AI Image
New Mac Mini Has Two Storage Downsides, Including Unremovable SSD
MacRumors • • general
Key Points:
- The new Mac mini models with M6 and M5 Pro chips have NAND storage soldered to the logic board, eliminating the possibility of aftermarket storage upgrades, unlike the previous M4 and M4 Pro models which had removable storage.
- "Expand Mac mini," a provider of affordable plug-and-play SSD modules compatible with earlier Mac mini models, confirmed that support for aftermarket upgrades on the new M6 and M5 Pro models looks unlikely.
- The 256GB storage configurations in new Mac minis now use a single NAND chip, resulting in significantly slower SSD read and write speeds compared to 512GB or higher configurations that have dual NAND chips.
- Benchmark tests show the 256GB M6 Mac mini has roughly half the SSD speed of the 512GB model, although it is still faster than the previous M4 model’s 256GB version; power users are advised to choose at least 512GB for optimal performance.
- Apple has not commented on the change, and the M4/M4 Pro models with removable storage and dual NAND chips appear to be a unique exception among recent Mac mini generations.
