DDR3 Price Premium to Shrink to 10% in 2H

When Intel launched their P31 chipset last May, it was a definite step forward. The chipset itself brought some great new features to the table, and performed extremely well. It still retains its spot as one of the best chipsets available today. The most notable addition though, was DDR3 support. Coincidentally, that proved to be the least favored feature of the new chipset, all thanks to the insane module prices.

At that time, a moderate 2GB DDR3 would have cost at least $500, and while it’s decreased in price somewhat, today’s 2GB performance kits still retail for $400 – $500. Compare that to a 4GB DDR2 kit that retails for $150… or less. It’s easy to see why DDR3 hasn’t caught on. But to much chagrin, Intel’s next chipset, X48, will be DDR3 only. At first it might seem like a bad thing, but it’s a good thing for those who don’t plan to purchase. The quicker X48 comes to market, the more DDR3 adoption there will be… the faster the prices will go down. Like most things, we just need to sit back and wait.

The DRAM makers expect some PC vendors will be subsidized by Intel to migrate to DDR3-based platforms, and this should help encourage the entire industry to migrate accordingly. They noted that some PC vendors will only introduce DDR3-based systems in the second half of the year. About 30% of new PCs shipping worldwide will be powered by DDR3 in the fourth quarter of 2008, they estimated.

Source: DigiTimes