
Samsung Unveils 32 GB DDR4-2666 SO-DIMMs - rbanffy
https://www.anandtech.com/show/12824/samsung-unveils-32-gb-ddr42666-sodimms-based-on-16-gb-ics
======
foepys
16GB DDR4 memory is slowly creeping up to the $200 mark. While prices for CPUs
and other components are falling steadily or at least are staying stable, the
overall cost of PCs is increasing just because memory is so damn expensive
nowadays.

~~~
dba7dba
At least you can buy RAM if you really wanted to. For few years in late
1990's, you couldn't buy RAM if even you had the money. Companies like
Dell/Apple were unable to manufacture computers to sell because of lack of RAM
modules. Price of RAM Modules literally fluctuated a lot like gold or crypto
coin day by day.

There were robberies targeted at computer parts distributors by robbers who
wanted RAM modules to resell in black markets.

And this is how Samsung got big. They had just started investing in RAM
manufacturing and Dell/Apple and the likes started signing long term contracts
with Samsung for steady supply of RAM modules. Samsung Electronics Revenue
grew x4 yoy one year around that time.

This is about the time when Dell signed 10 year contract with Samsung for
computer parts. I learned much later that as a term of the contract, Samsung
stopped selling Samsung branded laptops in North America. It was weird.
Samsung had started making some good laptops but they suddenly disappeared
from shelves in US. Laptop reviewers who reviewed them in EU praised them, but
they were not sold in US.

I guess I am pretty old...

~~~
tooltalk
I also remember hearing about that Dell contract that prevented Samsung from
selling Samsung branded laptop in the NA. I believe it was in part because
Samsung designed and manufactured Dell's laptops in those days -- which now I
believe is now outsourced to Quanta.

~~~
dba7dba
The parts contract between Samsung/Dell was about a billion dollars over 10
years. It included CD/DVD drives, RAM, screen etc. A billion dollar in tech
industry today doesn't sound like much but for late 1990s, that was a big
deal. But not reported much in US if I recall correctly.

Also I distinctively remember reading a piece by a reporter who was quoting a
Dell representative talking about a small/light Samsung Laptop that Michael
Dell was using as his everyday laptop. They really liked its small form
factor. I think it may have been Samsung Q20 which was rebadged as Latitude
X300 around year 2000 or so.

Also, I heard Tim Cook first caught the attention of Steve Jobs around this
time. He joined Apple to help smooth out supply of parts for Apple computers
and he was instrumental in working with Samsung to accomplish it. I just
checked and he joined Apple in 1998 so the timing does make sense to me.

Btw, as I was trying to look up old computers of Dell, I realized there is no
complete list of them anywhere. Not like one available for Apple computers.
Sad how the latest thing at a point in time like in 2002 is no where to be
found on the internet...

------
chatmasta
Maybe in ten years I’ll be able to buy a MacBook with 32gb RAM!

~~~
dijit
That's currently limited by Intel; Apple wont put high power DIMMS into
Macbooks;

Intel do not suport LP-DDR4 > 16G right now, Although that's expected to
change soon.

I have a Kaby-Lake Dell laptop which has full power DDR4 because I wanted 32G,
but it costs in battery life.

~~~
wtallis
To clarify: Macbooks and similar machines currently use LPDDR3, which allows
for significantly better battery life than DDR4. Intel never expected to need
LPDDR4 support for their 14nm processors, and their 10nm processors that have
updated DRAM controllers supporting LPDDR4 have been repeatedly delayed.
Intel's current processors can only use 16GB of LPDDR3 given the number of
channels on Intel's memory controllers and the available density of LPDDR3
chips. LPDDR4 is available in higher densities and is catching on in other
product segments, so it's entirely possible to buy an ultrabook that uses
LPDDR3 with its CPU but has LPDDR4 in its SSD.

~~~
ksec
And the 10nm Intel Notebook CPU, at least one that can be used in MB or MBP,
isn't expected to arrive until next year.

------
wolf550e
If I have that much RAM (32GB), I want ECC.

~~~
oliv__
For anyone who's wondering, like I was:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECC_memory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECC_memory)

~~~
cmplxconjugate
Wow. I’m actually quite surprised at your response. Is ECC really not well
know these days?

~~~
garmaine
He’s part of today’s lucky 10,000. Nothing wrong with that!

