Samsung, Micron, and Hynix Accused of DRAM Price Fixing

[bug]

I only meant, even those that bashed may have been right, in a way. But yes, this is the internet, they were probably just talking/typing crap.

 

[Countryside]

I only meant, even those that bashed may have been right, in a way. But yes, this is the internet, they were probably just talking/typing crap.

Indeed even a broken clock is right twice a day.

 

[deu]

The KIT that I actually use in my computer has 50% higher price than a year ago, when I bought it. Time is passing, faster and bigger DRAM kits coming month to month, yet all the prices are rising. Building a computer from new, op-to-date components is starting to become a luxury. DRAM prices because high demand, VGA prices because mining, M/B prices because the shrinking market, CPU is the only thing where you have something, but only because AMD finally got a good one too.

But you are kinda saying it: Lack of competition (includes pricefixing) = higher prices. I can accept supply and demand, but the problem is with the companies uses a "woaw demand is high because x and y, so we all just add 20% to the price. I am sure that these companies would LOVE for this to continue (+100% price = 200-xxxx% added profit). Again it would be increditably naive NOT to think that agreements could have been made to fixe the price to ensure each company multiple billions of dollars extra. In regard to the speed we know that RAM speed is mostly timing loosening, så 3200mhz is the "most" you can benifit unless you have some specific workload. Again; we have had more or less the same everyday performance for the last 5 years. (2400mhz DDR3 compared to 3200mhz DDR4). Its not like they have made their process more expensive (quite the oppersite).

Ill bet my kneecap that they have made some level of "gentleman agreement" over a dinner or a skypecall (it does take more than 5 seconds to say: "Are you in? follow my lead!"

 

[Hossein Almet]

And there hasn't been any editorial piece about DRAM's price from TECHPOWERUP on these times.

 

[windwhirl]

And there hasn't been any editorial piece about DRAM's price from TECHPOWERUP on these times.

Editorials, no... but I think there were quite a few implicit complaints in some news pieces.

here

This 5% drop in pricing has prompted industry analysts to review their profit estimates for 2018, and expect that the memory industry's growth rate will fall by more than half this year to 30 percent. You read that right - investors are scared because growth rates will be 30 percent instead of 60 percent. Oh the joys of inflated pricing, and slower-than-usual ramp-up to keep demand higher than supply. The joys of economic capitalism, where prices for consumers go up, and an industries' value skyrockets by more than 70$ in a single year (2017).

Raevenlord didn't seem real happy here.


And here btarunr mentioned the problem too, although in the context of cryptomining boom.

DRAM prices continue to torment gaming PC builders, with memory prices seeing triple-digit inflation over what they should be (a 32 GB dual-channel DDR4 memory kit, which should have ideally been priced around $200, is going for $500 these days)

So, yeah. Maybe they didn't see the need for editorials. It's been talked about and discussed all over TPU...

 

[geon2k2]

They will find ways to recover the loss. Consumers will pay for it anyway.

The only option is for some government to fine them really hard as a percentage of company revenue (not profit) and to monitor them for 10 years.
On any small misbehavior the fine should be automatically applied once more without aditional court order or something else.
For example for Hynix which as per wiki it does 15.98 B revenue and 3.67 B profit a good fine would be 5%*15.98B=0.799 Billion.

Holly molly, now that I look at this company they make shitload of profit for the revenue.
I'm not in finance but that 22% percent profit reported to revenue seems huge doesn't it?

 

[Parn]

I wish I lived in the US so I could sign up immediately. Those greedy tightasses deserve the punishment.

 

[trparky]

Too bad I bought after February 1, 2018, I guess no scraps for me.

 

[Diverge]

I called this months ago...

 

[Gilhooligan]

last time this happend i paid £98 for 8gb then samsung was caught out and the same 8gb went down to £30

 

[riffraffy]

Oh sure... let's have a class action lawsuit where us regular folks will be lucky to get a few dollars meanwhile the lawyers walk away with bank.

It does seem lawyers cut is always way to high and that they are the real winners . But we also have to consider that while people are sitting in their armchairs waiting years for that very small check you still were invited to participate in something you didn't bring forth so you are not risking much . Meanwhile the firm still has to pay their overhead which should be substantial , like rent, salaries , insurance , research , experts , transportation , and much more . And this overhead is for whatever number of years it takes , and I don't know if this type of case can have postpones , appeals , etc.. But win or lose the consumer should benefit going forward because now the industry has been put in check , Which by the way does not stop companies from cheating ( Proof being the multitude of like cases ) but from being so blatant about it ( 47% rise! ) . Man did I just defend lawyers ...I'm surely going to hell now .

 

[Easo]

Fingers crossed for reduction in prices at least...

 

[bug]

In a way, it's like AMD can't catch a break. Last time they had a great CPU, Intel plays dirty and AMD can't sell as many as they would like. Now AMD has Ryzen, Intel plays nice (as far as we know), yet high RAM and GPU prices still stop many users from buying or upgrading.
A coincidence, for sure, but quite an unfortunate one for AMD.

 

[etayorius]

Does this mean that prices of RAM should go down?

 

[bug]

Does this mean that prices of RAM should go down?

Probably, but it's complicated.

 

[windwhirl]

They will find ways to recover the loss. Consumers will pay for it anyway.

The only option is for some government to fine them really hard as a percentage of company revenue (not profit) and to monitor them for 10 years.
On any small misbehavior the fine should be automatically applied once more without aditional court order or something else.
For example for Hynix which as per wiki it does 15.98 B revenue and 3.67 B profit a good fine would be 5%*15.98B=0.799 Billion.

Holly molly, now that I look at this company they make shitload of profit for the revenue.
I'm not in finance but that 22% percent profit reported to revenue seems huge doesn't it?

As much as I'd like to see something like that, it probably won't happen. What you'd get is this: there is an investigation, it's determined that these companies incurred in price fixing, they get their day in court, and if they are found guilty, they are fined. If they incur in price fixing again, there must be another investigation, more legal procedures and another court order. There won't be automatic fines.

Of course, it is much more likely that, should the courts find them guilty, the fine could be quite the number. Hundreds of millions, maybe. I, for one, want to see a massive fine applied on each of them. And some prison time too.

 

[megamanxtreme]

What kind of prison are we talking here? The one where they are with the rest of the regular inmates or one where they have butlers cut their food, change their clothes, where they live the same lifestyle at their own homes just behind metal bars?
I'm more for prices coming down.

 

[Tsukiyomi91]

Well I expected this would happen... bet Samsung & Hynix will either start firing those who are involved in this scandal OR "reform" a part of their divisions & sweep everything under the carpet, pretending nothing ever happened.

 

[hat]

RAM prices haven't budged. I thought this would bring them down?

 

[windwhirl]

RAM prices haven't budged. I thought this would bring them down?

They are only being accused of price fixing for now. Until the courts say that they are guilty, don't expect anything to change.

 

[prnsforum]

the point is WHEN DDR4 PRICE DROP !!!

 

[Caring1]

I know when prices of DDR4 will drop....right after I buy some.

 

[windwhirl]

I know when prices of DDR4 will drop....right after I buy some.

Alright, then. In the name of all consumers, go buy some

 

[SetsunaFZero]

DDR4 prices are slowly recovering
https://geizhals.at/?phist=1305608&age=9999

 

[RoySRC]

When exactly is the court date..?