DRAM prices hit fresh record low

SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- Prices of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips fell to a fresh record low in the second half of August due to a slowdown in global economic growth that hurt demand, industry data showed Thursday.
According to the data provided by Taiwan-based DRAMeXchange, the price of the benchmark DDR3 1-gigabit 128Mx8 1066-megahertz device plunged 14.8 percent from the first half of this month to US$0.52.
The figure is the lowest for the 1-gigabit product since 2009 and is a sharp drop from a high of $2.72 in May 2010.
Another DRAM product, the DDR 4-gigabit SO-DIMM 1077-megahertz device, stood at $21.50 in the second half of August, down 8.5 percent from two weeks ago. Other DRAM products slumped about 9 to 12 percent over the cited period, according to the data.
Even though the DRAM market has traditionally been stronger in the second half than the first half, a significant rebound in prices is unlikely, industry sources and market watchers said.
"Demand for DRAM will revive in coming months with the seasonally high demand in the second half of the year," said an official at Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest DRAM maker.
"However, the recovery of the global economy is slowing, hurting demand for consumer electronics," he said.
sam@yna.co.kr