Laptop hardware upgrades can be expensive. A hobbyist saves a lot of money by screwing a memory expansion onto his device from the outside.
Applications, games and files to be edited can take up a lot of space on the internal storage media of PCs and mobile devices. A simple, but in some cases expensive, solution is to expand the existing memory or replace it with larger capacities.
For this reason, a Mac user was looking for a cost-effective alternative to expanding the memory of his MacBook. Upgrading directly through Apple was not an option for him. For this reason, he decided on his own solution with two SSDs, which he screwed onto his laptop from the outside.
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“Tim Cook hates this trick” – Cheap memory upgrade with special attachment
What kind of device is this? The laptop with the extraordinary memory expansion is a MacBook. Apple devices are not exactly known for their low prices. The US company also likes to dig deep into its pockets when it comes to upgrades.
That’s why Reddit user ApocalypsePopcorn came up with something special. He has two Samsung 860 EVO SSDs with a storage capacity of 4 TB each attached to his laptop from the outside in a Raid 0 network. The SSD is connected to the device via an additionally connected hub.
Since a Raid 0 network of two disks is fast but has no redundancy, if a single SSD fails, all data is lost. ApocalypsePopcorn reassures the few users who are concerned about his data and explains that he also keeps a backup of his files.
How did the hobbyist do it? The hobbyist relied on several components for the upgrade. In order not to irreparably damage his MacBook, he bought a robust protective case for around 34 euros as a basis for mounting the SSDs.
Thick machine screws with cable clamps and a durable synthetic resin keep all parts in place. Painting the attachment with black paint completes the cyberpunk look.
The two 4 TB Samsung SSDs were connected via USB adapter to a 10 GB/s fast hub, which was also attached to the protective case. Thanks to clever cable routing, there are no loose cables or the risk of a broken plug.
In the future, he even plans to add a third SSD, also 4 TB, to his MacBook. This way, the external storage upgrade would grow to a massive 12TB.
Community reactions
What does the community say about this? The majority of users find words of praise for this original idea. VortexDestroyer99 gets to the point and writes:
“It’s total nonsense, but it looks really great!” (via Reddit)
Further comments on his Reddit post also talk about the costs that the hobbyist was able to save as a result. ApocalypsePopcorn himself doesn’t mention any specific amounts, but he does mention that he got the two SSDs used at a reasonable price.
In this country, a new Samsung 860 EVO with 4 TB of storage is currently being sold for between 270 and 500 euros (via geizhals.de). It should be noted that the SSD has been on the market for 6 years.
According to several users, an 8 TB storage upgrade from Apple costs the equivalent of 1,800 to 2,000 euros. For example, big-macintosh2 says:
“Apple charges 2000 euros for an 8TB MacBook upgrade” (via Reddit)
If you add 34 euros for the protective cover and a generous 50 – 100 euros for a hub, screws and synthetic resin, the hobbyist has saved a lot of money even at the highest price for the SSDs. The user vladw1ck also noticed this saving and said aptly about the CEO of Apple:
“Tim Cook hates this trick” (via Reddit)
What do you think about its external storage? Have you had similar ideas? Or would you rather rely on a regular hardware extension from the manufacturer?
This story shows that hardware expansion can be expensive, but there are ways and means to reduce the cost. In another case, a gamer had saved for years to finally be able to play in full HD resolution. This moment hit him emotionally: Gamer saves for years to fulfill an old dream, but can’t believe it when his wish finally comes true