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Storage
Business Fortune
10 May, 2024
The folks at iFixit are very positive about LPCAMM2 memory. They believe that upgradeable laptops are making a comeback, and that the days of non-serviceable memory models are coming to an end.
The Register revealed last month that Lenovo's ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 system will be the first to use the LPCAMM2 form factor. Consumers used to buy laptops with a set amount of memory, but now the new format is "modular, repairable, and upgradeable" and uses the latest LPDDR chips for high performance without sacrificing anything.
According to iFixit, the power-efficient LPDDR memory chips have a problem with signal integrity between the CPU and memory due to their lower operating voltage. This resulted in the circuit board having reduced track distances, which allowed LPDDR to be soldered close to the processor.
iFixit's blog and video explain their experience with the ThinkPad P1 Gen 7. They describe how LPCAMM2 aims to solve this by placing LPDDR onto a circuit board module that is cleverly designed to mount right up next to the CPU, with very short traces to help maximize signal integrity.
To change a memory module, follow these steps: place a new module, put the cover back on, and tighten the screws in the correct order.
Dell introduced a new memory format called Compression Attached Memory Module (CAMM) in some laptops in 2022. The outmoded small-outline DIMM (SODIMM) modules will be replaced by a memory standard that the JEDEC standards group announced last year.