Mac Studio Teardown: THE SSDs ARE UPGRADEABLE!!! (Edit: No, it's not)

[toke lahti]

[...] they need to be "blessed" with another machine or entire unit sent in for service.

Any link how this "blessing" is done? Another machine = just any mac?

 

[aurora_sect]

Any link how this "blessing" is done? Another machine = just any mac?

I hosted my whole system on an external NVMe drive for the last couple years with my iMac and I remember having to bless the drive in Console in order to use it as a boot volume. I did it on the very same iMac though I don't remember all the details.

Just a blind stab from someone who is not overly savvy about this stuff: I wonder if you could set up an external drive as a boot volume and then use that to bless the new internal drive on the same machine.

 

[aurora_sect]

First search result:

Booting the Mac: bless, and what makes a volume bootable

The command bless used to be able to control all things to do with booting, but has become steadily less useful with the advent of SIP and others.

eclecticlight.co

 

[bsbeamer]

Any link how this "blessing" is done? Another machine = just any mac?

For the Mac Pro 2019 upgrade kit, it has to be done through Configurator 2 and it wipes the blades in the process. This is the only tool Apple publicly provides and it requires another Mac. I've heard some issues running with an older Mac that does not have native USB-C, but probably another discussion entirely.

You can follow the revive and restore guidance for how it works:

Revive or restore an Intel-based Mac using Apple Configurator

Update history is here:

What's new in Apple Configurator for Mac - Apple Support

Learn about the latest updates to Apple Configurator for Mac.

support.apple.com

Believe there was an internal tool at one point, but that was prior to the upgrade kits being made officially available.

 

[bsbeamer]

I hosted my whole system on an external NVMe drive for the last couple years with my iMac and I remember having to bless the drive in Console in order to use it as a boot volume. I did it on the very same iMac though I don't remember all the details.

Just a blind stab from someone who is not overly savvy about this stuff: I wonder if you could set up an external drive as a boot volume and then use that to bless the new internal drive on the same machine.

Two different discussions here. What you're describing is running system off an external boot drive, which is entirely possible and done by many. I'd recommend NVMe in 40Gbps housing if anyone is exploring that path.

In relation to this discussion, the ability to install another SSD module as an upgrade requires configuration through Apple Configurator 2 for 2019 Mac Pro SSD upgrade. Believe T2 is the controller and the SSD modules are basically just NAND without any ability to function without T2 present.

More details on that process here:

Install or replace SSD modules in your Mac Pro (2019) - Apple Support

Learn how to install SSD modules in your Mac Pro and how to use Apple Configurator to set them up for your Mac.

support.apple.com

 

[4sallypat]

Luke Miani tried to fiddle with the storage

Edit: Apple ****ed us. It's paired somehow. It even shows up with SOS morse code if you add a second one.

Luke Miani is pi$$ed !

He said why would Apple make a removeable SSD be locked to the firmware or security enclave.

So if you want to add a second SSD you are screwed unless Apple changes their new strategy.

How would a consumer who owns the product be able to change Apple's decision ?

 

[bsbeamer]

why would Apple make a removeable SSD be locked to the firmware or security enclave.

So if you want to add a second SSD you are screwed unless Apple changes their new strategy.

How would a consumer who owns the product be able to change Apple's decision ?

Regardless of what teardown "artists" discover or post on YouTube, Apple clearly states when configuring or purchasing:

"Note: Mac Studio storage is not user accessible. If you think you may need more storage capacity in the future, consider configuring to a higher capacity."

This is the same "strategy" they've had on every other machine. Wait until everyone sees it is basically the same when the AS Mac Pro is announced. Only difference there, you can add PCIe NVMe storage.

I'd personally recommend 1TB internal (or higher if you have deep pockets) and run NVMe in 40Gbps housings for anything you need fast additional SSD capacity for. Anything for storage or less bandwidth can be on SATA SSDs or HDDs and placed in a 10Gbps USB-C multiple drive bay. 550Mbps SATA SSDs are more than enough for most and would not be your bottleneck.

 

[dfelix]

So apparently these are dummy nand

 

[dfelix]

Here is Linus ranting on this subject

 

[norwaypianoman]

Teardown reveals SSD ports, these are not soldered down

LOL, it is the title of the century.

