The most expensive memory card I have ever bought was a JustRAM AT 8MB memory board from Monolithic Systems. Sadly I can't find a photo of it on the web. The board was a full-length 16-bit ISA-bus PC card, with a baseboard and a mezzanine card. It used a large number of very high density SIP (single-in-line) package DRAMs (I think they were 256K DRAMs) to construct an 8MB store; there was 4MB on the baseboard and another 4MB on a 'mezzanine' daughter board that plugged onto the compent side of the baseboard . At the time that (I think, maybe around 1986-7?) that was a vast amount of RAM in a PC. I used it for some high-speed satellite data acquisition software I wrote for the PC-AT in protected mode assembler. It was a high quality board, made in the US, and I found it highly reliable.
It was similar to this, also from monolithc systems, but the ones we used employed a large number of SIP memory chips, which makes me think they were 256K DRAMs.
stason.org
Note this type of SIP package is nothing to do with the modern "system-in-package" which is also called SIP.
From memory, that 8MB memory board cost I think 1500 pounds at the time, I remember it cost as much as the IBM PC-AT system unit. I may have remembered the price wrong though, it may have been more.
Adjusted for inflation, 1500 pounds in 1986 is 4500 pounds ($6000 US) today, according to:-
www.inflationtool.com
It was similar to this, also from monolithc systems, but the ones we used employed a large number of SIP memory chips, which makes me think they were 256K DRAMs.
JUSTRAM/ATZ Memory card Settings and Configuration
JUSTRAM/ATZ, memory card, user configuration, chipset and other specs
stason.org
What is Single In-line Package (SIP)?
There are various types of semiconductor and IC packages, such as Single In-line Package (SIP) and Z
electrical-information.com
From memory, that 8MB memory board cost I think 1500 pounds at the time, I remember it cost as much as the IBM PC-AT system unit. I may have remembered the price wrong though, it may have been more.
Adjusted for inflation, 1500 pounds in 1986 is 4500 pounds ($6000 US) today, according to:-
Value of 1986 British Pounds today - Inflation Calculator
How much are 1986 pounds (GBP) worth today? This tool calculates the time value of money based on inflation and CPI historical data from the United Kingdom.
www.inflationtool.com
