So long SO-DIMM? CAMM could be the new mobile memory standard

Laptops have been using the SO-DIMM memory module form factor for years, and up until now, we didn't have any reason to think this may change. Nothing lasts forever though, and we've now heard more about Dell's CAMM form factor that could be the new standard going forward.

The CAMM form factor was first introduced by Dell in April 2022 when the company announced its new series of Precision laptops. Back then, this new format was seen as a way to lock owners of such laptops to the standard. Still, it does allow manufacturers to design slimmer laptops, reduce their weight, and even offer higher memory capacities (up to 128GB), so at least there was some good in it.

Little did we know that this could well become the new standard memory format for laptops. As Tom Schnell, JEDEC committee member and Dell Sr. engineer, told PCWorld, the “CAMM Common Spec” development is well underway, as they're currently sitting at version 0.5. About 20 companies in the task group have already approved the standard in its current spec. If everything goes according to plan, JEDEC hopes to finish the v1.0 spec by the second half of 2023. That means the first devices using JEDEC-compliant CAMM modules could be on the market next year.

Since it was first introduced, the standard has been through some changes in design and capabilities. Besides the additional density, CAMM can scale higher than the current standard, easily breaking the DDR5-6400 SO-DIMMs' “brick wall”. These benefits could be enough to motivate manufacturers to make the change. However, there are also disadvantages like the cost. These modules are more expensive to produce than SO-DIMMs, so at least initially, CAMM modules will probably be restricted to premium laptops.

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KitGuru says: The new CAMM modules look promising from a technical point of view, but their cost could make some manufacturers offer resistance to their adoption. Hopefully, as the technology is developed further, CAMM modules will become as cheap as SO-DIMMs.

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