WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.860 Upgrading your laptop's RAM is a pain, but thanks to CAM2, an updated standard 00:00:05.860 --> 00:00:09.900 recently ratified by Jedeck, that might be about to change. 00:00:09.900 --> 00:00:12.940 CAM, or the compression attached memory module, 00:00:12.940 --> 00:00:17.340 is a memory form factor created by Dell engineer Tom Schnell. 00:00:17.340 --> 00:00:24.700 You might remember it launching as a proprietary solution in Dell laptops in 2022, replacing the SODIM form factor. 00:00:24.700 --> 00:00:29.780 SODIM technically stands for Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Module, 00:00:29.780 --> 00:00:33.620 but it just sounds like we're calling them stupid. And we are. 00:00:33.620 --> 00:00:40.380 To their credit, DIMMs were a significant upgrade when they started to replace SIMs back in the 1990s. 00:00:40.380 --> 00:00:43.380 SIM pins could only support 32-bit data, 00:00:43.380 --> 00:00:46.420 while DIM pins could manage 64-bit, 00:00:46.420 --> 00:00:50.660 meaning that a single DIM could do the job of two SIMs. 00:00:50.660 --> 00:00:55.300 SODIM is basically the same thing, just smaller, around half the size, 00:00:55.300 --> 00:01:00.480 which is why it's primarily used in laptops. Compared to memory soldered to the motherboard, 00:01:00.480 --> 00:01:06.680 replaceable components like SODIM RAM sticks typically aren't as resistant to accidental jostling, 00:01:06.680 --> 00:01:11.960 they use more power, and they take up more space. In a portable device, where space is at a premium 00:01:11.960 --> 00:01:17.040 and cooling is already a problem, this has led to soldered memory becoming the default 00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:20.800 at the expense of repairability and upgradeability. 00:01:20.800 --> 00:01:26.640 Most users will never open the back end of their device, so many manufacturers have decided that it makes more sense 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:30.880 to ensure that it works today rather than it be upgradeable in the future. 00:01:30.880 --> 00:01:34.800 But for those of us who'd rather upgrade a laptop that just needs a bit more RAM 00:01:34.800 --> 00:01:38.320 rather than buy a whole new machine, it's a big disappointment. 00:01:38.320 --> 00:01:44.300 So how does CAM2 address those problems? And can it really bring back upgradeable laptop RAM? 00:01:44.300 --> 00:01:47.780 Dell's CAM, and the now standardized CAM2, 00:01:47.780 --> 00:01:52.280 is an attempt to close the gap between replaceable and soldered memory. 00:01:52.280 --> 00:01:55.520 Looking at the original CAM and SODIM side-by-side, 00:01:55.560 --> 00:01:59.360 you're probably gonna notice one big difference right away, the size. 00:01:59.360 --> 00:02:03.280 The single CAM component is significantly longer and wider, 00:02:03.280 --> 00:02:07.400 but it's also 57% thinner for an equivalent amount of RAM, 00:02:07.400 --> 00:02:11.040 shaving off a few millimeters of height and reducing overall volume. 00:02:11.040 --> 00:02:15.260 CAM and CAM2 can also support up to 128 gigabytes 00:02:15.260 --> 00:02:18.640 on a single module, and have significant improvements over SODIM 00:02:18.640 --> 00:02:22.720 in terms of airflow. You might wonder why SODIM comes with RAM chips 00:02:22.720 --> 00:02:27.360 mounted on both sides of the PCB like that if height is such an important factor, 00:02:27.360 --> 00:02:32.360 but this is actually a way of accommodating yet another technical limitation of the format. 00:02:32.360 --> 00:02:36.280 SODIM uses an edge connector, which means that traces for the chips 00:02:36.280 --> 00:02:40.760 nearest to the connector need to zigzag in order to keep them the same length 00:02:40.760 --> 00:02:46.280 as traces to chips on the far side. That increases both the time it takes the motherboard 00:02:46.280 --> 00:02:50.720 to communicate with those chips and the risk of signal distortion and crosstalk 00:02:50.720 --> 00:02:55.440 between circuits. As traces get longer, you need to increase the space between them 00:02:55.440 --> 00:03:00.080 in order to manage that risk. Therefore, a double-sided PCB is the best way 00:03:00.080 --> 00:03:05.720 to save space given the other constraints of the design. Even worse, due to these same size constraints 00:03:05.720 --> 00:03:09.440 and timing issues, the wires from the CPU wind up traveling 00:03:09.440 --> 00:03:12.880 under the SODIM module and connecting to the far side, 00:03:12.880 --> 00:03:16.600 leading to a minimum trace length of 7.5 centimeters. 