4TB SSD Neo via 3D-Printed Replacement "Speaker" Module?

[smoothbit]

Having seen several MacBook Neo teardowns, I had the idea of replacing the Neo's left speaker module with a 3D-printed enclosure for an M.2-2230 or M.2-2242 SSD. For it to connect to the system, a custom USB-C port replacement could be made, that re-routes/branches the USB 2.0 connection to a USB-M.2 adapter inside the enclosure.

It wouldn't be super fast, but the ability to add up to 4TB internal storage would be really handy and I think this is the only current MacBook with enough "spare" space inside to make such a thing possible.

Whether or not a speaker would still be included in the module would depend on how much air remains, but I'd be willing to swap to mono audio in exchange for the extra storage capacity 😃

How possible do you all think this would be? Is the speaker module thick enough, or would an M.2 SSD and USB adapter not even fit in there? If the fit is very tight, an option would be to leave one side of the enclosure open and then use a thermal pad to provide direct contact between the SSD and the Neo's bottom case, so that it could act as a huge heatsink.

 

[ivnj]

Then you have no speakers. Bad idea. Just get an external. Asus cobble is pretty small.

 

[smoothbit]

Then you have no speakers. Bad idea. Just get an external. Asus cobble is pretty small.

? The speaker on the right-hand side would still be there and I very rarely use anything other than my AirPods, so I'd much rather have 4.5TB internal storage than stereo sound. Though I used an external SSD taped to the lid of my 2018 MacBook Pro for a couple of years, it's much more convenient and less fragile having the 4TB SSD inside my 2015 one. But of course this would be an optional 3rd-party-mod, I'm not expecting Apple to offer it 🙂

 

[sassemblyman]

I saw a video of a teardown that went so far as to teardown the speaker. You could, theoretically, cut the speaker in "half", retaining speaker functionality, if perhaps sacrificing quality a bit, but gaining the space to use for other things.

I think there are folks in the intel modding side of this community that would be able to do something like this:

1. 3D print new speaker housings / cut off the sides for more space.
2. Wire existing USB signal to small USB C hub on one side's speaker cavity.
3. Wire to internal SSD in other side's speaker cavity.
4. Wire hub back to ports on outside of MacBook.

The speaker space is very interesting for the modding scene. There is also a good amount of space to the left of the logic board when opened. I've seen others talk about expanded batteries. This seems more interesting.

 

[kaister]

Interesting idea...so you want an internal usb c hub with a nvme adapter that piggyback off the internal usb connector? I'm not sure how doable is that but...

Have use consider just using space left of the logic board that just currently occupied by the camera connector and some flat ribbon cable. The flat cable shouldn't bother you...it's the camera connector that might be an issue...

There seems to be wiggle space for the cable:
https://guide-images.cdn.ifixit.com/igi/UtBGSN1RvMNAACdD.huge

I mean it sounds you just want to pop an exisiting nvme enclosure board inside the speaker but since you wanted to piggyback off the internal port...I just don't see how it wouldn't be a custom solution regardless...

 

[maflynn]

How possible do you all think this would be?

Possible yes, feasible no.

The "easy" part is designing that enclosure and printing it. The harder part is wiring a nvme connection and soldering it onto the logic board. Maybe I'm wrong but I don't know if there's any other way to make that connection.

Doesn't seem worth the effort when carrying a small external drive is much easier and is less risky

 

[smoothbit]

I saw a video of a teardown that went so far as to teardown the speaker. You could, theoretically, cut the speaker in "half", retaining speaker functionality, if perhaps sacrificing quality a bit, but gaining the space to use for other things.

I think there are folks in the intel modding side of this community that would be able to do something like this:

1. 3D print new speaker housings / cut off the sides for more space.
2. Wire existing USB signal to small USB C hub on one side's speaker cavity.
3. Wire to internal SSD in other side's speaker cavity.
4. Wire hub back to ports on outside of MacBook.

