x86 module for embedded systems with replaceable LPDDR5X RAM
First manufacturers of x86 computer modules for industrial PCs are adopting LPCAMM2 memory modules.
The Congatec conga-HPC/cPTL computer module in the COM-HPC Client Size A form factor is equipped with an LPCAMM2 memory module.
(Image: Congatec)
Previously, LPDDR SDRAM chips were mostly soldered onto the computer's mainboard and therefore could not be replaced later. The LPCAMM2 module standard changes that. Computers equipped with it can be more flexibly fitted with RAM and upgraded later.
At the embedded world 2026 trade fair in Nuremberg, computer modules for embedded systems with LPCAMM2 sockets were also on display, such as the Congatec conga-HPC/cPTL with Intel Core Ultra 3, also known as Panther Lake.
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Low-Power (LP) DDR memory was originally developed as a power-efficient DRAM variant for battery-powered mobile devices. However, due to high clock frequencies and many short data signal lines, newer LPDDR generations such as LPDDR4X and especially LPDDR5X also achieve particularly high data transfer rates. Therefore, LPDDR5X is no longer used only in very power-efficient computers, but also in many SoCs with integrated GPUs that benefit from high RAM transfer rates.
LPCAMM2 for Intel's Panther
An example of an embedded system computer module with LPCAMM2 is the Congatec conga-HPC/cPTL in the COM-HPC Client Size A form factor. It is equipped with an Intel processor from the new Core Ultra 3 series, also known as Panther Lake. In addition to numerous x86 processor cores, it also includes an NPU for AI inference with up to 50 TOPS and a relatively powerful GPU that can also be used as an AI accelerator.
The conga-HPC/cPTL can be equipped with an LPCAMM2 with a capacity of up to 32 gigabytes. Furthermore, the processor supports both PCI Express 5.0 and Thunderbolt 4/USB4.
(Image:Â Samsung)
LPCAMM2 versus SOCAMM2
In addition to LPCAMM2 memory modules for notebooks and mobile workstations, and now also embedded systems, there are also SOCAMM or SOCAMM2 modules with LPDDR5X for servers. These have been announced by Micron and Samsung. A SOCAMM2 can currently achieve a significantly higher capacity than an LPCAMM2, up to 256 GByte.
The Nvidia DGX Station GB300 AI workstation, announced some time ago, could be one of the first systems with replaceable SOCAMM2 memory. Nvidia may also use SOCAMM2 for its upcoming ARM processor Vera.
(ciw)
