Keep external SSDs tidy on desk

[Wando64]

This is hardly a great problem, but I wonder if any of you have found an elegant way of keeping external SSD (in my case a T5 and a T7) cleanly positioned within your Mini setup.
At the moment I am keeping them ON the mini, however as they are both metal, they tend to move about and look disorderly, as well as possibly risking scratching the Mini and/or the SSD cases.
I have considered using double sticky tape, but this would be inconvenient when/if I need to unplug the SSDs and also possibly risk leaving glue residues or permanent marks onto either the mac, or the SSDs (though I don’t care much about this).

Have you found a neat solution, or you just don’t care (which possibly is what I should be doing 😂)?

 

[Boyd01]

I have two 2tb Samsung T7's permanently attached to my Mini. They just sit behind it on the desk. The Mini itself is tucked underneath my 32" screen. It's a big mess of wires behind the Mini anyway since I have something attached to every port... the term "elegant" would probably not apply here.

Now, I also have three additional 2tb T7's that are clones of the other two plus the Mini internal SSD. They are only connected during backup and I leave a USB-C cable sticking out under the monitor for them. Then there are three old Samsung T3's with archival data that are not used very often, they also connect to that USB-C cable.

 

[skyhawkmatthew]

When I was using a Mini, it sat on top of my fiancée’s PC. I just connected my T5 to one of the USB-C ports and let it hang down behind the PC below the mini. The T5 is so light I figured there wasn’t any concern of it a) coming unplugged at the SSD end under gravity or b) damaging the computer’s USB port. Never had an issue!

Now I have an M1 iMac and it is conveniently hidden behind the stand between the computer and the wall.

 

[circatee]

Depending on your desk, you could install one of those wire mesh cable storage units under the desk. Then, merely rest the storage devices there, out of sight.

With that, you can also easily remove them, if needed. No residue or anything

 

[Wando64]

Yes, that’s what I thought. I am not even sure what it is that I was hoping to find. Maybe some way of neatly stack them beside, or on top of, the mini.
I will try to find a way to hide them better, protected from accidental knocks.

Thanks

 

[jermy4]

I don't have any of these but this might be what you're looking for:

OWC miniStack External Storage Enclosure for 2010-2023 Mac mini

OWC miniStack offers USB 3.2 (5Gb/s) speeds, sleek design, MagLev cooling, and serves as a stackable external drive for 2010-2023 Apple Mac mini.

eshop.macsales.com

 

[robotica]

I use velcro stickers

 

[weaztek]

I got the shelf at the Dollar Tree for a buck. I glued on 1/2" feet to the CD-R (sitting on the Mini) so there is some space for the Mini to cool down.

I wouldn't want anything sitting directly on my Mini for thermal reasons. Not because the machine will overheat (it has fans and thermostats for that), but because it runs better cool and when it gets near 100ºC it throttles down and the fans kick on.

 

[Boyd01]

I don't have any of these but this might be what you're looking for

Probably not, since the Samsung T3 and T5 are external SSD's sealed in enclosures. I suppose you could try to remove the internal SSD and put it into one of those, but that doesn't seem too practical.

 

[pshufd]

My mini is behind a monitor so it's mostly out of sight but the external 2 TB SSD is next to it on the table.

 

[Kenny99]

I use the "Soft Touch Bumpers" (Amazon) to keep mine form sliding around and spacing for Heat.

 

[yellowhelicopter]

Not quite aesthetic but works )

PS: In case of M1. I guess it's not a good idea to cover Intel Mini like that.

 

[sublunar]

I have two 2tb Samsung T7's permanently attached to my Mini. They just sit behind it on the desk. The Mini itself is tucked underneath my 32" screen. It's a big mess of wires behind the Mini anyway since I have something attached to every port... the term "elegant" would probably not apply here.

Now, I also have three additional 2tb T7's that are clones of the other two plus the Mini internal SSD. They are only connected during backup and I leave a USB-C cable sticking out under the monitor for them. Then there are three old Samsung T3's with archival data that are not used very often, they also connect to that USB-C cable.

Do you ever get disconnects when the mini is waking from sleep? That used to affect the 2012 model.

 

[Boyd01]

No... because my Mini never sleeps. Have read many posts about this as well as displays not getting recognized after sleep. So I have my monitor set to sleep but not the computer. I just shut it down when finished for the day.

 

[pshufd]

I sleep my mini - either manually or via timeout. I do not have any issues with monitors and I can access the mini over the network and I don't believe that that turns the monitors on. So wake on network works and I can access files off of it. This is similar to my Windows 10 desktop with the same behavior - it wakes on network access and is available, even if I manually sleep it.

 

[Pierre535]

I just let mine hang behind my desk by their cables. Easy and cheap.

 

[Fatus_Asticus]

I've been wanting to make a small shelf under the desk at the back and sticking ancillary crap there. That would only leave a single USB c cable off the back.