--- title: "Elon Musk: $2,000 Tesla Computer Upgrade Not Worth It" description: "According to a Wednesday tweet, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has his doubts that the company's upcoming computer upgrade option will be worth $2,000." date: "2019-12-19" modified: "2019-12-19" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-tesla-upgrade-not-worth-it" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "Tesla" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "mcu2" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Elon Musk: $2,000 Tesla Computer Upgrade Not Worth It ![According to a Wednesday tweet, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has its doubt that the company's upcoming computer upgrade option will be worth $2,000.]() *\Image: Tesla/Victor Tangermann\* ## Less-Than-OK Computer Starting in March 2018, any new Tesla came equipped with MCU2, an upgraded version of the vehicles' media computer. At the time, Tesla CEO Elon Musk [promised]() that existing customers would be able to upgrade their computers at a later date. That option still hasn't materialized, but it now seems that if or when it does, Musk doesn't recommend it. ## A Thorny Problem On Wednesday, Musk [tweeted]() his doubts that the upcoming computer upgrade option will even be worth the money. "MCU (infotainment computer) upgrade not recommended \[in my opinion\]," he tweeted. "Isn’t needed for full self-driving & cost is \~$2k for limited entertainment improvements." In a [follow-up tweet](), Musk explained that it's "quite a thorny hardware problem, as there are many \[different\] versions of MCU and Autopilot computer and supporting hardware." ## Appeasing Early Adopters MCU2 features a much faster Intel Atom processor than its MCU1 predecessor, which [enables]() things like Tesla Arcade [video games](), USB controller support, and much faster internet browsing. It also offers features including video streaming, TeslaCam, and Sentry Mode. Rather than offering a hardware swap upgrade, Musk hinted that a software update to MCU1 vehicles could result in a sufficient performance boost for early customers, as [*Electrek* reports](). It's still unclear if these software updates will enable the latest features — or when Tesla owners might expect to see them. **READ MORE:** [Elon Musk: Tesla MCU computer upgrade going to be $2,000, but don’t recommend it]() \[*Electrek*\] **More on Tesla:** *[Tesla Owner’s Dashcam Footage Proves Cop Wrong]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()