Samsung's 4Gb DDR3 RAM modules could put 8GB in your next netbook

Rhett and Link (and one Bill Gates, too) may assume that 64KB of memory is "plenty," but let's be realistic here -- it's not. Samsung's fully in agreement, and it's looking to make your next DIMM or SODIMM a lot more capacious with a new 40nm-class process technology. As the story goes, volume production has begun on a new 4Gb DDR3 module, which could be squeezed onto existing sticks in order to produce 16GB / 32GB DIMMs (for desktops) and 8GB SODIMMs (for laptops). There's no clear indication of when this whole "mass production" thing will lead to "on sale right now," but we're guessing it'll make the transition between "now" and "really soon." Bonus video after the break.

See more video at our hub!

[Mmmm Donuts Posted Feb 24th 2010 12:56PM]

Resulting in a fast... netbook? Isn't that an oxymoron? o3o

[mascarpone Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:01PM]

@Mmmm Donuts

not that much: Higher video quality, or multiple video streams needs more memory. Not necessary a fast one, but a large one.

Plus it will push down prices...

[AlienSix Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:03PM]

@Mmmm Donuts Hey I welcome a fast netbook. 8 GB is sweet and slowly this just proves that the netbook will always be more of a competitor than the iPad.

[PlatinumSkeet Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:03PM]

@Mmmm Donuts

Unless you have the M11x

[Smart People Play Tuba Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:09PM]

It's hard to stay "on topic" when Engadget puts such ridiculous graphics with the posts.

I mean seriously. Are those guys supposed to be cavemen or 80s glam rockers?

[rwgove Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:10PM]

this is news done right. every news article ever needs a link to that video

[pukerocket Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:25PM]

@AlienSix

What? Really??

Did you only just realise the possibility that laptops will soon come with 8GB RAM as standard? Wow. Nothing to do with the Ipad, move on with your life.

[Duckman Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:38PM]

@Smart People Play Tuba

HAHA! I thought the exact same thing about those guys.

[Gamecheater Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:44PM]

@Smart People Play Tuba

Those aren't glam rockers, they're the rejects from Twisted Sister.

[Plexus Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:57PM]

@Mmmm Donuts
16GB DDR3 coupled with an Atom CPU?
Not sure it makes a lot of sense.
And if you couple dem with a dual cored Atom and ION graph , it would cost as much as serious core2 duo with 6 gb drr3 and discrete graph system which inspires me far more.

[yulebellow Posted Feb 24th 2010 2:26PM]

@Smart People Play Tuba

The one on the left is Adam Lambert

[Oli D Posted Feb 24th 2010 3:09PM]

@Plexus What about energy consumption?

[AlienSix Posted Feb 24th 2010 4:13PM]

@pukerocket

"What? Really??

Did you only just realise the possibility that laptops will soon come with 8GB RAM as standard? Wow. Nothing to do with the Ipad, move on with your life."

I was talking about Netbooks, not laptops and further more until the iPad had flash and multitasking, once again, isnt a competitor in my book. Reading before you respond works wonders you know.

[Clancycoop Posted Feb 24th 2010 7:25PM]

@AlienSix Why does someone have to bring that up in every post?

[6knowspring Posted Feb 27th 2010 4:34AM]

@Mmmm Donuts Wouldn't there be some sort of bottle neck to how much 'extra' RAM would end up being useful?

[jygsaw Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:02PM]

Yowza... A 16 and 32GB sticks of RAM? That'd be awesome with all the video editing and photo processing I do. Bring it on!

[MikeZ Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:20PM]

@jygsaw Same here. 3D software loves to eat gigabytes for breakfast.

[KAL326 Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:25PM]

@jygsaw I would be happy with cheaper 4GB sticks, i7 9xx with triple channel could run 24GB no problem. Also anything on the Intel side since the 4 series chipsets can run 4x4GB so almost any desktop with 4 slots could run 16GB.

Or if your going for completely f'n crazy 6x32GB for 192GB of ram. Start dropping them in server boards like the current IBM servers that support 32 slots and you got 1TB of ram.

[kojo87 Posted Feb 24th 2010 2:26PM]

@KAL326 RAMdisk needs to be resurrected if that much RAM ever becomes mainstream

[Oli D Posted Feb 24th 2010 3:11PM]

@KAL326 "I'm happy with my 3.5Gb of RAM thank you."

