Mini PCs with 128 GB RAM: New Home Lab Era!
I think we are seeing a new era evolve in front of our eyes with the introduction by Crucial of the new 128 GB RAM kit that is now out at most of the major retailers. Never before have we had these kinds of densities for mini PCs and motherboards that use the SODIMM memory form factor. That is one thing I have missed from using a true server board is the memory possibilities, such as with my old Xeon-D Supermicro servers. Let’s take a look at the SODIMM kit, its specs and where you can buy it currently, including pricing.
Table of contents
Why more memory?
Memory is definitely king in the home lab and most other use cases. Today’s CPUs are so powerful and you rarely see an issue any more with a CPU getting saturated, except for certain applications like AI, or running other distributed applications.
Memory has long been a limiting factor with a virtualization host as this is typically the resource that you run out of before you run out CPU or disk space or IOPs, especially with NVMe. Currently, the max for DDR5 SODIMM memory has been 96 GB. While this was definitely a welcomed increase over the previous max of 64 GB, it still falls short of 128 GB that we have seen as a more standard memory level for entry-level servers and workstation class machines.
Crucial 128 GB SODIMM RAM Kit
Let’s look at the Crucial 128 GB SODIMM RAM Kit. These look to be sold in singles and in kits. The kits are nice as when you want to fully populate your SODIMM slots and run in dual-channel, you can do that by installing the 2-module kit.
Specs and details
Take a look at the overview table below showing the specs of the new modules. You can see the speeds supported, the module capacity, latency, and compatibility.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Memory Technology | DDR5 |
| Memory Speed | 5600 MHz (downlocks to 5200MHz or 4800MHz if needed) |
| Total Capacity | 128GB (64GB x 2) |
| Module Capacity | 64GB per module |
| Compatible Devices | Laptops |
| Voltage | 1.1 Volts |
| CAS Latency | 46 |
| Form Factor | SO-DIMM |
| Data Transfer Rate | 5600 MT/s |
| Number of Pins | 262 |
| Compatibility | Compatible with Intel Core Ultra & 14th Gen, AMD Ryzen 8000 Series and above |
| Performance Features | High-performance multitasking, gaming, data analysis, and productivity |
| Brand & Reliability | Micron-built with 45 years of memory expertise, superior component and module testing |
| Overclocking Support | Supports Intel XMP 3.0 & AMD EXPO on the same module |
Compatibility
I think the compatibility aspect is going to be the issue we will have to contend with in the home lab. Most mini PC manufacturers are not going to show their mini PCs as being compatible with these new kits and you won’t be able to get any type of support running them. However, I also found this to be the case when the 96 GB kits surfaced.
Most of the mini PCs that I tried the 96 GB kits in, didn’t show or claim they supported them, but I have found that so far, all of them have worked. Only now am I seeing the 96 GB capacity touted in marketing for certain mini PC models using SODIMM memory.
I suspect we will see the same kind of delay when it comes to the 128 GB kit and compatibility from mini PC manufacturers showing they support them. At least in the official documentation, we are seeing the “Compatible with Intel Core Ultra & 14th Gen, AMD Ryzen 8000 Series and above” mentioned regarding compatibility.
How will this change the home lab game?
I think that the increase to 128 GB modules will help to totally usher in and confirm mini PCs as the default standard and platform for running home labs. No longer will you need to have big, fat, power-hungry servers and workstations to get at least 128 GB of memory. Also, if you run a cluster across 3 nodes or so, you effectively have 384 GB of memory for a cluster configuration. Even with standalone hosts, you will be able to effectively run more workloads and migrate workloads between hosts for maintenance and other activities.
Also, when you factor in new technologies like VMware NVMe memory tiering and running Proxmox with Optane for fast swap storage, I am totally excited about the possibilities with today’s hardware. The possibilities are really incredible when you think about the fast storage and hardware we have access to now.
Where to buy?
It is exciting to see the modules look to be readily available from the large retailers that you would imagine. Take note of the following links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4i5g5zN
B&H Photo: Crucial 128GB DDR5 5600 MHz SO-DIMM Memory Kit CT2K64G56C46S5
Proxmox Server build
Check out my latest Proxmox home lab server build for 2025 where I put together a server build around the minisforum BD795M motherboard which has some great features to note:
Wrapping up
There are definitely great hardware developments coming to the home lab scene, now with 128 GB mini PCs that are possible, along with the powerful CPUs and form factors that we have available to us today. 2025 will be an exciting year, not only on the RAM front but with the release of new mini PC models like the MS-A2 mini PC with the Ryzen 9 7945HX processor. Stay tuned here as I test the new RAM kit with mini PC models and see what works and doesn’t. Let me know in the comments if you too are looking at pulling the trigger on the 128 GB RAM kit.
Hi there,
Did you already tried this kit in a Minisforum MS01 (and I know you have one)? 🙂
I would like to know if it works, I’m planning replacing some ESXs very soon!
Thanks in advance
Franck, I will know Saturday as that is when I will receive my kit 🙂 Will keep everyone posted!
Brandon
I’d be wary of using 128GB modules for one simple reason: CPU Memory Managers.
I have a Ryzen 9 5950X on an ASUS Tuf Gaming X570 motherboard, full desktop system. I initially nstalled 64GB of RAM with no problem. Later, intending to run a lot of VMs, I installed another 54GB of the same make and model as the first 64GB.
Over time I began getting glitches in the OS SSD and hence in the OS. Running MemTest86, I discovered errors in the upper 64GB of RAM. Pulling that RAM and going back to 64GB and reinstalling the OS has fixed all the problems. I also replaced the 500GB SSD with a 2TB SSD since I wanted to make rooms for more VMs eventually.
Reading around the Internet, I discovered reports that some AMD CPUs’ Memory Manager have issues with 4 modules of dual-channel RAM. Whether my problems arose from the motherboard, or the CPU Memory Manager or just the extra RAM sticks I bought may be problematic, but there is no doubt the higher amount of memory in a four-stick configuration was an issue.
Hopefully these issues won’t surface with the new generation of AMD CPUs and the new memory sticks. But it’s something to be aware. YMMV.
Richard thanks for the comment and passing along that information. Good to know.
Brandon