A new Raspberry Pi 4 Model B revision has been released without fanfare, replacing the previous single-RAM model with a dual-chip configuration.
The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (PCB 13a) now uses two LPDDR4 chips, with the second one moved to the underside along with a couple of passive components.
Raspberry Pi says the change is to “improve supply chain flexibility” and manufacturing efficiency.
Earlier Pi 4 boards had one RAM chip on the top of the PCB, but this revision spreads the same capacity across two smaller modules to dodge price swings.
Even those living under rocks will have noticed that RAM prices are high, and Raspberry Pi has already passed on price increases across the Pi 4, Pi 5, and Compute Module ranges.
The outfit is also tweaking how it builds the product, saying the revision uses “intrusive reflow soldering,” so through-hole parts are soldered in the same pass as surface-mount components.
None of this is a performance play, and the company is not sneaking you extra bandwidth for your trouble.
The Broadcom BCM2711 SoC still runs a 32-bit wide memory interface, so splitting the chips is physical, not logical, and performance stays the same.
Compatibility is intended to work with official accessories, HATs, and add-ons, but software is where the fun starts.
Because the memory setup is different, older firmware will not recognise it, and some images will fail to boot because they won’t “see” the RAM.
If you try an older image, you may encounter the classic flashing LED error: a green light blinking while the board does nothing useful.
The fix is straightforward: use Raspberry Pi OS and the usual rpi-eeprom update flow, provided you flash a recent bootloader, such as pieeprom-2026-01-09.bin or later.
If you are trying to buy this specific revision, resellers may already have it mixed into stock, but without an official announcement, it is basically a stealth swap.
Spotting it is easy: if there is a large square RAM package on the underside and “© 2025” in the silkscreen near the CPU on the top side, you have the redesign.
