How to upgrade the SSD in your M4 Mac mini

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Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 20

The M4 Mac mini came with a surprise -- a slotted and upgradeable SSD. Here's how to install one, get it running, and what to expect for speed.

Silver square device with rounded edges on a tiled surface, featuring a small black circuit board on top.
An upgrade SSD on top of the M4 Mac mini



Mac mini upgradeability has varied over the years. The 2012 and before models were the gold standard, with both upgradeable RAM and storage. The 2014 model had upgradeable storage, but not RAM. The 2018 had RAM slots, but lacked upgradeable storage.

When the M1 mini shipped, nothing was upgradeable. And while Apple doesn't strictly approve of SSD upgrades on the M4 Mac mini, it's at least possible.

We've upgraded one of our Mac minis with an aftermarket SSD. Here's how we did it, and how it's going.

Transparent plastic case with a circuit board and metal tool inside, accompanied by a small bag containing blue plastic tools on a grid background.
What comes in the expandmacmini.com upgrade kit



We've selected a SSD from expandmacmini.com. They offer a 2TB SSD for the core Mac mini, that retails for $259. To date, we haven't seen anything from any vendor for the M4 Pro Mac mini as the physical characteristics of that drive are different, but we're sure that's coming eventually.

Taking the Mac mini apart



We're not going to give a step-by-step here, the folks at iFixit have done an excellent job with a breakdown of the steps. Use that guide.

We do have a few recommendations, though, We don't recommend removing the power cable from the unit, and instead leave that plate sitting next to the Mac mini.

Open electronic device showing internal components, including circuit boards and cooling fans, with one lid removed, all on a dark surface with a green and blue object in the background.
Fan, lower plate, and more, unscrewed to get to the Mac mini SSD



Also, it's unnecessary to unscrew the Wi-Fi module. There's been a lot of complaints about terrible Wi-Fi with the new under-mounted docks -- now you know why. The antenna is right there at the bottom of the unit.

I didn't care for the screwdriver that came with the drive -- but that's okay. Torx drivers or sets are inexpensive, and you should probably have a nice one anyway.

Even with the included screwdriver, just take care to provide even, downward force to turn the screws, and you'll be fine.

After the reassembly



All that remains is a DFU restore. To get this done, plug the Mac mini into a display of some sort with the HDMI port. Then hold the power button down.

While holding the power button down, plug the Mac mini into power. Release the power button when the power light blinks amber.

Here's the crucial part. Plug the Mac mini into another functional Mac, with one end of the cable on the middle Thunderbolt port. The restore will fail if it's on anything but the middle port.

On the host Mac, a window will pop up asking you if it's okay to connect to the Mac in DFU mode. Allow it to connect, and choose "restore."

Mac Finder window in DFU mode, downloading software. Sidebar lists favorites, locations, and tags. Status bar shows download progress with 14 minutes remaining.
DFU restore underway



The required download of the 16GB file varies dependent on your internet speed, and Apple's server load. After download, the restore process takes about five minutes.

Speed testing



I haven't been living with this combination for very long, but initial speed tests prove promising. The original drive wasn't pokey, with about 2.8 gigabytes per second read and write speed.

Before any iCloud account association, and before any indexing, we hit about 4 gigabytes per second read and write speed. This isn't as fast as the M4 Pro Mac mini, but it's faster than any external drive through Thunderbolt, and hugely faster than the stock drive in the M4 Mac mini.

This doesn't make the day-to-day performance feel perceptibly snappier, really. If you want that, you probably should have bought more RAM than you did when you got the machine. But, the speed is nice just the same.

Internal is convenient and fast, external may be less expensive



I first got involved in Apple service in the '80s, dabbled in the '90s while in the service, and continued through the start of the century. Admittedly, this has waned some as Apple stuff has become less and less upgradeable and routinely repairable.

I've already been asked how much technical skill is required to do an upgrade like this, and if my background in service is necessary. None of this is as simple as upgrading a Windows desktop, but it's also not required to have that background in service.

The main barrier to entry isn't skill, but is having a second Mac handy for the DFU process, but for most reading this, that isn't much of a barrier.

I will say that it's not fair that the screws in Apple gear keep getting smaller as my eyes get older.

Green compartment tray with various small screws and a circuit board piece in some sections.
An ice cube tray that I've used for years for small screws



Anyway, the cost efficiency of SSD upgrades are a tricky topic when it comes to the Mac mini. On the M4 Mac mini, a 2TB SSD adds a $800 premium to the total when purchased from Apple.

