Microsoft unveiled some intriguing changes to its Surface Hub 2 earlier this week. The giant 50-inch display will now ship in two versions, and the Surface Hub 2S model that launches next year will include a modular “processor cartridge” that will let owners upgrade to the Surface Hub 2X in 2020. The cartridge slots into the rear of the Surface Hub 2 and upgrades its internal components, including the processor, motherboard, and RAM. It’s simply the guts of the entire PC in a puck-like size.

These cartridges will be used to upgrade the Surface Hub 2 over time, and even service the devices if parts fail. Essentially, the Surface Hub 2 is a now giant display with a removable PC attached to it. This sounds like a great path forward for Microsoft’s other all-in-one pc, the Surface Studio.

Microsoft has patented a modular Surface Studio

Microsoft’s all-in-one PC was originally unveiled nearly two years ago, and it includes a 28-inch display with all the PC components housed in a base unit. Patents that appeared for the Surface Studio detailed exact drawings of the device and a modular concept of stackable units for the PC to upgrade and change components over time. The Surface Studio never debuted with a modular design, but it seemed like the perfect monitor to attach to an existing Surface device or to have an upgradeable base.

These new processor cartridges in the Surface Hub 2 seem like an ideal candidate for a successor to the Surface Studio. Microsoft was clearly investigating this design at some point, as the patent filings show, but it’s not clear whether its plans progressed. The Surface Studio shipped with underwhelming specs, and the hardware is long due a refresh. Microsoft is holding a Surface hardware event next week in New York, where we’re expecting to hear more about the company’s latest devices.

Modular hardware isn’t an easy task, though. Phone makers have tried it with little success, Samsung made its smart TVs upgradeable, and even Lenovo has tried to sell the idea of a tiny PC attached to a monitor. Microsoft might not want to attempt this for its more traditional Surface tablet hardware, but it does seem like an ideal time for its PCs to go modular in general.

We’re already in an era where you don’t have to upgrade a PC every year, and the latest processors don’t always have a significant performance boost for desktop PCs. If you build a custom PC, you’ll typically need to refresh the processor, RAM, and motherboard if you want to upgrade components. Combining this hardware into a simple upgrade module (like the Surface Hub 2 cartridge) could appeal to businesses and consumers alike. Microsoft is clearly testing this idea with the Surface Hub 2 for businesses that refresh hardware on a longer time scale, but if the company can pair the benefits of a hardware and software cartridge into a modular PC then it might just make the Surface Studio a lot more compelling.