DDR3 Ram prices in 2021
DDR3 Ram prices in 2021
You're considering purchasing a refurbished server from several years back. The specs show 16GB RAM, which you'd like to upgrade. It supports DDR3 slots. You found a 64GB DDR3 kit priced at £485 or about 670 USD—really high for such an old spec. Can someone explain why it's so costly? Thanks in advance!
A refurbished machine could likely support ECC DDR3 or even Registered ECC DDR3. Some models might only run on DDR3L at 1.35 volts. It might work with standard DDR3, but ECC DDR3 offers better performance and is generally more affordable. The costs are high because you're usually buying multiple kits—like four 16 GB units or two 32 GB modules. These were always costly since they demand many chips per stick and weren't mass-produced initially. Main producers concentrate on DDR4 (and its variants) and GDDR5/GDDR6, so large quantities of new high-capacity DDR3 chips aren't made cheaply. Many old factories that manufactured DDR3 at advanced nodes (such as 20nm) were converted to produce SSD flash memory. Determine the number of memory slots your server has. You might be able to use 8 x 8 GB modules to reach your target size. Check if your system supports ECC DDR3 or Registered DDR3, and look on eBay for 8 GB or 16 GB sticks of that type—often they're inexpensive, particularly the Registered ones (though they can't be used in desktops). Most motherboards, especially those from AMD, accept ECC DDR3 but ignore the ECC bit.
Consider checking the used market for some options—they’ve actually dropped quite a bit in price. Likely the price hike for new RAM comes from retailers offering it at lower costs. DDR3 has seen significant discounts in the used space, but finding brand-new units online is rare. Demand for DDR3 is declining as DDR4 becomes more popular and eventually may be replaced by DDR5.
I own a vintage Dell Precision T3600. I found 32GB of 1333MHz ECC RAM on Craigslist for just $40, which is $20 per 16GB. I wish I had bought all four sticks instead of settling for the single unit. Avoid buying used—most servers require full system overhauls, and old DDR3 parts are surprisingly affordable when you're not careful.
Also explore webhosting forums for hardware offers. You might find excellent discounts. For instance, a recent post on the site features a deal with $320 servers: 4 x 480 GB Intel/Samsung SSDs and 96 GB DDR3 (12 x 8 GB). However, shipping is limited to the US at $50, and prices are shown in pounds for the UK audience. It could be worth reaching out, even with higher shipping costs, if the SSDs and memory are beneficial.
Shifted focus to CPUs, motherboards, and memory options. What processor should you choose? How many RAM slots are available? A 64GB DDR3 setup wasn’t typical; consumers usually used 2 or 4GB modules, while 8 or 16 were uncommon and costly. Yes, verify the specific RAM type required for your system—ECC DDR3 is now affordable as its practical applications have diminished.