THE CRUNCH
Raspberry Pi has quietly locked its single-board computers to their original RAM capacities, making it impossible for users to swap chips for repairs or upgrades. The company’s engineer, PhilE, told forum users that the move is designed to stop shady resellers from swapping cheap RAM for higher-capacity parts to scam customers. The firmware change, which began rolling out in late 2024, also programs other device IDs,
meaning that even identical RAM chips may not work once swapped. To bypass the block, users would need to flash an older firmware version, a workaround that is not practical for most. The restriction has drawn criticism from the maker community, with some suggesting that a simple warranty flag would have been a more user-friendly approach.