Upgrading Mac Studio storage

[terratoss]

What are you guys doing with the original SSD? Is it possible to place it in the secondary slot to use for data etc?

You have to keep the original one in case for Warranty. I had a chat to my Apple Business team, they can't see if you swap the SSD or not. So you still have warranty on the device as long you don't break any components by yourself.

@terratoss lf you scroll up the posts you will find our comments and links about the SSD from ALiExpress. I have the 8TB with no issues for almost a month now.

Had a look on AliExpress now, looks great but one small detail is missing. They won't provide any Invoce. The Invoice is a simple sceenshoot (i made a test purchase) which wont be accepted by tax Companys in Europe if you buy it for Business

 

[neomorpheus]

It will not boot for sure. You need to do a DFU restore, before it will function again

Thats some next level anticonsumer crap.

 

[Surenmunoo]

You have to keep the original one in case for Warranty. I had a chat to my Apple Business team, they can't see if you swap the SSD or not. So you still have warranty on the device as long you don't break any components by yourself.



Had a look on AliExpress now, looks great but one small detail is missing. They won't provide any Invoce. The Invoice is a simple sceenshoot (i made a test purchase) which wont be accepted by tax Companys in Europe if you buy it for Business

I had asked the seller that I purchased from for an invoice which I needed for customs purpose and he provided one to me.

 

[terratoss]

On the Polysoft web the informations are ougdated. Looks like only the french one is up-dated.

Translate to English :


Update on delivery information – October 7, 2025:

• 1st batch: All deliveries completed between February 18 and March 9, 2025
• 2nd batch: All deliveries completed between April 24 and May 12, 2025
• 3rd batch: All M1 and M3 cards delivered; M2 and M4 cards postponed to the 4th batch
• 4th and 5th batches: PCBs already finished, NANDs purchased. A few days’ delay in assembly due to a typhoon and the factory’s annual holidays. Deliveries expected around October 15.
  
  
  

I had asked the seller that I purchased from for an invoice which I needed for customs purpose and he provided one to me.

Thanks for the information, messaged the seller. Hope he replys by the day time in China.

 

[Chancha]

It will not boot for sure. You need to do a DFU restore, before it will function again

So it means the disk will just need to be wiped, but in theory the DFU restore will not give you incompatibility issues, at least?

I mean I can imagine a scenario such as, the Mac Studio has undergone a few macOS updates that may even involve firmware upgrades with your 3rd party card(s), that the new firmware is not matching what was on the original card (or in other words, the card did not upgrade along with the Mac Studio)

 

[Pressure]

So it means the disk will just need to be wiped, but in theory the DFU restore will not give you incompatibility issues, at least?

I mean I can imagine a scenario such as, the Mac Studio has undergone a few macOS updates that may even involve firmware upgrades with your 3rd party card(s), that the new firmware is not matching what was on the original card (or in other words, the card did not upgrade along with the Mac Studio)

It's a safety feature.

Otherwise you could just take out the storage and place it in another machine and have access to the data.

 

[maflynn]

Otherwise you could just take out the storage and place it in another machine and have access to the data.

That's a good point, though I would think having the data encrypted would also prevent it, but I can this being one of those things Apple does extremely well, i.e., protecting the consumer.

 

[Brian33]

So it means the disk will just need to be wiped, but in theory the DFU restore will not give you incompatibility issues, at least?

I mean I can imagine a scenario such as, the Mac Studio has undergone a few macOS updates that may even involve firmware upgrades with your 3rd party card(s), that the new firmware is not matching what was on the original card (or in other words, the card did not upgrade along with the Mac Studio)

My understanding is that the DFU restore will (or at least can) replace the firmware with the version that corresponds to the macOS version you’re installing. (The firmware is in the .ipsw file.)

https://eclecticlight.co/2024/02/15/how-to-reinstall-the-current-version-of-macos-or-downgrade-it/

The end result is that Mac is returned to the same factory fresh condition as when you unboxed it, with your choice of macOS and matching firmware