Soldered RAM doesn't fail more often.

No, soldered RAM doesn’t fail more frequently than socketed RAM in the first five years. Both have extremely low failure rates — well under 1% for normal use.

Soldered connections are actually more reliable mechanically because there’s no contact wear, no dust in the slot, no bent pins. The common failure modes for RAM (electrical issues, manufacturing defects) are the same for both types.

The real problem isn’t the odds of failure, but what happens when it fails. With socketed RAM, you buy a new stick and swap it. With soldered RAM, you’re looking at a motherboard replacement — or a whole new laptop. That’s where the “failure rate” becomes expensive.

Don’t worry about the rate. Worry about the repair cost.