How Do You Upload a Memory Card to Surface Pro 3
Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Cardinal
Possibly one of the virtually significant and welcomed changes to Surface Pro eight — besides Thunderbolt 4 and a 120Hz brandish — is the inflow of a removable SSD. While designed primarily for security concerns, regular consumers tin can take matters into their hands to upgrade the SSD to a larger size and even gain some speed. It'due south a fantastic feature since you lot can save yourself hundreds of dollars if you plan your Surface Pro 8 buy and SSD upgrade.
But what almost the details effectually such a procedure? What tools do you lot need? Should you lot re-paste the thermal enclosure for the SSD? And how do you lot get Windows 11 onto the new SSD?
All these questions and more are answered in this new guide on how (and why) y'all want to upgrade your Surface Pro viii's SSD. And if you have a Surface Pro 10, we accept a separate, but similar guide for that one likewise.
Time estimate for bodily upgrade: < 20 minutes.
Why upgrade your Surface Pro 8 SSD?
Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central
Before we begin, let usa discuss why yous want to upgrade the internal storage to Surface Pro 8.
At that place are two reasons to consider, with the first existence the most obvious:
- You lot desire more internal storage.
- Y'all desire a (slightly) faster SSD.
The first reason is cocky-axiomatic. Yous bought a Surface Pro viii with 128 or 256GB of storage, and you want more. Perchance you want 512GB or even 1TB.
Indeed, you could purchase the 128GB Surface Pro 8 ($i,099) and, for less than $200, get to 1TB if you upgrade it yourself. If you want Microsoft to preconfigure your 1TB choice, you need to drib $2,199. It fifty-fifty works if you want that entry-level i7/16GB/256GB model ($1,599). Tossing in a tertiary-political party 1TB SSD costs y'all $1,800 versus $2,199 from Microsoft.
A faster SSD is less of a reason to upgrade and should be seen as a side benefit. Typically, doubling or even quadrupling your storage also improves the read and write performance due to the parallel nature of how wink storage is accomplished. Surface Pro eight'due south default SSD is, at all-time, mid-range by today's standards. Popping in more than storage could yield +500MB/s ameliorate sequential read scores, which does make everything experience simply a smidge snappier.
Which SSD to purchase?
Western Digital 1TB CH SN530 SSD for $117 — what's the catch? Source: Windows Central
Picking which SSD to go for Surface Pro 8 is the tricky function. It'south different from buying a standard laptop SSD as Surface Pro eight (and Pro X) use Thou.2 2230 PCIe SSD, which are much smaller. The market for such chips is also much tinier, hence why I can't simply point y'all to Amazon and tell you to buy a specific model.
The easiest to recommend is a Toshiba/Kioxia BG4 G.2 2230 PCIe SSD. It gets excellent operation, and it only works. But, Toshiba does non direct-sell to consumers. Instead, it is an OEM part that must be purchased through business organisation channels like Dell or on eBay if you are savvy. The key is to use the product SKU to find the version you desire:
- KBG40ZNS256G TOSHIBA BG4 256G PCI-Eastward NVME 2230 SSD (Class 35)
- KBG40ZNS512G TOSHIBA BG4 512G PCI-E NVME 2230 SSD (CLASS 35)
- KBG40ZNS1T02 TOSHIBA BG4 1TB PCI-Due east NVME 2230 SSD (CLASS 35)
Assuming you want to increase the storage and become faster speeds, y'all will want to search for KBG40ZNS256G (256GB), KBG40ZNS512G (512GB) or KBG40ZNS1T02 (1TB). Pricing at the fourth dimension of writing is around $30 for 256GB, $99 for 512GB and $200 for 1TB.
The proficient news is the 1TB option decreased from $300 at the terminate of 2020 to a more affordable $200 in October 2021. The bad news is that well-nigh sellers are from Prc or Hong Kong, so it could take many weeks to get your purchase.
Only there is now some other option in 2021 that wasn't available previously: Western Digital (WD).
This part gets even trickier. You could get a Western Digital 1TB drive costing between $117 and $170, making it even a better deal than the $200 Toshiba. Plus, many sellers are based in the U.S., meaning y'all can become the SSD in days instead of weeks.
