Steam Deck designer says SSD mod will shorten handheld’s lifespan

A Valve Steam Deck designer has said that the SSD mod will shorten the device’s life and has told owners not to install it.

Last week (June 24), PC Gamer reported on a brand new Steam Deck mod which upgrades the handheld’s SSD to house a 2242 M.2 NVMe instead of the built-in 2230 form factor SSD.

The mod is meant to greatly increase the storage capacity of a Steam Deck and it apparently “doesn’t collide with anything on the motherboard or put any extra strain on any cables.”

However, Valve Steam Deck designer Lawrence Yang has taken to Twitter to tell owners not to install the mod as it will basically kill the device’s life (via, PC Gamer).

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

“Hi, please don’t do this,” Yang said. “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.”

Yang also said that the larger SSDs will draw more power and make the Steam Deck hotter than the design parameters initially specced out, despite the fact that they can be cheaper.

The original modder has also responded to Yang on Twitter, agreeing with his statement. “Might as well respond to this, I absolutely agree with this guy,” they said. “Mod at your own risk! I am taking risks by opening the device and working on it, and it is mostly just as a proof of concept.”

In the thread, the modder explains that the thermals of the device have not shown any changes, but is “planning on going further and finding ways to deal with my own concerns regarding the mod.”

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