Customized PCBs used to improve Mac Studio’s storage [YouTube/dosdude1]
The flash storage on a Mac Studio is extraordinarily tough to improve, however a talented {hardware} hacker has confirmed it may be executed — assuming you’ve gotten the ability, instruments, time, and endurance.
Since its swap to Apple Silicon, Apple has soldered the storage to the mainboard in a means that makes it a nightmare to vary. Whereas different notebooks and computer systems use M.2 and SATA-based drives for probably the most half, Apple as a substitute depends on solder.
This makes the prospect of upgrading the storage virtually unattainable for the common consumer, barring using the most effective SSDs for Mac. Until you’ve gotten electronics information, nerves of metal, and money to interchange elements on standby, it isn’t advisable to check out.
In a video by “dosdude1” posted to YouTube on Thursday, the YouTuber wished to extend the storage of their M1 Mac Studio. The unique plan was to make use of a manufacturing facility NAND module purchased from eBay to be inserted into the second inside slot.
Nonetheless, they have been alerted to a venture by Gilles of Polysoft Providers to create customized NAND module PCBs that could possibly be used as a substitute. These customized modules would want reminiscence chips to be put in onto the boards, earlier than being positioned into the Mac Studio.
After buying some board from Polysoft and a set of 8 clean 1TB NAND chips, the YouTuber started working combining the elements collectively.
Warmth and endurance
For the method, they needed to reball the brand new NAND chips, referring to the method of making use of a number of tiny dots of solder to the chip, in a particular sample. This requires utilizing a stencil and making use of solder paste to the holes, then heating the solder to affix the dots in place.
At that time, one of many balls of solder must be faraway from the chip, to match the sample on the board with one lacking dot. A wick and extra warmth is used to tug it off.
After being repeated seven instances, the chips are then rigorously positioned on high of every module, once more utilizing plenty of warmth to soften the balls of solder. 4 modules are put in onto every module, turning them into four-terabyte modules.
Including balls of solder to the reminiscence chips [YouTube/dosdude1]
The modules are then put in into the Mac Studio’s slots. The unique 512GB module is eliminated to accommodate the chip, however it’s in any other case untouched by the method.
After set up, it must undergo a DFU restore, which requires it to be related to a different Mac. Going by the restoration course of with a pre-downloaded IPSW file, the Mac Studio is proven to ultimately restore and boot up.
In testing, the learn and write speeds are akin to the unique 512GB module the Mac Studio initially shipped with.
Simpler however not simple
Apple SSD costs are tough. They’ve at all times been so. It is tempting to discover a hack like this, and begin soldering, when you’ve acquired the store and the ability.
The video does present it’s technically doable to improve the storage on a Mac Studio. The method is comparatively much like one demonstrated in August 2023, which noticed chips being eliminated and changed on an M1 Mac mini motherboard.
The truth that the Mac Studio makes use of detachable modules for its storage does make it so much much less dangerous to tug off the process, because you’re solely affecting the storage as a substitute of a full motherboard.
Crucially, the creation of customized PCBs for the method implies that the YouTuber did not should undergo the difficulty of rigorously eradicating a soldered chip from a real Apple module beforehand.
This does assist scale back the problem of the duty general, however it’s nonetheless arduous to perform. And we’re not anticipating to see kits to do it on Amazon or from different distributors for the foreseeable future.
As we now have warned beforehand, AppleInsider strongly advises you to to not go down this street to carry out a dangerous improve to a Mac Studio. If in case you have missed the chance to improve your storage on the time of buy, when you lack the ability of DosDude1, you need to contemplate the most effective arduous drive enclosures to broaden capability.