Packaging LPDDR smartphone-style like Apple does makes the traces much shorter, which lets the RAM be faster and lower power. DDR5-5600 DIMMs in “regular” laptops are literally electrically maxed out, and power hogs because they run at crazy voltages for the speed. I would think that much voltage would degrade the CPU too.
There’s not much room in the Mac Mini for additional LPCAMM modules, or the MacBook Air.
The SSDs Apple use lack a controller (that’s built into the M series SoC). That drives down Apple’s cost of materials but surely it wouldn’t be that hard to support a standard NVMe M.2 interface?
There’s also CUDIMM which one manufacturer is tauting that they’ll be releasing a 10000 MT/s soon after having dropped a 9000 model a couple months ago
This was kind of justified for the RAM.
Packaging LPDDR smartphone-style like Apple does makes the traces much shorter, which lets the RAM be faster and lower power. DDR5-5600 DIMMs in “regular” laptops are literally electrically maxed out, and power hogs because they run at crazy voltages for the speed. I would think that much voltage would degrade the CPU too.
Fortunately LPCAMMS solve this!
https://www.anandtech.com/show/21069/modular-lpddr-becomes-a-reality-samsung-introduces-lpcamm-memory-modules
And Apple is totally going to use them since they have no technical excuse anymore… right?
RIGHT!?
The M4 Pro memory is quad channel, so I assume 256 bit.
The two LPCAMMS required for this would require a lot more space.
I give them a pass on memory packaging (but not pricing). SSDs are indefensible though.
Still, they’re about the size of SODIMMs and relatively flat.
It would be iffy for the Max I suppose.
Yeah, I don’t even know what the ostensible excuse is for their SSDs. Keeping the laptop knife thin, I guess?
There’s not much room in the Mac Mini for additional LPCAMM modules, or the MacBook Air.
The SSDs Apple use lack a controller (that’s built into the M series SoC). That drives down Apple’s cost of materials but surely it wouldn’t be that hard to support a standard NVMe M.2 interface?
There’s also CUDIMM which one manufacturer is tauting that they’ll be releasing a 10000 MT/s soon after having dropped a 9000 model a couple months ago