For this guide, I bought a "new" WD 1TB CH SN530 drive on eBay for $170. I had information technology in my hands in 3 days afterwards ordering.
The "CH" denotes something unique almost these, which is they are often used in the Xbox Serial X|S. That's why and so many of them are listed equally "refurbished" or "pre-owned."
Simply there's a catch with these drives — available storage — which some eBay sellers are upfront almost, eastward.g.:
Please also annotation that the usable space for this bulldoze is 867GB (rest of the infinite WD already allocated to overprovisioning then information technology is not accessible by the user. This is washed to some extent on all SSDs).
The speculation here is that allocated space is used for Xbox Series X|S storage, and it can't exist recovered.
A typical 1TB SSD usually has 952GB of available storage with around 913GB available after Windows 11 is installed versus the 823GB y'all'll take (with Windows 11) in one of these Western Digital drives. That's a loss of about 90GB.
On the flip side, if you're jumping from 128GB (bachelor is less than 100GB) to 823GB, you lot're still getting a massive upgrade. Plus, you tin save around $80 versus the Toshiba chip and often become information technology delivered faster. I tin as well vouch that the SSD performance is like Toshiba's, making a selection fifty-fifty more hard.
Whichever route you get, you get a considerable storage upgrade and slightly faster speeds while saving money. The question is whether you lot need every GB and want to save even more than money. The option is yours.
Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central
At that place are simply a few instruments needed to swap out the Surface Pro eight SSD, but they are crucial:
- New Yard.2 2230 SSD
- Torx T3 screwdriver
- SIM Tool ejector
- USB Pollex Drive (Type-C, or Type-A with Blazon-C adapter; 16GB or larger)
- Surface Pro 8 Recovery Files
- Thermal paste (optional)
- Prying tool or X-ACTO knife (optional)
- Rubbing alcohol and Q-tips (optional)
Thermal paste, a prying tool, and rubbing alcohol are not obligatory as it depends on how detailed y'all desire to exist with the replacement. Microsoft ships its SSD in a metal enclosure for protection, functioning additionally as a heat sink. It uses a pocket-size amount of thermal paste sandwiched between the drive and the casing. SSDs typically do not produce that much heat (compared to a CPU or GPU), so the do good is likely minimal.
Some people mount the Thou.2 SSD directly, only information technology may rattle due to the thinness without the enclosure. Users can add a shim to stop the rattle or put the new SSD into the erstwhile enclosure with (or without) adding the thermal paste.
For this tutorial, I volition re-utilise the metal sleeve and re-paste the thermal chemical compound.
Making a Windows eleven Recovery Drive
Since the replacement SSD does not take an OS, you volition need to reinstall Windows 11 after the swap. The easiest way is to load Microsoft's official Surface Pro 8 recovery files to a USB bulldoze, every bit this gives you all the necessary drivers for Surface Pro 8. Doing and then restores Surface Pro viii to its manufactory land.
The procedure is elementary. Nosotros're going to wipe and configure the USB bulldoze to be bootable and and so re-create over the Surface Pro 8 + Windows eleven recovery files to information technology. Here'due south how:
- Plug your 16GB+ USB drive plugged into the Surface Pro 8.
-
Search for Recovery Drive and launch the application.
Source: Windows Central -
Uncheck Back upwardly organisation files to the recovery drive as it is not needed.
Source: Windows Central -
Continue with the prompts to format and wipe the drive. This procedure configures the USB to be used as a bootable recovery drive for Windows 11.
Source: Windows Cardinal -
Download the half-dozen.4GB of Surface Pro 8 Recovery Files past entering in your Surface Pro 8 serial number (you can find that series in the Surface app on your device or printed backside the kickstand.)
Source: Windows Central -
Unzip and extract all the Surface Pro eight Recovery Files to the USB drive copying over any duplicates.
Source: Windows Central
Put the thumb drive to the side for now, as it volition be used after swapping the SSD.
Surface Pro 8: Swapping the SSD
Now that we take the substitute SSD and necessary tools, nosotros can supercede the Surface Pro 8'southward storage. Ensure you lot have backed up whatever files, photos, videos, or documents before removing the old SSD.
- Power downward Surface Pro 8 (Hold the ability push button down.)
-
Open up the rear SIM/SSD panel found under the kickstand using a SIM tool.
Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central -
Use the T3 Torx screwdriver to remove the single screw holding in the SSD.
Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Cardinal -
Gently lift the SSD up at a slight angle and pull the SSD towards you lot (wiggle it back and forth.)
Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Cardinal
If you exercise not plan to re-use the SSD metal enclosure, you could slide in the new SSD and secure it with the holding screw. In one case completed, move on to the next section on reinstalling Windows 11.
If yous want to re-utilise the SSD enclosure (and re-paste it), continue to these steps:
-
Using a sparse prying tool or Ten-ACTO knife, gently tease autonomously the enclosure starting from each side. It'south very thin metal.
Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central -
Remove the former SSD.
Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Key -
Remove quondam thermal paste from the inner enclosure using rubbing alcohol and Q-Tips.
Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Fundamental -
Remove the label/sticker from the new SSD (if there is one.)
Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central -
Add a tiny driblet of thermal paste to the top of the SSD (ane/2 a pea.)
Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Key -
Gently smooth the paste around the entire black surface area of the SSD.
Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Cardinal - Put the SSD back into the enclosure and close it, lightly pressing the sides to crimp it in place.
- Reinsert SSD enclosure into Surface Pro 8, securing it with the single set spiral.
- Replace rear enclosure door.
Do not add a lot of thermal paste every bit it is not strictly needed. Nor do you need expensive thermal paste, as this is not a high-functioning CPU. Y'all desire a very thin layer when spread out, as too much paste defeats the purpose.
Once completed, you should save the old SSD. Since that SSD is just your old Bone and files, it'll boot right back up, were you to reinsert it back into Surface Pro 8. If you transport in your Surface Pro viii for a Microsoft warranty merits considering it breaks, you'll want to put back the original drive and go along your after-marketplace purchase every bit yous may not become it returned.
Surface Pro viii: Reinstalling Windows eleven
Now that the new SSD is in identify, you need to reinstall Windows 11. It is recommended to have Surface Pro 8 plugged in for AC power during this process (don't power it on withal until stride two beneath):
- Insert the USB thumb drive into Surface Pro 8'due south Type-C port (either i.)
- Printing and agree power and volume downwards (-) buttons at the same fourth dimension.
- When the Surface logo appears on screen release only the ability button.
- Proceed to agree the volume down (-) key for 10 seconds until the recovery menu appears.
- From the blueish Windows recovery carte cull your language.
-
On the next screen, select Recover from a drive.
Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central - Follow the remainder of the prompts to reinstall Windows eleven.
Reinstalling Windows 11 should take well-nigh ten minutes. Windows 11 at present grabs the latest cumulative updates and drivers during the install. Information technology'll exist but like when you start turned on Surface Pro eight with the unabridged "out-of-box feel."
Surface Pro viii SSD Upgrade: Benchmarks
Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central
Upgrading the Surface Pro eight with a 1TB SSD brought ii enhancements. Storage size increased from ~197GB to 823GB, which is the main point of this upgrade. Additionally, storage performance increased, which is expected.
For context, read performance is what yous feel when running Windows 11 and launching apps — basically, everyday Bone operations. Write speed is when you write to disk to create big files, install apps/games, and transfer information, so you lot don't experience it as much.
My results may vary slightly from yours due to the randomization of input/output operations, simply sequential read jumped from 2,390MB/s to 2,895MB/due south — a internet gain of 505MB per second. Sequential write likewise had a modest comeback going from 1,609MB/south to i,993 MB/s — an increment of most 400 MB per second.
Source: Windows Primal
While sequential speeds did see a significant bump, random read and write did not, although they did slightly amend.
The improved operation is not globe-shattering, but the SSDs in Surface devices are never swell, to begin with (Surface Laptop Studio being the single exception). And so, any bit here helps.
The best part of this update is the value. If you can spare just shy of $200 for the bulldoze and tools, you'll take fabricated your Surface Pro 8 much more valuable as your primary PC. Practiced luck!
Surface Pro 8
Basically perfect
Bottom line: Surface Pro 8 finally hits its full potential with the all-new redesign for 2021. This model is a worthwhile upgrade with Thunderbolt 4, optional LTE, 120Hz display, new haptic Slim Pen 2, 11th Gen Intel, and a new graphite colorway.
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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/surface-pro-8-ssd
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