00:03:16.600 --> 00:03:22.460 CAM and CAM2, on the other hand, use a land grid array connector similar to a typical CPU. 00:03:22.460 --> 00:03:26.620 Because it has connecting pins across its rear face rather than on one edge, 00:03:26.620 --> 00:03:30.980 all the chips are now significantly closer to the connector and the motherboard. 00:03:30.980 --> 00:03:36.220 Further, CAM2 comes in configurations for two single channels or one dual channel. 00:03:36.220 --> 00:03:40.700 In part due to this connector change, CAM2 will also need to be screwed down 00:03:40.700 --> 00:03:46.580 in order to ensure it maintains consistent contact, which has both advantages and disadvantages. 00:03:46.580 --> 00:03:50.640 It reduces the potential that the component might come unseated due to jostling, 00:03:50.640 --> 00:03:55.160 but it also adds the need for a screwdriver, like this one from lttstore.com, 00:03:55.160 --> 00:03:58.340 rather than just easily slotting in like a SODIM. 00:03:58.340 --> 00:04:03.440 Likewise, depending on the design of their device, some users might need to replace their existing CAM2 00:04:03.440 --> 00:04:08.000 with a new one when they wanna upgrade rather than simply buying a second SODIM 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:13.020 and plugging it in. Another reason why some companies are pushing for CAM2 now 00:04:13.020 --> 00:04:18.200 is SODIM actually has a speed cap of around 6,400 megahertz. 00:04:18.200 --> 00:04:21.440 Most mainstream SODIM designs haven't hit this ceiling yet, 00:04:21.440 --> 00:04:24.840 but it's a future problem that CAM is solving today 00:04:24.840 --> 00:04:29.240 with a proactive design that places the module in closer contact with the motherboard. 00:04:29.240 --> 00:04:33.920 On the level of electronics and materials, CAM and SODIM are extremely similar, 00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:37.100 meaning that they'll likely be similar in terms of price to performance 00:04:37.100 --> 00:04:40.800 and software interoperability. Now as for power efficiency, 00:04:40.800 --> 00:04:43.960 the CAM2 standard also comes with both DDR5 00:04:43.960 --> 00:04:47.400 and LPDDR5 slash 5X designs, 00:04:47.400 --> 00:04:51.520 while SODIM is limited to the more power intensive DDR5. 00:04:51.520 --> 00:04:57.520 In order to prevent anyone from accidentally crossing the streams, which may lead to a total protonic reversal, 00:04:57.520 --> 00:05:01.600 the slots for DDR5 and LPDDR5 versions of CAM2 00:05:01.600 --> 00:05:05.520 will be physically distinct to prevent one from getting plugged into the other. 00:05:05.520 --> 00:05:08.960 The option of LPDDR5 might mean we'll see more 00:05:08.960 --> 00:05:14.200 upgradable RAM even in relatively small devices like tablets or single board computers. 00:05:14.200 --> 00:05:19.680 It's unclear at this point whether CAM2 is truly the default laptop memory format of tomorrow, 00:05:19.680 --> 00:05:24.920 but thanks to this new ratification by JEDEC, it will likely gain interest and become cheaper over time. 00:05:24.920 --> 00:05:28.280 Dell is of course a major backer of the new standard, 00:05:28.280 --> 00:05:33.640 but Samsung and Micron also announced plans to incorporate CAM modules in upcoming products, 00:05:33.640 --> 00:05:39.580 even prior to the ratification of CAM2. Wow, maybe we really are in the best timeline. 00:05:39.580 --> 00:05:43.520 But one thing's for sure, you are the best viewer for watching all the way to the end. 00:05:43.520 --> 00:05:47.300 Wow, thanks for watching. Like the video if you liked it, dislike it if you disliked it. 00:05:47.300 --> 00:05:51.300 One of those goes with one of those. Check out our other videos, comment below the video 00:05:51.300 --> 00:05:54.860 suggestions, don't forget to subscribe and follow TechWiki. Okay, I made it.