As soon as the confidentiality agreement expired, Tesla enthusiasts were offered the first pictures of the new Hardware 4 computer. The teardown reveals many interesting details, some discussed before and some previously unknown. Among the key takeaways are the increased number of video cameras and the confirmation of the HD radar sensor, pointing to improved accuracy and boosted processing power.
The Tesla community has been talking about the Hardware 4 FSD computer and the accompanying sensor suite for a while, ever since the first information was leaked on social media. That’s how we’ve found out that Tesla is preparing to reverse a previous decision by installing a radar sensor. Testing prototypes caught in the wild also revealed new higher-resolution cameras.
Nevertheless, the details about the new hardware package remain largely under wraps, and most of what we knew was merely speculation.
Thanks to Tesla hacker Green (@greentheonly), we now know a lot more about the new hardware features that will arrive on Tesla vehicles starting this year. A recent type approval in Europe revealed that the HW4 computer would first land on the Tesla Model S/X, so we’re not surprised to learn that Green’s teardown is based on a Model X computer.
His work also makes us believe that the Model 3 prototypes spotted earlier hid the new cameras under their cladding. This means that all Teslas will get the refreshed computer, so it might be worthwhile to wait before placing an order.
The first thing Green’s teardown reveals is that the new computer has a different form factor, so no retrofits are possible. Elon Musk confirmed as much during the Q4 2022 earnings call, although he also said there’s no need for a retrofit because the HW3 will continue to offer the same features. Nevertheless, this teardown shows that this is not the case, and the new hardware brings features that cannot be emulated on the older hardware.
Photo: @greentheonly via Twitter
Compared to the current units, the HW4 has been streamlined, and the infotainment GPU now sits on the same board as the FSD chips, eliminating the daughterboard of the HW3. This makes the whole unit thinner. The HW4 still uses 256 GB NVMe storage and 16 GB RAM, as well as the same AMD CPU and GPU. Nevertheless, the improvements in the FSD section are more obvious.
Tesla Hardware 4 comes with more cameras, HD radar
Although Tesla sticks with an Exynos-based processor, it bumped the number of CPU cores from 12 to 20 (five clusters of four cores each). The number of TRIP cores increased from two to three while the operating frequencies also increased.
As before, the Tesla FSD computer uses two FSD SoCs per board. Tesla aims for redundancy, although it still needs to work on that front. Green says the board features symmetrical power connections and dual network links. Nevertheless, if you un-power the A side, that kills the network switch, and the link is lost.
The FSD computer also reveals the changes in the sensor department. There are 12 camera connectors, one marked as “spare.” The new sensor suite thus features 11 cameras, including the cabin camera, funnily named “selfie.” The markings reveal that the cars would have three additional cameras in the front.
New information indicates that these might be integrated into the headlights, fog lights, or bumper. The new arrangement is meant to offer the same functionality as the ultrasonic sensors (USS) while eliminating the blind spot in front of the car. This also explains the camouflage on the Model 3 prototypes we’ve seen earlier. More importantly, it tells people with HW 3 but without USS that they are screwed.
Photo: @greentheonly via Twitter
The new Hardware 4 sensor suite also has a tri-band GPS module, which can provide more accurate positioning in densely built areas. And then there’s the previously-rumored Phoenix radar, complete with a radar heater, as Green learned from the software properties. These two additions to the sensor package are the most important differences compared to the current HW3. It’s unclear how the FSD software would use the new sensors, but it’s going to be huge.
The new hardware is already installed in the vehicles on the production line at Fremont, although none of them has been shipped, as far as we know. Tesla would probably wait for Investor Day on March 1 to make an official announcement. A production overhaul is in progress at Giga Shanghai, so we’re sure the Model Y and Model 3 shipping from China will also have the new HW4 computer.
Now to the actual meat:
Infotainment was reworked compared to current units. The GPU is now on the same board, so no more GPU daughterboard. This makes the whole unit thinner, otherwise no changes there - same 256G NVMe and 16G RAM, same AMD CPU and GPU. pic.twitter.com/zCGnjRonUR
After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions. Full profile
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