DRAM prices drop as Windows 10 failed to spur demand

Market research firm DRAMeXchange reports spot pricing of DDR3 4GB memory chips fell 3 percent, from $19 in August to $18.5 in September. The drop occurred in what is usually seen as the peak season for laptops, and it's blamed on Windows 10's inability to drive PC replacement demand. It is not just PC DRAM that is impacted, DRAMeXchange reports shipments of smartphone and server DRAM are down as well, and notes this is seriously eroding the margins of DRAM suppliers.

Pricing is expected to fall further into H2 2016:

Looking ahead for the next couple of quarters DRAMeXchange "expects price decline in the DRAM chip market to become more severe than the current slide," all the way to half way through next year. A steeper slide could happen "if the global economy continues to stagnate". Furthermore we might get stronger price competition between the three dominant suppliers – Samsung, SK hynix and Micron. It is thought that Samsung could puts pressure on competitors by moving to 18nm technology first, giving it a buffer for price cuts and offering more attractive memory with better power efficiency and higher densities.

Source: Hexus