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Raspberry Pi's RAM lock was built to stop scalpers, but it's blocking repairs too

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Raspberry Pi's RAM lock was built to stop scalpers, but it's blocking repairs too

Winners & losers: Raspberry Pi has confirmed that its firmware prevents users from changing a board's factory RAM configuration, a restriction that blocks not only unofficial memory upgrades but also some attempts to replace failed RAM chips with equivalent parts. The company says the measure is meant to stop resellers from passing off untested, modified boards as factory configurations, but it also limits a capability long used by Raspberry Pi repair and maker communities.

The issue came up on the Raspberry Pi forums after a user replaced the RAM on a Compute Module 5 but couldn't get the board to recognize the new 4 GB chip. PhilE, a Raspberry Pi engineer and forum moderator, said the company has been "locking devices to their original RAM size" for some time.

The firmware does more than check capacity. It also stores other attributes linked to the original memory device, according to PhilE. That could prevent even a same-capacity replacement chip from working. For users trying to fix a failed RAM IC, the limit could make a board impossible to repair even when a compatible replacement part is available.

Raspberry Pi said the policy is meant to stop untested modified boards from entering the resale market. The company said some resellers could buy lower-memory products, install larger chips "of dubious origin," and sell them as factory 8 GB models.

"If labor is cheap enough then there may be a minor financial gain in buying a part with say a 2GB part, swapping it for an 8GB part of dubious origin, and reselling it as an 8GB device," PhilE wrote.


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