I’m watching this as well. Like
@zer0sum, I want something with 64gb of memory or more. That is what has stopped me from buying a nuc.
Yeah, but the RAM ceiling is dependent on the memory controller on the CPU/APU itself, and in specific implementations, that's dictated by how many memory channels and slots are built on the chassis.
For example, Haswell can suppport up to 64GB of RAM in non-server setups, but that often pre-supposes 8GB per memory channel. On the Haswell NUCs (or corporate NUCs) there's only 2 memory channels available and 2 RAM slots, so they are limited to 2x8GB DIMMs. If you want 32GB on a Haswell machine, you have to go to a machine with 4 RAM slots. There are also HEDT Haswells with more memory channels available and assigned to the slots (where you can do 16GB DIMMs), but that’s not available on the TinyMicroMinis.
Then there's the question of economy -
Skylake NUCs and above have been verified to work with 32GB DIMMs, and with 2 DIMM slots, that's 64GB RAM max. Even AMD APUs found on the HP thin clients (another potential source of cheap tiny machines) have a 16/32GB official RAM ceiling (at least in terms of the t620 plus/730 for DDR3, and the t630/640/740 for DDR4). They can actually accept 2x16GB DDR3 on the t620/730, and 2x32 GB DDR4 on the Ryzen machines (No word on whether this is also the case on the t630).
The problem here is that most manufacturers don't validate those higher RAM capacities because in many cases, they don't make much economic sense. For example, 32GB (2x16GB) DDR3L SODIMMs sell for about 160 USD retail, but a good portion of the machines that can accept it (Broadwell NUCs, and AMD APUs Pre-Excavator) are currently worth LESS than 160 USD on the secondary markets. As for 64GB of DDR4 (2x32GB) SODIMMs, that's roughly 250-300 USD retail, which makes no sense buying for a 200 dollar t640 thin client, and only slightly more sensible for a 400 USD t740, and the same line of thinking exist for a 200-400 USD Skylake/Kaby Lake corporate NUC. You really have to wonder why you need so much RAM.
When I upgraded my 220 dollar t730 to 32GB of DDR3 (190 USD back then), it's with upcycling/upgrading other equipment in mind later on.
If your primary concern is RAM capacity, then you should be looking at a machine with more RAM slots (HP EliteDesk SFFs with 4) and buying more low capacity RAM sticks than dealing with 2 slot Tiny/micro/minis and smaller/higher/more expensive SODIMMs. 4x16GB DDR4 sticks will get you 64GB now on the SFFs, and you can incrementally go to 128GB later, versus maxing out on 64GB on a TinyMicroMini with no expansion options later.
Hey
@Patrick this would probably be a very good thing to add to the testing checklist for the TinyMicroMini - can the machines take 32GB DDR4 SODIMMs? Very likely for the Intel machines post-Broadwell, and unverified for Broadwell, Bristol Ridge (most likely not) and Raven Ridge (should work).