What are the advantages of on-board memory? Why more laptops are ditching traditional memory.

The upcoming release of Dell's new XPS 14 and 16 laptops has generated a lot of buzz, becoming one of two products that have received a lot of attention in recent years.

In addition to the capacitive touch button and the invisible trackpad, the internal welded memory has also become one of the focal points of discussion.

This change means that the XPS 15 and 17 will no longer have the advantage of upgradeable memory that they were once known for.

It's worth noting that Dell isn't the first company to make this shift. Although the decision has caused controversy in the industry, Dell is not the first company to take this approach, which makes it even harder to accept.

In the past, onboard memory was mainly found in Macbooks and ultrabooks, but it has now affected most high-performance gaming laptops, such as the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, which also features this design in 2024.

So why do manufacturers keep moving in this direction? Do their claims for better performance or thinner dimensions hold water?

First, let's take a look at what onboard memory is.

"Onboard memory" or "welded memory" refers to a type of computer memory that is permanently attached or welded to the motherboard of a laptop computer. As of 2024, Apple's on-board memory is packaged with the processor, while other manufacturers are basically welding memory particle chips on the motherboard.

One of the main features of this kind of memory is that upgrading or repairing becomes impossible.

Laptops typically either have all of their memory soldered to the motherboard, or the memory strips are inserted into the motherboard and can be removed or replaced.

Some laptops today may have a mix of the two, with some memory permanently soldered and other memory slots for upgrades.

It's not all bad. Whether it's a slim productivity laptop, a low-cost laptop for leisure use, or a high-end gaming beast, they're all trying to save space, extend battery life, and optimize cooling.

Using welded memory can be one of the space-saving technologies that allows manufacturers to make thinner laptops.

Although notebook manufacturers generally prefer on-board memory, not all end users like this approach.

The reason why consumers are dissatisfied with on-board memory is that it directly affects the value of the laptop, making the memory of the laptop impossible to upgrade in the future, and becoming more tricky to repair.

And, for power users, the lack of upgradeability is really an inescapable problem.

Given the advantages and disadvantages of onboard memory, why would manufacturers subject consumers to this annoyance?

Some may see this as a conspiracy by manufacturers to force consumers to upgrade to new products after a few years. Perhaps this is partly true, but there are other factors to consider.

There are practical benefits to using on-board memory for companies that outweigh the drawbacks, but how to apply it to end users is a bit more complicated.

The benefits of on-board memory include space savings, faster efficiency, and greater stability. They help make laptops thinner and more efficient, while also reducing the need for repairs.

However, on-board memory is also subject to issues of unupgradeability and maintenance difficulties, which can be an obstacle for some users.

Fortunately, the recently introduced CAMM2 standard may address these issues. Not only is the CAMM2 memory thinner, but it is also available in both welded and non-welded versions, thus restoring the upgradeability of the laptop to a certain extent.