A few months ago Dell presented a new memory format. It was based on DDR5 memory, but instead of the traditional standard format, called SO-DIMM, it used a new one called CAMM.
The idea seems to have penetrated deeply into the body that develops and officially approves this specification. The JEDEC has just announced that it will adopt the “CAMM Common Spec“, taking Dell’s idea and turning it into the future of laptop memory modules.
Tom Schnell was the Dell engineer responsible for the development of CAMM (Compression Attached Memory Module). JEDEC’s CAMM standard will be based on that design, but will probably end up having some variation.
The nearly 20 companies that voted unanimously accepted the idea, and have already approved the 0.5 specification. Schnell explained how this body aims to complete the 1.0 specification in the second half of 2023. If those plans are met, the first systems with these modules they could arrive in 2024.
These modules have the advantage of offering higher memory density and that the integrated chips can run at higher frequencies. The limit for SO-DIMMs was DDR5 to 6400 modules, but CAMM will offer even more leeway.
When Dell announced this format it was assumed to be a proprietary development, but Schnell has clarified that Dell “doesn’t have the light on because we get royalties on a patent.” The approval of the specification makes it clear that there is no danger in that sense.
