DosFreak wrote on 2026-06-25, 17:05:

As expected the new normal...again
Micron Locks In Historically High Memory Prices For Five Years
https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/26/06/25/ … -for-five-years

Seeing lots of guides around building your new ddr3 based gaming pc lately

So, my hodgepodge'd DDR3 based filerhead is the sign of the times afterall.

I'm still waiting to see DDR4 modules yanked off dead chromebooks, and baked into DIY DIMMs.

rmay635703 wrote on 2026-06-25, 19:51:

DosFreak wrote on 2026-06-25, 17:05:

As expected the new normal...again
Micron Locks In Historically High Memory Prices For Five Years
https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/26/06/25/ … -for-five-years

Seeing lots of guides around building your new ddr3 based gaming pc lately

Suddenly the pair of i7 5775C processors with 128MB of eDRAM (L4 cache) I got a couple months back are sounding like a smart investment. Score!

[The 32gb of DDR4 in my spare parts cabinet at work is looking more and more like treasure.]

Man I feel blessed I bought 64GB of DDR4 late last year, as well as a $1TB SSD. Cant remember what I paid but it seemed good value at the time.

Looks like DDR2 is affected at this point.

https://videocardz.com/newz/ddr2-memory-is-st … 60-this-quarter

Fun times.

such wrote on 2026-06-26, 01:05:

Looks like DDR2 is affected at this point.

https://videocardz.com/newz/ddr2-memory-is-st … 60-this-quarter

Fun times.

Bleh.

What is especially annoying is that a DDR2-equipped Core 2 Quad system with an SSD is really not that bad to use for basic browsing still, but SSDs are now prohibitively expensive too, so even the lamest 120-256GB SSD is probably worth as much as a whole Core 2 OEM system (Optiplex, etc.).

such wrote on 2026-06-26, 01:05:

Looks like DDR2 is affected at this point.

https://videocardz.com/newz/ddr2-memory-is-st … 60-this-quarter

Fun times.

Good lord that is stupid, you would think ddr2 would be more affected as a novelty collectible.

If my Athlon 2ghz with sdram becomes a gaming pc again…

Did any of you actually read the article? The DDR2 thing is for legacy embedded type things that are still being produced.

cyclone3d wrote on 2026-06-26, 02:35:

Did any of you actually read the article? The DDR2 thing is for legacy embedded type things that are still being produced.

I glanced at the article and while it wasn't directly related it made me think of how SSD prices are making upgrades of older DDR2 systems even less viable than they already were. I was actually trying to clarify my thought when someone came in the room and started talking to me and I posted half of it. Derp.

What I was going to add:

Realistically, there is almost no reason for an end user to be using a DDR2 based system for anything but a retro PC in 2026. There is also more than enough used DDR2 out there (for now) to fill the needs of end users if anyone needs some for those purposes.

With regard to the article, I do have to wonder just how big of an impact a DDR2 crunch for embedded devices is going to have. Like, how often are these devices being replaced and how much demand is there for more chips? A percentage increase in pricing is a bit hard to imagine without knowing how much is being sold already.

Also, this bit is interesting:
"TrendForce says some OEMs and ODMs are now lowering memory specifications to control system costs and secure supply. In some cases, DDR4 designs are reportedly being moved to DDR3, while some DDR3-based products are being redesigned for DDR2."

Having seen videos of the e-waste repurposing operations that go on in China and other places, I have to wonder if more will start buying up big stockpiles of memory intended for scrap and instead use it as a source of chips. This could, at some point, have an impact on the availability of memory for retro enthusiasts and home users. The gold scrap price has already likely destroyed a huge chunk of the pool of available pre-DDR4 memory.

cyclone3d wrote on 2026-06-26, 02:35:

Did any of you actually read the article? The DDR2 thing is for legacy embedded type things that are still being produced.

ATP and others claim legacy sdram and ddr1 are still produced for embedded.

i have a box of old low capacity FP ram and some old SD ram of the 64,32mb types. I'm going to hang on to it now 😀

Yeah I've got a load of that and some 74 series bus multiplexers, gonna build a 2ft high DIMM tree that takes 32MB SDRAMs and emulates DDR4 🤣

... just need to figure out a 16x interleave to keep the speed up 🤣

Wouldnt signal propagation delay from that much trace distance be a not-insignificant bottleneck there?

Actually using DDR4 chips (yoinked off dead SBCs and chromebooks that find the trash) seems much smarter.

here we go!!!!!!!!!!!

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/ram- … ncreased-costs/
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/sk-hynix-samsun … -in-dram-market

leileilol wrote on Today, 02:37:

here we go!!!!!!!!!!!

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/ram- … ncreased-costs/
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/sk-hynix-samsun … -in-dram-market

Surely those honest, upstanding companies won't be found guilty of forming a price-fixing cartel... again.

Seems like Samsung is now refunding customers in full for warranty instead of replacing faulty drives, I guess they made the calculation that giving a customer $300 in cash is cheaper than handing out an $800 cost price item (at current market value)

DDR2... Just goes to show it isnt about the demand its about getting as much as you can for it.

Ozzuneoj wrote on 2026-06-25, 21:23:

rmay635703 wrote on 2026-06-25, 19:51:

DosFreak wrote on 2026-06-25, 17:05:

As expected the new normal...again
Micron Locks In Historically High Memory Prices For Five Years
https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/26/06/25/ … -for-five-years

Seeing lots of guides around building your new ddr3 based gaming pc lately

Suddenly the pair of i7 5775C processors with 128MB of eDRAM (L4 cache) I got a couple months back are sounding like a smart investment. Score!

Why would you get two of them?

ElectroSoldier wrote on Today, 09:12:

Ozzuneoj wrote on 2026-06-25, 21:23:

rmay635703 wrote on 2026-06-25, 19:51:

Seeing lots of guides around building your new ddr3 based gaming pc lately

Suddenly the pair of i7 5775C processors with 128MB of eDRAM (L4 cache) I got a couple months back are sounding like a smart investment. Score!

Why would you get two of them?

Yeah reverse modifying to a dual Xeon seems painful (unless there is a Chinese x99 that makes normal CPUs fit into dual mobo)