This upgrade is far less than that, at $259 shipped to your door.

But, a 4TB Teamgroup M.2 PCI-E 3 SSD retails for about $205, with a USB4 enclosure coming in at around $80. For $280ish, you can have twice the storage, external, with less speed.

But, internal storage is convenient. I don't think it's $800 convenient, but $289 convenient instead is a value proposition best left to the reader.

This all said, we're keeping the factory SSD. Not only is there nothing really that can be done with it, we're going to hang on to it in case the Mac mini ever needs to go back to Apple for repair.

The operation isn't warranty-voiding, but we're also certain that it's the first thing Apple is going to blame if something goes wrong with the computer.



Read on AppleInsider

Mike Wuerthele
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 31
    hodarhodar Posts: 372member
    Can I use an older i5 or i7 Intel based Mac mini to do the DFI connection?  The M4 would be an update to my existing machines; or can I use a M1 Mac mini?
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 2 of 31
    Mike Wuerthelemike wuerthele Posts: 6,957administrator
    I haven't tried DFU on Apple Silicon with an Intel machine, but the M1 would certainly work.
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 3 of 31
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,150member
    I think this is a great option.  What I do see happening are users that have zero business doing this, attempting it without doing the proper research, bricking their Mac mini's and blaming Apple for it.  They will be the ones ruining it for everyone else and could result in Apple putting in some kind of firmware lock on future Mac mini models to prevent the upgrade.

    I would consider this if/when I purchase one.  I'd do an 8TB upgrade simply because Apple charges an obscene amount for that.
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 4 of 31
    Mike Wuerthelemike wuerthele Posts: 6,957administrator
    sflocal said:
    I think this is a great option.  What I do see happening are users that have zero business doing this, attempting it without doing the proper research, bricking their Mac mini's and blaming Apple for it.  They will be the ones ruining it for everyone else and could result in Apple putting in some kind of firmware lock on future Mac mini models to prevent the upgrade.

    I would consider this if/when I purchase one.  I'd do an 8TB upgrade simply because Apple charges an obscene amount for that.
    I haven't seen any 8TB models yet, but I'm sure they're coming.
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 5 of 31
    sflocal said:
    I think this is a great option.  What I do see happening are users that have zero business doing this, attempting it without doing the proper research, bricking their Mac mini's and blaming Apple for it.  They will be the ones ruining it for everyone else and could result in Apple putting in some kind of firmware lock on future Mac mini models to prevent the upgrade.
    The only reason anybody is even attempting this is because of the inexcusable decision on Apple's part to go with a proprietary SSD configuration.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 6 of 31
    eriamjheriamjh Posts: 1,790member
    I'll pay a little more if OWC sells them.
    watto_cobraatonaldenimAlex_V
     2Likes 1Dislike 0Informatives
  • Reply 7 of 31
    Can you confirm Apple Intelligence works with this replacement internal SSD?  Apple Intelligence cannot be activated when booting from an external drive. That’s the configuration I use, buying the setup before that limitation was apparent. 
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 8 of 31
    Mike Wuerthelemike wuerthele Posts: 6,957administrator
    Can you confirm Apple Intelligence works with this replacement internal SSD?  Apple Intelligence cannot be activated when booting from an external drive. That’s the configuration I use, buying the setup before that limitation was apparent. 
    Yup, works fine.

    And, there is a way to turn it on, when booting from an external. Standby for tip!
    edited January 20
    watto_cobrabignumbers
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 9 of 31
    Mike Wuerthelemike wuerthele Posts: 6,957administrator

    eriamjh said:
    I'll pay a little more if OWC sells them.
    This seems inevitable. The procedure will be the same, though.
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 10 of 31
    Penzipenzi Posts: 29member
    Looking forward to seeing if this works on the upcoming M4/5 Mac Studio. And the pricing/timing on an 8TB SSD…
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 11 of 31
    hexclockhexclock Posts: 1,325member
    “How to upgrade your SSD…” 

    We won’t show you how to actually do it… here’s a link. 

    Just kidding, good article. 
    Half the fun of owning a computer used to be opening them up and changing components. I’m glad Apple made that an option again. 
    edited January 21
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 12 of 31
    Mike Wuerthelemike wuerthele Posts: 6,957administrator
    hexclock said:
    “How to upgrade your SSD…” 

    We won’t show you how to actually do it… here’s a link. 

