Why ruin a great basic laptop by not adding a memory slot? I had an i3 4gb ram version of this laptop with a gen 7 chip that with an extra 16gb of extra ram was the best computer I’ve ever owned. Probably would have bought this if it had a slot.
When a manufacturer has to minimize physical space and maximize power conservation, they’ll use every technology that’s feasible. Memory is one of those aspects: LPDDR = low powered, but it’s more susceptible to signal degradation. The added trace length through the SODIMM’s board, socket, and main board traces just wouldn’t work.
(Note that I am not staff. I just volunteer to help out on the forums.)
I struggle to see the value in this one It’s a 12th gen chip but only 8 GB of RAM and it’s you know what from 2022 or something. I know the component pricing crisis has increased old resale products as well but I was really surprised to see a $500 laptop at this age with only 8 GB of RAM.
Maybe my brain just hasn’t caught up with the impact of the component crisis on older products but I was really expecting to see at least 16 gigs of RAM when I saw the price
2-in-1 convertible laptop generally means more chance of getting impacted compared to a conventional laptop that (usually) sits on a steady table, so I see a rationale for having soldered RAM. Though I’ve also seen conventional laptops with soldered RAM and 2-in-1 with socketed RAM. M.2 socketed SSD is screwed down so it is less of a concern, so is the new CAMM2 that may take a while to reach lower end laptops.
Soldered RAM does save a bit of weight and (vertical) space though many also have M.2 SSD and CPU heatpipes that take up similar amount of vertical space.
LPDDR4/4X/5 has lower power requirement than regular DDR4/5, tighter timing (allowing for higher clock rates), and the standard evolve faster (thanks to the mobile market demanding a clock bump every 1-2 years).
With that said, I hate laptops with soldered RAM (whether a single channel or both channels) with a passion too. My current laptop has 4GB DDR4 soldered + 32GB SODIMM.