New Mac mini has a slotted & removable SSD -- but don't expect upgrades

AppleInsider

Apple isn't soldering the SSD to the logic board in the M4 Mac mini, but given the company's history with Apple Silicon, don't expect upgrades.

A Mac mini and a disassembled Mac mini - Image credit: KianWee Lim/iFixit and Apple

Older Intel-based Mac minis provided intrepid users with the ability to disassemble the computer and to upgrade a few components. The 2018 model had upgradeable RAM, but easily replaceable internal storage on the Mac mini has been a thing of the past for a decade.

A question posed to the iFixit forums innocently asks if the SSD in the 2024 Mac mini is soldered in place. Soldered storage is practice that Apple has performed throughout the Apple Silicon age, for the most part, making it extremely difficult for anyone to replace.

One answer from a new user to the forum identified as "KianWee Lim" posts a single picture in response, accompanied by the text "It's not soldered." The photograph appears to be the insides of a New Mac mini, with the baseplate removed and some components extracted.

In the middle of the picture is a slot-in board equipped with a large chip, similar to the boards used in the Mac Studio and Mac Pro to hold its storage. There is also an empty slot towards the base of the image, where the small board fits in.

Still not really upgradable

The photo indicates it is possible for the storage to be removed and potentially replaced by another board. However, it's not a confirmation of easy upgradability at all.

For a start, that small board holding the storage chip is not a part consumers could easily acquire for themselves. It's a custom Apple part, so it's intended more for in-house repairs.

This hasn't stopped the more motivated hardware tinkerers from coming up with their own solutions.

YouTubers have posted videos where they desoldered original memory chips from the board before carefully replacing them with other chips in a delicate process.

There have also been efforts to create custom PCBs for similar storage cards used in the Mac Studio, as well as a MacBook Pro. Again, these were difficult processes to accomplish, requiring careful soldering and undergoing a configuration process to get them working.

These certainly do demonstrate that you can replace the memory chips, but it's a risky and difficult task to accomplish.

There's also no real chance of Apple creating kits for users to change out these storage cards anytime soon, as it would've done so by now for other models. Apple did supply storage module replacement kits for the Mac Pro, but that seems to be the exception to the rule.

AppleInsider recommends that anyone seeking to upgrade their Mac's storage to consider buying an external drive instead. The drives are certainly fast enough to be usable, and are considerably safer to perform as an upgrade without risking your hardware.

To purchase a Mac mini at a discount, be sure to check out the AppleInsider M4 Mac mini Price Guide.



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apple4thewin

Quite interesting how well modders can do this or even if someone finds a way to position an ssd in a different direction or even create an extension strip to connect any ssd to the slot (whether internally or externally)

doggone

The ability to upgrade a Mac would definitely be useful. I understand that this is a cash cow for Apple since it means people have to choose the model that will meant not only their current needs but possibly their future needs too. 
In many ways it would be good to buy a base model and overtime upgrade the memory and SSD if that is all you can afford at the time.  I've certainly done that in the past for Mac desktops, minis and even MBPs and its extended the usability of the device for several more years.
With Macs now being extremely powerful, the CPUs are able to handle OS upgrades for years.  There used to be a time where a new OS upgrade would significantly slow down a machine.  This M1 MBP that I got in 2021 is still speedy and will last several more years.  I purposely got a model with 512GB SSD because I know that 256 can be very limiting.  I also got 16MB of RAM which though less important for me, 8GB could become a bottleneck.

dewme

Interesting case of modularity that benefits the builder but lacking replaceabilty that (directly) benefits the consumer. The modularity will probably help Apple make it more repairable too. This is a good reminder that when we ask for modularity what we really want is replaceability, or more accurately, modular replaceability. 

YP101

I don't think user upgradeable for storage anyway. This was same for Mac Studio.
Apple coded each storage for specific unit so user can't upgrade. Unless Apple change the way.
This is just for Apple service purpose. They realize replace storage unit is cheaper than replace mother board within warranty period and for the trade in unit.
Simply replace storage unit and reinstall os to sell higher price.

shamino

YP101 said:

I don't think user upgradeable for storage anyway. This was same for Mac Studio.
Apple coded each storage for specific unit so user can't upgrade. Unless Apple change the way.

Except that, as the hacker community discovered, if you use new (that is, never-been-written) flash chips, you can use Apple's Configurator 2 utility to initialize them and install macOS.  This will set up the cryptographic pairing.  You can't wipe used flash modules (e.g. to move storage from one Mac to another), but it does means that upgrades are possible.

