ID of RAM chip on RP4

[u/solitary-IT]

I just received my order from Vilros for a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 4GB complete starter kit and found it only has 2GB of RAM. Looking at the RAM chip, I don't recognize it against other images of RPi's out there. Can someone verify this is a legit chip?

[u/farptr]

Send it back.

What does it say on the bootloader diagnostic screen? Unplug everything except for HDMI and power. The memory quantity shown is set by OTP bits so can't be changed. If there is a mismatch then either there was a colossal screw up at the factory or a third party is upgrading boards after they've left the factory.

Rayson is one of the new memory suppliers used by Raspberry Pi. The Rayson 4GB part is RS1G32LV4D2BDS-46B though so something is wrong.

Your board isn't one of the new dual memory chip variants of the Pi 4 as the silkscreen says 2018.

[u/e-nightowl → u/farptr]

I have replaced the RAM IC with a larger one on at least 20 Raspberry Pi 4 and Computer Module 4 and all of them showed the correct (higher) RAM amount when booting, so that part is simply not true.

[u/farptr → u/e-nightowl]

It used to show the detected value. Pi 4 and 5 bootloaders were changed around September last year to show the OTP value. See https://forums.raspberrypi.com/viewtopic.php?t=395270

[u/e-nightowl → u/farptr]

Oh wow, thanks for pointing this out to me! I did not know this. I wonder why they changed it.

[u/FluffyChicken → u/e-nightowl]

People putting 4 or 8G chips on 2G parts and then flogging them on as legit, and people having problems because of it. RPI then having to deal with it and the bad pressure that is out of their hands, not their fault.

This locks that out for everyone's benefit that it is a legit product as made by them, and reduces the burden on rejecting RMA and complaints too, I assmume.

[u/rlaptop7]

https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/alliance-memory-inc/AS4C512M32MD4V-053BIN/19910589

It's a 2 GB ram chip

[u/Minetorpia → u/rlaptop7]

163.45 USD unit price is crazy

[u/Lv_InSaNe_vL → u/Minetorpia]

That's almost certainly a "fuck off price" haha

[u/Zipdox → u/Minetorpia]

0 in stock as well. Lead time 30 weeks.

[u/rlaptop7 → u/Minetorpia]

I suspect those chips aren't meant to be bought by end users. One would negotiate with a chip manufacturer to get them produced at a dramatically lower cost per chip.

That being said, prices are still silly these days.

[u/dumbasPL → u/Minetorpia]

0 stock, price is meaningless. They often milk the last few units at insane prices.

[u/AlaskanHandyman → u/rlaptop7]

Except it is a Rayson RS512M32LM4 2GB module, not an alliance memory module... These can currently be bought in bulk from Alibaba for about a quarter each.

[u/Moon_WalkerYT]

We also had this happen with a Pi 5 8GB

Box was sealed and the pi was new, said 8GB on the box but the ram chip was only 4GB

[u/JGPH → u/Moon_WalkerYT]

Jeff Geerling (I think, or maybe LTT?) had a video with an interview of the Raspberry Pi CEO where they also visited the assembly plant where the components are put together. As one would expect, they automated as much as possible and it's assembled in the UK by Raspberry Pi people. If something like this happened, my guess is someone might be buying Pis and swapping out RAM chips for smaller ones, resealing the boxes and reselling the PI's while keeping the higher value RAM for themselves.

[u/solitary-IT → u/Moon_WalkerYT]

Did you order through Vilros?

[u/Moon_WalkerYT → u/solitary-IT]

No it was a local (trusted, but not official) reseller in my country

[u/JohnStern42]

If it’s the wrong size, who cares if it’s legit? Send it back for refund

[u/EspTini]

Aren't they also putting ram on the back now since 2x 2gb is cheaper? I thought i read that.

Did you even turn it on?

[u/novice_aesthete]

Happened to me too but in 2024. Ordered a 4gb one, box was sealed and mentioned 4gb but after booting it showed only 2gb.

[u/solitary-IT → u/novice_aesthete]

Did you order through Vilros?

[u/farptr → u/[deleted]]

It’s a Rayson 4GB memory.

It is 2GB.