Raspberry Pi CM 4 can be replaced with larger capacity and faster eMMC storage
The Raspberry Foundation launched Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 last year. While maintaining the hardware performance of the Pi 4, the PCB size has been made smaller. Many makers have switched to this little device with more gameplay, and it also has built-in eMMC storage, which is much faster than the read and write speed of microSD cards, but the official CM4 only provides a maximum of 32GB storage options. Until recently, some players discovered that CM4 can actually be hand-soldered with 128GB of storage.
Upgrading the onboard storage of the BGA package is actually not a very unusual thing. For example, Apple’s iPhone and MacBook have such post-market upgrade methods. Now some fans and players have successfully replaced CM4 with a 128GB eMMC. According to TomsHardware, it is believed that the flash memory number used should be THGBMHT0C8LBAIG, which is Toshiba’s particle.
Image: Ivan Kuleshov
According to the player’s test, after switching to 128GB eMMC, the continuous read speed of the storage can reach 80MB/s and the continuous write at 70MB/s. Although this is far worse than the average SATA SSD, compared to even the best microSD card, this read and write speed has to be doubled. And the faster storage speed can make Raspberry OS or other operating systems run faster, and the software starts faster. In fact, the SoC performance of Raspberry Pi is not too bad now, but it is dragged down by the weak MicroSD card.Although Raspberry Pi can now boot the OS via USB, it is quite cumbersome to plug in a mobile SSD, and CM4 has eMMC onboard. But it also needs to be equipped with an expansion daughterboard to be used as a small ARM computer, so I can only hope that the follow-up Raspberry Pi 5 can carry eMMC onboard.
