Mac Studio Teardown Suggests SSD Storage Is Upgradeable however May Be Blocked by Software

Apple’s Mac Studio is a compact desktop with beastly efficiency, however its lack of upgradability is a drawback in comparison in opposition to the extremely modular methods within the PC world.

Well, non-upgradable in response to Apple, a minimum of. One curious YouTuber determined to pry open the Mac Studio to find out whether or not the parts are literally everlasting or if Apple simply doesn’t need you tinkering with its merchandise.

YouTuber Max Tech disassembled his $4,000 Mac Studio with the M1 Ultra chip and shared his efforts in a virtually 20-minute-long video. The desktop doesn’t have any apparent entry factors, however he discovered that peeling off the silicone ring on the underside utilizing a easy plastic instrument reveals layers of screws.

After stepping into the stomach of this compact machine, channel host Max Yuryev found one thing encouraging. To his shock, the Mac Studio’s twin SSD ports are simply accessed as soon as the underside panel is eliminated. He reckons there’s sufficient room so as to add or swap out drives with out having to dismantle the system any additional.

This suggests the storage is upgradeable in any case, regardless of Apple explicitly stating, “Note: Mac storage is not user accessible. If you think you need more storage capacity in the future, consider configuring to a higher capacity.” But tright here is one roadblock: discovering the precise SSD. Yuryev figured the Mac Studio had the identical ports because the 2019 Mac Pro, however the SSD from Apple’s earlier system was too massive to fit in.

Unlike the Studio, the present Mac Pro is user-upgradable by way of a DIY SSD set up package. No such package exists for the Mac Studio to this point, and Apple hasn’t stated something about bringing one to market. It’s nonetheless potential that Apple releases DIY SSD kits for the Mac Studio someplace down the highway, however I wouldn’t maintain my breath.

If you’re itching to discover a workaround, you would possibly need to stomp on the brakes. Another YouTuber, Luke Miani, erased an SSD from one Mac Studio and tried to insert it into a special one as a method to improve the present storage. Unfortunately, the second machine wouldn’t settle for the drive. While the PC acknowledged the newly put in storage, the system didn’t boot, suggesting Apple is obstructing upgrades with software program.

That’s a disgrace as a result of Apple prices a fortune for storage upgrades. The Mac Studio begins at $2,000 when geared up with a 512GB SSD. Upgrading to 1TB prices one other $200 and also you’ll pay an additional $400 on high of that for 2TB of storage. The maxed-out 8TB mannequin prices $2,400 greater than the bottom one.

As for the opposite parts, the Mac Studio makes use of unified reminiscence and its M1-series SoCs mix the CPU and GPU, which means storage is the one improve candidate. If you’re curious how the Mac Studio appears on the within, or need to see a huge chip within the M1 Ultra, try the total video above.