Computer

Gaming laptops are going to stop being gaming (and weighing 3 kilos)

Today the most popular computers are gaming laptops, on the one hand, and ultra-thin ones, on the other. This has led to the appearance of a new category of computer with which all the component manufacturers have agreed to create a new category, which is that of ultra-thin gaming laptops, that is, with less height. The trick of these teams is in the use of NVMe SSD memories in storage and not using optical readers, but there is another element that they have in common, which is memory.

LPDDR5X memory already outperforms DDR5

We have to start from the basis that the latest Intel and AMD laptop processors not only have an integrated memory controller for DDR memory in SO-DIMM modules, but also for LPDDR and this is where the crux of the matter lies. . Since these memories are soldered to the board, they do not add more height, so they are widely used in ultralight computers.

Well, with the arrival of the more powerful LPDDR5X, and its ability to transmit up to 8.5 Gbps per data pin, some concern comes to mind. This is the fastest bandwidth general purpose RAM available on the component market right now. To top it off, it is a mobile RAM and, therefore, its consumption is less per bit transmitted

The rise of ultra-thin gaming laptops

The ideal configuration to play on any PC is the use of two RAM memory modules, which is equivalent to a 128-bit bus. This in LPDDR memory is a total of four memory chips on board, since each of them has a 32-bit bus.

Currently, among the Samsung and Micron catalogs, we can find LPDDR5X with a capacity of 128 GB, that is, 16 GB each. So manufacturers can create ultralight laptops with this type of memory with 32, 48 and 64 GB of capacity. More than enough for the use of 99% of users, which will be the spearhead to end SO-DIMM modules. However, all this can create a trend and it is none other than that laptop manufacturers increasingly do without putting modules in their laptops.

And this is a problem, since the fact that a component soldered to the board if it breaks can send it completely to the fret and create an effect of programmed obsolescence. Moreover, if the use of RAM soldered to the board is standardized, it can end up influencing the use of NVMe SSD memory, and it is no secret that in the future the flash controller will end up inside the processor.

Samsung LPDDR5X

How does this change affect memory manufacturers?

It doesn’t affect them as they are the same, but in the future we may instead see a DDR6 we will see a LPDDR6 being standardized from pocket devices to the most powerful gaming PC. Although it is true that the towers do not seem to be affected and we can continue buying DIMM modules, we must start from the fact that SO-DIMMs were used exclusively in laptops and everything indicates that their days are numbered.

If we have the ultra-thin gaming laptops on the market, it is because there is a significant demand for them and the public prefers them. However, everything has a price to pay and the public does not seem to mind that the RAM cannot be upgraded. However, it can become a point of abuse for manufacturers, who can charge real nonsense just for a little more RAM, a precedent that we have already seen with Apple and storage.

memory-soldered-motherboard

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *