Soldered vs SO-DIMM RAM
Whether a laptop's memory is fixed to the board (soldered) or installed in upgradeable SO-DIMM slots.
Soldered RAM is fixed permanently to the motherboard. It enables thinner designs and faster low-power memory (LPDDR5X), but you can never add or replace it, so you must buy enough at purchase. SO-DIMM RAM sits in removable slots, letting you upgrade or repair the memory yourself later.
Many thin-and-light and efficiency-focused laptops solder their RAM, while traditional gaming laptops favor two SO-DIMM slots. A newer middle ground, LPCAMM2, offers low-power memory in a removable module, but it is not yet common.
Why it matters when buying
If upgradeability and repair matter to you, look for SO-DIMM (or LPCAMM2) slots, ideally two of them for dual-channel performance. If a laptop has soldered RAM, configure at least 32GB up front, because you will be stuck with whatever you buy.
Laptops with Soldered vs SO-DIMM RAM
See all Upgradeable RAM →
MSI Katana 15 HX (B14W)
MSI Cyborg 15 (B2RW)
Lenovo LOQ 15 (2026)
Acer Nitro V 16 AI (2026)
MSI Crosshair 16 HX AI (D2XW)
Corsair Voyager a1600 (AMD Advantage)
Eluktronics RP-16
