LPCAMM2 Is Finally Here, and It’s a Big Deal (totally modular, repairable, upgradeable memory standard for laptops)

[TEUser2K1]

LPCAMM2 Is Finally Here, and It’s a Big Deal:

LPCAMM2 Is Finally Here, and It’s a Big Deal | iFixit News

LPCAMM2 promises to be the thin, fast, efficient, and REPAIRABLE laptop memory standard of the future. Today, we take apart the first laptop to actually use it.

www.ifixit.com

Now, that is some real good news...

 

[roadrash99]

I highly doubt it will take off, since laptop consumers mostly don't even know about upgrading their RAM. Soldered RAM will be cheaper and will sell easily too, so this might fizzle out.

 

[TEUser2K1]

Dell and Lenovo already started using this, hope other too will join.
You are right, if profit is the focus, this will not have a focus.

 

[KAKAN]

I highly doubt it will take off, since laptop consumers mostly don't even know about upgrading their RAM. Soldered RAM will be cheaper and will sell easily too, so this might fizzle out.

We can always hope. And who knows, maybe enterprise users will really love this, and it'll continue as an option there? If it does, it might become an option for the rest of us down the years. Seems unlikely, but we can always hope

 

[guest_999]

maybe enterprise users will really love this

Enterprise users are the least enthusiastic when it comes to tinkering with systems, they prefer pre-built systems that can run for years without any hardware & much software change & when their life is over as per their accounts book then sell them.

 

[TEUser2K1]

Wondering whether attempts like these come under ESG norms, then enterprises tend to utilize that.

 

[LinkdJay]

We can always hope. And who knows, maybe enterprise users will really love this, and it'll continue as an option there? If it does, it might become an option for the rest of us down the years. Seems unlikely, but we can always hope

I would be much more hopeful if the EU came up with some directive that prevents laptop manufacturers from soldering easily replaceable stuff on the motherboard. That way laptops can have easier repairability just like the good old days. But for now this seems to be a tall order.

 

[TEUser2K1]

@LinkdJay
Tech makers must provide repairs for up to 10 years under proposed EU law
Proposal doesn't enforce affordable spare parts, manuals, rights group complains.

Tech makers must provide repairs for up to 10 years under proposed EU law

Proposal doesn't enforce affordable spare parts, manuals, rights group complains.

arstechnica.com

EU Wants to Make Smartphones and Laptops Easy to Repair and Upgrade
The European Commission's push for 'right to repair' policies arrives as lawmakers are also reportedly mulling over requiring smartphones to be built with easily replaceable batteries.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/eu-wants-to-make-smartphones-and-laptops-easy-to-repair-and-upgrade

 

[vishalrao]

I highly doubt it will take off, since laptop consumers mostly don't even know about upgrading their RAM. Soldered RAM will be cheaper and will sell easily too, so this might fizzle out.

I didn't understand your post... I thought LPCAMM is both soldered and slotted formats... with laptop makers preferring the soldered option?

 

[KAKAN]

Enterprise users are the least enthusiastic when it comes to tinkering with systems, they prefer pre-built systems that can run for years without any hardware & much software change & when their life is over as per their accounts book then sell them.

A kinda-big IT company that I interned at had their IT section full of Thinkpads with 8GB RAM, which they installed/upgraded afterwards. Different options for different teams. That's probably one use case?
They also regularly upgraded RAM on older PCs/laptops, mostly replacing sticks with higher capacity ones. Sometimes reduced them before selling/giving away to schools and/or other organisations.
Also, something that is rare, but kept happening, is that some RAM sticks died, and the laptops wouldn't turn on. Replacing the SODIMM gave the machines a new life, enough to chug away for most web-browsing tasks. Very rare but could happen.

But they're a dying breed, I guess.

Another IT place just hands out Mx MBPs. Something that I really love too, since the battery basically lasts forever, and I can carry it in my bag without it heating on itself like a maniac

I would be much more hopeful if the EU came up with some directive that prevents laptop manufacturers from soldering easily replaceable stuff on the motherboard. That way laptops can have easier repairability just like the good old days. But for now this seems to be a tall order.

Now that I think about it, that honestly seems more likely! <3
And I hope that it happens, too.

 

[Navier]

Why use CAMM -

• Its physically smaller then sodimm.
• As RAM speed increases (ddr5, 6400 mhz), the length of electrical traces between RAM and CPU comes into play, since signal integrity inversely depends on trace length. Thats why manufactures use soldered RAM, not because its cheaper or sell easily (although it can be one of the reason).
• LPCAMM (low power CAMM) will allow manufactures to reduce the dimensions of RAM while allowing end user to replace them easily.

I didn't understand your post... I thought LPCAMM is both soldered and slotted formats... with laptop makers preferring the soldered option?

LPCAMM is the carrier board which contains LPDDR ram chips, its meant to be slotted.

 

[KAKAN]

Why use CAMM -

• As RAM speed increases (ddr5, 6400 mhz), the length of electrical traces between RAM and CPU comes into play, since signal integrity inversely depends on trace length. Thats why manufactures use soldered RAM, not because its cheaper or sell easily (although it can be one of the reason)

Just to point this out a bit more: The highest MT boasting DDR5 RAMs are all soldered ones.

Also, "hybrid approach" as in one soldered with higher MT or in SoC and one CAMM with lower MT is not a good way because we are bad at memory abstraction as is, you wouldn't want to make it worse. Trust me

 

[t3chg33k]

Just to point this out a bit more: The highest MT boasting DDR5 RAMs are all soldered ones.

Also, "hybrid approach" as in one soldered with higher MT or in SoC and one CAMM with lower MT is not a good way because we are bad at memory abstraction as is, you wouldn't want to make it worse. Trust me

Processed MT as memory timing first and was confused as to why a higher value was being stated as being better before realising it is a reference to MT/s.

I don't think anyone will purchase asymmetric RAM in terms of speed as manufacturers quoting upgradeability will have to cater to modules available in the market or else use soldered RAM.

Why use CAMM -

• Its physically smaller then sodimm.
• As RAM speed increases (ddr5, 6400 mhz), the length of electrical traces between RAM and CPU comes into play, since signal integrity inversely depends on trace length. Thats why manufactures use soldered RAM, not because its cheaper or sell easily (although it can be one of the reason).

Manufacturers started using soldered RAM with slower speeds than modules available in the market, so it is a lot more about cost than performance.

Not sure why the OP article focuses on repairability as a benefit though since laptop life spans are not that great and most users probably upgrade the RAM only once over the lifetime of the laptop. Manufacturers will use this instead of soldered RAM only if it is cheaper.

 

[nullpc]

I highly doubt it will take off, since laptop consumers mostly don't even know about upgrading their RAM. Soldered RAM will be cheaper and will sell easily too, so this might fizzle out.

I think it will unless Windows laptops suddenly get some ungodly efficiency and performance gains like what happened when Apple brought out Silicon. They need to differentiate somehow. Most users of Windows laptops would want upgradeability and if the usual big corps don't provide that, that'll open room for players like Framework to expand and capture more userbase. I don't think many corps would risk that at least for the gaming and bulky laptops.

Though, will have to wait and see what happens with the upcoming ARM processor laptops.