Raspberry Pi has officially confirmed that its hardware is firmware-locked to the original factory RAM configuration. This restriction prevents users from upgrading memory capacity, a practice previously common among DIY enthusiasts and modders.
The company engineer PhilE clarified that the measure was implemented to combat fraudulent activity. Some resellers were purchasing boards with lower RAM capacity, replacing the chips with components of questionable origin, and selling them as higher-capacity units.
These unauthorized modifications resulted in unreliable hardware performance, leading to increased support requests for the company. By locking the firmware to the factory-installed memory, Raspberry Pi aims to eliminate the incentive for such unauthorized hardware swaps.
The restriction also affects legitimate repairs. Because the firmware verifies device attributes linked to the specific RAM component, even replacing a faulty chip with an identical one from another board may fail to function, further complicating the repair process for users.