 

[toke lahti]

For the Mac Pro 2019 upgrade kit, it has to be done through Configurator 2 and it wipes the blades in the process. This is the only tool Apple publicly provides and it requires another Mac. I've heard some issues running with an older Mac that does not have native USB-C, but probably another discussion entirely.

Btw, offtopic, but I run my mini2018 from external all the time, for 3 years now.

What I'd like to do is to mask external boot drive as being internal.
If that could be done, I could run SATSMART from the boot and monitor my storages' health.
Anybody knows a way to do this?

 

[Chancha]

Btw, offtopic, but I run my mini2018 from external all the time, for 3 years now.

What I'd like to do is to mask external boot drive as being internal.
If that could be done, I could run SATSMART from the boot and monitor my storages' health.
Anybody knows a way to do this?

There are some extra steps in doing so in Apple Silicon, notably disabling SIP. Also your actual internal SSD has to be working for that to happen. By now it is already quite well documented it should be easy to google full guides.

 

[bsbeamer]

Btw, offtopic, but I run my mini2018 from external all the time, for 3 years now.

What I'd like to do is to mask external boot drive as being internal.
If that could be done, I could run SATSMART from the boot and monitor my storages' health.
Anybody knows a way to do this?

Take a look at DriveDx and read through all the documentation.

 

[m1maverick]

Regardless of what teardown "artists" discover or post on YouTube, Apple clearly states when configuring or purchasing:

"Note: Mac Studio storage is not user accessible. If you think you may need more storage capacity in the future, consider configuring to a higher capacity."

This is the same "strategy" they've had on every other machine. Wait until everyone sees it is basically the same when the AS Mac Pro is announced. Only difference there, you can add PCIe NVMe storage.

The concern isn't that Apple doesn't make the purchase aware they cannot be upgraded but rather that Apple actively prevents them from being upgraded.

Given the storage modules are socketed I cannot think of a single reason for Apple to actively take steps to prevent their replacement whether it be like capacity for like capacity or a larger unit scavenged from another Mac Studio.

I don't want to hear about security as that's a red herring. I also don't want to hear about how Apple is a private company and can do what it wants. I don't want to hear that they've been doing this for decades. These are socketed modules and can easily be user swapped / replaced if Apple didn't actively take steps to prevent as much.

For a company that professes to be green some of their products are intentionally prevented from having the end user extend their useful life. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if Apple themselves would perform the upgrade but, at least for the time being, they won't even do that. If it needs repaired the end user can't pay Apple to upgrade it to a higher capacity...like for like only. Ridiculous and very anti-environmental friendly.

 

[Fumblerooskie]

The kids screaming “scandal” in these videos and accusing apple of playing “victim” using the SOS message don’t have a clue as to how NAND works on the studio, and why it’s a very good thing for security.

It’s why YouTube should be viewed primarily as entertainment, with an occasional useful tidbit being posted from time to time.

The Mac Studio drama is catering to the worst of human emotion for clicks.

 

[toke lahti]

Take a look at DriveDx and read through all the documentation.

…and you could read the fine print about satsmart driver…
All external drives has to be disconnected when satsmart is loaded and that’s pretty hard when you try to boot from external…

 

[toke lahti]

There are some extra steps in doing so in Apple Silicon, notably disabling SIP. Also your actual internal SSD has to be working for that to happen. By now it is already quite well documented it should be easy to google full guides.

I’m guessing that maybe in opencore you could mask the external to be handled like internal…?

 

[m1maverick]

The kids screaming “scandal” in these videos and accusing apple of playing “victim” using the SOS message don’t have a clue as to how NAND works on the studio, and why it’s a very good thing for security.

It’s why YouTube should be viewed primarily as entertainment, with an occasional useful tidbit being posted from time to time.

The Mac Studio drama is catering to the worst of human emotion for clicks.

Can you expand upon this?

 

[toke lahti]

The kids screaming “scandal” in these videos and accusing apple of playing “victim” using the SOS message don’t have a clue as to how NAND works on the studio, and why it’s a very good thing for security.

I don't need or want any additional security what expandable RAM and storage can't give me.

Apple,
give me an option to take risks we all have taken all these years.
Thank you very much.