Server-use DRAM, mobile RAM and other memory used in non-PC applications will contribute more than 50% to total DRAM bit demand in the second half of 2012.
Conventional computers such as desktop PCs and notebooks have long been the dominant consumer of DRAM memory, and are expected to remain the largest application in the second half of 2011. However, growth in demand for the segment has been a disappointment thus far in 2011, while that for servers and consumer technology products such as tablet PCs is expected to enjoy growth momentum through the end of the year.
In the second half of 2011, DRAM demand for non-PC applications is forecast to see a 85.4% rise compared to a year ago, far outperforming growth in demand for desktops and notebooks. Non-PC segments, including server DRAM and mobile RAM chips, will likely account for 42.1% of total DRAM bit demand in the fourth quarter of 2011 compared to 33.3% a year earlier.
On the contrary, DRAM demand for conventional PCs will only achieve a 27.1% on-year increase in the second half of 2011. The long-term demand driver will see its share of total bit shipments drop below 60% in the fourth quarter of 2011, and slide further to less than 50% in the second half of 2012.
DRAM bit demand coming from the server sector will climb 93.7% on year in the second half of 2011, as the emergence of cloud computing spurs demand significantly for advanced server systems. Meanwhile, mobile RAM demand is expected to jump by a higher 135.6% during the same period buoyed by the growing markets for smartphones and tablet PCs.
Research projects that total DRAM demand will reach 2.15 billion 1Gb-equivalent chips in 2011, up 45.7% from 1.48 billion units in 2010.