Recently, Dell updated its commercial series of PC devices. Among them, the new Precision 2022 mobile workstation product line not only debuts the 12th generation Core Alder Lake-HX series processors, but also brings a new CAMM DDR5 memory form.
Alder Lake-HX series processors, which have been exposed more frequently recently, can be roughly understood as a full-blood mobile processor that provides up to 8P core + 8E cores, 24 threads, and 55W power consumption; there is news that it will be released as soon as May 10. The use of CAMM DDR5 memory, which is different from the new form of traditional SO-DIMM notebook memory, not only has the thickness become 57%, but also the capacity of a single strip can reach up to 128GB (also optional 64/32/16GB), Dell took the lead in promoting the commercial use of this memory form.
From the above figure, it can be seen that the memory area of the CAMM form is much larger than that of the SO-DIMM form, which is a small PCB circuit board, which can be installed on both sides of the memory chip, and is fixed on the special CAMM Compress interface using the upper and lower two pressure plates (bolster plates).
In terms of specifications, the frequency of CAMM DDR5 128GB is only 3600MHz, and 64GB, 32GB, and 16GB are standard 4800MHz. 128GB and 64GB are double-sided, and 32GB and 16GB are single-sided. Another problem is that CAMM DDR5 doesn't seem to support ECC, which is a loss for workstation applications.
For memory solutions that combine thin and light with high density, many manufacturers have made various attempts. For example, as early as the 2010 version of the MacBook Pro, the above-mentioned memory side plug method was introduced, so that the memory and the pcB board of the whole machine were at the same thickness level.
At present, the advantages of CAMM form memory are obvious, but the problems are also more prominent. It does not support ECC verification, which loses safety, reliability and stability, and the thinned area occupies more positions of the motherboard, making the design and layout of the whole machine become complicated. In addition, the cost aspect seems to be improving a lot. Therefore, it is easy to understand why other machine manufacturers do not take the lead in applying this memory pattern.
Of course, we still have to give more positive attitudes to new technologies, but as far as workstation PCs are concerned, more stable and safe products, it is better to go through more considerations and mature applications before embarking on new technologies.