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Memory crisis is getting so bad that even retro RAM prices are going to the Moon

theregister.com

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Re: Memory crisis is getting so bad that even retro RAM prices are going to the Moon

#51

Post by port11 »

analog31 wrote: post #24
theandrewbailey wrote: post #2

I work in e-waste recycling. Ever since the TurboQuant paper in March, I haven't been able to sell any DDR3. I'm guessing that the DDR2 and 3 this article is referring to is the actual memory chips, not modules/sticks that servers, desktops, laptops, etc. use, because the latter aren't moving.

Indeed, I was lucky that my PC is old enough to use DDR3 sticks, when I decided to upgrade a couple months ago. I think it's still cheaper to max out your RAM than to buy a new PC.

I thought the same until I calculated the cost of running DDR3. We’re at 0.35€/kWh so it adds up fast. Upgrading the motherboard and getting LPDDR4 sticks would be a net positive before the RAM prices soared.

Re: Memory crisis is getting so bad that even retro RAM prices are going to the Moon

#52

Post by kasabali »

linzhangrun wrote: post #38

DDR3 era processors are severely outdated today, with the strongest d3cpu 5th gen i7 unable to match performance of 6W TDP N100

7th gen still supported DDR3L (with a suitable motherboard, obviously) and it's possible with 9th gen if you're willing to try "coffee time" mod.

Re: Memory crisis is getting so bad that even retro RAM prices are going to the Moon

#53

Post by interloxia »

linzhangrun wrote: post #38

DDR3 era processors are severely outdated today, with the strongest d3cpu 5th gen i7 unable to match performance of 6W TDP N100

I would argue that my old 4790K with dual channel ddr3 19200, at 10x power, is similar or better. That box lasted way longer than was reasonable.

Re: Memory crisis is getting so bad that even retro RAM prices are going to the Moon

#54

Post by cookiengineer »

Kuinox wrote: post #17
lexicality wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was introduced barely 20 years ago. By that rationale the PS3 is a retro console

yes the ps3 is now considered a retro console.

> yes the ps3 is now considered a retro console.

kids these days... stares at the C64 in the corner

Re: Memory crisis is getting so bad that even retro RAM prices are going to the Moon

#55

Post by deadbabe »

vitally3643 wrote: post #43
deadbabe wrote: post #23

People act like RAM is thousands of dollars now. I checked prices recently and while it’s pretty high, it’s not that bad for a component you just buy once and use for a long time. I’m still more concerned about the prices and availability of decent GPUs.

RAM prices are so bad that my business couldn't launch our product this year. RAM increases completely obliterated our profit margin, and would have required raising prices 30%. For a small business, that just doesn't work. A lot of small businesses are getting absolutely wrecked by this.

Just raise the prices, it works sooner or later. We are not getting the old prices back.

Re: Memory crisis is getting so bad that even retro RAM prices are going to the Moon

#56

Post by tencentshill »

ggm wrote: post #20

Worldwide chip pricing and it's effects on the overall economy are fascinating. I expected by now somebody with a gen -2 class VLSI plant would swing into action and make for 2/3 the cost of the majors, and clean up in volume as the market absorbs the price shock. But no, instead it suits everyone in the pipeline to whine about it, but mark up prices instead. I am guessing the other side of this, the price drops will…

I think the DRAM manufacturers understand this is a bubble, and the massive orders won't continue long enough to make spinning up matching new production worth it. All they can do is sell everything they can produce and let the market stabilize to that level.

Re: Memory crisis is getting so bad that even retro RAM prices are going to the Moon

#57

Post by RetroTechie »

michalpleban wrote: post #5

The headline made me fear that I will need to shell out a few more bucks for 4164 DRAM chips, but fortunately this does not seem to be the case. DDR3 is not "retro", for chrissakes.

Good. 4164 DRAM production should be able to keep up with demand then.

Re: Memory crisis is getting so bad that even retro RAM prices are going to the Moon

#58

Post by illegalsmile »

port11 wrote: post #51
analog31 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indeed, I was lucky that my PC is old enough to use DDR3 sticks, when I decided to upgrade a couple months ago. I think it's still cheaper to max out your RAM than to buy a new PC.

I thought the same until I calculated the cost of running DDR3. We’re at 0.35€/kWh so it adds up fast. Upgrading the motherboard and getting LPDDR4 sticks would be a net positive before the RAM prices soared.

Is it really that significant? We're talking watts difference and over a year maybe 100kWh difference? $35/year?

Re: Memory crisis is getting so bad that even retro RAM prices are going to the Moon

#59

Post by cwillu »

holycrapwhodat wrote: post #16
wlesieutre wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In 2000 when the PS2 came out was the NES a retro console? It was 17 years old, or 14 years since wide distribution in the USA. What counts as "retro" basically comes down to when the person you ask was born.

New NES were still available in the US through at least Christmas 1992, and in Europe deep into 1995, both selling alongside the SNES since 1991. The final new international games were released in 1994, but Europe still got new games into 1995. Japanese Famicoms were still being sold in Japan when the PS2 released. They sold more in Japan in 2001 than in 2000. So no, calling the NES "retro" in 2000 wouldn't have made…

Except people definitely did call it retro back then, so clearly the facts you point out aren't the entire picture of what makes something retro.

Re: Memory crisis is getting so bad that even retro RAM prices are going to the Moon

#60

Post by KetoManx64 »

deadbabe wrote: post #55
vitally3643 wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

RAM prices are so bad that my business couldn't launch our product this year. RAM increases completely obliterated our profit margin, and would have required raising prices 30%. For a small business, that just doesn't work. A lot of small businesses are getting absolutely wrecked by this.

Just raise the prices, it works sooner or later. We are not getting the old prices back.

> Just raise prices

Let me guess, you've never run a small business before who's existance is based around being small, nimble and inexpensive in order to compete with large corporations?

Yours is the same answer that were given to hundreds of thousands of small businesses during COVID who ended up going out of business. Now you get to shop/eat at at soulless $BIGCORP which has the same slop as every other soulless $BIGCORP.

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