What's the real deal with DDR4 memory?

[jana519]

I'm just trying to understand the nuances of DDR4 memory pricing. When DDR3 came out there was a real gap between 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB prices. Now you have some 8GB DDR4 at $50 and some 16GB at $55. On top of that, I've seen DDR4 on Newegg be exactly the same except for memory timings and the cost be $10 different. I don't understand these pricing schemes or the memory scaling on DDR4, is this a new thing and is it all artificially created by the OEMs? Or is there a real reason behind it all?

 

[dlerious]

higher speed - more money. Tighter timings - more money. bigger size - more money.

 

[lehtv]

DDR3 had cheap low speed kits and expensive high speed or overclocker kits, just like DDR4. Perhaps the only difference between the two is that as DDR4 has become available, 8GB modules have become less expensive to make, or if not that, they've become more profitable at lower margins due to increasing demand. That would explain why you more often see cheap DDR4 16GB kits with than you did with DDR3.