Rebranding

[John P. Myers]

Yeah, there's the problem. There is no way those DIMM manufacturers make their own chips, aside from the three (was 4) chip manufacturers who also make their own DIMMs (samsung, hynix, micron/Elpida).

Right. You've got the top 8 manufacturers right there. I used the exact same chart for my marketshare data, except it was from the quarter before that one :/

As for Micron and Elpida, they are still 2 separate manufacturers. Elpida has accepted Micron's $2.5bil offer, but the sale doesn't close until the first half of next year.

In the "Others" category, you've got your little guys like Team Group, Super Talent, Toshiba, etc. It really doesn't cost a whole lot to make a RAM factory or take up much space. It's far simpler and cheaper than etching CPUs and GPUs. Way faster as well. Hell, the 2 of us could start a DRAM factory But then we'd get bent over the kitchen table by the big boys


Manufacturing costs as of Feb. 2012

2Gb DDR3 were quoted at US$0.90 - slightly above the cash cost for the chips built using a 3Xnm process - for the second half of January, according to industry observers. Costs for 2Gb DDR3 built using a 4Xnm process now stands at US$1.20-1.30, and ramping up output using 3Xnm will further drag down the cost level to as low as US$0.80