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replace the onboard memory chip with a larger one???

Ok, so we all know the internal memory is way to limited for the amount of apps most people will have on the market. So, I have a crazy idea of finding a tech shop that can do the work, and have them replace the onboard memory chip with a larger one. I am fairly, though not 100%, sure that the OS can handle the larger amount of ram.
What do you guys think, would it be a possibility?

Technogen said:
Ok, so we all know the internal memory is way to limited for the amount of apps most people will have on the market. So, I have a crazy idea of finding a tech shop that can do the work, and have them replace the onboard memory chip with a larger one. I am fairly, though not 100%, sure that the OS can handle the larger amount of ram.
What do you guys think, would it be a possibility?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First off, I don't see why you'd want more RAM, I've never seen any app crash cause the phone ran out of RAM, so I'm guessing you're talking about the built in flash storage. Secondly, I'm fairly sure they solder everything onto the motherboard so unless you're looking to do some elite hacking and happen to have a virtually identically sized but larger capacity flash ROM unit lying around, I wouldn't suggest it.

We aren't called HACKERZ for nothing.

[email protected] said:
First off, I don't see why you'd want more RAM, I've never seen any app crash cause the phone ran out of RAM, so I'm guessing you're talking about the built in flash storage. Secondly, I'm fairly sure they solder everything onto the motherboard so unless you're looking to do some elite hacking and happen to have a virtually identically sized but larger capacity flash ROM unit lying around, I wouldn't suggest it.
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Click to collapse
I believe you mis-understood him.
He meant physical storage.
The apps take up space when you have many of them.
And as you may know, there is a limit to how much space is available since the applications are not stored on the Mem. Card but rather internal memory.
He wants to know if there is a way we can increase the internal storage memory size.
Hope I explained it well.

There have been people that have upgraded the soldered SSD drives on the EEE laptops with larger chips, but the problem becomes the controller. It must be programmed, and unless you have access to the company that sells the controller chip you will have a very hard time flashing it. The ones that have upgraded them all had inside help with flashing the controller. I dont know how much of this would cross over to phone, but it definatly isnt as easy as just replacing the chip- and even that requires a shop capable of reflow work
If you think in terms of computers, your not just replacing the stick of memory, your replacing just the chips ON the stick of memory, and then flashing the controller to be able to address it.

I upgraded the RAM in my PALM a few years ago from 4 to 8 meg.
What a nightmare.

Yeah, it seems easier to install apps to the SD card.

It's exactly what's being said here. It isn't that it can't be done, but it isn't just as easy as replacing the onboard RAM module.
In most cases, it is directly soldered to the MOBO, so, you've got to have someone remove the old RAM module, hopefully not destroying anything else in the process, and then run the risk of the system not booting because the controller for the RAM module doesn't recognize the new chip.
It is a complicated process, to say the least, and it COULD be done....but I wouldn't recommend it.

I had the HTC XV6800 and a lot was discussed about upgrading the memory. That was 2 years ago and nothing has happened. With that said I'm sure it is possible, but you would need a lot of resources and it probably isnt worth it. If you need more space you can always move your apps to the sd card. It works quite well and is available today.

I had a Dell Axim x51v upgraded to 128MB RAM. A Friend of mine had a Universal with 128MB too. Not every device could be upgraded though. Some of the devices have empty place on the board where somebody can just soldier a new compatible chip. For some there is empty place, but the existing chips could be exchanged for bigger ones.
But it is possible and had been done for various HTC devices.
The storage is big enaugh and Apps-to-SD is a matter of seconds. Bigger RAM would be invaluable. Now apps keep unloading themselves all the time when you start a new app, which more or less beats the point of having multitasking OS. I would like to be able to start Music, Browser, Skype and AndNav without having to use the slow swap-to-SD.

More RAM for G1, possible???

do you know how windows vista can use external memory and make it into additional RAM? well can the G1 be programed to take memory from the SD-Card and turn it into more RAM?? I know that it might not work but its worth a check!
IF your not sure about it check this it will explain ((http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-6039379.html))

I believe you're thinking of Swap - check out http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=531988

Also don't forget using your SD card as swap partition will thrash it and could shorten the life of your SD card due to alot of writes.
If you really want to do this look for a program called 'swapper'.

oh ok thanks for the heads up !

johnnie93 said:
do you know how windows vista can use external memory and make it into additional RAM? well can the G1 be programed to take memory from the SD-Card and turn it into more RAM?? I know that it might not work but its worth a check!
IF your not sure about it check this it will explain ((http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-6039379.html))
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is pretty much the function the swap file provides. There is a differentiation on a desktop because on a desktop files are stored on a hdd, whereas a portable device usually uses flash as its storage and swap.

