DDR3 to be nearly as cheap as DDR2 this year?

DDR3 to be nearly as cheap as DDR2 this year?
by Cyril Kowaliski — 9:19 AM on January 24, 2008
Pairing an Intel system with DDR3 memory may just be a reasonable expense later this year. According to a report by DigiTimes, memory makers hope that prices for DDR3 memory will slip to within 10% of DDR2 prices in the second half of this year.
Reportedly, Intel is making an "aggressive push" to promote its DDR3-based platforms, and system memory manufacturers are working with the semiconductor giant to pull forward their schedules for DDR3 memory production. The manufacturers expect Intel to subsidize PC makers to sell more DDR3-based systems, and they estimate that 30% of new PCs shipped worldwide will be DDR3-powered in the fourth quarter of this year.
DigiTimes points out that the shift to DDR3 should present an advantage for memory manufacturers, since the firms are currently under financial pressure from low DDR2 prices and will "count on DDR3 production to free them from the stiff DDR2 pricing environment." With DDR2 pricing also inching back up this quarter, the transition bodes well for the manufacturers.
At this rate, AMD will introduce its first processors with DDR3 support right as DDR2 and DDR3 near parity. The world's second-biggest processor maker announced in December that its first DDR3-powered platforms are scheduled to roll out in 2009.

Click to expand...