D-RAM Prices Stable for Two Consecutive Months... NAND Prices Also Unchanged from Previous Month

DRAMeXchange March Fixed Transaction Prices Announced
NAND Shows Higher Price Increase Rate in Q2

DRAM prices have remained steady for the second consecutive month. NAND flash prices also stayed close to the $5 mark without any changes from last month.

Samsung Electronics 12-nanometer class Double Data Rate (DDR)5 DRAM / Photo by Samsung Electronics

Market research firm DRAMeXchange announced on the 1st that the fixed transaction price (contract price) for general-purpose DRAM products used in PCs (DDR4 8Gb 1Gx8) in March was $1.80.

DRAM prices began a significant decline in October 2021 due to poor market conditions and failed to show signs of recovery until they first rebounded in October last year. Since then, prices have risen every month but have remained at the same level since January.

Market research firm TrendForce explained that DRAM prices rose 15-20% in the first quarter compared to the previous quarter. For the second quarter, prices are expected to increase by 3-8%. The company noted that since PC OEM industry inventories are still high and demand has not fully recovered, the rate of increase may be lower than expected.

Regarding this, TrendForce stated, "DRAM suppliers are preparing for the overall price trend in the second quarter," adding, "Although strategies have not been fully disclosed, it is highly likely that bit shipments will decrease."

The March price for general-purpose NAND products used in memory cards and USBs (128Gb 16Gx8) was $4.90, unchanged from the previous month. NAND prices had been declining continuously since June 2022 but successfully rebounded last October. After continuing to rise, prices showed a stable trend for the first time this month.

TrendForce forecasted, "In the second quarter, additional supply will be limited and demand remains solid, so (NAND) prices may rise." The company expects NAND prices to increase by 13-18% in the second quarter. In particular, prices for solid-state drives (SSDs), which are NAND-based auxiliary storage devices, are expected to see a higher rate of increase.