How Much Longer will DDR2 Be Around?

[pchoi04]

Basically as the titles asks: How much longer do you guys think that DDR2 will stick around for before DDR3 becomes the standard. I'm thinking about replacing my board in the next 6 months so I'm wondering if DDR3 should be a consideration.

 

[lx_flier]

Probably by 2009... That's my guess

 

[hassa]

Considering that you can still buy DDR ram, I would say a lot longer then that - it will be mid to late 2008 minimum until DDR3 starts to hit the upper mainstream due to current cost.

From Umart (Australia)
DDR3
Asus 2GB(2x1G) DDR3 1333MHz 240pin - Internet Price: $459.00 Corsair TWIN3X2048-1333C9DHX 2GB (2x XMS3 1GB) PC-10600 (1333MHz) DDR3 RAM - Internet Price: $599.00 (
DDR2
DDR2 8G PC2-800 6400Mhz DDR2 Quad Channel(4x2G)4-4-4-12 EVO with MTCD Heatsink GeiL - Internet Price: $625.00
DDR2 2Gig(2x1G) PC6400 800Mhz Dual Channel Geil4-4-4-12 -Internet Price: $105.00

 

[g-paw]

Should be around for years, as hassa said you can still get DDR RAM. Likely mfg'll run DDR2 on low end machines for years.

 

[slim142]

Also keep in mind even X48 will come with DDR2....

DDR2 still has like 3 more years... is just that dont expect DDR2 at 1400mhz...

 

[runswindows95]

By the time DDR2 is being phased out, we'll all be building a new machine anyway. I mean, you still can get SDRAM.

 

[zenmaster]

A Long Time.

I don't believe AMD will be releasing any system that can support DDR3 until 2009. That leaves 20-25% of the market using DDR2 regardless of anything else.

Retail Systems which account for a huge % of the market will also not be going DDR3 anytime soon. It takes a long time for them to change out.

Business systems will be on DDR2 for a long time as well.
Most Platforms are guarenteed to be around for years.
(This is necessary since companies often certify very specific models for their software.) These are all DDR2.

Not until Nehalm which ships in Q4 of '08 will there be a serious shift to DDR3 for enthusiast Intel builds. Most likely, these chips will not be available in quantity until Q1 '09.

My guess is that by mid to late '09 DDR3 will start to see significant market share.

It will not be until '10 at the earliest that it is even likely 1/2 of the memory going into desktop systems. (Enthusiast THG builds will be before that but we will be the exception not the rule.)

 

[pchoi04]

I guess really what my question was... How long will DDR2 stay mainstream before DDR3 starts hitting the mainstream gamer segment.

 

[jaguarskx]

It will probably take until at least the end of this year before DDR2 and DDR3 prices to become comparable.

 

[bobbknight]

The two ram types need to reach price parity before it truly takes off and hits the main stream.
I expect this to happen in mid 2009.

 

[purplerat]

Forget DDR still being around. You could still buy SDRAM most places just a few months ago. It was only early last year that I remember there being an anouncement that PC133 would no longer guarantee compatability with PC100 systems. So keeping that in mind along with the fact that DDR is still fairly popular (I just sold 2GB PC3200 for $150) I wouldn't be two concerned about DDR2 not being around for awhile. In actuality if you look at the history of RAM and had to put odds on what will be the standard in a couple years DDR2 may have the edge over DDR3. While unlikely DDR2 is a very well proven technology while DDR3 could be a total busts for some yet unseen reason. I don't think that will happen but I think it's way too early to start being concerned with this.

 

[StevieD]

DDR2 will be mainstream, readily available until DDR5 is being introduced.

Since I have not heard the word "DDR4" as of yet, I would suspect we got a long time before DDR5 creaps into our vocabulary.

 

[rockyjohn]

DDR2 will be mainstream, readily available until DDR5 is being introduced.

Readily available and competitively priced are two different things. DDR was still shipping in new low end systems a year ago. Today it is still "readily available" but costs about 3 times as much as the faster DDR2 for the same size chip. Based on that (what else is there to go on), DDR2 prices should become uneconomical around the time DDR4 is released and before it becomes economical.

It's just amazing how technology and marketing mesh together so nicely.

 

[Hatman]

Id say give it 6months and DDR3 will be the norm with DDR2 being old entry tech. Prices are coming down fast.


Then again unless u go high end ddr3 it aint worth it. With some ddr2-1150 kits being sold now. And the 4gb kits of coarse.

 

[Xtreeme]

Id say 2010 at the soonest you can still find sdram and they still make ddr. In fact sdram is still being made and used in flash devices etc.

 

[scorch]

Im going out on a limb but I think DDR 3 will be the end of the line. There probally going to come out with a new type of memory after that. Something like QDR (quadrouple data rate).

 

[SpinachEater]

Definitely 2023...for sure. 2024...forget about it.