Raspberry Pi Confirms Boards Are Locked to Factory RAM Size via Firmware

Raspberry Pi Confirms Boards Are Locked to Factory RAM Size via Firmware | TechPowerUp

Raspberry Pi Confirms Boards Are Locked to Factory RAM Size via Firmware

Raspberry Pi has confirmed its boards are firmware-locked to their factory RAM configuration, closing off a popular DIY upgrade path. The disclosure came from PhilE, a Raspberry Pi engineer and forum moderator, responding to a user who couldn't get a newly soldered-in 4 GB chip to register on a Compute Module 5 . Apparently, the lock isn't new. According to the forum thread , it has been in place for some time, just not spelled out this plainly before. The lockdown reportedly dates back to late 2024, before this year's RAM price surge , so it's not a reaction to the current memory crunch either. That part obviously doesn't sit well with the repair and modding crowd, a community Raspberry Pi has usually supported.