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

Mac Studio models with M1 Max/M1 Ultra and M2 Max/M2 Ultra processors are equipped with Thunderbolt 4 ports (USB-C shaped connector), so Thunderbolt 3 / Thunderbolt 4 external storage is the best and fastest external storage (up to 40 Gb/s) for these models.

The current Mac Studio models with M3 Ultra/M4 Max processors have even faster Thunderbolt 5 ports (up to 120 Gb/s). Although Thunderbolt 3/Thunderbolt 4 external storage drives also will work, Thunderbolt 5 is the best and fastest option.

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.

Inexpensive Mac Studio-Specific External Storage

For many users, because many Mac mini models -- those released prior to ones equipped with M4/M4 Pro processors -- and the Mac Studio models both have a 7.7 inch by 7.7 inch footprint, the size-compatible OWC miniStack STX will be a good option.

Photo Credit: OWC miniStack STX - Front (Underneath Mac mini)

The inexpensive OWC miniStack STX stacks neatly with the Mac Studio (and many Mac mini models) and supports two storage drives -- one universal SATA HDD/SSD and an NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD. It includes an integrated three port Thunderbolt 4 hub, too.

OWC miniStack STX provides up to 770 MB/s transfer speed, supports much as 18 TB of internal storage and its external ports support "a mix of up to five Thunderbolt devices, three USB devices, and two displays".

High-Performance Desktop Storage Option

For those interested in 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 Thunderbolt 5-eqipped OWC ThunderBlade X12.

Photo Credit: OWC ThunderBlade X12

Backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 4, the OWC ThunderBlade X12 has twelve M.2 NVMe SSDs for up to 96 TB of storage. It delivers a blazing 6600MB/s peak transfer speed (5900MB/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 sleek, inexpensive, and size-specific storage solution or one that maximizes speed and capacity, the OWC miniStack STX and OWC ThunderBlade X12 are ideal options to consider.