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OWC miniStack STX

jazz1

jazz1

macrumors 601
Original poster
Aug 19, 2002
4,700
20,307
Mid-West USA

OWC miniStack STX | Mac mini Thunderbolt Storage Solution

Expand your Mac mini’s potential with the OWC miniStack STX. These solutions offer Thunderbolt storage and additional connectivity for seamless performance.
eshop.macsales.com

I was just looking around this morning and found this new, and interesting device. I have their earlier MiniStack that I use to back-up my M1 MacMini.

This one is beyond my needs, but I thought others might like the Thunderbolt 4 hub aspect of this external hard drive.

I'm just a customer. I have no affiliation with OWC/MacSales, there than they get my money ?
 
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If Apple offers a Space Black Apple silicon-powered Mac mini (Pro), then the color should be fine; but that blue logo has to go...!

I would also like to see two USB-A ports on the back, and an optical audio out port on the back as well would be nice; a single USB-A & a single USB-C port on the front would be great for charging things...!
 
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jazz1 said:

OWC miniStack STX | Mac mini Thunderbolt Storage Solution

Expand your Mac mini’s potential with the OWC miniStack STX. These solutions offer Thunderbolt storage and additional connectivity for seamless performance.
eshop.macsales.com

I was just looking around this morning and found this new, and interesting device. I have their earlier MiniStack that I use to back-up my M1 MacMini.

This one is beyond my needs, but I thought others might like the Thunderbolt 4 hub aspect of this external hard drive.

I'm just a customer. I have no affiliation with OWC/MacSales, there than they get my money ?
Click to expand...
This looks good to me but if you read the details on the OWC website it states the you can read and write at 770mbs (I assume they mean to the internal drives). Seems like it is limiting the NVME speed to something like usb 3.1 gen 2 not TB.
 
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Plenty of room inside the case for a built-in power supply, but they failed to engineer it. I can't be bothered with an external DC power brick. No front ports. I think my Mac mini hub needs are quite simple and very common sense, but no one is producing it.
 
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I think it is an interesting item but alas, for the price and OWC on the front. I can live with the bottleneck on the internal drives as I would likely use it for backup or storage of media files which neither requires uber speeds. The additional TB is where one could hang those needed high speed drives (assuming it would handle those, properly).
 
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Boil said:
...but that blue logo has to go...!
Click to expand...

Okay, now their product pics show a white logo on a black background, and it appears to be a sticker/plaque-esque type of treatment...?

Since it is a pre-release product (meaning, not shipping yet), maybe OWC heard the mumbling from others about the blue logo, and the new white front logo is removable...

Now offer it in colors that will match the Mac mini (Silver & Space Gray), and fix the slow NVMe speeds...! ;^p
 
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Boil said:
Okay, now their product pics show a white logo on a black background, and it appears to be a sticker/plaque-esque type of treatment...?

Since it is a pre-release product (meaning, not shipping yet), maybe OWC heard the mumbling from others about the blue logo, and the new white front logo is removable...

Now offer it in colors that will match the Mac mini (Silver & Space Gray), and fix the slow NVMe speeds...! ;^p
Click to expand...
The light on the front is blue when connected white when it is not.
 

I would love to see a USB-4 (TB4) variant of the OWC miniStack STX...

Just a single USB-4 (TB4) port on the back to attach to a Mac mini (M1 Max model, thanks)...

Two USB ports (one USB-C style & one USB-A style) on the front (mainly for thumb drives & charging devices), a headset jack, and a power button...

NVMe M.2 slot & 3.5" SATA III slot within; OS & apps on stock Mac mini internal SSD, files on M.2 SSD, Time Machine on SATA HDD...?

I want the speed of the NVMe & the mass storage of the SATA...!
 
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Joestanxx said:
I sold my OWC STX, The NVME speed was less than 700 mbs. The one looks like it will perform much better.
Click to expand...
I am using the new item now. My Intel 660p is giving 1200 R/W. These drives are 1800 R/W. Didn't expect much. I have a Samsung 970 EVO Plus on the way and will report back with those speeds. I'm selling my Ministack STX. And, by the way, you CAN disconnect the ugly logo lights.
 
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Boil said:

I would love to see a USB-4 (TB4) variant of the OWC miniStack STX...

Just a single USB-4 (TB4) port on the back to attach to a Mac mini (M1 Max model, thanks)...

Two USB ports (one USB-C style & one USB-A style) on the front (mainly for thumb drives & charging devices), a headset jack, and a power button...

NVMe M.2 slot & 3.5" SATA III slot within; OS & apps on stock Mac mini internal SSD, files on M.2 SSD, Time Machine on SATA HDD...?

I want the speed of the NVMe & the mass storage of the SATA...!
Click to expand...
Did you see my post #12?
 
nobullone1964 said:
I am using the new item now. My Intel 660p is giving 1200 R/W. These drives are 1800 R/W. Didn't expect much. I have a Samsung 970 EVO Plus on the way and will report back with those speeds. I'm selling my Ministack STX. And, by the way, you CAN disconnect the ugly logo lights.
Click to expand...
nobullone1964 said:
disconnect
Click to expand...
nobullone1964 said:
I am using the new item now. My Intel 660p is giving 1200 R/W. These drives are 1800 R/W. Didn't expect much. I have a Samsung 970 EVO Plus on the way and will report back with those speeds. I'm selling my Ministack STX. And, by the way, you CAN disconnect the ugly logo lights.
Click to expand...
Any advice on how to do this safely?
 
nobullone1964 said:
If you're speaking of the logo...there is a small plug that can be unplugged from the LED connection. Just pull it out.
Click to expand...
I asked OWC and they said it would void the warranty. I pointed out that the instructions for inserting a drive advise unplugging it, but they said that it would cause problems with the unit in the long term. Really?!
 
sharprichnorth said:
I asked OWC and they said it would void the warranty. I pointed out that the instructions for inserting a drive advise unplugging it, but they said that it would cause problems with the unit in the long term. Really?!
Click to expand...
It's a simple little plug. A miniature version of the power plugs used in a Mac Pro for video cards. I unplugged it soon after receiving my unit. No problems. Anyway, if it has to be sent in for repair simply plug it back in before mailing.
 
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