The new Mac mini is definitely full of surprises. The (very small) desktop computer has removable storage space, which in theory will make replacing the component easier. But the operation will not be as simple as it seems.
Not content with being among the most powerful (and most compact!) Macs ever designed by Apple, the all-new Mac mini hides other surprises. A video teardown carried out by a Chinese repair store indicates that the SSD storage space of the 256 GB model is made up of two NAND flash memory sticks (128 GB each, of course): in other words, the read speed and in writing of the base model will be equivalent to the better equipped Macs (from 512 GB to 2 TB).
On previous Macs, Apple was content to slip a single NAND strip onto the entry-level models, which has the effect of reducing the performance of the SSD (several NAND chips give the SSD better speeds). This was the case with the Mac mini M2, the predecessor of the Mac mini M4: the storage of the 256 GB version was 30 to 50% slower than the other models.
Read M2 MacBook Pros would have slower SSDs than M1 models for the cheapest configurations
That's the first good news. The second is that the SSD can be removed from the Mac mini: it is therefore possible to replace it with a more generous model! And when we see the price of the options charged by Apple (€230 for 512 GB storage, €920 for 2 TB…), the possibility of being able to change storage “by hand” is welcome.
Mac mini 2024 M4 256 GB at the best price Base price: €699
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But be careful: the operation will not be as simple as sliding a new SSD into the slot of the old one. The Mac Studio also benefits from a removable SSD, but replacing it is not as simple as on a PC. The NAND strips used by Apple include a controller integrated into the Mx chip. The system requires a DFU mode restore, which uses a unique hardware identifier to decrypt the storage, making data non-transferable from one Mac to another.
That being said, replacement remains possible: the repair store which carried out the dismantling already offers the operation! He thus exchanged the 256 GB SSD for a 2 TB model, all for probably much less expensive than at Apple.
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Source :
MacRumors
