For my Mac mini (2018), I have an internal 256GB SSD and an external 256GB SSD (housed in an OWC case).
The setup works well for me.
richmlow
The setup works well for me.
richmlow
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What is your Mac Mini SSD set up?
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*checks between sofa cushions*
"Hey, look, I found a backup!"
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On topic: I've got a '18 with 512GB internal storage, and I'm running a ~1TB, external TB3 Tekq drive, it's tiny, silent and fast as heck !
Thanks for asking about my Mac Mini setup, because I've put quite some time in it lately 
I've aqcuired a cheap Mac Mini '12 just to experiment with the hardware. I replaced the HDD with a 240GB SSD, what went quite well. I placed a second SSD, same model and size, and was very happy with the good speed it delivered. I tried to upgrade to Sierra, and found out that appleraid is not supported.
I tried to outsmart the system by creating a Fusion drive with two SSD's, but i came only one version upgrade further. Mojave and Catalina told me that a Fusion drive only is "allowed" if one of the drives is a slow HDD. Bummer.
I've read that it was possible if you clone the OS to an external drive and back, with a lot of terminal tinkering. I've tried that this night with SuperDuper, but I could not make the new RAID set the startup disk, but the disk could not be "blessed". Apparently, there's a bug in Bless which makes that it can't place files on a certain volumes because it can't see thes volumes.
I almost gave up and rebooted the mini the the option key pressed, with the intention to start over again. But I saw the Raid setup as bootable, and it did. Without any error messages. Yeey! So no terminal tinkering was even needed.
According to Blackmagic Disk Speed Test, performance of the disk is doubled, in writing and reading. That's probably theoretical, but there's progress.
I'm now finished with my project. Anyone want to buy a MacMini '12 souped up to the max?
I've aqcuired a cheap Mac Mini '12 just to experiment with the hardware. I replaced the HDD with a 240GB SSD, what went quite well. I placed a second SSD, same model and size, and was very happy with the good speed it delivered. I tried to upgrade to Sierra, and found out that appleraid is not supported.
I tried to outsmart the system by creating a Fusion drive with two SSD's, but i came only one version upgrade further. Mojave and Catalina told me that a Fusion drive only is "allowed" if one of the drives is a slow HDD. Bummer.
I've read that it was possible if you clone the OS to an external drive and back, with a lot of terminal tinkering. I've tried that this night with SuperDuper, but I could not make the new RAID set the startup disk, but the disk could not be "blessed". Apparently, there's a bug in Bless which makes that it can't place files on a certain volumes because it can't see thes volumes.
I almost gave up and rebooted the mini the the option key pressed, with the intention to start over again. But I saw the Raid setup as bootable, and it did. Without any error messages. Yeey! So no terminal tinkering was even needed.
According to Blackmagic Disk Speed Test, performance of the disk is doubled, in writing and reading. That's probably theoretical, but there's progress.
I'm now finished with my project. Anyone want to buy a MacMini '12 souped up to the max?
I seem to be an outlier here ...
2018 Mini with 500 GB SSD.
OWC four drive enclosure with the four drives from my 2010 MacPro. The original 1 TB HD (now has music collection); two 500 GB SSDs (one is system backup, one is Mojave - I’m running Catalina now without issue so this likely be repurposed soon); a 2 TB firecuda drive used for current photography projects).
Five external drives of varying sizes, 4 to 8 TB. One is for time machine. Two are for image files. The other two are for local backup of those two image file disks (I use Backblaze for offsite backup). Two of the drives are FireWire the other three USB 3.
2018 Mini with 500 GB SSD.
OWC four drive enclosure with the four drives from my 2010 MacPro. The original 1 TB HD (now has music collection); two 500 GB SSDs (one is system backup, one is Mojave - I’m running Catalina now without issue so this likely be repurposed soon); a 2 TB firecuda drive used for current photography projects).
Five external drives of varying sizes, 4 to 8 TB. One is for time machine. Two are for image files. The other two are for local backup of those two image file disks (I use Backblaze for offsite backup). Two of the drives are FireWire the other three USB 3.
2018 Mini 500GB SSD
I have 3 external SSD plugged in to the TB ports.
One is a samsung T5 500GB I am using for Windows games and windows files, and file transfers.
