4 GB RAM limit

[cmeerw]

My understanding is that there currently is a fairly hard 4 GB RAM limit (due to the SoC) which seems very annoying to me. What are the chances of seeing something with 8 GB anytime soon? I mean, are there any SoCs on the horizon that don't have that limit and a PBP2 could be based on?

[MrTester]

Not speaking for the Sales/Dev team, I would suspect we would see a SBC with a new SoC launch first. Since the PBP based of the Rock64 proven production first.

PBP as an ARM solution laptop, 4g is mighty decent. Not intended to run your Solidworks modeling or latest FPS game.

To look at another major SoC manufacture, RPi4 using Broadcom BCM2711, Quad core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz only has up to 4GB LPDDR4-2400 SDRAM.

[fire219]

It is true that the RK3399 SoC has a hard limit at 4GB RAM.

As of right now, there isn't an obvious option for a new SoC that supports more. The RK3588 is the first thing to come to mind, but it is still several months out from even being available. Keep in mind whatever chip is used needs to be rather cheap, have a manufacturer willing to put out public datasheets, and be able to be supported by mainline Linux (Snapdragon chips fit none of these, for example).

[Kochise]

Not speaking for the Sales/Dev team, I would suspect we would see a SBC with a new SoC launch first. Since the PBP based of the Rock64 proven production first.

PBP as an ARM solution laptop, 4g is mighty decent. Not intended to run your Solidworks modeling or latest FPS game.

To look at another major SoC manufacture, RPi4 using Broadcom BCM2711, Quad core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz only has up to 4GB LPDDR4-2400 SDRAM.

If you crave for top notch specs, get a decent laptop. The Pinebook Pro isn't addressing the kind of needs you have, don't be silly. If you were expecting a $1999 ultrabook for $199, you got your math wrong.

[MrTester]

Not speaking for the Sales/Dev team, I would suspect we would see a SBC with a new SoC launch first. Since the PBP based of the Rock64 proven production first.

PBP as an ARM solution laptop, 4g is mighty decent. Not intended to run your Solidworks modeling or latest FPS game.

To look at another major SoC manufacture, RPi4 using Broadcom BCM2711, Quad core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz only has up to 4GB LPDDR4-2400 SDRAM.

If you crave for top notch specs, get a decent laptop. The Pinebook Pro isn't addressing the kind of needs you have, don't be silly. If you were expecting a $1999 ultrabook for $199, you got your math wrong.

I am quite happy with what the PB and PBP offers! The perfect tinker laptop, and happy to be apart of the Dev community.

[Arwen]

I've read the specifications, and there is a little vagueness about the maximum amount of memory.
From the "RK3399_Design_Guide_V1.0_20170420.pdf";

 - Support 2 channels, each channel is 16 or 32bits data width
 - Support up to 2 ranks (chip selects) for each channel; totally 4GB (max) address space.
   Maximum address space of one rank in a channel is also 4GB, which is configurable in software
 - 32bits/64bits data width is software programable


So, is that;

 - 4GB per channel?
 - Or 4GB per rank, per channel?
 - Or 4GB total over both channels, regardless of the number of ranks?

Oh, well. At present, we get 4GB and it's probable that's the real limit. It's just that I wish vendors were more clear in their specifications.
If it trully is 4GB, I'd have written it different with 4GB limit on it's own bullet point line.

[CampGareth]

If you're looking for more RAM in an ARM system there are always the windows-on-arm laptops which as of recently come with up to 8GB, though they're in another price category all together. If you don't mind losing portability there's the Solidrun Honeycomb LX2K which is a workstation board that'll fit up to 64GB and has 16 A72 cores it costs $550 or so.

[fire219]

So, is that;

 - 4GB per channel?
 - Or 4GB per rank, per channel?
 - Or 4GB total over both channels, regardless of the number of ranks?

Oh, well. At present, we get 4GB and it's probable that's the real limit. It's just that I wish vendors were more clear in their specifications.
If it trully is 4GB, I'd have written it different with 4GB limit on it's own bullet point line.

The answer is "yes to all of the above". It can support up to 4GB in single channel or dual channel, one or two ranks in either. But the absolute hard limit, regardless of how it is configured, is 4GB. 

I agree that it worded awkwardly, but all that really matters here is "total[ly] 4GB max address space". 

[chessie]

I keep reading comments and questions--which verge on 'whining'--about the 4 GB memory 'limit' of the PBP'.
What I find totally incomprehensible is that this is the "...never good enough..." mentality of the crowd whose only technical credentials are to own the newest, latest, fastest, biggest, most feature-filled gadget.
I've been running Linux for years on machines with 2,  and now lately (due to OS bloat), 4 GB.
What you've been presented with, in the Pinebook Pro, is a true Linux  machine with specifications that were the stuff of dreams ten years ago, and for only $200.00.
The Pinebook Pro, AS IT STANDS, is a true masterpiece of imagination and execution, and yet, you have to 'carp and whine' about the fact that "...it isn't good enough..." for you; you need more RAM because your over-arching technical acumen demands it (even if your technical demands absolutely require 8, 16, or 32 GB of RAM, your technical judgement needs re-calibration--you're considering the wrong machine...).
I have three pieces of advice for all you effetes and dilettantes--

1) stop trying to convince us how smart you are by claiming that the Pinebok Pro "...doesn't have enough memory...";
2) buy a Chromebook;
3) learn something; grow up.

Truly, a Chromebook will be far more than you'll ever need.

[z4v4l]

this rant is as irrelevant as the chromebooks advertizement is. people (in this thread) clarified things, nothing more. the only post full of arrogance was yours.