    Just kidding, good article. 
    Half the fun of owning a computer used to be opening them up and changing components. I’m glad Apple made that an option again. 
    Once upon a time, I had a 1,1 Mac Pro stuffed with more hard drives that was probably thermally wise. Four in the SATA bays, and four more in the optical bay with a special bracket and a PCI-E to SATA card.

    I do miss those days.
    muthuk_vanalingamatonaldenimmacgui
     3Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 13 of 31
    Penzi said:
    Looking forward to seeing if this works on the upcoming M4/5 Mac Studio. And the pricing/timing on an 8TB SSD…
    From the expandmacmini.com website:

    Where are the 4TB and 8TB options?

    Currently, the maximum storage available for the M4 Mac Mini through Apple’s official channels is 2TB. The 4TB and 8TB configurations are not available for the M4 Mac Mini, as they require different NAND chips, which are only found in the Mac mini M4 Pro variant. The M4 Pro has a completely different PCB and power management IC design.

    Installing 4TB or 8TB NAND chips into the M4 Mac Mini would involve using non-Apple NAND chips and making significant modifications to the power management circuits. For now, we believe it’s best to avoid such modifications to ensure product safety and reliability. However, we may explore options for these higher capacities in the future, using thorough testing to meet our quality standards.

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 14 of 31
    hexclock said:
    Half the fun of owning a computer used to be opening them up and changing components. I’m glad Apple made that an option again. 
    Then I grew up and now it’s fun to buy the good stuff upfront.
    12Strangersmacgui
     1Like 1Dislike 0Informatives
  • Reply 15 of 31

    Bye the way Mac mini m2, pro and Studio you must do "Soldering!" lol  a hairdryer will do it to replace the ssd and only a Apple ssd will do it.
    All models of Mac Studio got turnkey SSD upgrades from Polysoft two months ago in a Kickstarter campaign. No soldering required, same as Mike describes in this article. Polysoft is now busy fulfilling all those orders, but you can sign up to get notified if another production run of SSDs becomes available. They are also working on M4 Mac Mini SSDs.

    By the way, another source for M4 SSDs that Polysoft mentions in a Kickstarter update message is M4-SSD.com.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 16 of 31
    eriamjh said:
    I'll pay a little more if OWC sells them.
    It’s not likely that OWC will make them, supposedly the sourcing of the exact NAND modules required is somewhat of a gray area. Rumor has it that Apple is the only official customer for these unique NAND modules. So any available supply for those NAND modules for anyone else besides Apple has to come through some unofficial channel. That’s why only these small indie outfits are attempting it. I don’t know, but that’s what I’ve heard.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 17 of 31
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,331member
    eriamjh said:
    I'll pay a little more if OWC sells them.
    It’s not likely that OWC will make them, supposedly the sourcing of the exact NAND modules required is somewhat of a gray area. Rumor has it that Apple is the only official customer for these unique NAND modules. So any available supply for those NAND modules for anyone else besides Apple has to come through some unofficial channel. That’s why only these small indie outfits are attempting it. I don’t know, but that’s what I’ve heard.
    I didn’t think the NAND chip was that unique. The storage card Polysoft makes is actually better than Apple’s. The storage controller, as you know, is part of the M4 SoC or on the motherboard which is the most important part. 
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 18 of 31
    There's been a lot of complaints about terrible Wi-Fi with the new under-mounted docks -- now you know why.
    Great article Mike, thanks for sharing your experiences. This is the first I’m hearing about wifi problems with a hub sitting under a Mac Mini. That sounds like a good subject for an article, if it’s true! I think a lot of people are interested in those hubs and it would be really good to know if they should be avoided, or redesigned.
    Alex_VKierFox
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 19 of 31
    rob53 said:
    I didn’t think the NAND chip was that unique.
    Check out Accidental Tech Podcast #616 for more info on that, starting at 26:00 mins. They also discussed on the previous episode too, but this one has more answers.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 20 of 31
    Mike Wuerthelemike wuerthele Posts: 6,957administrator
    There's been a lot of complaints about terrible Wi-Fi with the new under-mounted docks -- now you know why.
    Great article Mike, thanks for sharing your experiences. This is the first I’m hearing about wifi problems with a hub sitting under a Mac Mini. That sounds like a good subject for an article, if it’s true! I think a lot of people are interested in those hubs and it would be really good to know if they should be avoided, or redesigned.
    Yeah, we're still looking at it. 

    For sure, though, surrounding the wifi module with metal fins won't be great for WI-Fi. As we evaluate the hubs, we'll look at this too.
    atonaldenim13485
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
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