~~~
nayuki
Meta, this is what the daily lucky 10000 is about:
[https://xkcd.com/1053/](https://xkcd.com/1053/)

~~~
utopcell
:-)

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ksec
The current LPDDR3E used in the MacBook and MacBook Pro uses around 1.8W
Active in 16GB. These newer DDR4 might actually fit the use case of MacBook,
64GB Memory using only 4.5W is very attractive.

That is assuming Apple bring us back the old battery capacity. To quote Ars

Compared to 2015’s models, the Touch Bar MacBook Pros lose quite a bit of
battery capacity. The 13-inch model drops from 74.9 WHr to 49.2 WHr and the
15-inch model falls from 99.5 WHr to 76 WHr. That’s a 34 percent and 24
percent reduction in capacity, respectively.

~~~
akhilcacharya
I'll still never understand why they couldn't use their chipset efficiency
improvements with the same case/size.

I don't think I've seen a more user hostile change recently, outside of
ditching 3.5mm headphone jacks.

------
IronWolve
Maybe after all the lawsuits for ram price fixing, ram can be priced more
reasonably.

[https://www.techrepublic.com/article/samsung-hynix-micron-
su...](https://www.techrepublic.com/article/samsung-hynix-micron-sued-for-
dram-price-fixing-that-could-have-raised-pc-prices/)

~~~
xenadu02
This is what, the third or fourth time in the past 20 years the big DRAM
makers have been found colluding? Numerous convictions. Some execs even did
jail time. So far it doesn't seem to be helping. Perhaps such consolidation
shouldn't be allowed.

~~~
yuhong
Is price fixing really happening though?

------
jtreminio
I'm awaiting delivery of my Dell XPS 9570 with the i9-8950HK processor. The
CPU says it supports up to 64GB memory [0]. The laptop comes with an Intel
CM246 chipset [1]. How would I figure out if I can stick two of these sticks
into my laptop?

[0]
[https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/processors/...](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/processors/core/i9-processors/i9-8950hk.html)

[1]
[https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/chipsets/mo...](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/chipsets/mobile-
chipsets/cm246.html)

~~~
craftyguy
Your biggest worry is whether or not your laptop has two DIMM slots, and that
the system memory is not soldered down on the system (like in some (all
newer?) XPS 13 systems). The CPU and chipset will likely handle it just fine,
it's the OEMs you have to worry about, who make crappy design decisions that
prevent upgrading.

~~~
jtreminio
The 9570 does not come with RAM soldered on. Hopefully I can get an official
answer from Dell once this product is released!

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parvenu74
Coming soon: 128GB RAM in a laptop! Don’t really need it, but I _ _want_ _ it!

~~~
mvdwoord
I would LOVE that.. Not that any apps require it, but I could host an entire
virtualized stack locally. Big Win in my book.

~~~
parvenu74
I have a Lenovo with 64GB RAM which is really handy for consulting: separate
VMWare images for all clients and the ability to do Sharepoint dev work
(separate VMs for SqlServer, SP, Visual Studio) with enough memory left over
for Chrome...

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BLanen
They say it's based on 16GB ICs but there are 8 of them on the board?

~~~
utopcell
That's 16Gbits. They either have 2 dies per chip or there is another set of 8
chips on the other side of the PCB.

~~~
BLanen
Oh, yeah duh. I'm stupid.

~~~
utopcell
doubt that, just a "momentary lapse of reason" :-)

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zaroth
Looks like 8GB was introduced in 2011 and 16GB in 2015 so any bets on when we
see 64GB SO-DIMM?

~~~
tfha
2024, these dimms are no doubt leveraging 7nm tech. Next big step is many
years away, projections at 2023 in the earliest

~~~
yuhong
AFAIK 32Gbit is not even in the DDR4 standard.

~~~
bwbw223
32Gbit = 4GB

Pretty sure we have 4GB dimms ;)

~~~
nwellnhof
The GP probably meant the capacity of a single chip on a DIMM. Looks like the
new Samsung SO-DIMMs carry 16 chips with 16 Gbit each.

------
smilbandit
it's been awhile for me and hardware. what does the 2gb part of this quote
mean, "16 Gb (2 GB) memory chips"

~~~
Carioca
16 Gigabit (2 Gigabyte) memory chips (i.e. each chp has 2 GB, and the DIMM
module has 16 chips)

~~~
berbec
I believe that is false. 16 Gigabit (2 Gigabyte) is a 8-bit-per-byte
explination

