for DRAM. And if I'm right that mean all this increased capacity will make memory quite cheap again by time December gets here.

PCs just arn't selling like they were the year before last, they arn't even selling as good as they were last year from what I hear. Who can blame the average consumer for not purchasing a new machine? What does a P4 1.8GHz with 512MB of PC2100 memory do that a P3 500 with 128MB of PC133 memory can't? PCs sales will be stuck in a rut until we get some really killer apps out. Very few folks I know are buying new PCs, and those that are shoot for the bottom of the barrel.