System RAM has been falling in value significantly over the course of this yr, although you’d by no means guess a purpose for a part of that downward pricing strain in current occasions for DDR4 reminiscence.
Analyst agency TrendForce notes there’s a recent development with DDR4 RAM the place producers are reusing previous reminiscence chips in new merchandise.
These chips primarily come from the 2 main South Korean suppliers’ legacy processes and are reused in PC DRAM and shopper DRAM merchandise after software program modifications. By way of efficiency, the reused chips from the Korean suppliers can attain a knowledge price of 3200MT/s.…August 1, 2023
The way it works is that this: the RAM maker has a bunch of previous server reminiscence sticks, and removes the chips from them, reflashes the chips, after which makes use of these modules in a product bought as new.
So, that RAM stick is form of new, but additionally not. It’s a bit like shopping for a ‘new’ automobile, the place the whole lot is freshly made and put collectively, besides the engine has been taken from a used automobile, and reconditioned. Would you be pleased with that concept? No, you almost certainly wouldn’t.
As Tom’s {Hardware}, which noticed TrendForce’s tweet, factors out, these merchandise will nonetheless have some form of guarantee and also you’ll be coated in the event that they do go improper – contained in the guarantee interval, that’s. Our concern is that a couple of years down the road, attributable to these chips coming with miles already on the clock, they’re extra doubtless to surrender the ghost sooner than a DDR4 RAM stick made with, you already know, new reminiscence modules.
With an inflow of those chips hitting the market proper now, TrendForce observes that that is serving to to push RAM costs down even additional (when as talked about, they’ve already fallen a fantastic deal over the course of this yr). That signifies there’s a good previous quantity of those new-but-not-really-new reminiscence sticks coming by means of onto the cabinets.
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Evaluation: What to do concerning the RAM flimflam?
That is an odd scenario, certainly, and likely a little bit of a fear for these shopping for DDR4. The one constructive information right here is that at the very least costs are nonetheless heading downwards – for now. (Don’t neglect that as beforehand predicted, RAM pricing is anticipated to extend subsequent yr).
Is there something you, as a shopper trying to purchase RAM on your desktop PC, can do to make sure that you’re not getting repurposed reminiscence modules? The quick reply to that’s, nicely, not likely, however there’s one clue TrendForce offers us that’s of assist on this respect. Specifically that these reminiscence chips run as much as a most of 3200 MT/s (megatransfers per second).
For DDR4, what that equates to is a (most) reminiscence velocity of 1600MHz. So, should you’re trying to purchase super-speedy reminiscence like among the greatest RAM sticks on the market, which run sooner than 1600MHz, this isn’t one thing you’ll have to worry about.
Purchase 1600MHz DDR4 or slower, although, and flirt with low-cost RAM, and also you would possibly run some danger of encountering these repurposed reminiscence modules. So, if that’s one thing you want to keep away from, it is likely to be time to attend for a short while till these RAM sticks are cleared out, and the follow falls by the wayside.
That’ll doubtless occur as RAM costs rise subsequent yr, assuming that forecast pans out. The issue shall be balancing making a purchase order earlier than the market begins turning an excessive amount of and costs head upwards extra quickly (maybe – that is all crystal ball gazing and knowledgeable guesswork, in spite of everything).
Do do not forget that this solely applies to DDR4 RAM, and never the most recent DDR5 sticks, in fact.