With the Intel P35 and G33 chipsets, and later the X38 and X48, Intel has formally adopted high-speed DDR3 memory in the 1066 to 1600 MHz range. This is an interesting move, and one accelerated by AMD and their powerful integrated memory controller. AMD is not making the move to DDR3 with the current Phenom platform, but will for the next-generation, so this market will Intel-only in the foreseeable future. Due to this, there are still fewer DDR3 modules on the open market, with most of these coming from the major players. The most popular DDR3 configurations are single 1GB/2GB modules or 2x1GB/2x2GB matched pair kits, and DDR3 clock speeds range from 1066 MHz to 2133 MHz.
The DDR3 memory chart continues to be where the majority of price drops take place, although we have noticed periods of inactivity, as well as some unwelcome price increases. This week gets us back on track, and we find a pair of triple-digit price drops on the OCZ NVIDA SLI DDR3-2000 2x1GB (-$117) and Corsair Dominator DDR3-2000 2x2GB (-$111) listings, as well as fourteen other double-digit price cuts, including a healthy $70 off the Patriot DDR3-1600 2x1GB kit. The price increases were not as prevalent, and the only noticeable ones were a pair of $20-$24 spikes. This led to another sweet week for DDR3 buyers, as the overall chart dropped by a whopping $534.