At the moment, most – if not all memory upgrades – are still selling for substantially below the prices the same upgrades went for this time last year. What’s significant is that those prices a year ago were pretty much at lows already with the chipmakers (Micron, Hynix, Samsung, Etc) selling the parts at prices under that which it costs to produce. These companies have posted – individually – billions in losses on these memory chip sales over the past 2 years. Micron alone has lost over $2 billion during that period. When 4GB was selling for $99 last August – those prices were not sustainable. Due to the global economic meltdown at the end of 2008, costs that were already way below what was supportable dove to all new lows as the chipmakers needed to keep cash flow going. In 2009, we’ve seen productions reduced and entire producers (Qimonda/Infineon for example) completely exit production. As a result, prices had been easing up over the course of this year as the supply/demand equation has come into balance.
Today’s prices are still as much as 50% less than where the cost of various modules could easily be heading. Just over the past five days we’ve now seen cost increases of another 5-10% on DDR2 and DDR3 memory that was already up about 20-30% just over the prior 3-4 weeks. After about two years+ of supply imbalance, we are seeing things start to move swiftly back to a cost level that – if nothing else – will ensure memory continues to be available while these producers stop bleeding red ink to turn out the parts.
Currently, we have stock that doesn’t reflect the latest cost increases. More memory makes a tremendous difference for performance and will make an even bigger difference with Apple’s 10.6 Snow Leopard too. I have no crystal ball – with respect to real costs and supply – but it’s far more likely for pricing to continue ticking up a slope than go downhill again. It’s finally come to the point where the remaining chip makers no longer can continue producing parts sold below true cost vs. that long time bit about it being better to keep production lines going. They can’t afford to and the adjustment to supply is starting to show.
So, how do you turn this somewhat scary price ride into a fun, thrilling experience? Add some speed thrills to your Mac by getting in line on our site right now with these deals:
Add up to 8GB of Memory / Ram to Apple MacBook and MacBook Pro models with 4GB kits from $62.99
Add up to 8GB of Memory / Ram to Apple iMac models with 4GB kits from $62.99
Add up to 4GB of Memory / Ram to Apple Mac mini Models with 4GB from $62.99
Add up to 32GB of Memory / Ram to Apple Mac Pro Models with 8GB Kits from $25.62 per GB of upgrade
Your model not listed above? Never fear…we have upgrades for nearly every Mac produced during the last two decades!
More than just the original factory maximums, we also have tested and support configurations that were not or in some cases still not available from Apple. This includes up to 6GB or 8GB on various MacBook, MacBook Pro, and iMac models that were limited to 4GB; 16GB or 32GB on Mac Pro models originally limited to 8GB or 16GB. When you select memory upgrades by your model – our site shows exactly what upgrade options we have tested and support for your specific machine. Outside of Apple, OWC has the most extensively Apple Mac computer equipped testing lab which enables us to truly confirm all aspects of memory operation. This lab includes nearly every Apple Mac model that has been released over the past 15 years. We don’t just produce & sell memory for Mac – we know Mac memory inside and out.
Not all memory is created equal – OWC guarantees all our memory to meet or exceed Apple Specifications with particular attention to Apple specific requirements including (but not limited to) cooling/temperature, temperature sensor chips, SPD firmware, and gives you purchasing confidence by backing it with a Lifetime Advance Replacement Warranty. Heck, we even offer cash back rebates for your old Apple memory modules!
So go ahead, buckle on in and let us help you take your Mac on a thrill ride before the “admission fee” increases.
