The Steam Deck is sold from day one with three different capacities. Regardless of which you choose, Valve has left the door open for the user to open their console and replace their SSD. A few days ago, we told you how to expand the memory of your Steam Deck, and we explained how really complicated it was to replace its SSD, because the console uses the M.2 2230 format. Now, a modder has discovered a trick to use a higher standard in the Steam Deck.
The Steam Deck works with an M.2 2242, but you will charge it before your time
When the Steam Deck was released, there was a lot of talk about what the ideal model was. Most people agreed on the intermediate model, while others argued that it would be best to buy the basic model and connect a Higher Capacity SSD after opening the console.
Now that a few months have passed, we know that the open heart operation of the Steam Deck is not that simple. Valve’s console is easy to open and manipulate – if you have experience in this tinkering, sure—, but the disk format it uses is a bit problematic. To save space, Valve uses M.2 2230 SSD drives, the smallest that exist. Choosing this format has its advantages, since they heat up less and take up very little space inside the console. As a counterpart, they have less capacity and you will not find them in stores as easily as the rest of the PCI Express memories.
The user Belly Jelly has shared on Twitter a trick who has discovered for adapt an M.2 2242 drive to the Steam Deck.
The pcb appears to work fairly well for adapting a 2242 m2 to the steam deck, it doesn’t collide with anything on the motherboard or put any extra strain on any cables. However, it does make the heat spreader bow a tiny bit. The back plate reassembled without issue. pic.twitter.com/4j4LVbS0NG
— Belly Jelly (@TheSmcelrea) June 21, 2022
“It seems that an M.2 2242 can fit quite well in the Steam Deck. It doesn’t collide with anything on the motherboard or put stress on any cables. However, the change causes the heatsink to tilt slightly. The back cover could be put back without.»
Valve engineers disagree with the mod
Problem solved, right? Well Valve engineers do not think the same. Lawrence Yang, a product designer who has worked on the development of the console, was quick to jump on Twitter warning that Belly Jelly’s solution was not ideal:
Hi, please don’t do this. The charger IC gets very hot and nearby thermal pads should not be moved. In addition, most 2242 m.2 drives draw more power and get hotter than what Deck is designed for. This mod may appear to work but will significantly shorten the life of your Deck. https://t.co/Kmup7Zov13
—Lawrence Yang (@lawrenceyang) June 25, 2022
“Hello. Please don’t do this. The console’s charger IC gets very hot, and the thermal pads around it should not move. Also, most M.2 2242 drives consume more power and get hotter than the Deck can dissipate. This mod may seem like it works, but it will significantly shorten the life of your console.”
Shortly after, Belly Jelly himself agreed with Yang, although as he commented, he accepts the fact that he is modifying his console at his own risk. Later, he continued to elaborate a thread on Twitter in which he explained a little more in depth the process that he had followed to modify the console. At this point, the conclusion we draw is that yes, you can modify your console, but only if you have the right knowledge and enough money not to cry if you break it due to a miscalculation.