So far, we've just seen some people making bare circuit boards and you need the microsoldering skills necessary to attach new flash chips to those boards, but I think it's just a matter of time before someone starts selling boards with chips pre-installed.  So even if end-user upgrades won't be practical, I think we will soon see independent repair shops that can do it.

bloggerblog

For a start, that small board holding the storage chip is not a part consumers could easily acquire for themselves. It's a custom Apple part, so it's intended more for in-house repairs. 

I understand when Apple has to charge considerably more for storage to be able to make the base price low, or for a product to not be user upgradable because it's too small, or that it has to be glued. But this, this is just evil.

Xed

I wonder if this is more for removing storage to properly destroy it so the rest can be recycled in the normal fashion at EOL v making it upgradable or fixable.

elijahg

It's almost certainly PCIE on a non-standard connector, like every Mac that has actually had a slotted SSD since about 2012. However, there may be a controller on the "blade" that has special Apple firmware.

MplsP

It’ll be interesting to see if someone comes out with an aftermarket board for this. If it is indeed a standard PCIE interface it should be very possible to do so. 

eriamjh

DosDude1 has this all figured out.  Upgrades aren’t cheap once you add the cost of the custom PCBs and the fact that the NANDs are pricey in any market (used or new).   

The fact that regular aftermarket upgrades are not available for the Studio shows you how little demand there is at any price.  

Even the video rendering peeps say a good USB-C SSD is fast enough for full-time video work. 

But it’s a good start!  

tht

elijahg said:

It's almost certainly PCIE on a non-standard connector, like every Mac that has actually had a slotted SSD since about 2012. However, there may be a controller on the "blade" that has special Apple firmware.

The SSD controller is on-chip connected to the on-chip switched fabric. It is NVMe, but is not on a PCIe bus. It's an on-chip SSD controller connected to the same on-chip bus that the CPU, GPU, NPU, SLC, memory controller, etc, share.

It's been about 7 years since the iMac Pro. The media has to stop calling these Apple NAND daughterboards SSDs. It's dumb NAND on the daughterboards. They used it for the iMac Pro, Mac Pro, Mac Studio and now Mac mini. Circuit-wise, it's no different than the soldered on NAND on the laptop boards, save for instead of being on the logic board, the NAND is on a daughterboard.

I think they think the increase security is worth not using commodity PCIe/NVMe based SSD boards. I'm assuming they think that it is much harder to extract data out of the daughterboards than a NVMe storage board. Being able to control storage pricing is another big plus for them.

The M4 Pro Mac mini supports 8 TB storage. I think that means 4 NAND packages if another doubling in density has become affordable, otherwise it could be 8 NAND packages. So, that tiny daughterboard can have 8 NAND packages on it? Or do the M4 Pro models have 2 daughterboards? Will be interesting to see how 8 TB of NAND or put into the Mac mini.

Rogue01

The iMac 27" 2020 has slotted SSDs, when it is the 4TB and 8TB model.  The 8TB model uses two 4TB SSDs.  However, due to the T2 Security Chip, the SSDs are encrypted to the board so you cannot replace or upgrade them on your own.  Same concept with Apple Silicon.

Even if the slotted SSD in the new mini was upgradable by Apple, they would still stiff you a full $2400 for 8TB, just like they rip people off with the Mac Pro SSD upgrade options.  It is just a way for Apple to rip people off with SSD upgrades, and memory upgrades too.  It really is disgusting that Apple does this.  An 8TB NVMe PCIe4 SSD is about $650, but Apple charges $2400.

Nice that it is slotted so there is a repair option by Apple without having to replace the entire motherboard when the components are all soldered down.

Rogue01

MplsP said:

It’ll be interesting to see if someone comes out with an aftermarket board for this. If it is indeed a standard PCIE interface it should be very possible to do so. 

Unfortunately not.  The security encryption would render any aftermarket board as useless.  Apple made it require Apple specific boards and chips to work.

YP101

shamino said:

YP101 said:

I don't think user upgradeable for storage anyway. This was same for Mac Studio.
Apple coded each storage for specific unit so user can't upgrade. Unless Apple change the way.

Except that, as the hacker community discovered, if you use new (that is, never-been-written) flash chips, you can use Apple's Configurator 2 utility to initialize them and install macOS.  This will set up the cryptographic pairing.  You can't wipe used flash modules (e.g. to move storage from one Mac to another), but it does means that upgrades are possible.

