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> Apple's refusal to make RAM upgradeable I'm not sure they can make RAM upgradeable at this point and still keep their unified memory. If you look[0], they h

by spott 2y ago

> Apple's refusal to make RAM upgradeable I'm not sure they can make RAM upgradeable at this point and still keep their unified memory. If you look[0], they have the memory under the heat spreader, butted right up next to the SOC, and my impression is that this is what allows them to get that nice memory bandwidth. [0]: https://www.ifixit.com/News/46884/m1-macbook-teardowns-something-old-something-new https://www.ifixit.com/News/46884/m1-macbook-teardowns-somet...

resters 2y ago
Perhaps true of recent models. However RAM-starved machine upgraded with slightly slower (but still fast) additional RAM would still be much better value in performance per additional dollar than a whole new machine.
layer8 2y ago
LCAMM2 should be fast enough: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ddr5/micron-unveils-lpcamm2-bringing-lpddr5x-to-smaller-form-factor-memory-modules https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ddr5/micron-unvei... And they could combine onboard unified RAM with a slightly slower non-unified expandable RAM slot. There is some precedent for such configurations in computer history.
init2null 2y ago
It would be worth to add a slow RAM slot or two to use it purely as an SSD cache or a substitute for swap. There's no need to eliminate the unified memory in the process of adding upgrade options.
rasz 2y ago
They do it this way because it cuts manufacturing cost. Its cheaper to use POP ram when ram upgradeability is not in your design constraints. Apple even has a patent (garbage one, describes something obvious) for second non POP slightly slower ram channel. https://www.techpowerup.com/277760/apple-patents-multi-level-hybrid-memory-subsystem https://www.techpowerup.com/277760/apple-patents-multi-level... "With two types of DRAM forming the memory system, one of which may be optimized for bandwidth and the other of which may be optimized for capacity, the goals of bandwidth increase and capacity increase may both be realized, in some embodiments," They are sitting on a solution while extracting value while market bears it.

by spott 2y ago

resters 2y ago

Perhaps true of recent models. However RAM-starved machine upgraded with slightly slower (but still fast) additional RAM would still be much better value in performance per additional dollar than a whole new machine.

layer8 2y ago

LCAMM2 should be fast enough: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ddr5/micron-unveils-lpcamm2-bringing-lpddr5x-to-smaller-form-factor-memory-modules https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ddr5/micron-unvei... And they could combine onboard unified RAM with a slightly slower non-unified expandable RAM slot. There is some precedent for such configurations in computer history.

init2null 2y ago

It would be worth to add a slow RAM slot or two to use it purely as an SSD cache or a substitute for swap. There's no need to eliminate the unified memory in the process of adding upgrade options.

rasz 2y ago

They do it this way because it cuts manufacturing cost. Its cheaper to use POP ram when ram upgradeability is not in your design constraints. Apple even has a patent (garbage one, describes something obvious) for second non POP slightly slower ram channel. https://www.techpowerup.com/277760/apple-patents-multi-level-hybrid-memory-subsystem https://www.techpowerup.com/277760/apple-patents-multi-level... "With two types of DRAM forming the memory system, one of which may be optimized for bandwidth and the other of which may be optimized for capacity, the goals of bandwidth increase and capacity increase may both be realized, in some embodiments," They are sitting on a solution while extracting value while market bears it.