And just to clarify, Vista readyboost is completely different to RAM or swap partitions.
Flash memory is limited to a certain number of writes, it is a very large number so in normal use you will probably never hit it. Reading however will not affect the lifetime of your flash memory.
Hard drives do not have any such limits.
Readyboost uses an SD/USB memory card/stick as a cache to quickly load frequently used files, this is because it's generally faster to read from flash memory than from the hard disk. Readyboost DOES NOT write very often, this is why it is suitable for use with flash memory.
Swap/Paging/Virtual memory is completely different, it is an area on a disk, a file on windows or a seperate partition on linux, where the operating system can dump some of the data that is in RAM if it runs out of space. If you have low RAM or are using high memory applications this will do alot of reading AND writing, therefore will reduce the lifetime of your flash memory. This is why swap partitions are normally on hard disks.
Hope this helps explain it!

robblue2x said:
Hard drives do not have any such limits.
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Click to collapse
Sure they do. Just considerably longer. Also, hard disks, for quite a long time now, have been capable of dynamically remapping around worn out sections and come with a decent chunk of unused space that is used for remapping. Hard disks also suffer from gradual demagnetization -- over time, the differing magnetic fields on the platter will interact with each other, causing data loss. You can generally expect a finite life time of any hard disk before large sections of the platter become unusable. I have noticed this particularly to be the case with winvista, which by default likes to catalog and recatalog your disk (they say for fast searching), but the end result is writing and rewriting of the same small portion of the disk, which causes it to wear out VERY quickly, though leaving the balance of the disk perfectly functional.

there might be a way to physically remove (with a soldering iron) the 192MB ram chip, and solder on a 288MB ram chip like those on the newer HTC phones.
I really want more RAM, but I also want a keyboard. and with Android, you can't have both right now

That would be an impressive waste of time and energy but kudos if you could manage that. Best bet would be to buy the Hero when it comes out and get a bluetooth keyboard.
SyXbiT said:
there might be a way to physically remove (with a soldering iron) the 192MB ram chip, and solder on a 288MB ram chip like those on the newer HTC phones.
I really want more RAM, but I also want a keyboard. and with Android, you can't have both right now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

R3nrut said:
That would be an impressive waste of time and energy but kudos if you could manage that. Best bet would be to buy the Hero when it comes out and get a bluetooth keyboard.
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Click to collapse
Does hero even work on tmob 3g in the US? Looks like its geared for at&t.
I'd say replace the memory chip if you can and report back!

I would definitely try it (I'm an Electrical Engineer, and solder at work all the time)
But i'd rather buy a 288MB chip from somewhere, rather than rip it from a different device.
I don't wanna throw away money.
if someone knows a supplier for those chips let me know and I'll try it and post screenshots

The last 2 smartphones I have owned there has been a discussion on upgrading the memory with huge threads and a few people trying. The end result has always been it is by far cheaper to get a new phone in another year which will have a faster processor, more memory, more storage etc...
Sure it can be done but with how fast technology changes it probably isn't worth it.

So is HTC HERO worth buying for more RAM and speed??

Only if the HTC Magic also is, because they're exactly the same except for the shape of the plastic.
I wouldn't give up the keyboard.

lbcoder said:
Only if the HTC Magic also is, because they're exactly the same except for the shape of the plastic.
I wouldn't give up the keyboard.
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Click to collapse
the htc magic isn't exactly the same. Some htc magic models (like google ion and tmobile mytouch) only have 192megs of RAM.

My understanding is that apps are limitted to 16mb of ram anyway. The real problem is the data rate of the ram. Some have hinted that a class 6 sd card is just as fast at read/write as the phone's ram. So more ram in theory won't really help if it's still limmited by read/write rate speed. More internal memory would be nice but again won't make the phone any faster, just help with our 'out of room for apps issue'.
Perhaps on the hero motherboard buss speeds themselves are faster but I doubt there's much we could to speed up the dream :/ someone please correct me if I'm wrong tho..

