I don’t see anyone addressing this, so I guess I will start the domino: where is the supply of LPCAMM2 memory coming from? Framework uses Micron memory in their laptops, but Micron claims to have pulled out of the consumer memory game altogether. There’s basically no supply anywhere online―not just “for an arm and a leg”, for any price. There’s nothing on Newegg and (as of this writing) like one stick on Amazon, but it’s all basically sold out. Everything else is just a “prebuilt-kit”, i.e. a laptop with memory preinstalled.
On what basis did Framework managed to acquire enough stockpile, to fulfill pre-orders? Who else, besides Micron, makes LPCAMM2 memory? Are these batches pitched to the memory companies as “enterprise” orders, is that how they managed to get any? Because otherwise, all of this memory would presumably just end up in server farms and we are well past the crypto bubble being in vogue.
I really hope this memory crisis is just an “of the moment” problem, so we can all laugh and “reminisce” about how laughable it was that we thought ownership was actually gone, and not some persistent threat that stagnates technology back to the 2010s, function-wise, for the next two decades.
I recently got an email from Framework. The news is not great
we recently received a cost update from our LPCAMM2 supplier that goes far beyond anything we had predicted and anything we’re able to absorb without placing our ability to operate at real financial risk. Rather than the low-to-mid double digit percentage increase we had forecast from Q2 to Q3 on LPCAMM2 costs, we received prices that are more than double that of the prior inventory we had brought in. We have enough LPCAMM2 memory modules on hand to cover all existing pre-orders, but unfortunately not in the mix of 64GB, 32GB, and 16GB that matches those pre-orders.
At this rate, I guess PC will no longer stand for 'personal computer". Instead, it will mean “preconfigured commodity”. There’s only enough supply for AI, because you can’t afford it.
You also have the ability to remove memory from your order and source it on the open market if you are able to find the capacity you are looking for at a more favorable price.
When Framework says this, they must mean, “in a couple of years from now.” There’s still basically nothing on Newegg and nothing on Amazon.
This data center hardware apocalypse is the freaking worst.
I have a FW 13 Pro due to ship soon. I snapped up a 32GB LP2CAMM memory module back in April for $250 bucks. At the time it seemed expensive, but… They are simply unavailable ANYWHERE now. It’s great I can build my laptop, but it better freaking last. There is currently nothing on the horizon to suggest any sort of relief. There are one or two random modules available on Ebay for between $800-$1000 USD per 32GB but that’s it. Nothing in inventory anywhere.
Those of us who get the FW 13 Pro may love them, but man, it’s dead in the water beyond the initial sales allocation.
