After nearly 30 years, Micron is shutting down Crucial and leaving the consumer RAM market

[Axeia]

As long as they uphold their warranty as they promise it's all good with me. I have several of their SSDs and some RAM.

I don't get the logic of completely abandoning the brand. Consumers still want RAM and SSDs, consumer demand has only decreased due to pricing not because we don't want it anymore.
Seems cheaper to just keep the brand and see how the market plays out over the next couple of years. If consumers become a big part again you have a strong brand name, if it doesn't not much money lost.
Now if they want to spin things up again in say 4 years they got to revive a more tarnished brand name or start a new one a start from scratch.
I don't have any particular attachment to the brand, just got some products of theirs because quality wise it's the same as any other and they sometimes marginally had better deals.

 

[trparky]

This is the fourth or fifth "end of the PC market" I've lived through. Sonehow we'll be fine.

The problem is, unlike in the past, we're also running up against the physics wall, namely signal integrity as we begin to push ever increasing amounts of bandwidth to peripherals.

RAM for instance, is getting harder to get more speed other than using soldered on RAM like what's found on video cards and in Apple-like SoCs. The same can be said for things like GPUs and SSDs.

From here on out, motherboards are going to become more and more expensive due to having to have more layers just to maintain signal integrity. It's either that or integrate more into SoC-like chips and that's where I feel like the industry is going.

 

[candle86]

The problem is, unlike in the past, we're also running up against the physics wall, namely signal integrity as we begin to push ever increasing amounts of bandwidth to peripherals.

RAM for instance, is getting harder to get more speed other than using soldered on RAM like what's found on video cards and in Apple-like SoCs. The same can be said for things like GPUs and SSDs.

From here on out, motherboards are going to become more and more expensive due to having to have more layers just to maintain signal integrity. It's either that or integrate more into SoC-like chips and that's where I feel like the industry is going.

The Future is likely more 3d Cache type stuff, I could see the next generation CPU's by the end of this decade having large 16-32gb's intergrated next to the CPU Die, we might even see a return to CPU cards like the old Slot 1 with slower secondary ram if you need more but optional


my take is the bottom most part, I wouldn't be surprised to see them launch slots, and then expose a single 64bit DDR5 link to the board for overflow, your ram would be a hierarchy of primary ram and secondary, with the ATOM/Celeron being the most hurt, but the cheapest to make.
(Atom/Celeron) no on package ram, requires slower DDR5
(Pentium/Athlon) 4gb On Package Ram 256bit connection
(Ultra3/Ryzen3) 8gb On Package Ram 256bit connection
(Ultra5/Ryzen5) 16gb On Package Ram 256bit connection
(Ultra7/Ryzen7) 32gb On Package Ram 256bit connection
(Ultra9/Ryzen9) 64gb On Package Ram 512bit connection
(Server grade) 32-256mb On Package Ram 256-1024bit

 

[yannus]

The Future is likely more 3d Cache type stuff, I could see the next generation CPU's by the end of this decade having large 16-32gb's intergrated next to the CPU Die, we might even see a return to CPU cards like the old Slot 1 with slower secondary ram if you need more but optional


my take is the bottom most part, I wouldn't be surprised to see them launch slots, and then expose a single 64bit DDR5 link to the board for overflow, your ram would be a hierarchy of primary ram and secondary, with the ATOM/Celeron being the most hurt, but the cheapest to make.
(Atom/Celeron) no on package ram, requires slower DDR5
(Pentium/Athlon) 4gb On Package Ram 256bit connection
(Ultra3/Ryzen3) 8gb On Package Ram 256bit connection
(Ultra5/Ryzen5) 16gb On Package Ram 256bit connection
(Ultra7/Ryzen7) 32gb On Package Ram 256bit connection
(Ultra9/Ryzen9) 64gb On Package Ram 512bit connection
(Server grade) 32-256mb On Package Ram 256-1024bit

Slot 1 won't come back thanks God. CPU might become larger though. What we've seen in the last years is a slow down on consumer products performance evolution and a huge increase in price, I think it's going to intensify. Graphic cards are literally luxury nowadays, no acceptable entry level product. RAM is next. You will own nothing and you'll be happy as he said. They need us to stop owning and have as many subscriptions as possible (AI included). It will be AI driven. They don't want people to be in control of their source of knowledge, so they'll make it impossible for anyone to buy enough RAM to build their own AI machine.

 

[trparky]

CPU might become larger though. What we've seen in the last years is a slow down on consumer products performance evolution and a huge increase in price, I think it's going to intensify.

Yeah, because much of the "low-hanging fruit" performance increases that the likes of AMD and Intel were able to squeeze out are gone. From now on, those performance increases are going to be more difficult to develop. And then there's the physics wall, node shrinks are going to become more and more complex and expensive.

Graphic cards are literally luxury nowadays, no acceptable entry level product.

That's because even the entry-level stuff is expensive to manufacture. This is in large part due to the cost of node shrinks.

 

[A Tabby Person]

This story stirs Rambus RAM feels. Sorry to see Crucial go from consumer market, especially as other two are offshore.

 

[thewelshbrummie]

I am reading they mostly shutdown Crucial as a brand

I think that's the key point. Something I read elsewhere is that the Ballistix brand was killed off in 2022. And their own DDR5 catalogue page is telling, there is not one DDR5 SKU using the Ballistix brand, all of it is entry level or "Pro" branded, with zero options featuring RGB. Clearly this announcement means they're removing product listings from that page but I've found nothing for Ballistix DDR5, only DDR4.

