Soldered RAM laptops are cheaper — but not by as much as you'd think.

Usually $50–150 less for the soldered+slot model, but the real cost is in upgradeability.

Manufacturers save on motherboard design and socket complexity when they solder one stick. They also buy RAM in bulk for cheaper than what you’d pay for a SODIMM later. So you see a lower upfront price for “16GB (8GB soldered + 1 empty slot)” vs “16GB (2x8GB socketed).”

But that empty slot often maxes out at 16GB or 32GB, and the soldered stick is usually 8GB. So you can only go to 24GB or 40GB total, not 64GB. And that upgrade will cost you another $40–80 for the stick. Suddenly the price gap shrinks.

If you’re building a machine to last, fully socketed is worth the extra $100. If you know you’ll never need more than the soldered amount, save the money and get the cheaper one. But don’t assume the empty slot means future-proof — check the max supported RAM first.