Does anyone know how much RAM will be in the Raspberry Pi 4?

[4sysman]

[fruitoftheloom]

[W. H. Heydt]

Yes! Someone knows. However, none of those that know are talking about it.

[binaryhermit]

I don't know that anyone knows yet. All I've seen is an alleged timeframe that's still a couple years out.

But it's reasonable to say it won't be a VC4-based processor unless ARM comes out with a significantly better in some way core in the A53's niche. If this is the case, the Pi4B will likely have 1 GB of RAM as that's the maximum that the VC4 can address.

[binaryhermit]

Adding to this thread to quote the timeframe I saw
From https://www.techrepublic.com/article/in ... the-world/

The next release will be the Raspberry Pi 4, but Upton expects this will be a big departure from what's come before, requiring moving to a completely new system-on-a-chip to allow for a faster and more efficient processor. It will be the biggest challenge since creating the Raspberry Pi 2, and Upton says the ambition is to release the board in the 2020-2021 timeframe.

[W. H. Heydt]

I don't know that anyone knows yet. All I've seen is an alleged timeframe that's still a couple years out.

But it's reasonable to say it won't be a VC4-based processor unless ARM comes out with a significantly better in some way core in the A53's niche. If this is the case, the Pi4B will likely have 1 GB of RAM as that's the maximum that the VC4 can address.

While I agree that 1GB is *likely*, that is based on the current--relatively high--DRAM prices. ARM and VC4 (or VC5) aren't particularly related. Broadcom has a license to use ARM CPU designs, but the VC series are their own designs. Note that Pi SoCs went from a single ARMv6 to quad ARMv7 to ARMv8 all without changing the VC4. One expects the next Pi to have a more or less current VC design for the graphics and video decode, regardless of what ARM CPU cores are used, because Broadcom has follow-on VC designs in current chips. As a result, there is no reason to think that the Pi4 will be hardware limited to 1GB. How much RAM the Pi4 gets will be down to the cost of DRAM.

[PeterO]

But it's reasonable to say

How can it be "reasonable" when it's based on zero knowledge
PeterO

[jamesh]

I do.

[Gavinmc42]

I do.

Show off, put it in sealed envelope and see if it stays that size when it finally comes out.
Unless of course they are already in production and are out tomorrow?

How can it be "reasonable" when it's based on zero knowledge

Past history, current trends and pricing, not quite a guess, just above zero?

If it is VC4 based then 1GB is maximum that can be addressed or was it 2GB?
Bank switching memory?
Flashbacks to the old days of 32KB SRAM upgrading to 128KB
If you had a ZX81 it was 1KB to 2KB
1KB to 1GB 1 million times increase is just not enough for some people
How fast was that Z80 runing at?
Needed google help, 3.25MHz, now 1.4GHz.
How fast will the next Pi be?

Code for the VC4 can still be tweaked some more OpenGL wise?
WebGL needs improvement.

What is the ram needed for anyway?
Chromium and YouTube?
Android specific one are not too bad so that show software can still be improved in speed/reliability.

Now if the Pi4 was a going to be a Desktop replacement 2-4GB would be nice.
Probably just as important is USB3 for fast storage?

My guess - 1GB
I would love to be proven wrong

[LTolledo]

.. probably 1GB?

my guess is as good as any.....

.... and time is ticking before this thread is locked......permanently....

[DarkPlatinum]

1Gb ram sucks in 2019

If it has 1 GB RAM (Hopefully not) I hope to see a boost in RAM speed (500mhz to maybe hmm 3000mhz )

[6by9]

I do.

You beat me to it!

[jamesh]

Since the RPF(T) never announce product or product specs in advance, I guess this thread can close, since guessing is a waste of time. And of course, the OP's title question has been answered.