Mac Studio Teardown Shows Upgradeable SSDs, Massive Coolers & More

There were speculations around the latest Mac Studio not being upgradeable at all. Reviewers couldn’t even find the screws to open it up and take a peek into it. However, a new M1 Ultra Mac Studio teardown reveals that it is doable. Not only that, but it also shows that Mac Studio is packing an upgradeable SSD slot.

This means that you can open and clean the Mac Studio yourself and upgrade the internal storage in the near future. While the current Mac Pro SSD doesn’t fit into the Studio, Apple is likely to sell the SSD as spare parts, which you can buy and upgrade yourself.

Mac Studio Teardown

Max Tech did the full Mac Studio teardown, which you can watch in the above-embedded video. There are several interesting observations throughout the teardown that reveal how Mac Studio is able to pack this much punch in a rather compact package.

To begin with, when Max takes off the outer casing of the Mac Studio and shows the internal, we can see that everything in the device is made out of aluminum. This is one of the reasons why the Studio weighs 3.62 kg (7.97 pounds). The aluminum insides are also helping the Mac Studio run cooler during demanding tasks.

Further, into the Mac Studio teardown, we can see the SSD, which is taped but not soldered on. So if you brick yours or even want to upgrade, peel it off and insert a higher storage one. While Apple doesn’t recommend it, it is still an option.

Next to the SSD, we can see two heat pipes crossing from above the M1 Ultra SoC. These pipes appear to be the only thing cooling down the processor and the RAM. However, Max took off all the ports and brought out the massive fan and motherboard assembly.

This is the first time you’ll see the cooling system and how it is working. But the real trick is seen when he parts the motherboard from the fan assembly. The M1 Ultra chip rests literally on top of the fan, and the pipes seen earlier are the ones cooling just at the back of the chip. Apple has created dedicated copper housing where the chip sits and is cooled at all times.

Setting the bar for Mac Pro?

We already know that a Mac Pro is on the way, and it will surpass the Mac Studio in performance. However, this Mac Studio teardown reveals the limits to which Apple went to make the most out of this form factor. Apple also has more room to play around in the Mac Pro’s casing, so whatever comes out should be wicked fast.

What do you expect from the Mac Pro? Do you think the Studio is enough, or should there be something with more performance? Do let us know in the comments.