Memory prices have skyrocketed!

[budz]

Memory prices have gone risen quite a bit in the last month. (2) 512mb of DDR PC3200 memory is anywhere from $90-$115.00 right now. DDR2 memory is expensive as well. I'm assuming this is because of new AMD AM2 & INTEL DUO CORE 2 processors that have since been released. Anyone else notice this and how scarce memory is now at online retailers like Newegg.com? I just noticed this in the last few weeks.

[edDV]

When new memory architectures are used in new machines, old memory prices will go up after a short dump period.

If you don't think this is true, try to buy EDO memory for upgrade.
http://www.crucial.com/store/listmodule.asp?family=EDO

[Wile_E]

Yeah, they sure don't want to sell any memory, with those high prices on DDR. Who wants to bet all this "old" DDR memory just gets thrown away in a dumpster or sits in a warehouse for years? The inventory is not going to move. It's totally ridiculous that these older architectures get price hikes. Most people will just get a new board and new memory, which saves you money in the long run. Let them keep this memory and let it take up space in their warehouse.

[ROF]

Nothing new here. Been happening since the early days of computing. People will still buy this memory if they want it. They will pay whatever price in order to increase the speedy operation of their machines without having to invest in a completely new architecture or they are given one of these older machines and realize a memory upgrade is all that is needed.

The price increase is just as natural as oxygen in the air we breath.

[DarrellS]

Prices have gone up at PCCLUB but they're still pretty reasonable at FRY'S and NEWEGG.

[Slapstick]

Every fall the prices increase for the "back to school" PC sales, fall a little in October then back up again for the Xmas PC sales and fall again in the spring. Been doing that for the past 20 years, supply and demand at work. The only time I can remember it not following that trend is when several memory makers got together to fix the prices.

[ROF]

Prices have gone up at PCCLUB but they're still pretty reasonable at FRY'S and NEWEGG.

Fry's Electronics and Newegg.com are not immune. They have both raised their prices twice in the past 3 weeks on PC3200 RAM.

[ntscuser]

Maybe I missed something but I don't remember prices for DDR ever falling that much? The only time it was really affordable was when it was bundled with a new PC.

[ROF]

Most people who buy RAM on a regular basis (more than once a week) know that RAM prices fluctuate up and down regularly. As Slapstick has said though, the best times to buy any computer parts is late October early November or late January early February timeframes. Not coincidentally these are also the times when you see computer shows visiting your local auditoriums dumping all their gear at closeout prices.

Now is not a good time to buy. Everyone has raised their prices so they can offer Back To School specials and still make the same amount of profit.

[ViRaL1]

It's totally ridiculous that these older architectures get price hikes. Most people will just get a new board and new memory, which saves you money in the long run. Let them keep this memory and let it take up space in their warehouse.

For the most part, that's the plan. Prices will drop as the demand starts to go away until it gets to the point where hardly anyone wants it. It's more profitable (especially now that both platforms have standardized on just one type of memory for current systems) to ONLY manufacture DDR2 and not put money into manufacturing older DDR memory. IIRC, blank CDs used to be cheaper before blank DVDs got to be so popular. Then when more manufacturers turned toward higher output of DVDs, while shrinking their capacity for CDs, the prices on CDs came back up some.

[JerryB]

Memory prices have gone risen quite a bit in the last month. (2) 512mb of DDR PC3200 memory is anywhere from $90-$115.00 right now. DDR2 memory is expensive as well. I'm assuming this is because of new AMD AM2 & INTEL DUO CORE 2 processors that have since been released. Anyone else notice this and how scarce memory is now at online retailers like Newegg.com? I just noticed this in the last few weeks.

hi ,
ddr has always been alittle expensive.... and also right people have tendency to put more than 1 gig of ram where as a couple of years ago 256 and 512 was sufficient.... bottom line demand has gotten alittle higher.... what gong to be interesting is as we get close to vista release more and more people will be buying vista ready pc's.... and with vista it strongly recommended t get at least 2 gig if not 4 gigs of ram... that will really drive up the demand and maybe prices if the manufactures don't boost up production....

oh buy the way 100 bucks is still cheap compared to what it was a few years ago when you were paying 40-80 bucks PER MEG!!!!! smiling...

[ntscuser]

When Windows XP first appeared a lot of minimum-spec PC's which were previously bundled with Win2000 were suddenly rebundled with XP just so they could display a XP sticker on the front and the same will happen with Vista.

[ROF]

When Windows XP first appeared a lot of minimum-spec PC's which were previously bundled with Win2000 were suddenly rebundled with XP just so they could display a XP sticker on the front and the same will happen with Vista.

Oddly enough if you visit Dells website you can still buy these systems at the same prices they were back then.

[lordsmurf]

I actually heard earlier this year that prices would be raising hard by the end of the year. I forget where it was, some news magazine probably.

[Super Warrior]

Well good thing i upgraded my Laptop earlier with 512MB DDR2 Stick for $23