Memory Giants Samsung and SK Hynix Push Through 30% Price Increases Amid AI Server Boom (trendforce.com) 15
Samsung and SK Hynix have raised DRAM and NAND flash prices by up to 30% for the fourth quarter, Korean publications report. The two Korean memory giants passed the new rates on to customers as analysts predict the AI-driven memory supercycle will be longer and stronger than past boom periods.
Several leading international electronics and server companies are stockpiling memory and negotiating long-term supply deals spanning two to three years. U.S. and Chinese electronics firms and data center operators are exploring mid-to-long-term contracts. Companies typically sign DRAM contracts on a quarterly or annual basis.
Several leading international electronics and server companies are stockpiling memory and negotiating long-term supply deals spanning two to three years. U.S. and Chinese electronics firms and data center operators are exploring mid-to-long-term contracts. Companies typically sign DRAM contracts on a quarterly or annual basis.
nothing like... (Score:4, Insightful)
good ol' price fixing.
Re:nothing like... (Score:4, Informative)
Great, just as I was about to build a new machine (Score:2)
Guess I'll just have to wait another ten years.
Re: (Score:2)
If spending an extra 30% on RAM is what is keeping you from adding more e-waste to the system, then I think that's worth it. It means that you didn't really need to "upgrade" in the first place.
More than 30% (Score:2)
I bought 2x16 GB of DDR5-6000 CL 18 last month, it was $120. Today it's $209. That's more like a 90% increase, at least on this particular Teamforce consumer product.
I know not all kits have increased by this amount, yet, but I'm guessing they will within a year. I remember reading about a study here that a wholesale price increase of X% becomes a price increase of 2X% at the consumer level, "because we can". That was about general inflation during Covid, but the rule seems to be holding true for RAM now.
Re:More than 30% (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
Checked again today, 2 days later, and the kit is now $249. A quick browse on Newegg shows the other kits with similar specs have risen similarly.
Also it was CL 28, not 18.
I paid (Score:3, Interesting)
In 1990, I paid about $900 for 8MB of RAM for my Mac IIci.
So uh......today's prices seem like a real bargain.
FWIW. The 170 MB HD was also about $900.
Fun fact: I got the very last Mac IIci that you could order from Apple in a 0/0 configuration. I got the memory and hard drive via third party (ad in MacWeek) to save a ton of money vs ordering from Apple with memory and a hard drive.
Re: (Score:1)
Modern software is much more bloated and resource intensive than the software on that Mac IIci. Do you think modern software has greater utility in keeping with its increased resource requirements?
Re: (Score:1)
I certainly think my current computer is a lot more useful than anything I was using in 1990.
Although, overall my users have not actually changed all that much.
In 1990, I was a computer science major and ran A/UX (Apple's UNIX) as my primary OS. Other than that, my main apps were Word and Excel, with a little bit of PageMaker thrown in. I was using Eudora for email.
These days, I'm running MacOS (Apple's UNIX) as my primary OS. My main apps include Word and Excel, but now also Apple's web browser and email c
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:1)
That $900 is with no inflation adjustment. It's what I actually paid at the time.
Re: (Score:2)
I remember buying 256KB SIMM modules for my 286 for, I think, $80/ea. If the price per Kilobyte (~$0.30) remained the same, 64GB of RAM would be $19,200,000.
So, yeah, I think it has come down quite a bit :)