Wow! RAM prices up.

[trents]

RAM prices have gone up significantly since this summer when I last bought it. What's going on? Whose scarfing it up these days to drive up prices? Miners?

 

[Alaric]

Manufacturing was dedicated to SSD demand. There is supposed to be some relief next year when they are supposed to ramp up production of RAM again, but it won't be anytime soon. Unfortunately. :/

 

[mackerel]

Ram prices have been going up since summer of last year, never mind this one. Supply and demand doing its work in the semiconductor industry. To use a recent catchphrase, this is the "new normal". Samsung have said they will increase production, but who knows how much impact that will have, or when. Until then, demand growth continues.

 

[trents]

After posting I did some research and many are saying this is due to informal price fixing agreements among the RAM chip producers and that it is likely to be the norm from now on since the competition has narrowed down to three companies who have bought out or driven out the smaller players and have engaged in head nod agreements to keep production at levels that maximize profits. Price fixing is of course illegal but apparently these agreements don't have a paper trail and are of the informal, unofficial sort. They are now making up for losses incurred when prices were so low a year and a half ago or so. Prices will be at a level high enough to insure sustained profits and demand but low enough to discourage startups. In other words, the big three have found the balance point where supply, demand and profits intersect.

 

[EarthDog]

Yep, welcome to last years news... there is even a big thread discussing it....which was also a year late. Lol!

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/...s-Official-The-Memory-Situation-Is-Ridiculous

 

[trents]

Yes, but it's even worse of late. I hadn't had occasion to buy RAM since this summer and was surprised at the leap since then.