Raspberry Pi blocks changing RAM chips
The gist
Raspberry Pi 5 EEPROM update performs a hard RAM capacity check, blocking memory swaps.
The lock pits anti-fraud and support concerns against tinkerers' long-standing right to repair.
How it unfolded
- Sep 23, 2024The Raspberry Pi 5 EEPROM update pieeprom-2024-09-23.bin was applied, after which the Pi 5 began performing a hard RAM capacity check.
- Sep 21, 2026Notebookcheck reported that Raspberry Pi is intentionally blocking RAM capacity upgrades.
- Sep 21, 2026XDA reported that Raspberry Pi won't let users swap the RAM on their SBC because they might use memory of "dubious origin".