If you observe RAM prices over time, you’ll notice fluctuations in prices.
Why does this happen?
The price of DRAM components, which are the main part of a memory module, is determined on the spot market, where supply and demand set the price. Market leaders such as Samsung, Hynix, Micron, Elpida, and Nanya must decide long-term what to produce on their production lines. Depending on market prices and production capacity, different DRAM or flash memories are produced. This can lead to shortages or overcapacity of components in the spot market, which significantly impacts market prices.
The exchange rate between the US dollar and the euro is another factor that determines the final price of memory. As the exchange rate changes, so does the price of memory with similar dynamics.
Since the beginning of 2016, we have seen a steady increase in DDR3 and DDR4 memory prices. This is due to a relatively low availability of many DRAM components, which is driving the spot market price upwards. Additionally, the dollar-to-euro exchange rate has slightly worsened. Currently, the end prices of our memory offerings have not been heavily impacted, as we are still delivering from well-stocked inventory. It is currently unclear when this trend might change.