April 9, 2004                                                                                                                                     

RAM MOVING UP 40GB’S MOVING OUT

In the last two weeks we have seen a sharp increase in the price of RAM.  All DDR RAM has risen about 10%.  The reason for the increase, at this point, is unknown.  It may be simply an increase due to the upcoming traditional slow summer months.  It may also be due to the rise in fuel prices.  If that is the case we should be seeing an increase in just about everything, especially shipping charges.

 This recent DDR RAM price increase follows the recent increase in PC100 and PC133.  These two old RAM styles are continuing to climb in price and we are seeing less and less availability on them.  PC100 is about to join SIMM’S and SIPP’S in your local computer museum.  We still take orders every day for PC133 and PC100.  It just doesn’t make any sense.  People need to realize that the amount of money they are putting into increasing RAM in their old tired systems could be put to much better use by simply buying a new motherboard, CPU, and DDR RAM.  For the price of 2 sticks of PC133 256MB, you could buy a P4 or Athlon motherboard, a low end Celeron or Athlon processor and still have about $20 left to invest in new DDR RAM which is still much cheaper.  It just doesn’t make sense.

 Speaking of end of life items, we are starting to see a flicker in the life-light on 40GB hard drives.  Don’t panic, I don’t expect to see them go away for a while yet.  However, when availability on them goes away for a week at a time it is a good indication that they are going to be phased out.  I find it very interesting that 60GB drives have been unavailable for about the last 6 or 8 months but 40GB’s are still around.  The price difference between a 40GB and 80GB is around $10-$12.  When you can get twice the capacity for less than 10% more what is the point?

 Come on America, let loose of your wallets and purse strings and let’s get the economy moving again!

 This weeks special:

 MSI KM4M-L MOTHERBOARD $63.00

 S&K