You are probably confusing internal FLASH with RAM. A class 6 uSD card is NOWHERE NEAR the speed of the ram. The RAM is orders of magnitude faster.
sonikamd said:
My understanding is that apps are limitted to 16mb of ram anyway. The real problem is the data rate of the ram. Some have hinted that a class 6 sd card is just as fast at read/write as the phone's ram. So more ram in theory won't really help if it's still limmited by read/write rate speed. More internal memory would be nice but again won't make the phone any faster, just help with our 'out of room for apps issue'.
Perhaps on the hero motherboard buss speeds themselves are faster but I doubt there's much we could to speed up the dream :/ someone please correct me if I'm wrong tho..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Reminds me of the days when people soldered on extra RAM on the XBOX1 to increase performance when using XBOX Media Center!
I thought there was a technical manual out for the G1 somewhere that listed parts... Not just the service manual which showed you how to open the device for repair. Could be worth running a decent google search for the motherboard and parts and then find a supplier for the RAM if you're game in trying to solder more on.
Thanks to the flexibility of Android as well, I'm pretty sure it would be able to read and make use of the extra RAM too.

blackeyedbrian said:
Does hero even work on tmob 3g in the US? Looks like its geared for at&t.
I'd say replace the memory chip if you can and report back!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Last I heard it was going to Sprint instead possibly. I really hope it doesn't!

NeoBlade said:
Reminds me of the days when people soldered on extra RAM on the XBOX1 to increase performance when using XBOX Media Center!
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Click to collapse
...this is exactly what I thought...
With the recent rumors of the g1 not supporting donut due to its lack of memory... this mod is number 1 on my list... I plan to do this soon... any one else?

Internal Memory Upgrade

Is it possible to upgrade the internal memory?
I have a vzw tab with 2GB of internal memory, but would love to upgrade this to 16GB.
Also, how do you open the case? Does it simply pry off? Anything serviceable in there? Battery? Internal memory chip?
Thanks,
Dave

Well, theoretically only the battery, and the guide is here :
http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-Teardown/4103/1

the only way to do it and be positive of the outcome would be to use the memory chip or chips from a tab with 16 internal. even then i think i remember lookin at the teardown and the memory is split into different chips so it is likely your board only has one and not any place to attach extra ones. even then the mfg is done on such a small scale that even if you were an expert solderer it probably cant be done by hand in your home. just my opinion

Absolutely no way, unless you have very expensive equipment, and the knowledge of the device itself.

Thank you very much for the replies.
I was kind of hoping for another micro SD. How naive of me.
Cheers

Archos 101 RAM upgrade.. research so far

I have been using my Archos 101 tablet for a few months now, I quite like it, and have tried a few of the different android builds available to download. I am keen to try and upgrade the ram, as 256MB is not alot. This is the progress I have made so far, I hope that maybe other people can add to it. First step is to find a suitable ram module that has the same pinouts, and specs, but with larger capacity. The ram module is marked "OVA18 D9LBZ". Using Microns FBGA decoder We find that the full part number of the ram module is "MT46H64M32LFMA-6 IT:A". If we go to microns list of available low power DDR modules we can see that there are available a 512MB and a 1GB version. (note that they are listed in megabits, not megabytes, so the original 256 megabyte module is a "2gb" size, 512MB is "4gb" and 1GB is "8gb")
I am in the UK, and havent yet found a uk supplier, but I found the 1GB module available in the US for about 50 US dollars.
I dont know what the max ram limit of the cpu is, I have read somewhere that the OMAP3630 cpu can support max 1GB, but cant remember where.
Im my mind there are two further problems once the chip has been bought:
1. physically removing the old ram module and fitting the new one. my plan is to setup a spring with one end glued/fixed somehow to the top of the old ram module, and then put the mainboard in the oven, and once the solder melts the spring will pull the ram chip off. Or it might pull the ram chip and the cpu at the same time. Then put tiny bits of solder on all the pins of the new ram module, align it ontop of the cpu, maybe under slight pressure, and put it back in the oven and hope that all of the solder joints connect properly. Quite a few of the pins are not used, so we can get away with 1 or 2 pins not connected. One concern I have is that in the spec sheet alot of the pins are labelled NC for not connected, but several have DNU which I take to mean "do not use". If these end up connected aswell then will this work or not. Another idea is instead of soldering the new chip on, we could polish the pins on the cpu really smooth and also polish the pins on the ram chip, and build a clip/holder type device, it might be possible to run the system with the ram chip just held under pressure on the cpu. We would need to stop the chip moving sideways also.
2. There may be a firmware issue with the new ram module, the system may not recognize the ram chip at all, or only address 256MB of it, because that is what its expecting to be there. I have seen a tutorial on upgrading the ram on an xbox and this is the problem they had, the new ram runs fine but only the original amount that was installed can be used without significant software changes. Hopefully archos have not made it too difficult for us.
These are my thoughts so far, I hope we can make some progress, or at least work out why it cant be done before destroying any hardware. I have links to the FBGA decoder, microns list of lp ddr chips, and the supplier of the 1GB chip, but as this is my first post I am not allowed to post links yet! PM me and I will send you the links.

