New Mac Mini Has Modular Storage, 256GB Model Will Have Faster SSD

[adamw]

It should be interesting to see if OWC or other third-party Apple providers supply SSD add-ons for the new M4 and M4 Pro Mac mini models.

Here is a good tear-down video for the new M4 Mac mini:

 

[paradox00]

It literally isn't. If that module is accurate, the connector is NOT the same as a standard m.2 NVMe SSD.

I would never expect Apple to use a standard SSD as they never have (except for 2.5" SATA maybe). All their "module" SSD's have been proprietary.

Yeah 2.5” SATA was used. But that was the Jobs era, not the Cook era. RAM used to be user serviceable too, with an access panel on MacBooks and iMacs, and easily accessed on the mini. Apple Silicon obviously complicates ram expandability, but Apple had to do extra work to not support NVMe SSDs.

 

[danielristic]

They finally stop soldering storage but you still can't swap SSDs, classic Apple move!

 

[chetzar]

It would be nice if Apple made the storage in its computers upgradeable. At least in desktops. For mobile, it's understood why they're soldered in.

Except it's not. The Surface Pro is just as thin and portable as a MacBook and the storage is user upgradeable on those...

 

[sw1tcher]

This is easily the biggest improvement in the design.

I beg to differ. The biggest improvement is the location of the power button.

 

[turbineseaplane]

but Apple had to do extra work to not support NVMe SSDs.

That's the key

They did this all on purpose so you'd have no choice but to pay their insanely overpriced upgrade fees

 

[paradox00]

Never going to happen. It’s been 12 years of socketed proprietary SSDs in the MacBook Pro. Everyone here should be used to how Apple is selling storage and plan accordingly in their budget.

I use external drives, will never support that money grab. I’ll give that money to companies other than Apple, as they don’t deserve it.

 

[SanderEvers]

Using sockets for an SSD.. what kind of wizardry is this, Apple?!

Honestly Apple should just - at least - add a seperate M.2 bay to their Macs so you can easily expand the storage. But yeah, that's not very economic for Apple.

 

[tyr2]

Has hell frozen over?

Things seem to have improved since they stopped wasting their time with Apple Car.

 

[MacsAre1]

That's literally what this is.

Is it though? Last time I replaced a Mac SSD I had to buy an adapter from OWC to be able to put in an nvme, because Apple couldn't be bothered to use the standard. I'd need confirmation that it's a standard M.2 nvme interface.

 

[macbetta]

Oh man this is rad! Yet another reason that base mini is calling my name from the darkness even though I don't need one lol. At this point I could replace my M1 Pro MBP I use for work with the base mini and be perfectly fine. (graphic design) Very tempted at this point to flip the MBP on ebay, grab a base mini w/ education discount, and net a couple hundred in profit. GPU in the M1 Pro still just slightly faster than base M4, but not enough to make much of a difference for the work I do at my day job with this machine. Downside is I lose the portability of the MBP which ultimately is whats going to keep me sticking with it for another couple years. At home the M1 Max Studio is still plenty enough power for my more intensive personal projects.

 

[iObama]

Simply use standard M2 NVMe SSDs.

But then they couldn't charge you $200 per upgrade.

 

[CWallace]

It should be interesting to see if OWC or other third-party Apple providers supply SSD add-ons for the new M4 and M4 Pro Mac mini models.

They can't as the NAND modules require authentication with the SSD controller in the SoC and Apple is not going to give that ability to third parties so they can significantly undercut Apple's prices. The only replacements will be using NAND modules scavenged from other Apple desktops that use the same NAND module (and that requires another Mac as you need to go into recovery mode to enable them and based on the thread of people doing so with Mac Studios, this is a bit of a pain).

 

[Return Zero]

I have lost my only excuse not to buy this

Same! I haven't personally owned a desktop Mac since my 2014 iMac that I sold about 5 years ago. As convenient as portable devices are, I have missed having a desktop more than I expected I would. I think I'm definitely going to pull the trigger now. I don't use it for anything professional and I have a few portable drives if I need additional storage. Base model value for me!

 

[ScooterComputer]

The fact that I’ve watched a dozen ‘reviews’ from Apple/Mac ‘tech’ vbloggers before this gets posted and NONE OF THEM talked about this…

All the big names… they clearly don't deserve to be called 'tech' reviewers any longer. 'Car & Driver' wasn't staffed by your grandma's bridge club; tech reviewers need to know tech, or they're just opinionated people blathering.