/ridiculous 32bit zealousness

[O Gil Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:03PM]

Now I can finally put my Atom running the company's production database.

[Mivanx77 Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:05PM]

I can finally run multiple programs...

[MikeZ Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:20PM]

@Mivanx77 As long as you're not using an iPad.

[Oli D Posted Feb 24th 2010 3:18PM]

@Mivanx77 As long as you're not using W7 Starter.*

*Poster is aware that this restriction was not included in the release

[onQ Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:11PM]

I don't know what I can do with 16 GB of ram in my laptop but I want it lol.

[Jaylittles531 Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:16PM]

@onQ

Read the post.... 16GB/32 in DESKTOPS and 8GB in LAPTOPS

[Jaylittles531 Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:24PM]

@onQ

I got bad eyes, my mistake your right.

But if this is the case I could see Laptop Makers only putting 1 RAM slot on their motherboards in the future, would run cooler with just 1 stick creating heat.

[dds1043 Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:25PM]

@Jaylittles531 8gb sticks.. Most have 2 slots. Think about it :)

[KAL326 Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:27PM]

@dds1043 Some have 4, 32GB 0_0 drools....

[Jaylittles531 Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:50PM]

@dds1043

Read the comment under the first one then open your mouth.

[Jaylittles531 Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:14PM]

I think the title got cut off... "Samsung's 4Gb DDR3 RAM modules could put 8GB in your next netbook and a hole in your pocket"

[Sonnekki Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:14PM]

I saw the first picture, and immediately thought Immortal, then thought Cyperpunk metal. I can't get past that thought, the rest of the article is meaningless.

[Fanfoot Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:15PM]

Dear software and hardware vendors,

32-bit Windows is dead. RAM is becoming so cheap that we'll be getting more than 4GB of it whether we like it or not. Given that how about everybody stop with the denial on 64-bit and get with the program now, m'kay?

Thanks.

[O Gil Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:21PM]

@Fanfoot Dead? How is my PC even running then!? Along with ~80% of computers around the world...

[dds1043 Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:31PM]

@O Gil
"80%" doesnt matter. These new chips along with new processors brings down processing power per watt. Legislation is flying around everywhere to push new efficiency ratings on electronics.

[octodd Posted Feb 24th 2010 2:13PM]

@Fanfoot i have no need for more than 4gb or ram therefore no real need for 64bit at this moment. However i will welcome a switch to 64bit when windows finally ditches the registry.

[Sohip Posted Feb 24th 2010 3:21PM]

@octodd
Don't you know that only 3.2gb ram is usable of that 4gb that u have when it's paired with windows 32-bit, you don't want to waist those ~800mb, u paid for them FFS.

[vman81 Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:16PM]

I thought that made up quotation was 640Kb?

[MikeZ Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:23PM]

@vman81 The author probably had a flashback to the C64 which greeted you with "64K RAM SYSTEM" among other details.

[Langdon Alger Posted Feb 24th 2010 3:32PM]

@vman81 You are correct sir ... the quotation that was always erroneously attributed to WHG3 refers to 640KB, not 64KB.

[sillyhermitcrab Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:17PM]

for some reason,the blond one looks like Dick Cheney to me

[loocas Posted Feb 24th 2010 8:25PM]

@sillyhermitcrab He looks like dick to me...

[Phyzix Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:23PM]

@Engadget: Bill Gates never actually said that

[sillyhermitcrab Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:25PM]

@Phyzix pretty sure its a joke,dude

[crayjay Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:24PM]

32GB RAM chips in my desktop... Can I just get 4 of those suckers and boot every program I regularly use at startup into RAM and throw off the hard drive shackles? A hard drive will still be required of course, but eh!

[crazyleo Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:25PM]

why do i feel like i can't trust those guys in the pic ... o.O seen them some where anyone?

[SirDrinksAlot Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:28PM]

Last time I had copious amounts of ram I created a ram disk and played Doom from it. In this case you could create a ram disk and play any game out of it!

[ferank Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:38PM]

I'm a little confused by the title. What netbook uses DDR3 RAM anyway? I was also under the impression that most netbooks only have one RAM slot anyway?

[BrownSound Posted Feb 24th 2010 1:45PM]

reminds me of -calvin harris "acceptable in the 80's:"

[JustThatNerdyGuy Posted Feb 24th 2010 2:00PM]

We need faster processors in our Netbooks not the just the same old Intel Atom processor...