Then I have 2 Crucial SSD's
MX300 500GB using a StarTech USB-C to Sata adapter (Carbon Copy Cloner)
and a MX500 1TB using a NekTeck 2.5 inch USB Type C 3.1 Enclosure. (TM)
If I transported them the T5 would be my top pick.
The MX500 in the NekTeck enclosure is my top pick for performance vs $
I have 3 external SSD plugged in to the TB ports.
One is a samsung T5 500GB I am using for Windows games and windows files, and file transfers.
Then I have 2 Crucial SSD's
MX300 500GB using a StarTech USB-C to Sata adapter (Carbon Copy Cloner)
and a MX500 1TB using a NekTeck 2.5 inch USB Type C 3.1 Enclosure. (TM)
If I transported them the T5 would be my top pick.
The MX500 in the NekTeck enclosure is my top pick for performance vs $
2 different setups for 2018 machines.
1 - 6core, 1TB, 32GB, 10Gb, eGPU Vega64 watercooled, 32" 4K monitor
- external storage is 2 different NAS drives, a 40TB and a 24TB.
1 - 6core, 512GB, 32GB, eGPU Vega64, 49" 5K2K monitor
- external storage is a 30TB NAS
if I have a NEED for quick external to go between machines I have 2 - 2TB Sandisk Extreme SSD, 2 - 1TB Samsung T5 a 500GB T5 and a 250GB T3.
USB3 drives. I won't pay nvme or thunderbolt external drive pricing for quite some time. The speed to $$$ ratio for me is not there for my usage case.
Then 20 other 2014 - 2010 models but they aren't nearly as fancy pantsys.
1 - 6core, 1TB, 32GB, 10Gb, eGPU Vega64 watercooled, 32" 4K monitor
- external storage is 2 different NAS drives, a 40TB and a 24TB.
1 - 6core, 512GB, 32GB, eGPU Vega64, 49" 5K2K monitor
- external storage is a 30TB NAS
if I have a NEED for quick external to go between machines I have 2 - 2TB Sandisk Extreme SSD, 2 - 1TB Samsung T5 a 500GB T5 and a 250GB T3.
USB3 drives. I won't pay nvme or thunderbolt external drive pricing for quite some time. The speed to $$$ ratio for me is not there for my usage case.
Then 20 other 2014 - 2010 models but they aren't nearly as fancy pantsys.
Presumably you use the external drives for other purposes too (seeing as you have imacs, MBP etc... i'm interested in your profession tbh!) but I wonder whether investing in 10GbE for the second machine might have ended up a wiser investment than some of the external storage? Sending the files directly over a network would be approaching or exceeding NVME speeds once you factor in the distinct write and read processes involved in using an external drive.
My 2018 mini has the 512GB internal SSD, with pretty 'default' setup (apps, home folders, etc all in default locations).
I also use a 512GB M2 in a USB3.1Gen2 case for "work" (cloned repos of source code, and whatever VMs I've got setup at the time). The major reason I use an external for work stuff (besides upgradability and better $/GB ratio) is that I can unplug it from the Mini and plug it into my MBP15 and be up and working again within about 10 minutes at most. This is handy for 'normal' things like if I need to do any work while away from the home office, or in 'exceptional' circumstances, like the Mini decides to take a dirt nap.
I'm still looking for a locally available TB3 portable SSD/case, once I find one I'm happy with I'll use that in place of the current one, and relegate the current one to some other task.
I also use a 512GB M2 in a USB3.1Gen2 case for "work" (cloned repos of source code, and whatever VMs I've got setup at the time). The major reason I use an external for work stuff (besides upgradability and better $/GB ratio) is that I can unplug it from the Mini and plug it into my MBP15 and be up and working again within about 10 minutes at most. This is handy for 'normal' things like if I need to do any work while away from the home office, or in 'exceptional' circumstances, like the Mini decides to take a dirt nap.
I'm still looking for a locally available TB3 portable SSD/case, once I find one I'm happy with I'll use that in place of the current one, and relegate the current one to some other task.
I just came back around to Macs. I am using a 2011 mini as my main desktop. 2TB internal SSD. It actually came with a 240GB SSD when I bought it, but that's far too small. I use it for plex and daily use.