Hardware Did anyone ever tried a RAM upgrade on the switch?

BlackOmegaTM · Jan 29, 2020

Hello there. Messing with my OG xbox and considering the RAM upgrade for it, I started to wonder if a RAM upgrade would also be possible on the switch?

Any one ever tried this? What type of RAM does de switch use?

I think that, with all the mods for games out there, more ram would allow for better textures mods on selected games, for more homebrew games, would also be nice for running android and l4t linux.

Was it ever attempted?

Snomannen_kalle · Jan 30, 2020

BlackOmegaTM said:
Hello there. Messing with my OG xbox and considering the RAM upgrade for it, I started to wonder if a RAM upgrade would also be possible on the switch?

Any one ever tried this? What type of RAM does de switch use?

I think that, with all the mods for games out there, more ram would allow for better textures mods on selected games, for more homebrew games, would also be nice for running android and l4t linux.

Was it ever attempted?

I think the RAM is integrated in the SoC, so if it is even possible, to upgrade the RAM, you would need to change that

FAST6191 · Jan 30, 2020

Step 11 of https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Nintendo+Switch+Teardown/78263 appears to show two standalone chips.

I don't know how low down everything is baked into the system, or indeed if there is some kind of dev unit with more RAM that could help things along here.

That said most of the time you have to make things use it. It might be that Switch code is as general purpose as some PC stuff but I would be a bit surprised. For homebrew that might be one thing but trying to get commercial games to do it is another and few people bother with that.
Also does the Switch use system memory (or possibly share system memory) for textures?

As far as android and linux goes is 4 gigs that limiting?

ZachyCatGames · Jan 30, 2020

It’s possible. 6gb and 8gb configurations are supported.
But it won’t Just Work(tm). You’d need a custom build of Atmosphere that spoofs the fuses to tell the system that it has 6gb or 8gb of ram (otherwise it’ll only think 4gb exists).
For Linux and Android you’d also likely need a custom build.

If you only use Horizon it’s not worth it, as it won’t really have any benefits. If you use linux, it may be worth it.

pcwizard7 · Jan 30, 2020

the OG Xbox dev kit had 128Mb of ram which is why you could upgrade a retail console

pontostroy · Jul 30, 2020

Any news? I am also interested in this upgrade.
Not Samsung lpdd4 bga200 memory modules should work?

pontostroy · Jul 30, 2020

Looks like atmosphere already has 6 ang 8 gb support

Code:

/* Initialization. */
size_t KSystemControl::Init::GetIntendedMemorySize() {
   switch (GetKernelConfigurationForInit().Get<smc::KernelConfiguration::MemorySize>()) {
   case smc::MemorySize_4GB:
default: /* All invalid modes should go to 4GB. */
return 4_GB;
case smc::MemorySize_6GB:
return 6_GB;
case smc::MemorySize_8GB:
return 8_GB;
}
}

ZachyCatGames · Jul 30, 2020

pontostroy said:

Looks like atmosphere already has 6 ang 8 gb support

Code:

/* Initialization. */
size_t KSystemControl::Init::GetIntendedMemorySize() {
   switch (GetKernelConfigurationForInit().Get<smc::KernelConfiguration::MemorySize>()) {
   case smc::MemorySize_4GB:
default: /* All invalid modes should go to 4GB. */
return 4_GB;
case smc::MemorySize_6GB:
return 6_GB;
case smc::MemorySize_8GB:
return 8_GB;
}
}

That value is obtained from fuses and only if debug mode is enabled, you'd have to modify AMS to hardcode it.

pontostroy · Oct 29, 2020

I did it. Replaced 2GB ram chip with 3 GB. Tried to rebuild atmosphere 0.15 forced to 6GB but no luck.

nero99 · Oct 29, 2020

pontostroy said:
I did it. Replaced 2GB ram chip with 3 GB. Tried to rebuild atmosphere 0.15 forced to 6GB but no luck.
View attachment 231703

There might be something hard coded into the SoC that keeps things like this from happening. Hope you make a break through because with always wanted to try this

ZachyCatGames · Oct 29, 2020

pontostroy said:
I did it. Replaced 2GB ram chip with 3 GB. Tried to rebuild atmosphere 0.15 forced to 6GB but no luck.
View attachment 231703

What did you change in AMS? If you just changed the fuse stuff, that's probably not enough.
Try the build I attached to this message, if it works, I'll post my patch.

Anxiety_timmy · Oct 29, 2020

on a different note, what if someone baked a gpu or a ram extension to the dock. I mean yeah there are usb c gpus but it would probably just not work and a ram upgrade might be doable but then there is the problem of bus speeds

Bayart · Oct 29, 2020

pontostroy said:
I did it. Replaced 2GB ram chip with 3 GB. Tried to rebuild atmosphere 0.15 forced to 6GB but no luck.
View attachment 231703

It's all down to the memory controller. I don't really know how custom the SoC is on the Switch (probably not at all considering it's Nvidia we're talking about), but the commercial spec sheet of the Tegra X1 (T210) states that it supports up to 4GB of LPDDR4-1600 (I assume in dual channel).

As it happens, the Switch Erista has 2x2GB LPDDR4 1600.

Looking at bit at the Tegra X1 reference manual, it seems the addressable memory has two blocks (2GB and 6GB) for DRAM proper.

I'm guessing you'd need to do something fucky like addressing 6GB of a 8GB chip.

The Mariko on the other hand has a Tegra X1+ (T214) that seems to support 8GB of LPDDR4X out of the box. I can't find an Nvidia spec sheet but I'm guessing it caps at LPDDR4X-2133 in dual channel.

pontostroy · Oct 29, 2020

ZachyCatGames said:
What did you change in AMS? If you just changed the fuse stuff, that's probably not enough.
Try the build I attached to this message, if it works, I'll post my patch.

Sept logo (1 sec)
Atmosphere logo (2-3 sec)
And then black screen

ZachyCatGames · Oct 29, 2020

pontostroy said:
Sept logo (1 sec)
Atmosphere logo (2-3 sec)
And then black screen

hardcoded even more shit :harold:
Also threw my messy patch file here
if this doesn't work, idfk

Anxiety_timmy · Oct 29, 2020

about that, is there a way to remove the 1.7ghz limit in horizon or not?

ZachyCatGames · Oct 29, 2020

wiiuepiccpu said:
about that, is there a way to remove the 1.7ghz limit in horizon or not?

You'd have to patch (or reimplement) the pcv sysmodule to add additional clocks.

Anxiety_timmy · Oct 29, 2020

well thats probably going to take at least a year to re implement. So yeah i guess 1.7ghz is as far as it goes.

pontostroy · Oct 29, 2020

ZachyCatGames said:
hardcoded even more shit :harold:
Also threw my messy patch file here
if this doesn't work, idfk

Nope, maybe something wrong in HOS or maybe really x1 does not support >4GB. I will try L4T.
SXOS and Atmosphere work fine but only see 4 GB.

ZachyCatGames · Oct 29, 2020

pontostroy said:
Nope, maybe something wrong in HOS or maybe really x1 does not support >4GB. I will try L4T.
SXOS and Atmosphere work fine but only see 4 GB.

SDEVs and some old EDEVs used 6gb and it's supported in software.
So it should work, no idea why it's not.
If you're on RetroNX, switchroot or some other discord server CTCaer's on, you could asking him ig, he's smarter me lol.

Hardware Did anyone ever tried a RAM upgrade on the switch?

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