Why is Ram for Dell computers so expensive it is called Rambus ram. ddr ram is cheap in comparison to rambus?

Question

Why is Ram for Dell computers so expensive it is called Rambus ram. ddr ram is cheap in comparison to rambus?

Answer 1

excerpt:



Samsung Electronics, the world's largest maker of computer memory chips, pleaded guilty Wednesday to a charge it participated in a worldwide price-fixing conspiracy that damaged competition and raised PC prices.



Prosecutors said Samsung, which is based in Seoul, South Korea, and other companies conspired in e-mails, telephone calls and in-person meetings to fix the price of chips used in personal computers and other electronic devices.



The outcome of the investigation also is expected to help fuel a private antitrust case filed by Rambus Inc., which licensed a memory technology that had been embraced by Intel Corp., the world's largest maker of the microprocessor brains of computers.



In 1996, Intel chose Rambus technology to help speed up systems running its then-upcoming Pentium 4.



But the chip makers did not want to pay Rambus royalties. DRAM prices fell sharply - so much so that Intel agreed to support non-Rambus technology in the fall of 2001.



Shortly after that, DRAM prices nearly quadrupled.

Answer 2

Well, the primary reason is because it's Dell using their name to get more money out of you... the same thing with their printers... How you have to buy their ink cartridge. However it's 90% a Lexmark printer with Dell's name on it. So you can buy Lexmark ink (appropriate printer model) and literally cut a notch on the top of the Lexmark cartridge and it will then work .. BAM saved $10...



Anyway... In my opinion, Dell is trying to sound cooler and up-beat in processor speed.... You see.. RDRAM(Rambus) memory with the P4 has a 20-step pipeline which allows it to do 4 data transfers per clock cycle. DDR ram only does 2 per clock cycle.

Answer 3

Rambus is a special type of memory that is NOT compatible with DDR ram.



The reason it is more expensive is that its limited number of manufacturers making those chips. There is less competition and also less demand for those chips.



Just becasue you have a Dell doesn't mean you have to buy memory from Dell. Try shopping for similar RAM chips from other retailers.



Try http://www.newegg.com or http://www.directron.com