X-bit labs

March 2004 Hardware News Overview (page 7)

Category: Editorial

by Andy Yaschenko

[ 03/15/2004 | 02:11 AM ]

Memory

Overall, February was an example of the slow beginning of the year with a low demand. The prices may have fallen lower, if the memory makers hadn’t switched to demand-enjoying flash and started playing with DDR2. As a result, the reduced supply compensated for the low demand and the memory prices went down (for example, from $4.75 to $4.45 for a 256Mbit DDR400 chip), but still remained above the production cost. I think a majority of makers will enjoy the results of the first quarter.

Traditionally, March is the month of growing prices, as the demand for memory from computer manufacturers increases. This March won’t be very splendid, though, according the mainboard makers’ forecasts: a growth of contract prices by a few percent and a relative stability (like plus/minus 3-5%) in the spot market.

As memory modules continue becoming cheaper, their manufacturers are enjoying themselves issuing products, sometimes quite different from the JEDEC standards. This February was less exotic and brought us standard modules, although not quite widespread.

OCZ showed up with its kits of two PC3500 registered modules for Athlon 64-FX systems and then unbuffered 1GB PC3200 DIMM modules (thus, a kit amounts to 2GB of memory) with OCZ’s proprietary system for prevention of parasite noise aka ULN2. They set the maximum timings, though, so the goal behind this technology seems rather obscure.

Kingston also revealed similar-capacity modules (1GB PC3700 and 2GB kits) with even slower timings, but higher frequency – they come as an extension of the HyperX series. There’s only one problem for the buyer of such products – to find a mass application where so much system memory would be demanded.

This niche has practically exhausted itself and the module makers are casting intent glances at DDR2. Corsair has already got the brand, XMS2, and posted diverse info on DDR2 modules on its website. The speeds are long known, though, while the capacities won’t be much of a surprise: the company is planning to show 256MB-1GB modules for personal computers and 512MB-2MB for servers. Curiously enough, such modules were already available for ordering in some places, although there are about two months left before mainboards capable of working with them appear.

Moreover, you can already go shopping for DDR2 modules in Japan, although Buffalo, their manufacturer, asks inadequately much for them - $915 for a 512MB PC2-3200. It’s even funnier as there are no mainboards for such memory and the difference in performance with PC3200 is negligible. No wonder then that serious manufacturers prefer to make a pause.