MSI on Thursday published the first image of a new desktop motherboard that supports the innovative DDR5 compression attached memory module (CAMM2). DDR5 CAMM2 modules are designed to improve upon the SO-DIMM form factor used for laptops, alleviating some of the high-speed signaling and capacity limitations of SO-DIMMs while also shaving down on the volume of space required. And while we're eagerly awaiting to see CAMM2 show up in more laptops, its introduction in a PC motherboard comes as a bit of a surprise, since PCs aren't nearly as space-constrained.

MSI's Z790 Project Zero Plus motherboard, which supports Intel's latest 14^th Generation Core processors, is to a large degree a proof-of-concept product that is showcasing several new technologies and atypical configuration options. Key among these, of course, is the CAMM2 connector. The single connector supports a 128-bit DDR5 memory bus, allowing for a system to be fully populated with RAM with just a single, horizontally-mounted CAMM2 module. And in terms of design, the Zero Plus also features backside power connectors for improved cable management.

CAMM2 is designed to replace traditional modules in an SO-DIMM form-factor and is meant to occupy up to 64% less space than two DDR5 SO-DIMMs. In addition, CAMM2 greatly optimizes signal and power traces inside the motherboard, primarily by ensuring all memory trace lengths are identical, reducing some of the signaling penalties that normally come from supporting multiple SO-DIMM slots in a system. With DDR5 being particularly sensitive here – to the point where 2 DIMM Per Channel (2DPC) configurations take a max frequency hit even on desktop systems – CAMM2 modules are expected to simplify and, to a degree, improve laptop designs to better match DDR5's limitations.

Though whether CAMM2 sees widespread adoption remains to be seen. Unlike it's LPDDR5X counterpart, LPCAMM2, DDR5 CAMM2 hasn't attracted the same interest from laptop vendors quite yet, in large part because it doesn't introduce any new functionality (e.g. socketed LPDDR5X).

Meanwhile CAMM2 in ATX desktops is all but unexplored right now, which is why we're seeing experimental products like MSI's motherboard. The space savings alone aren't as important in desktops due to their size – though CAMM2 does cut down on Z-height, keeping memory away from CPU coolers. But PC makers will be looking at other factors such as inventory, as equipping desktop boards with CAMM2 connectors would allow them to use the same memory modules in both laptops and desktops. And longer term there is the question of whether CAMM2 can deliver tangible signaling benefits over traditional DIMMs.

MSI plans to showcase its Z790 Project Zero Plus platform at Computex, alongside memory partner Kingston. The latter will be at the show to demonstrate its Fury Impact CAMM2 memory module, which is one of the first DDR5 CAMM2 modules to be announced.

Samsung Electronics has started mass production of its 9th generation of V-NAND memory. The first dies based on their latest NAND tech come in a 1 Tb capacity using a triple-level cell (TLC) architecture, with data transfer rates as high as 3.2 GT/s. The new 3D TLC NAND memory will initially be used to build high-capacity and high-performance SSDs, which will help to solidify Samsung's position in the storage market.

Diving right in, Samsung is conspicuously avoiding to list the number of layers in their latest generation NAND, which is the principle driving factor in increasing capacity generation-on-generation. The company's current 8th gen V-NAND is 236 layers – similar to its major competitors – and word on the street is that 9th gen V-NAND ups that to 290 layers, though this remains to be confirmed.

Regardless, Samsung says that its 9th generation V-NAND memory boasts an approximate 50% improvement in bit density over its 8th generation predecessor. Driving this gains, the company cites the miniaturization of the cell size, as well as the integration of enhanced memory cell technologies that reduce interference and extend the lifespan of the cells. With their latest NAND technology, Samsung has also been able to eliminate dummy channel holes, thus reducing the planar area of the memory cells.

Interestingly, today's announcement also marks the first time that Samsung has publicly confirmed their use of string stacking in their NAND, referring to it as their "double-stack structure." The company is widely believed to have been using sting stacking back in their 8th generation NAND as well, however this was never confirmed by the company. Regardless, the use of string stacking is only going to increase from here, as vendors look to keep adding layers to their NAND dies, while manufacturing variability and channel hole tolerances make it difficult to produce more than 150-200 layers in a single stack.

Speaking of channel holes, another key technological enhancement in the 9th gen V-NAND is Samsung's advanced 'channel hole etching' technology. This process improves manufacturing productivity by enabling the simultaneous creation of electron pathways within a double-stack structure. This method is crucial as it enables efficient drilling through more layers, which is increasingly important as cell layers are added.

The latest V-NAND also features the introduction of a faster NAND flash interface, Toggle DDR 5.1, which boosts peak data transfer rates by 33% to 3.2 GT/s, or almost 400MB/sec for a single die. Additionally, 9th gen V-NAND's power consumption has been reduced by 10%, according to Samsung. Though Samsung doesn't state under what conditions – presumably, this is at iso-frequency rather than max frequency.

Samsung's launch of 1Tb TLC V-NAND is set to be followed by the release of a quad-level cell (QLC) model later this year.

