What external storage options are available for the Mac Studio? Which is best?

Early Mac Studio models with M1 Max/M1 Ultra and M2 Max/M2 Ultra processors have Thunderbolt 4 ports (up to 40 Gb/s) whereas later Mac Studio with M3 Ultra/M4 Max and M5 Max/M5 Ultra processors -- including all current options -- have even faster Thunderbolt 5 ports (up to 120 Gb/s).

Thunderbolt 5 storage is the best and fastest option for recent Mac Studio models and is backwards compatible with older ones, as well, albeit operating at slower speeds.

Site sponsor Other World Computing offers a variety of good external storage selections for the Mac Studio and one likely will be among the best choices for you.

Affordable, High-Performance, Mac Studio-Specific External Storage

Designed specifically to stack on top of the 7.7" by 7.7" footprint of the Mac Studio -- and connected with an included Thunderbolt 5 cable -- the size-compatible OWC StudioStack provides not only fast storage but also serves as a hub with three Thunderbolt 5 ports and three USB 3.2 10 Gb/s USB-A ports.

Photo Credit: OWC StudioStack - Back (On Top of Mac Studio)

Available empty and ready to hold two storage drives -- one NVMe M.2 2280 SSD and one 3.5" SATA HDD -- or shipped with up to 32 TB of storage pre-installed (up to a 24 TB HDD and 8 TB SSD), the OWC StudioStack provides up to 6302 MB/s transfer speed for high performance applications.

Because it is straightforward to upgrade, you easily can add or swap out the storage in the future and choose between fast SSD storage and cheap, high capacity HDD storage depending on your needs and budget.

Highest-Performance Desktop Storage Options

For those interested in even faster and/or higher capacity storage -- but who do not mind taking up a little bit more desk space next to your Mac Studio -- you might prefer the also Thunderbolt 5-equipped OWC Express 4M2 Ultra or OWC ThunderBlade X12.

Photo Credit: OWC ThunderBlade X12

The OWC Express 4M2 Ultra holds four M.2 NVMe 2280 or 2242 SSDs for up to 32 TB of fast storage. It delivers up to 6622 MB/s transfer speed and supports daisy-chaining as many as four units as a single, unified volume for up to 128 TB of storage.

Finally, the OWC ThunderBlade X12 holds twelve M.2 NVMe SSDs for up to 192 TB of fast storage. It delivers 6600 MB/s peak transfer speed (5900 MB/s consistent, sustained write). It has a second Thunderbolt port so that you can daisy-chain up to five additional Thunderbolt devices, as well.

Whether you prefer a streamlined, size-specific box for your Mac Studio or prefer to go for maximum speed and storage space, the affordable OWC StudioStack or extremely fast, high capacity OWC Express 4M2 Ultra or OWC ThunderBlade X12 are ideal options to consider.