The speaker space is very interesting for the modding scene. There is also a good amount of space to the left of the logic board when opened. I've seen others talk about expanded batteries. This seems more interesting.

I'm not sure what you mean by points #3 and #4 but yep to #1 and #2, and since the existing two USB-C ports are already part of a 4-port hub (VLI VL122 4-port USB 2.0 Hub spotted by JPack) but with just two ports connected, I'm thinking it may be possible to branch off a connection from the slower+lower USB 2.0 port. Failing that, maybe a custom made board from somewhere like PCBWay to replace the Neo's USB-C board could be possible, or simply bending the Neo's USB 2.0 port 90º so that it points down towards the front of the bottom case, and then a regular USB-C cable going to the speaker area. But I don't know how tight all the tolerances involved are, there may not be space for regular USB-C connectors and cables.

 

[smoothbit]

Possible yes, feasible no.

The "easy" part is designing that enclosure and printing it. The harder part is wiring a nvme connection and soldering it onto the logic board. Maybe I'm wrong but I don't know if there's any other way to make that connection.

Doesn't seem worth the effort when carrying a small external drive is much easier and is less risky

I'd definitely not want to solder anything directly to the Neo's logic board, rather I was thinking any soldering/bending/modding be done to the separate USB-C board that's already part of the VLI USB hub. If Apple left all four of the hub's ports active then it may be possible to connect a third port to that board, and failing that a replacement board made by PCBWay or the like could be used that leaves the USB 3.0 port as is but redirects the USB 2.0 port down towards the front of the case, maybe even long enough that it can reach inside the enclosure that replaces the speaker.

I plan to buy a Neo in September, so if no-one else has done this by then I'll open it up and measure the speaker to see if any of this would even fit, but I hope someone else has done this by then 🤞

 

[smoothbit]

Interesting idea...so you want an internal usb c hub with a nvme adapter that piggyback off the internal usb connector? I'm not sure how doable is that but...

Have use consider just using space left of the logic board that just currently occupied by the camera connector and some flat ribbon cable. The flat cable shouldn't bother you...it's the camera connector that might be an issue...

View attachment 2614903

There seems to be wiggle space for the cable:
https://guide-images.cdn.ifixit.com/igi/UtBGSN1RvMNAACdD.huge

I mean it sounds you just want to pop an exisiting nvme enclosure board inside the speaker but since you wanted to piggyback off the internal port...I just don't see how it wouldn't be a custom solution regardless...

I somehow missed your post when replying earlier but thanks for the photo! I hadn't realised there was so much space to the side of the motherboard, that looks like an even better spot for a 42mm or maybe even 60mm long M.2 SSD, though with the keyboard involved I don't know if the case affords enough thickness there.

The only way it could be non-custom is if it's possible to fold back the existing USB 2.0 USB-C port so that it's facing inside the case, and then use a thin USB-C cable from that to wherever the SSD is. From the videos it seems kind of flexible, but I'm not sure how flexible, nor whether there's enough space for it to fit with the case put back together.

And right, the speaker closest to the USB-C ports seems like it would be an easier spot to route a USB cable to, I'm not sure there'd be space to get one across the motherboard, though I know USB 2.0 cables can be thinner than USB 3.0 ones.

 

[chabig]

...the ability to add up to 4TB internal storage would be really handy...

Really? More handy than just carrying an external SSD?

 

[smoothbit]

Really? More handy than just carrying an external SSD?

Most definitely 🙂 Like I say, I used an SSD taped to the back of my 2018 MacBook Pro for a couple of years and while I got used to it, it's much nicer being back on my 2015 model where I simply put the SSD inside the machine, there's no risk of snagging the cable and accidentally unmounting the drive, which did happen occasionally when it was external. I looked at the prices for a MacBook Air with 4TB storage, but while I know it would be much faster, 1765€ (the difference between the 512GB Neo and the 4TB Air) is more than I'm willing to pay, especially considering I already have the 4TB SSD.