Why ddr3 is cheaper

Super User is a question and answer site for computer enthusiasts and power users. It only takes a minute to sign up. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. I'd have to opt for this instead. More than twice as expensive. I was under the impression that Registered memory is more expensive to produce. They are able to cram 18 memory chips onto that module where normal ones only have 8 chips.

I suspect that under the Adata heatspreaders they only have 16 chips. Are there strange economic factors at play here? Supply and Demand : The demand for such large RAM capacities on a single stick is mainly for servers at this time, and the amount manufactured supply will be higher. Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top.

Even if you were thinking of buying a brand new Mac, MacBook or pre-built PC instead of building your own setup this year, you can often save a bit of cash by not paying extra for an upgraded RAM model.

At first, it was prohibitively expensive for anything but the most extreme gaming PCs, but now you can find it in many mainstream laptops or desktops. Adding extra memory to any Mac is notoriously expensive. Meanwhile G. The initial price of this Ripjaws V kit in the U. At the top-end of the performance spectrum, G. Despite being a high-priced niche product, even the G. High capacity kits have also come down in price as well, though perhaps by not as much as mainstream kits.

In the last several months IC costs have continued to drop and volumes increased, while demand for all compute components in the first quarter is usually pretty low, which gives retailers like Amazon and Newegg as well as manufacturers themselves good incentive to decrease prices of their modules in a bid to keep their sales on decent levels.

While DDR3 has an advantage of lower latency, it will get considerably harder and more expensive to upgrade such platforms in the future after DRAM makers reduce production of previous-generation memory. The miniscule difference between DDR3 and DDR4 pricing indicates that supply of the latter is ramping up and is getting on par with the former.

Which is not to say that DDR3 will disappear overnight. However, a lot of mainstream desktops and notebooks were designed for DDR3 modules because it used to have a considerable price advantage. The majority of new x86 server designs nowadays already use DDR4. Servers utilize considerably higher amounts of memory than notebooks or desktops i. Worldwide PC shipments totaled This jump in value is caused by a number of events, but overall the situation is caused by more demand than supply.

DDR3 maintains decent popularity due to the vast amount of systems that are still around, which are only compatible with the older memory technology. This last is presumably in preparation for DDR5 production, as older foundries are updated to newer tech and used for more lucrative devices. Nanya Technology currently has a monthly production capacity of about , wafers.