"We are excited to deliver the industry’s first 9th-gen V-NAND which will bring future applications leaps forward," said SungHoi Hur, Head of Flash Product & Technology of the Memory Business at Samsung Electronics. "In order to address the evolving needs for NAND flash solutions, Samsung has pushed the boundaries in cell architecture and operational scheme for our next-generation product. Through our latest V-NAND, Samsung will continue to set the trend for the high-performance, high-density solid-state drive (SSD) market that meets the needs for the coming AI generation."

BIOSTAR has launched its AM5-based A620MS motherboard today, bringing a new low-end option for PC users on a budget. Though BIOSTAR has not disclosed what MSRP it the A620MS motherboard will carry, the specifications of the board make it clear that it targets the lowest-end segment of the market, though it makes use of the regular A620 chipset instead of the even less expensive A620A chipset.

The A620MS sports some features typical for mATX A620 boards (which make up the vast majority of current models): two DDR5 DIMM slots that support up to two 48GB sticks, an M.2 PCIe 4.0 slot for SSDs, four SATA III ports, and a PCIe Gen4 x16 slot. The motherboard also has four debug LEDs for diagnosing CPU, RAM, GPU, and booting errors.

Meanwhile the rear I/O features a one gigabit Ethernet port, four USB 3.2 ports, analog audio jacks, two USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI 1.4 port, and DisplayPort 1.2. Though there are some more fully-featured A620 motherboards available with more ports operating at a higher specification, but the rear I/O is more or less par for the course when it comes to A620.

However, there are other things about BIOSTAR’s A620MS that implies it will be quite low-end for an A620 motherboard. It has just eight total voltage regulator modules (VRMs), which appear to be in a 6+2 or 6+1+1 phase configuration. This isn’t as low-end as BIOSTAR could have gone (ASRock offers a 4+1+1 stage board), but it is still very sparing in VRM stages compared to most other A620 motherboards. These VRMs are also not covered by a heatsink, which is also typical for boards in this segment, as they're normally paired with equally chip 65W(ish) chips.

BIOSTAR doesn’t list any official CPU restrictions in either its press release or its specification sheet; instead, the company simply lists the motherboard as compatible with Ryzen 7000 and future Ryzen 8000 processors.

While the market for AM5 motherboards includes plenty of B650(E) and X670(E) models, there’s only a handful of A620 boards in total. On Newegg, there are 14 different motherboards available, and many only differ slightly in respect to things like form factor. The cheapest of these cost $75 to $100, and while BIOSTAR didn’t reveal what price we should expect of its A620MS board, given its specifications, we expect it will land in that same $75 to $100 region.

Asus on Thursday said it has released new versions of UEFI BIOS for DDR5-supporting Intel 600/700-series motherboards that enable support for 64 GB DIMMs. As a result, Asus's latest platforms for Intel's 12^th, 13^th and 14^th Generation Core processors with four slots for DIMM slots can now work with up to 256 GB of DDR5 memory, and motherboards with two DIMM slots can now support up to 128 GB of memory.

To gain support for 256 GB of DDR5 memory using 64 GB unbuffered DIMMs, one needs to download the latest version of UEFI BIOS for one of the Intel 600/700-series motherboards listed at the Asus website.

The list of Asus motherboards with an LGA1700 socket supporting 256 GB of DDR5 memory includes 75 boards based on a variety of Intel's 600 and 700-series chipsets, including Intel Z790, H770, B760, Z690, W680, and Q670. Though taking stock of Asus's larger motherboard offerings, this is still a bit shy of covering all of Asus's LGA1700 motherboards, which is nearly 200 models in total. So 64 GB DIMM support has only come to a fraction of their boards, at least thus far.

Otherwise, it is noteworthy that cutting-edge high-capacity DIMMs, such as 32 GB, 48GB, and 64 GB, are typically not available with the same blistering XMP clockspeeds as some of their lower-capacity counterparts, so equipping an Intel system with 256 GB of memory will come at a cost of peak memory bandwidth, on top of the typical DDR5 2 DIMM Per Channel (2DPC) frequency penalty. In fact, the fastest 48 GB modules currently offered by Corsair and G.Skill (which could be used to build systems with 192 GB of memory) top out at 6600 MT/s and 6800 MT/s, respectively. Meanwhile, for now, there are no Intel XMP 3.0-compatible 64 GB DDR5 modules from these two renowned makers.

Ultimately, the prime market for high-capacity UDIMMs at this time is going to be content creators, data scientists, and other workstation-light workloads that need a quarter-terabyte of RAM, and can justify the cost for the leading-edge DIMMs. Otherwise 16 GB and 32 GB DIMMs are likely to remain the sweet spot for the LGA1700 platform for the rest of its lifecycle.

Finally, it should be noted that Asus is also announcing (or rather, reiterating) support for 64 GB DIMMs on their AM5 motherboards. That said, this support is already baked into that platform and BIOSes, and unlike the Intel boards, a BIOS update is not needed.