I suspect that this was somewhat planned, but the optics from the last couple of months mean the timing is extremely poor. Without SSD driver support there's no way I'd buy a Crucial SSD. There isn't a support timeframe regarding how long SSD firmware updates will be provided for in the EOL statement so it's now a company to avoid. But the lack of any "gamer" DDR5 modules (I.e. including RGB) makes me think this was planned years ago.

 

[Kirby1]

Price fixing means the companies collude together to set a price themselves, what OpenAI has done is said we will buy your entire supply for X amount, and the ram companies said yes, that's legally not price fixing, but I do hope Sam Altman gets ****ing cancer.

What we do need is a 4th party, someone check on TI in Dallas see if they are willing, they've got fabs and made memory in the 80's, maybe they'd be willing to get back in the game.

Price fixing, market manipulation, whatever you want to call it.

 

[Megalomaniac]

The RAM makers are gambling they'll make way more money serving the government/corpo-funded AI data centers than they will if they focus on making memory for incels on the internet to flex their overpriced, credit-card financed, RGB littered, epileptic seizure PC cases on the internet.

And they are 100% right. This is a financial decision - not emotional.

But the ENDGAME is obvious: you'll own nothing and have to subscribe for cloud PC power.

If you don't like it, you can buy a pre-built.

 

[yannus]

That's because even the entry-level stuff is expensive to manufacture. This is in large part due to the cost of node shrinks.

Sure, that explains Ngreedya's capital. Production costs are a myth, they've always gone down, but corporations found through price fixing and fake crisis, a good way to create an infinite source of income: inflation.

 

[trparky]

Sure, that explains Ngreedya's capital. Production costs are a myth, they've always gone down, but corporations found through price fixing and fake crisis, a good way to create an infinite source of income: inflation.

You do realize that as we get closer to 1 nm, it gets more difficult and expensive to manufacture. This is basic physics here.

But you know, got to think that the companies are greedy and other such bullshit. Run along, you know nothing.

 

[yannus]

You do realize that as we get closer to 1 nm, it gets more difficult and expensive to manufacture. This is basic physics here.

But you know, got to think that the companies are greedy and other such bullshit. Run along, you know nothing.

For sure, that's why Ngreedya is worth trillions.

 

[Squid Surprise]

For sure, that's why Ngreedya is worth trillions.

They’re worth trillions because they make the best GPUs on the planet and everyone wants them…

 

[yannus]

They’re worth trillions because they make the best GPUs on the planet and everyone wants them…

Because they make a huge margin and have no competition. Now you can continue emptying your wallet for them.

 

[trparky]

Because they make a huge margin and have no competition. Now you can continue emptying your wallet for them.

Blah. Blah. Blah.

Did you say something?

 

[Squid Surprise]

Because they make a huge margin and have no competition. Now you can continue emptying your wallet for them.

Hmmm… and did you think to wonder WHY they have no competition?

 

[yannus]

Hmmm… and did you think to wonder WHY they have no competition?

OH yes I know very well, the same strategies Intel has used before the Ryzen miracle happened. It has to do with reviewers and sellers management. They're very good at it. Corporations are a mafia.

 

[Squid Surprise]

OH yes I know very well, the same strategies Intel has used before the Ryzen miracle happened. It has to do with reviewers and sellers management. They're very good at it. Corporations are a mafia.

lol - there’s always some of that in business but… if your product isn’t good, none of it matters… if the iPhone sucked, Apple would be toast, and if Nvidia’s GPUs sucked, they’d be toast too…

 

[trparky]

lol - there’s always some of that in business but… if your product isn’t good, none of it matters… if the iPhone sucked, Apple would be toast, and if Nvidia’s GPUs sucked, they’d be toast too…

And there's the reality of it all.

 

[yannus]

lol - there’s always some of that in business but… if your product isn’t good, none of it matters… if the iPhone sucked, Apple would be toast, and if Nvidia’s GPUs sucked, they’d be toast too…

At this point, all that matters is that you're paying 4 times the price. And don't tell me it's just twice the price because it isn't and even if it was, it still would suck.

 

[Squid Surprise]

At this point, all that matters is that you're paying 4 times the price. And don't tell me it's just twice the price because it isn't and even if it was, it still would suck.

No… you’re paying the exact price…
As a consumer, you have the right NOT to buy anything you want… those who buy GPUs don’t HAVE to - they CHOOSE to… and the price is set and gets paid by millions - which means that the price isn’t too high.

If it WAS too high (looking at you Apple Vision), then it doesn’t get purchased…

 

[Xelions]

Lots of comments here. Don't know if anyone's suggested but would this imply cause less people will build new systems as a result of expensive memory and storage, that other components will increase in supply and become cheaper

 

[godrilla]

FYI MIcron just announced 100 billion dollar plant in NY creating 50,000 jobs.
Today, Micron broke ground on our $100 billion leading‑edge memory manufacturing complex in Onondaga County, NY! With up to 4 fabs, it will be the largest U.S. semiconductor facility, generating 50,000 jobs in New York.

Made possible by strong partnership across government, industry, academia, and our local community, this project will be home to the most advanced memory manufacturing in the world. Learn more here: bit.ly/3NMXBtY https://search.app/S5f92