And to expand on this: all of these reviews had seeded review units. I don't care if Apple told them they couldn't open the units, then they should have refused to do the review until they could purchase them at retail with no such limitation! How many iJustines can the community handle?? (To be fair to iJustine, I like iJustine… I'm just quite disappointed that she decided to go 'dumb' vs remain a 'smart' tech reviewer, because I believe she's quite intelligent and has it in her to do better work. But she's shown that she's 100% captured by Apple Marketing. That's reputation destroying, imho. $3T companies shouldn't be afforded 'lackeys' by the community; and Apple, especially, should be above that, their history with referencing Orwell and all.)

 

[turbineseaplane]

Guys...you're not able to upgrade or change the storage here, despite it using a socket

There's no reason to be excited about it honestly

 

[pksv]

Expect it to be exactly the same as on Mac Studio:

So this is a non-standard connector and controller on board that is checked upon starting and it has to be original.
BUT (and this is a big win) NAND chips can be reballed and added up to 8TB.
This is a good middle ground as Apple will still be able to make a lot of money: no school or business will be playing with this solution but individuals will be able to have large memory cheaply.

 

[chetzar]

Expect it to be exactly the same as on Mac Studio:

So this is a non-standard connector and controller on board that is checked upon starting and it has to be original.
BUT (and this is a big win) NAND chips can be reballed and added up to 8TB.
This is a good middle ground as Apple will still be able to make a lot of money: no school or business will be playing with this solution but individuals will be able to have large memory cheaply.

I would really like to see this translated to the Macbook Pro. Why? Because as you stated, at the VERY least, WHEN the NAND chips bite the dust (and they will, because storage is one of the highest failing components of any computer), at least they could be repaired.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

It literally isn't. If that module is accurate, the connector is NOT the same as a standard m.2 NVMe SSD.

I would never expect Apple to use a standard SSD as they never have (except for 2.5" SATA maybe). All their "module" SSD's have been proprietary.

...and thus, 'we think you'll love it' profitable!!! 💰💰💰

 

[pksv]

I would really like to see this translated to the Macbook Pro. Why? Because as you stated, at the VERY least, WHEN the NAND chips bite the dust (and they will, because storage is one of the highest failing components of any computer), at least they could be repaired.

Yes, absolutely would love to see that on MBPs for at least the very reason you mentioned.

 

[CWallace]

I would really like to see this translated to the Macbook Pro. Why? Because as you stated, at the VERY least, WHEN the NAND chips bite the dust (and they will, because storage is one of the highest failing components of any computer), at least they could be repaired.

The modules would require the chassis to be thicker and heavier and while some of us tech tinkerer nerds may not care, a significant portion of the MacBook Pro customer base very much does.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

They absolutely have. Most of their blade drives may have had a non-standard connectors, but a cheap and simple adapter to remap pins solves that (for ex the 2013 mac pro I have sitting right in front of me right now with a bog standard wd nvme drive in it, or my old 2012 air which used an adapter to have a nice m2 sata drive replacement)

In this case it appears, as with the studio and the AS Mac Pros, the “drive” is just the NAND, but to say Apple has never used standard SSDs is silly

I'm familiar with those adapters for really old MacBooks. I used them. I guess yours and my definition of "standard" is different. To me, needing an adapter or converter to make something standard says it's non-standard in the first place. Apple has never supplied that adapter so they've not ever used a standard SSD or supported it.

 

[BorisDG]

I never owned any Mac based system and I'm quite excited for that base model Mac mini. I think I'm getting one.

 

[germinator]

Great news. Expect aftermarket modules to appear soon. Just need to nail that DFU restore procedure.

 

[cicalinarrot]

Same! I haven't personally owned a desktop Mac since my 2014 iMac that I sold about 5 years ago. As convenient as portable devices are, I have missed having a desktop more than I expected I would. I think I'm definitely going to pull the trigger now. I don't use it for anything professional and I have a few portable drives if I need additional storage. Base model value for me!

Do it, go with base model, it's an incredible deal now that the SSD is repairable. It gets worse if you upgrade components.
I went from 2015 MacBook Pro to M1 Mac Mini and the performance gap was absurd. I absolutely mistreat that thing and never have to worry. The M4 must be a beast.