If I'd try that, I'd end up with no RAM at all..
To be honest, RAM amount is far from being relevant on the Steam Deck. RAM speed is what's crucially limiting it, and even a minor overclock gives noticeable improvements.
Adding new Samsung chips to achieve 32GB isn't that relevant. Adding new chips that can sustain higher clocks and overclocking... Now we are talking.
The GPU is integrated and uses system RAM as VRAM. Increasing the available VRAM should improve performance in titles with lots of high-res textures.
Yes, I know - it's an APU.
But you're incorrect - adding more RAM to be allocated as VRAM is useless if the GPU isn't making use of it. In the case of the Steam Deck, it has been demonstrated quite a few times that the main bottleneck is the memory speeds. Even a slight overclock gives significant boosts in performance, it's quite surprising in fact.
Uh, actually RAM amount is the difference between some games being playable or not at all, and there are plenty of game issues related to insufficient/low memory
Do you think faster RAM would have a bigger impact than an upgraded GPU?
Nope much better to spend 50€ on a slighty newer cpu/gpu that on a faster speed memory module
Can we go back to the good old days where our devices had openings for RAM and storage upgrades please?
Especially for things like this.
I just don't think most / any connectors are going to be compatible with modern ddr speeds. Even doing the layout on these smd pads takes a lot of work to make it right. You'd be taking a major speed downgrade which would limit your performance way more than this ram amount upgrade overcomes.
Quick Edit: storage is another beast entirely where I agree with you completely. Looks like steam deck you can upgrade the ssd and it's at least way easier than this. Comparable to a laptop.
I'd love a standardized tiny socket like the MMC modules or something alike. A DIMM socket would be far too large.
Even though upgrading RAM in a steam deck wouldn't be that useful it increases the ability to repair it.
Apple Silicon has entered the chat.
"No."
Sure, if you want your device to be half an inch thicker, and more expensive.
The chips themselves are the most expensive parts usually, much more than a socket and additional daughterboard. And if they were all modular you can reuse those chips for other devices!
Also, even back in the chunky early 2000s IBM Thinkpad days I never really minded the size or weight, that's just my own opinion though.
This is awesome, but beyond my skill level.
Impressive!
If that’s real that’s one hell of a feat to pull off
I'm sure it is. People have done it with graphics cards. You basically drop 2GB modules in place of 1GB (or 4 instead of 2 or whatever).
Absolutely insane. I love it.
I hope phone screen fixing guys are shopping malls will start doing this kind of ram upgrades soon
If they only replace screen there is a chance they will be able to do so, because modern iphone screens require a chip from the screen to be removed from the original and soldered in the new one.
We just got a BGA rework machine at work, and I could do this
