Photo: @greentheonly via Twitter
Tesla began to deliver the Model Y with Hardware 4 Autopilot computer, which also integrates the infotainment system. A new teardown revealed that the HW4 infotainment system only features half the RAM and storage capacity compared to the HW3 infotainment. This basically rules out Steam support, which requires 16 GB of RAM.
Rumors about Tesla Model Y being shipped with Hardware-4 computer and sensors first appeared in May, with the first customers getting the new vehicles shortly after that. It was good news for some expecting massive improvements thanks to the HW4 components. It was also bad news because they soon discovered that software support for the upgraded hardware was still patchy. Those expecting to try FSD Beta on the new hardware are still out of luck. Considering many traded in their old Teslas to benefit from the FSD transfer offer, you understand why many are now pissed.
Still, the real drama may be unfolding when they discover that Tesla crippled the HW4 computer in the Model Y to cut costs. When hacker Green (@greentheonly) got access to the new components, he found that Tesla had eliminated some components from the PCB compared to the Model S/X part. This kind of made sense, considering the latter are luxury vehicles, whereas the Model Y is a volume model selling for half the price. Still, a new discovery may anger Model Y owners even more.
It appears that Tesla not only removed some parts from the Model Y HW4 computer PCB (most notably the discrete GPU) but also reduced the RAM and storage capacity in half. With only 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, the HW4 infotainment system is below the Steam requirements. Steam is not officially supported on Model 3/Y as of now. Still, Green found evidence in the software that it should work on any AMD-based infotainment system with at least 16 GB of RAM.
More specifically, Tesla made the internal GPU in the AMD processing unit available to the virtual machine, with 8 GB of reserved RAM. This should be OK for infotainment systems with 16 GB of RAM, such as the HW3 units in the Model Y and even Model 3 vehicles. Unfortunately, HW4 units will not work because they only have 8 GB of RAM to begin with. This might be a huge disappointment for some people, although not many play games in their Teslas. Still, the RAM constraint could make the units less responsive over time, as more apps are installed and need their own RAM space.
As Green explains, it might not become evident for newly delivered vehicles. Some owners have already confirmed that the infotainment system in the HW4 feels very responsive. Still, various app databases grow over time, and owners might be forced to do hard resets to bring things to where they were. This was common practice in the Tegra era to improve performance. The infotainment will become slower with more data not fitting into RAM, as the system would swap it on the NVMe storage, which adds lag and wear.
The most obvious reason why Tesla halved the memory capacity for the HW4 infotainment system is to cut costs. Green says that the EV maker also uses cheap NVMe storage units in the AMD units for the same reason. This makes them more likely they give up the ghost before wear takes its toll because they are not certified for automotive operation. Green says he saw many NVMe units die prematurely because of the high-temperature environment inside the infotainment system.
Still, the real drama may be unfolding when they discover that Tesla crippled the HW4 computer in the Model Y to cut costs. When hacker Green (@greentheonly) got access to the new components, he found that Tesla had eliminated some components from the PCB compared to the Model S/X part. This kind of made sense, considering the latter are luxury vehicles, whereas the Model Y is a volume model selling for half the price. Still, a new discovery may anger Model Y owners even more.
It appears that Tesla not only removed some parts from the Model Y HW4 computer PCB (most notably the discrete GPU) but also reduced the RAM and storage capacity in half. With only 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, the HW4 infotainment system is below the Steam requirements. Steam is not officially supported on Model 3/Y as of now. Still, Green found evidence in the software that it should work on any AMD-based infotainment system with at least 16 GB of RAM.
More specifically, Tesla made the internal GPU in the AMD processing unit available to the virtual machine, with 8 GB of reserved RAM. This should be OK for infotainment systems with 16 GB of RAM, such as the HW3 units in the Model Y and even Model 3 vehicles. Unfortunately, HW4 units will not work because they only have 8 GB of RAM to begin with. This might be a huge disappointment for some people, although not many play games in their Teslas. Still, the RAM constraint could make the units less responsive over time, as more apps are installed and need their own RAM space.
As Green explains, it might not become evident for newly delivered vehicles. Some owners have already confirmed that the infotainment system in the HW4 feels very responsive. Still, various app databases grow over time, and owners might be forced to do hard resets to bring things to where they were. This was common practice in the Tegra era to improve performance. The infotainment will become slower with more data not fitting into RAM, as the system would swap it on the NVMe storage, which adds lag and wear.
The most obvious reason why Tesla halved the memory capacity for the HW4 infotainment system is to cut costs. Green says that the EV maker also uses cheap NVMe storage units in the AMD units for the same reason. This makes them more likely they give up the ghost before wear takes its toll because they are not certified for automotive operation. Green says he saw many NVMe units die prematurely because of the high-temperature environment inside the infotainment system.
Hm, looks like model Y hw4 infotainment side is somewhat crippled compared to hw3 units:
— green (@greentheonly) August 5, 2023
it has half as much RAM and half as much storage (8G and 128G respectively).
Given current requirements for steam, that crosses steam out (Even though not officially supported anyway)
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