back to article Memory shortage could spike PC prices

PCs could cost more in the months ahead because memory will be in short supply. The iSuppli trackers reckon that DRAM supply could undershoot demand because some manufacturers won't be able to get the semiconductor lithography tools they need. They note that ASML Holdings NV, the main supplier, should be able to supply 33 …

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  1. Yamikotai
    Unhappy

    Time to upgrade

    Well, looks the time to upgrade and get the DDR3 I need.

  2. JasonW

    This is has been going on for years...

    ... when I was buying the 4M RAM for my 386 (to upgrade it from 1M) there was going to be a spike in memory prices (taking it to £30/meg from £25), blamed on a fire in a factory in Hong Kong that made the glue used to glue the tops on the chip packages. Turned out to be bunkum then as are most of the "manufactured shortages" do - simply a mechanism to hike the prices against the long-term falling trend.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Stop

      Yeh I was about to write the same

      Every couple of years theres some new reason memory prices are going to go through the roof.

      I'm sure the memory manufacturers do it now and then to get people/companies to go out and rush buy it...

    2. Anonymous John
      Happy

      Decades

      I think the Nascom 2 started it.

      "The board was designed to take 8 x 4118 1K RAM devices. However, a world shortage of these devices forced Nascom to supply memory via DRAM memory card"

      Happy Days! Where's the nostalgia icon?

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    My memory shortage

    can only be blamed on alcohol.

    1. Ian McNee
      FAIL

      Doh!

      That'll learn ya for buying those cheap alcohol-soluble DIMMS! But even so, why are you wasting good alcohol by pouring it into your bloody PC?? Some people...

  4. Rob 101

    And of course

    The chip maker's customers get a revenue boost from the "buy now" scare tactic.

  5. ArmanX

    I forgot the title. Must be that memory thing.

    Some years ago there was an earthquake in Taiwan that was supposed to cause global chaos with memory prices... it never really happened. Instead, prices go up for the new stuff when you move to new technology, and the old prices drop. Eventually, you run out of the old stuff, and the prices skyrocket. Same ol', same ol'.

  6. A Non e-mouse Silver badge
    FAIL

    Meanwhile, back in the real world...

    "slashing the projected annualised growth rate from 49 per cent to as low as 45 per cent"

    I'd hardly call a reduction from 49% to 45% growth "slashing".

    I reckon someone is scare mongering, trying to talk up the price of memory. I'm sure this type of thing has a name. Oh yes "Pump and dump" And, um, isn't it illegal ?

  7. tuna 1
    Pirate

    If Memory Serves...

    ... isn't it about time for another price fixing scheme? It's been so long, I can't recall...

    http://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/memory/price-fixing-in-the-memory-market

    "In September, Infineon Technologies AG, headquartered in Munich, Germany, agreed to plead guilty ... agreed to pay US $160 million in fines"

    Isn't it time for the pirates in silk ties and suits to start paying their debts back to society?

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    As mentioned,sounds familiar

    I build custom PCs, and it seems nearly EVERY year around AUGUST the price of memory starts rising and then falls to a low around APRIL.

    Funny that, nothing to do with Christmas period at all!

  9. b166er

    I can feel

    a new memory format coming on.

    I always hoped we'd get the QIMM one day.

  10. Henry Wertz 1 Gold badge

    Less RAM?

    Maybe instead of rising the price of PCs they should just put less RAM in them. I for one have 512MB in most of my systems and 1GB in the rest. This is ample for Ubuntu and for gentoo. If I'm running some large jobs I do go into the swap (I have 1 or 1.5GB swap so the systems have 2GB total virtual memory), but it seems to page out gently rather than thrashing and slowing me down any. Just ditch bloaty systems like Windows and you don't need 3GB, 4GB, or more in a system.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Amnesia...

    Luckily there is a double recession looming just to stop us from buying RAM. so there's no need to worry.

    So does the Memory industry think its customers have amnesia?

    I, for one, heard it all last year.... there is always a memory shortage.

  12. bex

    Linux

    way to go shoehorning a linux rant into this report, how sad

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