A sudden spike in 256Mbit double-data rate SDRAM supplies sent contract prices plummeting 17% in June, making it the best memory chip value on the market.
At an average selling price of $6.69, OEMs are paying 25% more for 256Mbit DDR vs. 128Mbit DDR devices, but are getting twice the density, according to Semico Research Corp., Phoenix. Three months ago, 256Mbit DDR ASPs peaked at $9.34.
However, Ken Hurley, president of Nanya Technology Corp. USA, San Jose, believes 256Mbit DDR pricing has started to stabilize in the last week.
At the same time, contract prices for the previous-generation 128Mbit DDR are on the rise, increasing to $5.35 in June, compared with $1.78 last November. 128Mbit single-data-rate SDRAM tags have also been creeping up, jumping to $4.57 in June from $1.45 in November.