So far, we've just seen some people making bare circuit boards and you need the microsoldering skills necessary to attach new flash chips to those boards, but I think it's just a matter of time before someone starts selling boards with chips pre-installed.  So even if end-user upgrades won't be practical, I think we will soon see independent repair shops that can do it.

Well, so far even OWC not selling mac studio storage unit. So it does not matter hacker group somehow pull that off or not.
Where are you going to buy new unused storage unit from? China?
Unless general consumer able to purchase the replacement parts from reputable retailer and install mac os on it, it does not mean much. It just possible. 

After Apple start solder all their components, it reminds me as all Apple products has Apple timer. Like Sony timer. 
Anyway, I'm already planed all my Apple product replace within 2-3 years with Apple trade in. There is no reason hold aged product anymore.
2-3 years new cpu perform better and faster with update ports. 
I checked my M1 mini with 8GB ram and 512GB trade in value is $300. I am going to buy it around black Friday sales.

9secondkox2

The Mac mini at its price point and power levels is a mass market machine. 

I wouldn’t be surprised to see a market open up taking advantage of this exact slot configuration, whether an adapter or a unique lineup of aftermarket drives. 

Big ups aide potential. 

M68000

Regardless,  I’m excited for the new mini.  I think I’m getting one.  

MacPro

YP101 said:

I don't think user upgradeable for storage anyway. This was same for Mac Studio.
Apple coded each storage for specific unit so user can't upgrade. Unless Apple change the way.
This is just for Apple service purpose. They realize replace storage unit is cheaper than replace mother board within warranty period and for the trade in unit.
Simply replace storage unit and reinstall os to sell higher price.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8vax1fShm8E

atonaldenim

Yes, it will be upgradeable, just like the Mac Studio storage is upgradeable now. 

There is currently a Kickstarter campaign with 2 days left for 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB storage upgrades for M1 and M2 Mac Studios. The 2TB module can upgrade an existing 2TB mac to 4TB, otherwise they have to completely  replace your existing storage. 

They worked with dosdude1 to develop it. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/polysoftservices/studio-drive

As the Mac Mini M4 launched after the campaign started, they stated they will soon launch a new campaign for Mac Mini storage upgrades too!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/polysoftservices/studio-drive/posts/4247624

Personally if I was about to buy an M4 Mac Mini I would not pay Apple for the SSD upgrade, I’d rather wait and get an upgrade from PolySoft. The only thing to keep in mind is you probably can’t combine the existing storage with the new storage in most cases, it will be a replacement rather than an addition.

macxpress

shamino said:

YP101 said:

I don't think user upgradeable for storage anyway. This was same for Mac Studio.
Apple coded each storage for specific unit so user can't upgrade. Unless Apple change the way.

Except that, as the hacker community discovered, if you use new (that is, never-been-written) flash chips, you can use Apple's Configurator 2 utility to initialize them and install macOS.  This will set up the cryptographic pairing.  You can't wipe used flash modules (e.g. to move storage from one Mac to another), but it does means that upgrades are possible.

So far, we've just seen some people making bare circuit boards and you need the microsoldering skills necessary to attach new flash chips to those boards, but I think it's just a matter of time before someone starts selling boards with chips pre-installed.  So even if end-user upgrades won't be practical, I think we will soon see independent repair shops that can do it.

The upgradable SSD is a moot point anyways. 99.9% of owners will never upgrade it nor care to. 

mattinoz

shamino said:

YP101 said:

I don't think user upgradeable for storage anyway. This was same for Mac Studio.
Apple coded each storage for specific unit so user can't upgrade. Unless Apple change the way.

Except that, as the hacker community discovered, if you use new (that is, never-been-written) flash chips, you can use Apple's Configurator 2 utility to initialize them and install macOS.  This will set up the cryptographic pairing.  You can't wipe used flash modules (e.g. to move storage from one Mac to another), but it does means that upgrades are possible.

So far, we've just seen some people making bare circuit boards and you need the microsoldering skills necessary to attach new flash chips to those boards, but I think it's just a matter of time before someone starts selling boards with chips pre-installed.  So even if end-user upgrades won't be practical, I think we will soon see independent repair shops that can do it.

To me begs the question why aren’t the module maker looking to see if they could not package their product better and out do Apple. If they create direct board physically attached modules.It would allow them to cut a middle man out of the m.w module makers.