Intel’s upcoming Lunar Lake platform is making a big change by not supporting user-upgradeable or swappable RAM. This means that once you get your Lunar Lake laptop, you won’t be able to add more RAM without buying a new laptop. While this news may sound shocking, it’s not all bad. In fact, this change will benefit the average PC buyer and won’t pose a long-term threat to those who prefer upgradeable RAM.
Many laptops already come with soldered RAM, where the RAM is permanently attached to the motherboard. This setup offers advantages like improved energy efficiency, longer battery life, and better thermal performance. The move to onboard RAM with Lunar Lake won’t affect laptops that already come with soldered RAM.
Most PC users don’t typically upgrade or swap out their laptop’s RAM. While some people enjoy the flexibility of upgradeable RAM, the majority of users don’t engage in this practice. Business laptops often prioritize configurability, allowing IT departments to upgrade RAM when needed.
The integration of RAM within the chip package in Lunar Lake aims to improve speed and power consumption. This design choice will make RAM use up to 40% less power, leading to better battery life for laptops. Future Intel hardware will still offer upgradeable RAM options, so this change with Lunar Lake isn’t permanent.
Lunar Lake laptops currently max out at 32GB of RAM, which may be limiting for some users. However, future hardware configurations will likely offer more RAM options. The CAMM2 standard is also on the horizon, providing smaller and more power-efficient modules for user-upgradeable RAM in laptops.
While Intel’s focus with Lunar Lake is on power efficiency, future platforms like Arrow Lake and Panther Lake will have their own unique features. The industry is moving towards a balance of user-upgradeable RAM that is compact, fast, and energy-efficient. The introduction of standards like CAMM2 is a step in the right direction for the future of laptops. It’s reassuring to know that user-upgradeable RAM will continue to be a significant aspect of laptop design moving forward.
