LPCAMM2 (Attached memory module with low power consumption) It is new form factor which has just been officially approved by the JEDEC Solid State Technology Association and could replace current computer memory solutions.

You already know that RAM, random access memory, is one of the basic components of a computer and is mainly used to fetch instructions from the CPU and process data from systems and applications while they are running on the computer.

Currently, these memories are implemented soldered on the motherboard or based on pin modules, although manufacturers such as Apple have taken a different route and included it in the CPU SoC itself, a trend that other manufacturers seem to be following and which has advantages, but a major disadvantage is , that it cannot be updated. In laptops, LPDDR is the most used format because it outperforms DDR (used in desktop computers) in terms of speed, footprint and power consumption. But it can’t be replaced/upgraded either.

LPCAMM2 takes advantage of modern memories such as LPDDR5X, but in a modular way, and also takes up 64% less space than dual SO-DIMM, module-based distributed memory. This form factor allows up to 16 DRAM components to be stacked in a single package, reducing the memory architecture improves performance by up to 50% and energy efficiency by up to 70%.

Not all are benefits as it requires new motherboards to support it. And so, Its adoption would bring cost savings in the futuremore flexibility for OEMs to design notebooks that need to be thinner and lighter, as well as for users who would have the best interface in terms of performance, but with a solution they could upgrade when they needed more memory or higher speed.

It remains to be seen whether manufacturers will be encouraged to adopt it. Although born as a proprietary technology known as CAMM and first installed on the Dell Precision 7670 laptop, its standardization facilitates free use. Samsung introduced its solution in this format last fall and it is very interesting because it preserves the advantages of LPDDR DRAM and SO-DIMM designs (most used in PCs) and overcomes their shortcomings.

LPCAMM2 is an ideal RAM solution for laptops and could eventually be used in desktops and servers with the CAMM2 standard as well. Its acceptance will depend on the manufacturers. Some, like Apple, take a completely different approach on their ARM-based devices, connecting the memory directly to the CPU. This “unified memory” design (with performance and efficiency benefits but no upgradeability) could follow the rest for new Windows and ARM PCs.