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[Solved] Why is memory so expensive right now?

Forum Motherboards & Memory : Memory - [Solved] Why is memory so expensive right now?

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mrangerm   10-25-2009 at 02:20:50 AM

When I built my first computer last year, I was able to buy 4GB of DDR2 memory, 2X 2GB, for $45 plus a $20 rebate, for a grand total of $25. I even built another computer for my brother and was able to get another set of 2X 2GB DDR2 800 for about $45 as well.
Today it seems I need at least $75 for a set of 2X 2GB. Even 1GB memory is at least $20. What is going on? I thought prices would drop after DDR3 becoming so popular?

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Best answer from jitpublisher
Memory prices have always gone up and down, and the prices can vary wildly.
It depends on the market, who is making it, and the demand, and what kind of memory it is. If you think memory is expensive now, you should have bought some when I first started building computers. It was about $90 a MEGABYTE then.
DDR2 is being phased out....manufacturers are retooling their plants for DDR3....that means the supply is becoming harder to find. Right now, there is still a decent market for DDR2 though, so less supply, high demand, higher prices.
It will still be another 6 months to a year before DDR3 hits the same widespread use that DDR2 has right now.
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blackhawk1928   10-25-2009 at 04:53:48 AM

Well depends on the ram. The ram might be DDR3 but it depends on its timings of CL and its transfer rate. Higher transfer rates and lower cas latency timings result in better ram/performance which makes it much more expensive. Also depends on the manufacturer also. And if DDR3 is so popular then it would only make sense if price increased
higher demand=lower supply=higher price

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mrangerm   10-25-2009 at 11:34:23 AM

How is it that the price of the same exact memory that I bought, which ended up costing me $45, and then $25 after rebate, is now a whopping $90 (89.99)
Was it the time of year? Should prices go down in the next few months? Should I wait or buy now?
I just think it's weird.

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jitpublisher   10-25-2009 at 02:17:18 PM
Best answer

Memory prices have always gone up and down, and the prices can vary wildly.
It depends on the market, who is making it, and the demand, and what kind of memory it is. If you think memory is expensive now, you should have bought some when I first started building computers. It was about $90 a MEGABYTE then.
DDR2 is being phased out....manufacturers are retooling their plants for DDR3....that means the supply is becoming harder to find. Right now, there is still a decent market for DDR2 though, so less supply, high demand, higher prices.
It will still be another 6 months to a year before DDR3 hits the same widespread use that DDR2 has right now.

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gedoe_   11-03-2009 at 05:07:32 PM

memory is cheaper during the summer

pcs are generally cheaper during the summer


i buy during the summer.

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gamerk316   11-03-2009 at 06:33:27 PM

Well, DDR2 is going up due to diminished Suppy and Demand, and DDR3 is going down due to increased supply to meet expected demand.

I remember paying $100 for a 512KB DDR2 DIMM not to long ago. :D

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lumpoco   11-20-2009 at 10:54:52 AM

mrangerm wrote :

When I built my first computer last year, I was able to buy 4GB of DDR2 memory, 2X 2GB, for $45 plus a $20 rebate, for a grand total of $25. I even built another computer for my brother and was able to get another set of 2X 2GB DDR2 800 for about $45 as well.
Today it seems I need at least $75 for a set of 2X 2GB. Even 1GB memory is at least $20. What is going on? I thought prices would drop after DDR3 becoming so popular?




I also have been wondering why the prices are so high! Just this past summer I was able to get 4GB DDR2 RAM for about $45. Now for only $75 I can get 4GB DDR2 RAM. I suppose I shouldn't complain too much. A few years back when the Gigabyte DS3L first came out I had bought two 512MB sticks of DDR RAM for slightly under $1,000...yes one thousand bucks! at Frys.....lol...I returned it a few days later. Also I once paid $300 for a 75GB IBM drive and $200 for a 4X CD burner. It is amazing how I had no concept of value when I first started working. These days...I'm so cheap that I even go back to Fry's to take advantage of the low price guarantee...even if it is only $5. Hmm, DDR3 memory...my boards don't accept it...are the memory plants forcing me to choose AMD. It seems that if I'm going to have to buy DDR3 memory I might as well go with something new and exciting like AMD. My last foray with AMD was with the vaunted Duron Applecore. I have read alot of bad reviews on DDR3 motherboards for Intel cpus...

Reply to lumpoco
maltenp   11-20-2009 at 02:04:01 PM

gamerk316 wrote :

I remember paying $100 for a 512KB DDR2 DIMM not to long ago. :D




lies...

You mean 512mb :D

Reply to maltenp
g725s   11-24-2009 at 03:05:45 AM

jitpublisher wrote :

It will still be another 6 months to a year before DDR3 hits the same widespread use that DDR2 has right now.



I'm not up on pricing, but are you saying that it will be six month before prices on DDR3 start to fall? Or do you think that they will fall slowly until then? Or is this (six months) an assumption of when they might hit there lowest level?

I'm in the process of "dealing" a build together. Sure I'd like to get a bunch of ram, but it might be best to just start with what will make the system work, like 2gb, and buy the rest when it drops in price.


Message edited by g725s on 11-24-2009 at 03:06:13 AM
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