The new memory form factor expected to beat DDR5: 'the future really lies here... LPCAMM2 running on the PC' says Micron
We've seen a new memory form factor show up in a few places at Computex 2024—across modules to motherboards. Not least surprising is how often memory manufacturer Micron mentioned it to me at the show. And how enthused it was with the memory form factor, which it is first with to market.
«I think the future really lies here, which is LP[CAMM2] running on the PC using this form factor,» Dinesh Bahal, VP and GM of Micron's Consumer & Components Group, says.
LPCAMM2 is effectively a pancaked memory kit. It offers some similarities to soldered memory while still being able to be replaced by the user. For that reason, it's seen as the perfect fit for the next-generation of thinner laptops, and Crucial is the first out the door with its 32 GB and 64 GB kit.
«So people went from the SO-DIMM is taking too much space, let me just start soldering it down. The problem with soldering it down is that I'm deciding my configuration upfront.»
LPCAMM solves that problem pretty succinctly. And if costs end up being relatively reasonable for the modules when compared to SO-DIMM or soldered, then the user should benefit when buying a new laptop with LPCAMM2 installed.
Micron says it believes it can be competitive on pricing: one LPCAMM2 module replaces two SO-DIMMs, which halves the non-memory components required. It also expects it will reduce motherboard complexity, though that really depends on the motherboard manufacturer. One point that the company argues, and I'm not sure I personally agree with, is how even if it's more expensive, manufacturers can weigh that cost against the added value that AI brings to a PC and the customer.
I get the point, but I'm still waiting on the added value.
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Current LPCAMM2 kits are quite expensive compared to standard SO-DIMM, but new technologies often are.
«Where we see LPDDR5X going, there is a lot more headroom here [LPCAMM2].»
«There are three
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