Intel has recently jumped on the DDR2 bandwagon, and the 925X and 915P/G platforms can utilize this high-end memory. DDR has been transformed into DDR2 through the doubling of internal data bus, thereby allowing next-generation memory speeds of 533 MHz and above. The DDR2 market is still limited, with only a few of the larger vendors jumping on board, but as the weeks pass, we expect that number to grow.
We're also concentrating mainly on DDR2-533 and DDR2-667, as the DDR2-400 type seems to be virtually non-existent, and higher-end speeds are just starting to emerge. Like Registered DDR, DDR2 is still something of a niche market, and it will take some time before it becomes the de facto memory standard.
Last week we saw overall DDR2 prices start moving again, after taking a month off, and the price list is keeping up the pace this week. There are significant price cuts in many DDR2 brands, sizes and speeds, but there is also a great deal of stable listings as well. For example, many Corsair XMS, Geil and OCZ DDR2 modules dropped quite noticeably, while brands such as Crucial Ballistix flat lined across the board.
The big movers and shakers this week were Corsair XMS2 DDR2-667 2x512-MB (-$47), Geil DDR2-533 2x512-MB (-$40), Geil DDR2-667 2x512-MB (-$39), and OCZ Platinum Rev2 DDR2-533 2x512-MB (-$31), along with a host of smaller cuts. Some trends we did notice were the continued disappearance of 256-MB DDR2-533 modules and kits, and the increased number of DDR2 1-GB modules in evidence. DDR2-667 is clearly becoming the memory of choice in this market, and 256-MB modules are rapidly being replaced by the 512-MB variety.
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