Laptops will also usher in a single 48GB memory

At the inception of this year, prominent motherboard manufacturers released BIOS for Intel’s 600/700 series motherboards, elevating the maximum memory capacity of motherboards equipped with four DIMMs from 128GB to 192GB, and for those with two DIMMs from 64GB to 96GB. In recent times, AMD’s AM5 motherboards have commenced providing analogous support, with some manufacturers already dispatching the updated BIOS.

Despite many new laptop models in the preceding years opting to solder memory chips directly onto the PCB for a slimmer design, a considerable number of products still prefer to feature SO-DIMM slots, particularly some high-performance models. These choices stem from the maturity of the technology, its cost-effectiveness, and the convenience of future upgrades. Unlike desktop platforms, SO-DIMM memory module capacities continue to increase exponentially.

As reported by Notebookcheck, laptops are on the verge of embracing a single 48GB DDR5 memory, enabling the majority of laptops equipped with two SO-DIMM slots to possess a maximum memory capacity of 96GB. The specification sheets for some of the recently launched models in Lenovo’s P series ThinkPad mobile workstations already denote a maximum memory capacity of 96GB, such as the ThinkPad P16v model. For mobile workstations, this indeed heralds good news as some high-end models equipped with four SO-DIMM slots can suddenly expand their maximum capacity to 192GB.

While SO-DIMM continues to evolve, the future may witness CAMM usurping its place. The industry has recently approved a revision of the CAMM standard, a novel type of memory module initially developed by Dell. In comparison to previous SO-DIMM memory modules, this design can reduce thickness by 57% and accommodate a 128GB capacity on a single side, paving the way for more slender laptop designs without compromising performance and facilitating easier maintenance.