CAMM, the recent format of laptop RAM, has been formally adopted as a JEDEC standard.

Now officially known as CAMM2, its adoption by JEDEC suggests that we will likely see an increase in its application in future generations of laptops, replacing the older SO-DIMM format used for more than 20 years.

Dell developed and introduced CAMM, a patented technology, along with its Precision 7670 laptop.

CAMM's main advantage over SO-DIMM lies in its slim design, which Dell claims is a 57% thinner than SO-DIMM.

CAMM2 new RAM standard

CAMM2 and DELL

Dell also stated that they could exceed the 6,400MHz limit for DDR5 SO-DIMM memory and “achieve even higher clock frequencies.”

However, the proprietary nature of CAMM made it less advantageous than SO-DIMM in relation to upgrades, since only Dell manufactured CAMM memory.

On the other hand, SO-DIMM RAM can be obtained from countless companies.

CAMM2 solves this problem by following standards set by JEDEC, the organization that sets specifications for memory types such as GDDR6, HBM3, and DDR5.

CAMM2 Specifications They cover two versions: one for DDR5 and another for LPDDR5(X).

CAMM2 new RAM standard

CAMM2 new RAM standard using LPDDR5(X) memory

It is relevant to mention that CAMM2 will allow the use of non-soldered LPDDR5(X) memory and could also discourage the use of soldered DDR5 RAM.

However, both variants have different pin patterns, which eliminates the possibility of using one variant on a motherboard designed for the other class of RAM.

Another advantage of CAMM2 is that multiple memory modules are not required to enable dual-channel memory.

A single CAMM2 module can be configured with two memory channels, providing expanded memory bandwidth for both the CPU and integrated graphics for improved performance.

SO-DIMM memory can only have one channel per module. However, it has been mentioned that single memory channel CAMM2 modules are also being planned.

CAMM2 new RAM standard

Although CAMM2s will likely initially be considerably more expensive than SO-DIMMs due to their novelty, they appear poised to become the new standard for laptops and other portable devices.

The transition from SO-DIMM to CAMM2 will most likely take some time, and the two standards can be expected to coexist for significantly long periods of time.

CAMM2 new RAM standard – Video from: Linus Tech Tips