Apple’s insistence on locking down storage upgrades on its Macs makes life difficult for consumers wishing to increase the onboard memory at a later time, but if moving to macOS is necessary, then it’s a required trade-off. The MacBook Neo, which is an excellent notebook for the price, is limited to up to a 512GB SSD, meaning you’ll have to rely on external or cloud storage if you’re close to filling it up.
However, one individual decided to challenge Apple’s non-upgradeable stance has introduced one of the first MacBook Neo models with a 1TB SSD. The only problem is that only a limited number of people can bear witness to these upgrades because the process requires specialized and expensive equipment, with skilled hands to wield them.
The 1TB SSD mod also boosts read and write speeds on the MacBook Neo, but only slightly
The YouTuber DirectorFeng remarks on his video that the MacBook Neo is exceptionally easy to get into, with the machine’s logic board housing the A18 Pro being incredibly compact. Using a heat gun and forceps, the existing NAND flash is removed and replaced with a 1TB module after meticulously cleaning the small area and applying soldering flux. Next, the motherboard is installed to see if the firmware recognizes the storage upgrade.
Fortunately, zero errors were encountered on the MacBook Neo, with macOS successfully getting flashed, but the job was far from over. The content creator applied BGA glue to the 1TB NAND flash while it was seated on the motherboard to help secure it in place, with the logic board then placed into an oven to receive a consistent temperature dose to complete the process.
Afterwards, the board was reinstalled into the MacBook Neo, thereby successfully completing the 1TB SSD mod. On the surface, the process looks simple, but that’s because DirectorFeng has accumulated years of experience upgrading storage on various Macs and iPads. The SSD also receives a small read and write boost, as you can see in the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test.
In short, a regular MacBook Neo owner who doesn’t want to pay the ‘Apple Tax’ will have to find someone equally skilled to perform the storage upgrade, and even then, things can go south. You can check out the video above and let us know what you think in the comments. If you intend to purchase the MacBook Neo to perform a storage mod in the future, you can pick up the base unit from Amazon for $599, which ships with a 256GB SSD.
News Source: DirectorFeng
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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