It looks like a pretty essential firmware update was just released for the Raspberry Pi 4 that allows the device to more efficiently use the USB controller and as a result, lowers the overall temperature. This might not seem like that big of a deal, but the Raspberry Pi has the ability to throttle the speed if it’s overheating, so 2-3 degrees can make a difference while gaming.
PC Gamer ran some basic tests and found that running the newer firmware without a heatsink allowed for the same temperature and performance as the original firmware with a heatsink. That’s pretty impressive.
Unfortunately, it’s not so easy to upgrade the firmware. It seems like the best way is to install raspian, then install update software called Hexxeh, then update by running a script. Overall not too bad, but certainly not as easy as connecting with a USB cable and just running a GUI app. Not that I’d ever expect that in the Linux world ;/
On a related note, it looks like the USB-C controller that was integrated into the Pi4 has a non-compliant charge port, making it incompatible with many USB-C chargers! There will be a future hardware revision to correct this, but in the short-term, it’s recommended that you use a “non e-marked” charger, such as the official Pi 4 charger.
Overall, it seems like the Pi4 shipped too soon and should have had a more stringent test period. I still haven’t received mine, but I’ll do a review when it arrives.
The Raspberry Pi 4 can be ordered below and the new firmware can be found here: https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=243500&p=1490467#p1490467
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