Hi! Scholbert is good in this staff ask him . Bye
Sent from my A70H firmware 2.4.82 root oc 1.1GHz using Tapatalk

To be able to support bigger memory both memory controller of OMAP and pcb itself MUST have additional address lines. I almost sure that OMAP has at least 512MB support but not sure if Archos did preparation for bigger memory chip on board.
Also replacing of memory BGA chip not so simple and may cost more than new tablet

I am hoping that the larger memory chips still use the same interface, and therefore the same pin layout as the 256MB chip, as the link for the datasheet for 512MB and 1GB modules is the same as for the 256MB chip. So I dont think any additional data lines are needed.
Yes im sure your right, buying a later tablet will have larger ram module as standard, but I just like to tinker with things

Wikipedia list a few phones that use the omap 3630 cpu, and therefore probably use a ram module soldered ontop as in the archos. The motorola cliq 2 has 512MB of ram, as does the palm pre 2, the nokia n9 has 1GB ram but is a fairly new phone and still expensive to buy. I am going to looking out for a damaged mobile (cracked screen etc) and hope that the ram module is intact.

PPCtech did such an upgrade for the venerable HP hx4700, for $130 including material and shipment.
You'll need rework equipment (special kind of heat gun, not that expensive ($60 is the cheapest)), in an oven you'll probably kill components that were added later on (audio jack etc) and can't stand heat.
If you have the right equipment, it's not that hard to do. You'll heat the RAM chip till you can gently pull it off. Then you'll clean the PCB of solder residue. Next you put on solder paste using a BGA screen made for the chip you want to use.
Then you put the new RAM ic in the correct position (using a microscope to align it correctly), and locally heat it using the heat gun.
Then you pray it worked, or retry (best with a new RAM chip, but they can stand quite some heat, so reusing should be possible).
Problem is that you don't know for sure it could work, thus it's unclear if the error was in the soldering or in the firmware....

Sweet project! Any updates?

[nVidia Shield Pro] Increase RAM and eMMC

Good evening.
Was looking at my Shield Pro 2019 sitting on the shelf, and an idea popped into my head; would it be possible to upgrade RAM and eMMC chips? I have no particular reason for this, besides pure curiosity.
I've got access to professional solder equipment, including rework stations capable of desoldering BGAs, xray equipment to inspect said BGAs and about 20 years of experience with soldering and reworking complex circuitry.
If I'm not mistaken, RAM chips are either Micron, Samsung or SK Hynix and the eMMC chip would also likely be supplied by either Micron or SanDisk.
So, disregarding the physical job desoldering/resoldering chips, are there any software issues that must be taken into account?
The eMMC would of course need to be flashed and repartitioned if upgraded to a larger size, but would the RAM chips require any software modifications after swapping them out or would the system simply accept a larger RAM size out of the box?
I've Googled a bit, but couldn't find any concrete information on what changes would be required on the SW/FW side of this.
Best regards, Tim

Unfortunately, this looks like one of those things where ripping it apart and doing the do would be the way to go. Maybe the least "invasive" thing to do would be a RAM upgrade, provided compatible chips of higher capacity are available. Theoretically you wouldn't need to touch anything on the OS side for a bump in RAM capacity. I think the Tegra X1 supports a maximum of 4GB of RAM and the X1+ supports 8GB - allegedly. I suppose the memory controller is built into the SoC itself so there's no tampering with that.
I don't know anyone crazy enough to do that for me... nor am I really willing to apply my very amateur BGA soldering skills on a device like this one.

xxhyp0crisyxx said:
Good evening.
Was looking at my Shield Pro 2019 sitting on the shelf, and an idea popped into my head; would it be possible to upgrade RAM and eMMC chips? I have no particular reason for this, besides pure curiosity.
I've got access to professional solder equipment, including rework stations capable of desoldering BGAs, xray equipment to inspect said BGAs and about 20 years of experience with soldering and reworking complex circuitry.
If I'm not mistaken, RAM chips are either Micron, Samsung or SK Hynix and the eMMC chip would also likely be supplied by either Micron or SanDisk.
So, disregarding the physical job desoldering/resoldering chips, are there any software issues that must be taken into account?
The eMMC would of course need to be flashed and repartitioned if upgraded to a larger size, but would the RAM chips require any software modifications after swapping them out or would the system simply accept a larger RAM size out of the box?
I've Googled a bit, but couldn't find any concrete information on what changes would be required on the SW/FW side of this.
Best regards, Tim
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both was already done on Nintendo switch (also tegra X1/X1+)
Emmc is the easy part, ram is possible but you need to know which ram are supported.
Check l4s discord maybe there are some people who can help.
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