Order a special request Raspberry Pi :?:

[4sysman]

Hi everyone,
I need your help, after long months of frustration trying to build cool IoT on Raspberry Pi, I stopped trying to do my IoT on raspberry pi because is not enough RAM. Can somebody tell me if is any chance to order a Special Request Raspberry Pi with extra RAM? (I'm ok if cost around 200$> 32GB).

Regards,
4sysman

[hippy]

Can somebody tell me if is any chance to order a Special Request Raspberry Pi with extra RAM?

The answer is "no"; the Pi SoC doesn't directly support more than 1GB.

Though, to be pedantic, you could connect as much RAM as you would like on GPIO. Though it probably wouldn't do you much good.

I'm not sure what sort of IoT application would need 32GB.

[scotty101]

The Pi already has the maximum amount of RAM supported by the SoC.
More RAM is not possible without changing to a totally new architecture.

[B.Goode]

See https://www.element14.com/community/doc ... on-service

But note you will need to order a minimum of 5000 units.

And be prepared to learn that it is not possible to usefully add further ram to the design of the current generations of Raspberry Pi board.

Or you could consider the Compute Module form factor -
https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/co ... plus-32gb/

[4sysman]

The Pi already has the maximum amount of RAM supported by the SoC.
More RAM is not possible without changing to a totally new architecture.

On new Pi architecture how much RAM you think will be supported by SoC?

[davidcoton]

On new Pi architecture how much RAM you think will be supported by SoC?

Those who know won't tell, so any answer you get will be pure speculation.

[PureSpeculation] At least 1GB [/PureSpeculation]

[rpdom]

I need your help, after long months of frustration trying to build cool IoT on Raspberry Pi, I stopped trying to do my IoT on raspberry pi because is not enough RAM. Can somebody tell me if is any chance to order a Special Request Raspberry Pi with extra RAM? (I'm ok if cost around 200$> 32GB).

You can either wait until the next generation Pi comes out, the Pi 4. Spec is currently unknown and won't be announced until it is released.

Or you could order a customised Pi with a new chip and more RAM. Estimated cost would be $1-2,000,000.

[W. H. Heydt]

...ithout changing to a totally new architecture.

Which is probably going to happen with the next two years, but (a) no one outside the RPT/RPF knows what the specs will be and (b) 32GB RAM is extremely unlikely because it's unlikely that the next SoC could address that much (I'd bet the address space to be on the order of 2GB to 4GB) and the price of RAM would be prohibitive. Indeed, given current RAM prices, more than 1GB may not happen immediately even if the SoC can address more.

Note that the *original* Pi Model B had 256MB RAM, and the original Model A was planned to have 128MB, but was actually launched with 256MB. Even the recently launched Pi3A+ is only fitted with 512MB, probably as a manufacturing cost saving.

[W. H. Heydt]

Or you could consider the Compute Module form factor -
https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/co ... plus-32gb/

Which still only has 1GB RAM, because of the already mention SoC limitation.

Which leads to a question for the OP... Do you really mean 32GB RAM, or 32GB mass storage? Because while the former is not even possible on current Pis, the later is easily achieved, and even exceeded.

[4sysman]

See https://www.element14.com/community/doc ... on-service

But note you will need to order a minimum of 5000 units.

And be prepared to learn that it is not possible to usefully add further ram to the design of the current generations of Raspberry Pi board.

Or you could consider the Compute Module form factor -
https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/co ... plus-32gb/

Cool Thank You!

[bensimmo]

That's not RAM so you still only get 1GB.

I think the most RAM in a Pi style is 4GB, try HiKey 960, think they are about £250

Or RockPi4 also with 4GB(£90?), which on paper looks to be everything lots of people have asked for, just a bit more DIY when it comes to software.

But if you look at the price of just the ram (PC/Mac modules as a guide) the cheapest of all types on crucial is £210.

[4sysman]

Or you could consider the Compute Module form factor -
https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/co ... plus-32gb/

Which still only has 1GB RAM, because of the already mention SoC limitation.

Which leads to a question for the OP... Do you really mean 32GB RAM, or 32GB mass storage? Because while the former is not even possible on current Pis, the later is easily achieved, and even exceeded.

I mean 32GB RAM, (No 32GB mass storage), to run ESXi on Pi, I need 32GB RAM for ESXi Virtualization on Pi ! Is long story to explain...

[4sysman]

That's not RAM so you still only get 1GB.

I think the most RAM in a Pi style is 4GB, try HiKey 960, think they are about £250

Or RockPi4 also with 4GB(£90?), which on paper looks to be everything lots of people have asked for, just a bit more DIY when it comes to software.

But if you look at the price of just the ram (PC/Mac modules as a guide) the cheapest of all types on crucial is £210.

ROCK Pi 4 Model B looks so far so good, but not enough RAM

[B.Goode]

I need 32GB RAM for ESXi Virtualization

Don't you also need 64-bit x86 processors?

Ref: https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphe ... 202FC.html


Maybe an RPi single board computer is not an appropriate platform for your proposed project?

[hippy]

I think the most RAM in a Pi style is 4GB

The only limitation on RAM on any device comes from how things are implemented. There may however be limitations imposed to make things easier, such as making maximum address space the same as register width to avoid memory mapping and paging and to simplify a processor's ISA.

