Info Advantage Blog

The cloud has proven to be an extremely useful tool for the modern business. Not only does it provide anywhere-anytime access to applications, processing, storage, et al; it also delivers those products as a service, allowing you to budget for recurring costs rather than major upfront ones. This provides your organization with functional, supported, and secure computing environments that eliminate a lot of the support costs that traditional computing environments require. It sounds like a perfect scenario for small and large businesses alike, but things aren’t always what they seem, as a lot of cloud users have found that they have incurred several hidden costs by using cloud platforms. Today, we take a look at these hidden costs.

The price of desktop RAM has been on the rise in the last few months, and experts believe the trend won’t be stopping any time soon. According to a blog post by Newegg Business, RAM prices have been on the rise since June 2016. Newegg reported that prices jumped up 20-30% over the summer, affecting all desktop memory brands. Since then, prices have continued to gradually climb as supply fell just below the level of demand.

So how much is the cost of RAM rising by? According to PC Part Picker’s pricing history, a 2 x 8GB kit of G.Skill DDR4-2400 RAM cost about $75 at Newegg back in November. At the time, they were the lowest price available. Now, over three months later, the same system can be found on Newegg for $111. These trends have shown persistent for nearly all types of RAM, no matter the make or manufacturer.

There are a few factors that can be blamed for the increase in RAM pricing. One of the major reasons for the price change is the industry shift to DRAM chips for mobile devices, which have been on the rise as smartphones continue advance in technology. According to Nanya Technology president Pei-Ing Lee in an interview with DigiTimes, higher demand for DRAM chips have pushed up both price and production levels. The sudden increase of demand pushed manufacturers to focus their efforts on DRAM production, placing server and desktop memory production on the back burner.

Lee believes this is a trend that will continue throughout 2017, with prices stabilizing by the third quarter (July through September.) However, prices are not expected to go back down any time soon. That means if you’re looking to buy RAM for a new system, or were looking to upgrade your current system, now is the time to buy. Prices are expected to steadily rise in the next few weeks, and demand will only continue to swell as consumers look for the newest in mobile technology.

Looking to upgrade your current RAM but not entirely sure what you need? Contact Info Advantage at (585) 254-8710 today to speak with technology professionals who can help you figure out exactly what your system needs, and at the right price.

Saving a little on your technology can go a long ways, but cutting too many corners can lead to additional problems and expensive downtime. Here are a few ways you can cut costs without creating long term issues.