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Apple Silicon Mac mini Q&A
Update Published February 8, 2023
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What external storage options are available for the Apple Silicon Mac mini? Which is the best?
Different Apple Silicon Mac mini models have different ports for connectivity, although all have a type of Thunderbolt (USB-C) as well as USB-A ports:
Apple Silicon Mac mini |
Thunderbolt |
USB-A |
2 (TB 3, 40 Gb/s) |
2 (5 Gb/s) |
|
2 (TB 4, 40 Gb/s) |
2 (5 Gb/s) |
|
4 (TB 4, 40 Gb/s) |
2 (5 Gb/s) |
|
4 (TB 4, 40 Gb/s) |
2 (5 Gb/s) |
For all practical purposes, the Apple Silicon Mac mini models work with Thunderbolt 3/4 (USB-C) and USB 3.0 (USB-A). Because Thunderbolt is faster, you generally should opt for Thunderbolt whenever feasible.
Site sponsor Other World Computing offers a variety of good external storage options for the Apple Silicon Mac mini and earlier Mac mini systems and one likely will be among the best for you.
Attractive Mac mini-Specific External Storage
For most users, the size-specific OWC miniStack STX will be the perfect storage for the Apple Silicon Mac mini.
Photo Credit: OWC miniStack STX - Front (Underneath Mac mini)
The affordable OWC miniStack STX stacks nicely under the Mac mini 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.
Photo Credit: OWC miniStack STX - Ports (Underneath Mac mini)
The OWC miniStack STX provides as 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".
There are assorted knockoff versions of this type of product bouncing around the Internet, but they commonly have a bad habit of overheating. Stick with a trusted brand, for sure.
High-Capacity Desktop Storage Options
For those interested in higher capacity storage, you might also want to consider options that are physically larger but that are more upgradable and that cost less on a per gigabyte basis.
Photo Credit: OWC Express 4M2 (Left), Thunderbay 4 (Right)
Two good options include the OWC Express 4M2 and OWC Thunderbay 4.
The OWC Express 4M2 supports as many as four industry-standard M.2 NVMe SSDs, so it is affordable to start with a single SSD and add as many as three more fast SSDs as needed.
The Thunderbay 4 supports four 2.5" or 3.5" SSDs or hard drives and is not as fast, but it makes it inexpensive to add as much as 80 TB of storage.
Installation Videos
You might find these videos that explain how to install storage in the miniStack STX, Express 4M2, and Thunderbay 4 helpful, as well:
miniStack STX Installation Instructions
Express 4M2 Installation Instructions
Thunderbay 4 Installation Instructions
Whether you want a small and attractive solution or one that adds maximum storage capacity, these options have you covered.
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