In that respect, a 32-bit register size with a 32-bit addressing limit in the ISA would usually impose a maximum of 4GB direct linear addressing.

One would have to jump through some hoops to have more. And, when that hoop-jumping isn't intrinsically provided for, by the SoC or any OS it runs, it has costs which are often more detrimental than advantageous.

So, while there isn't any limit, it can usually be considered there is. While a Pi could address more than 4GB with the current SoC, by supporting memory mapping externally to the SoC, it wouldn't make sense to do so.

And that's seems to be the only way one could go over 1GB with the current Pi SoC.

[4sysman]

That's not RAM so you still only get 1GB.

I think the most RAM in a Pi style is 4GB, try HiKey 960, think they are about £250

Or RockPi4 also with 4GB(£90?), which on paper looks to be everything lots of people have asked for, just a bit more DIY when it comes to software.

But if you look at the price of just the ram (PC/Mac modules as a guide) the cheapest of all types on crucial is £210.

regarding price... 16GB DDR4-2400 UDIMM = $114.99. I don't need crazy super fast RAM... For example: NEMIX Ram 32GB (8 x 4GB) DDR2 800MHz PC2-6400 ECC = $109.44

[scruss]

You're going to have to find a painfully ancient board to support DDR2 memory. I don't think your price requirement is reasonable.

[4sysman]

I need 32GB RAM for ESXi Virtualization

Don't you also need 64-bit x86 processors?

Ref: https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphe ... 202FC.html


Maybe an RPi single board computer is not an appropriate platform for your proposed project?

RPi or any single board computer it is perfect platform for virtualization! Just need a little bit upgrade from 1GB to 16-32GB RAM

ESXi 6.7 requires a minimum of 4 GB of physical RAM. It is recommended to provide at least 8 GB of RAM to run virtual machines. I need to run 8 virtual machines.

[4sysman]

You're going to have to find a painfully ancient board to support DDR2 memory. I don't think your price requirement is reasonable.

DDR2 is bad example, Sorry But 16GB DDR4 of $114.99 Perfect Fit.

[lpsw]

As was previously noted, ESX requires an x86 processor...

https://www.vmware.com/resources/compat ... search.php

[Andyroo]

Ever run virtualisation?

Disk and network throughput is just as important as RAM and the Pi has neither.

Having run ESXi and Xen Citrix servers for years, RAM QUANTITY plays such a little part in the overall scheme of things you could throw lots and lots at the board and still suffer as the CPU cores cannot get the data fast enough from it without multiple channels.

You should also look for error correcting memory by the way.

[Heater]

4sysman,

I'm curious, what is it you want to do involving IoT and a Pi like machine that could possibly need more than 1GB of RAM.

Often when we think of IoT devices we think about tiny machines with far less RAM and processing power than a Pi.

Even as a hub server for IoT devices a Pi has plenty enough RAM.

I notice elsewhere that you are interested in the new ESXi on ARM from VMWare which was only announced a few months ago as a prototype. If that is your goal then I understand it runs on a Pi with 1G RAM. See here: https://www.virtuallyghetto.com/2018/11 ... ry-pi.html

It also mention that ESXi will run on other ARM boards with up to 4GB RAM. Looks like you need one of them.

I still don't understand what ESXi might be useful for though.

[mahjongg]

As this is going off in-to total fantasy directions, im moving this to Cloud Cuckoo land (actually to off-topic).

Have fun with your totally unrealistic idea's.

But remember that raspberry PI's exist by virtue of the fact that a SoC's existed which for a reasonable price could do all what an RPI can do (and nothing more). more memory than 1GB isn't possible because of the FACT that the SoC doesn't support it, end of story.....

You want a completely new and more capable SoC? fine, work is done on it, it will take a year or so, and nobody (who is telling) now knows how much RAM it will support, maybe 2GB, but I guess not much more...... memory is expensive, and the prices of RPI's are mostly fixed for the current audiences (kids), I don't believe it will ever be easy to just stick more memory in it, as its memory won't be of the sticking-in-kind (memory connectors are expensive too).

[LTolledo]

Your project does not need a RPi if it requires 32GB of memory (or more)

Get an Intel or AMD based motherboard, build your system on that board

end of problem.

".... your resistance is futile......."

[W. H. Heydt]

I need 32GB RAM for ESXi Virtualization

Don't you also need 64-bit x86 processors?

Ref: https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphe ... 202FC.html


Maybe an RPi single board computer is not an appropriate platform for your proposed project?

RPi or any single board computer it is perfect platform for virtualization! Just need a little bit upgrade from 1GB to 16-32GB RAM

ESXi 6.7 requires a minimum of 4 GB of physical RAM. It is recommended to provide at least 8 GB of RAM to run virtual machines. I need to run 8 virtual machines.

I don't think you're going to find an SBC with the quantities of RAM you think you need. You might be able to find a small form factor motherboard socketed for Intel or AMD x86-64 that could have that much, considering that it was noted that ESXi is specified for x86-64, which the Pi hasn't got, anyway.

I think you're looking at--not just the wrong platform (the Pi)--but the wrong *kind* of platform (SBCs) for your project.