The Samsung Series 3 Chromebox is a tiny computer designed to run Google’s Chrome operating system. It doesn’t have the fastest processor around or the highest storage capacity. But with 4GB of RAM, a 16GB solid state disk, and an Intel Celeron (or Core i5 CPU on developer models), it’s got more than enough power under the hood to run Chrome OS — an operating system designed around a web browser.
But if you want even better performance (or you want to run another operating system on the Chromebox), it turns out the little computer is very easy to upgrade.
Geek.com took apart a Chromebox to see what makes it tick — and found that you can literally open up the computer without a screwdriver. The bottom panel pops off and provides easy access to the internal components.
From there you can upgrade the RAM, or even remove the processor or solid state disk and put in a faster chip or a larger SSD.
You’ll need to clone your disk image or be prepared to reinstall Chrome OS (or another operating system) if you replace the solid state disk. But if you’re not sold on this whole keep-your-files-in-the-cloud thing and want more than 16GB of local storage, it’s nice to have the option.
Of course, if you’re not sold on the whole cloud computing thing, I’m not sure what you’re doing with a Chromebox in the first place… but the computer only costs about $330, so it’s not a very expensive investment.