Dram Prices To Continue Falling

[Gizmo]

Read more, here.

[SteveI]

Sweet.. too bad I've got DRAM coming out of my ears.. Let's put it this way. My 4 year old's machine has a gig-o-ram!!

[cloasters]

As should all four year old's machines. JK, good on you SteveI!

$4.07 for 512 Mb DDR2? Uhh.. sure. If that's the wholesale tab we're still getting ripped. If that's the cost of one 64 Mb chip, it still isn't a major owie for the RAM makers. Seen from the consumer's angle.

[Gizmo]

Actually, it IS a major owie. DRAM margins are already razor thin, and this isn't going to help any. Contrary to popular belief, and charges of price fixing aside, the DRAM market is intensely competitive. The industry constantly oscillates between over-supply and over-demand.

The cycle seems to go something like this:
1. 20 or so factories shift silicon production from DRAM to something else that is profitable.
2. Demand exceeds supply and the price shoots way up. All of a sudden, DRAM is intensely profitable.
3. 20 or so factories shift silicon production from other stuff that isn't as profitable to DRAM.
4. Supply exceeds demand and the price plummets, and a bunch of companies start losing money on DRAM.

Rinse and repeat.

Least ways, this is what I have been observing for about the last 10 years. In a way, you can't blame the DRAM manufacturers for engaging in some price fixing, just as an effort to stabilize the market. However, it seems like every time some joker gets the bright idea to stabilize pricing in the market, he also gets greedy and tries to stabilize it at a price that nobody will swallow.

[cadaveca]

Just wait until AMD makes the move, and supply will be less than demand. With most memory makers working on DDR3 and DDR4 already(mostly in graphics format, but the same tech nonetheless), fab capacity for DDR2 will drop, and prices will rise. If you can buy some now, in large quanities(good luck), now would be the time to do so.

[madcatmk3]

anyone have a link of where you can buy that RAM?

[Azriel]

Yeah, never thought the day would come that I could get a gig of micron ram for $59.
http://micromagic.us/mt1gb1284400.html
Careful how long you wait though. It drops slow, but when it goes up, bang. Yer screwed. Overnight.

[cloasters]

Can we be certain that DDR2 bought today will work well in the upcoming mainboards for AMD CPU's that require DDR2 modules?

[Daniel ~]

OH HELL NO! We can't be certain they will work in today's boards!

That's what makes us such fearsome Pirates!! ":O}

[cadaveca]

Originally Posted by madcatmk3

anyone have a link of where you can buy that RAM?

Spot sales can be placed with any IC manufacturer. lots of 1000, most often.

[cloasters]

59000 smackers. No sweat.

[cloasters]

Originally Posted by Daniel ~

OH HELL NO! We can't be certain they will work in today's boards!

That's what makes us such fearsome Pirates!! ":O}

Great. DDR2 will go through the roof when the first shipping container of 1996 mainboards for AMD procs with DDR2 is bought.

[madcatmk3]

when will AMD start with DDR2 board or is it possible they will go for DDR3 boards.

[cadaveca]

Look early next year for DDR2 A64's...dunno about retail tho.

[madcatmk3]

Knowing AMD do though I really wouldn't be surprised for them to do ddr3 or even as a blow to intel DDR4.

[fantomfreq]

Hey, what do you know? It seems Samsung has just confessed to setting the price of DRAM from 99-02.

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000010070464/

[cadaveca]

LoL...I said this months ago. Heh. now it's out in the open. I remember posting that they set aside that 300 mill...

[marsh.miguel]

this stuff is gettin cheaper and more advanced every day!