Is the Surface Studio upgradable?

I know it’s a lot to ask someone who spend $3000+ to open the hardware box at the base, but has anyone done so?

 

I am wondering if the storage/memory is upgradable.

 

My guess is that the “Rapid Hybrid Drive” is an M.2 PCIe SSD and 2.5″ hard drive: both of which are replaceable.

Memory is either soldered-on or SO-DIMM modules.

Conversation 8 comments

  • 8729

    27 November, 2016 - 2:26 pm

    <blockquote><em><a href="#27472">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/Simard57">Simard57</a><a href="#27472">:</a></em></blockquote>
    <p>What I meant to say was "after purchase"</p>

  • 250

    Premium Member
    27 November, 2016 - 5:55 pm

    <p>Not upgradeable, according to MS.</p>
    <p><em>"Unfortunately, Microsoft said that you won&rsquo;t be able to take the Surface Studio base apart to upgrade any of its components. (In case you were thinking on upgrading the hard drive to a Solid-State Drive.)"</em></p>
    <p>From a write-up here, which includes some barely-helpful photos of the base internals:</p>
    <p>http://pureinfotech.com/surface-studio-hardware-inside-gallery/</p&gt;

  • 5027

    30 November, 2016 - 10:04 pm

    <p>I recommend this iFixit teardown ..&nbsp;https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Microsoft+Surface+Studio+Teardown/74448</p&gt;
    <p>Seems the Hard drives are technically replaceable (in step 7 )&nbsp;</p>

  • 250

    Premium Member
    01 December, 2016 - 1:14 pm

    <p>I can’t seem to edit my earlier post, but yes — based on the iFixit autopsy it appears that one can indeed replace the Seagate 2.5" drive with solid state storage.</p>
    <p>So much for the reported Microsoft assertion that you won’t be able to take the Studio base apart to upgrade any of its components.</p>

  • 5496

    01 December, 2016 - 2:46 pm

    <p>MS may say it’s not upgradable. But they are speaking about regulars users.</p>
    <p>But when you do take it apart, you’ll know it will void the warranty.</p>

  • 5664

    Premium Member
    01 December, 2016 - 11:54 pm

    <p>Both the HD and SSD are replaceable if you look at iFixit’s teardown. Standard SATA hard disk, and an M.2 SSD.</p>

  • 180

    02 December, 2016 - 8:13 am

    <p>So as others have said here, you can certainly access the parts. My follow up, which I haven’t seen anyone address, is what does the BIOS let you do? Depending on how the hybrid drive is configured, you may be able to replace the components only to have it promptly fail to work because the hybrid configuration is hardcoded to the BIOS.</p>
    <p>As a general principal, I’m offended Microsoft didn’t just put a 1TB SSD in there. The system is so expensive, skimping on the storage seems really outrageous, and some of the slowness that has been observed opening software and files seems likely due to the storage. Such a stupid thing to skimp on (and the RAM, really, what did you save not putting 16GB in everything Microsoft, $20?).</p>

    • 5664

      Premium Member
      02 December, 2016 - 11:46 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#28285">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/Polycrastinator">Polycrastinator</a><a href="#28285">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>I hadn’t considered that… On the one hand, why would they do that? Seems like it would cause production problems if components had to be substituted. On the other, the thing is built using mobile ideas, so they might do something asinine like that.</p>
      <p>In the end you’re right about them skimping. Being a desktop machine, thinness and weight isn’t an issue, so why didn’t they just make it nice and thick with upgradeable everything?</p>

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