Andrew Cunningham
Microsoft’s Surface devices had a well-deserved reputation in the early days of being unrepairable, but Microsoft is now trying to change that. The new Surface comes with detailed repair manuals and, in theory at least, comes with an SSD that can be easily upgraded.
I say “in theory” because it wasn’t as simple as going out and buying a drive and installing it. The Surface’s storage slot uses a standard M.2 interface, which most devices can easily access, while the PC uses a relatively rare 30mm-long drive, one of the major SSD makers’ Most are not offered to regular consumers. This made it harder to do the old tech-savvy money-saving trick of buying a 128GB or 256GB version of a computer and upgrading to a 512GB or 1TB drive.
But that is slowly changing. Some of the smaller but reputable SSD makers like Sabrent and Inland have finally started offering 30mm length versions of some of his SSDs with retail packaging and standard warranties. Until recently, the best way to upgrade these drives was to buy white label, presumably used, unwarranted drives from places like Newegg or eBay. So being able to buy his SSD in a full retail package with an actual warranty is an improvement.
DIY storage upgrades can save big
In 2015 and 2016, laptops and small form factor PCs began to adopt M.2 connectors in earnest. It is most commonly used to save space in thin and light designs and has replaced the larger SATA and Mini PCI Express connectors. device. But it has since become the go-to interface for fast storage. High-end PC motherboards often come with three or more separate he M.2 connectors for SSDs, and it’s also the format of choice for expanding the PlayStation 5’s internal storage.
M.2 devices come in a variety of physical sizes, the most common being the gumstick-esque ‘2280’ for SSDs (so called because it’s 22mm wide and 80mm long). Everything from Samsung’s high-end 990 Pro to Western Digital’s affordable WD Blue SN570 is his 2280 drive, and most laptops and motherboards are set to use his 2280 drive by default. (M. 2 devices). This is a self-perpetuating cycle. Other his M.2 sizes also exist, but since most PCs use 2280 drives, most SSDs use the 2280 size and most PCs continue to use 2280 drives.
Sable
However, 2230 SSDs with a length of 30 mm are gradually becoming popular. Microsoft uses them everywhere from the Surface Pro 9 to the Surface Laptop Go, and even the Xbox Series X and S have 2230 M.2 drives installed inside. This is also the perfect drive size for Valve’s Steam decks. And even though 2230 drives like the Sabrent Rocket are relatively expensive for mid-range SSDs ($90 for 512 GB, $160 for 1 TB), DIY upgrades for most of these devices are You can save money and get more storage than companies sell directly. ).
Upgrading the Surface Laptop Go 2 from a 128GB SSD to 256GB will cost you $50-$100 if purchased from Microsoft or other retailers, and larger drives are not available. Microsoft charges $300 to upgrade the Surface Pro 9 from a 256GB SSD to 512GB, and $600 to upgrade from 256GB to 1TB. Steam Deck’s various price points have other non-storage-related benefits, but going from the base model’s slow 64GB of eMMC storage to a 256GB SSD will cost you at least $130.
