ANALYSIS - NOTEBOOK PCS GENERATE DEMAND FOR OLDER DRAMS
TOKYO, Sep 18, 1998 -- The supply of
conventional synchronous DRAMs is tightening as major domestic
chipmakers shift the emphasis to high-performance 64-megabit dynamic
random-access memories (64M DRAMs) called PC-100 standard models,
reflecting firm demand for notebook personal computers.
Intel Corp. and other microprocessor manufacturers have raised the
clock frequency for driving memories and other external parts from 66
megahertz to 100mHz in the newest models, for which PC-100 standard
DRAMs are compatible.
While domestic shipments of desktop PCs fell 27% year on year in the
April-June quarter, shipments of portable PCs, including notebook
models, grew 7%, reflecting the popularity of slim models, according to
the Japan Electronic Industry Development Association. Portable PCs now
make up about 50% of domestic shipments.
Some desktop PCs use the newest microprocessors, but most notebook
models still use microprocessors of 66mHz external clock frequency, for
which conventional DRAMs are sufficient.
Despite growing demand for notebook PCs, major chipmakers are boosting
the production of PC-100 standard memories, reducing the supply of
older models.
In the U.S., PC-100 standard 64M DRAMs were priced 20-30% higher than
conventional synchronous models in July, but the price gap has shrunk
to about 5%.
However, PC-100 DRAMs will dominate in the near future, reducing demand
for older models. |
