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Samsung is expected to more than double output of its HBM4 and HBM4E DRAM

562 points · 458 comments · giuliomagnifico

  1. fooker · · focus · HN ↗
    What's the main blocker (other than the current inflated cost) for using HBM instead of DRAM as the primary memory for consumer electronics?
    1. nutjob2 · · focus · HN ↗
      Nothing except CPU manufacturer choices. Mac laptops use it and they're consumer products.

      People will have to get used to buying a fixed amount of RAM with their CPU but thats unlikely to be a problem.

      1. KeplerBoy · · focus · HN ↗
        MacBooks use regular soldered lpddr5(x) RAM. Same RAM as every other laptop manufacturer, they just use more lanes to achieve a higher bandwidth.
        1. bunderbunder · · focus · HN ↗
          Perhaps more noteworthy for general home and business computing, doesn’t it also allow for lower latency?
          1. Rohansi · · focus · HN ↗
            More channels or soldered memory? Channels are basically RAID 0 so it depends what you're measuring. Soldering memory down was the only way to use LPDDR5X so if you wanted the best memory you had to solder it down. LPCAMM2 exists though so newer devices can use that instead of soldering them down, but not all devices would be able to fit the required LPCAMM2 slots.
            1. throwaway85825 · · focus · HN ↗
              SOCAMM2 allows for removable ram in nearly 0 added space.
              1. Rohansi · · focus · HN ↗
                That's tiny! But it still depends a lot on form factor. LPDDR5X is used in phones and making memory removable would have its compromises. You may even have compromises in laptops. Look at how tiny a MacBook Air's mainboard is and you'll see the RAM modules on the same package as the SoC. SOCAMM2 is too large for that but a variant with only two modules could possibly work.
                1. Melatonic · · focus · HN ↗
                  I bet it could fit. It just do a combo of soldered ram and non soldered like many laptops used to.
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