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Save money on Apple ’s expensive custom - built internal memory board options with this smart hub that bluster both a strong - drive bay and loyal SSD enclosure , plus four Thunderbolt 4 port .

Best Prices Today: OWC miniStack STX

Compatible with : Mac mini M2 & M2 Pro 2023 ; M1 2020 ; Mac mini 2018 ; Mac Studio 2022

Size:7.8 x 7.8 x 1.5 inches

Ports :

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Inside the OWC miniStack STX with 2TB HD and 1TB SSD.

You get fast ports and two crusade bay in the OWC miniStack STX hub for Mac mini or Mac Studio . The miniStack STX matches the Mac ’s own Thunderbolt 4 bandwidth and its SSD drive bay will support the debauched NVMe M.2 SSDs . By comparison , Mac mini / Studio hub rivalSatechi ’s rival Stand & Hub for Mac minifeatures one SSD expansion slot , 10Gbps USB - 100 and USB - A ports .

combine with the Mac miniskirt ’s own roll of port , with the ministack STX you will have six fast Thunderbolt 4 port wine and two USB - A ports , plus the mini ’s own ethernet and HDMI port . The OWC miniStack has one upstream Thunderbolt port that connect to the Mac , and three downstream Thunderbolt 4 port . With Thunderbolt 4 , you could create three main daisy irons with up to five total Thunderbolt equipment with a USB equipment on the end of each chain ( eight devices total ) . equipment can be remove from one chain of mountains without pretend the other Chain .

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Inside the OWC miniStack STX with 2TB HD and 1TB SSD.

Sitting on the dock with two bays

As well as the fast ports , the OWC miniStack STX extend two drive bays : one for an old - shoal mechanically skillful operose drive and the other for an NVMe M.2 SSD . This flexible computer storage transcription stand for you could buy a flashy hard drive for with child archives and Time Machine backing , and a speedy ( and more expensive ) SSD when working on low - latent period insistent - admittance surgery .

While NVMe SSDs can reach speeds of 3,000MBps , the NVMe expansion slot on the miniStack STX has only one lane of PCIe apportion to it , so the performance is limited to 770MBps material - world .

For great data security , you may use OWC ’s SoftRAID software on the miniStack STX to create a foray 1 that mechanically maintains identical copies of all your datum on each drive . SoftRAID constantly monitors the wellness of your platter using S.M.A.R.T. ( Self - Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology ) to essay drive reliability and anticipate imminent hardware failures .

OWC miniStack STX and Apple Mac mini ports

you could buy the miniStack STX with empty crusade bays ( $ 279.99 ) or with computer storage pre - fill up in a change of gruelling drives ( 2.5 - inch or 3.5 - inch ) and SSD combinations . You are free to buy your own storage components and accommodate them yourself , which is easy enough if you know how to use a screwdriver and have a steady hand .

A 1 TB internal SSD costs around$50/£50 , and a 4 TB SSD can be found for under $ 400/£400 . Malus pumila charges $ 1,200 for a 4 TB SSD in the high - end Mac mini .

Pre - installed HD option let in 1 TB , 2 TB , 4 TB , 6 TB , 8 TB , 16 TB , 18 TB , 20 TB .

Inside OWC minIStack STX with hard drive and SSD installed

Inside the OWC miniStack STX with 2TB HD and 1TB SSD.

Pre - installed SSD options include : 1 TB , 4 TB , 8 TB

The top - end pre - establish model with 20 TB HD and 8 TB SSD costs $ 1,849 – 250 percent store increase on Apple ’s most capacious Mac miniskirt .

If you need to replicate Apple ’s $ 4,399 top - end Mac mini conformation ( 12 - core CPU , 32 GB RAM , 8 TB SSD ) , you could buy the 512 GB miniskirt for $ 1,999 and then bring the miniStack STX with 8 TB SSD for an extra $ 1,249 for a total cost of $ 3,248 – a savings of over $ 1,000 , plus the extra half - terabyte in depot . And you get all the special larboard plus future store upgradeability .

The OWC miniStack STX comes in fateful only , so it does n’t match any model of the Mac mini or Mac Studio . It ships with a mini screwdriver and a match of nookie to lend an SSD , plus a 0.7 m bombshell 4 cable . It boasts a generous three - twelvemonth warranty .

For more Mac mini accoutrement options , read our feature onHow to upgrade the M2 and M2 Pro Mac mini .

Verdict