Steam Deck with over 61TB of storage
The benefits of an open platform showcased with simple, yet expensive storage modification.
If you have a 61.44TB Solidigm P5336 enterprise SSD and a handheld gaming device called Steam Deck, you can use them both. However, there are some small caveats that must be addressed first.
The Steam Deck is a handheld device that is capable of operating various PC operating systems, including SteamOS and Windows. Valve made it clear from the beginning that Deck is not just a gaming device, but a full-fledged personal computer that can do anything. The computer can work with many different devices, but some of them might need extra steps to work.
The on-board M.2 slot can be used for various gadgets via adapters, while the system can still be started from a memory stick or via USB. The folks at StorageReview thought it would be fun to play with the U.2 to M.2 adapter and use a big-time enterprise SSD with a lot of capacity. Interestingly, it was a pretty straightforward and the mod was successful.
Steam Deck and Solidigm P5336 SSD, Source: StorageReview
The Solidigm P5336 storage isn’t a desktop SSD with the typical M.2 NVMe configuration, and it’s not even a 2.5-inch desktop SSD. Furthermore, it uses a different connector; therefore, it is not possible to simply attach the storage to the Steam Deck. This will work with the adapter, but there are still two more components required.
The storage enclosure and power supply are a must, as the storage can use 25W of its own power and Deck cannot supply that much power to an external device without affecting its performance. With the drive installed in the enclosure and the power supply connected and shorted to offer a constant supply of power, the Deck can now recognize the drive and actually use this space freely.
The site has preformed quick tests that showed 3.6 GB/s of sequential read speed and 2.3 GB/s of write speed with Solidigm P5336 enterprise SSD. Unfortunately, after formatting, only 55.7 TB of storage is available, so gamers who choose to attempt this ‘mod’ should take that into account.
Steam Deck and Solidigm P5336 SSD, Source: StorageReview
Despite the limitations, this modification has demonstrated that the expansion of Steam Decks capabilities is unrestricted. The user is able to swap out controller components, screens, and even additional memory if they so desire. Valve doesn’t explicitly encourage people to perform these mods, but the system’s popularity and access to a plethora of tools, components, and instructional videos certainly do encourage them. One thing to note with this mod is that Steam Deck can cost just $350, which is about 1/10 the price of this 61TB storage.
Source: Storage Review
