DRAM contract prices for the first half of January have registered flat growth, and are set to rise in February, according to DRAMeXchange.

DRAM prices have reached historic lows, encouraging PC OEMs to build up their inventory, said DRAMeXchange. On the supply side, companies' ongoing production cuts are expected to help prices rebound starting as early as February, the price tracker indicated.

In addition, DRAMeXchange expects the shortage of hard drives (HDD) to soon ease allowing PC vendors to see their shipments back to normal after February. If DRAM makers continue to control their output, any positive change in demand will lift chip prices, the price tracker noted.

New figures from DRAMeXchange indicate that early January contract prices for 2GB DDR3 modules stayed flat at US$9.25 on average, while 4GB parts were also unchanged at US$16.50. Prices had stopped falling since the second half of December 2011.

At the spot market, prices for 2Gb DDR3 chips have risen to approach US$1 from US$0.72 in early December, 2011, an about 35% increase, DRAMeXchange said.