On iFixit’s public forum, a user posted an interesting photo of a disassembled Mac mini M4 and sparked curiosity. The guys from Cupertino did not solder the storage unit to the computer’s logic board, but it is not 100% confirmed that changes can be made later.. The disassembled part is similar to those used by the Mac Studio and Mac Pro, as can be seen in the photo where it connects to the side of the Mac mini.

The Mac mini M4 hides a significant curiosity inside; a removable SSD slot

We should not forget a detail published in the forum by another user with knowledge on the subject: RAM and storage are soldered to the logic board. Mac Studio and Mac Pro feature flash storage modules customized by Apple. so they do not qualify as true solid state drives.

Mac mini M4 removable storage drive

Components such as storage and RAM may have been changed on some Macs during the transition to Apple Silicon. RAM was replaceable until the 2018 Mac mini model. The image posted on the forum is of a Mac mini with the plate containing the storage in question; That doesn’t mean it can be manipulated. The approach they give on AppleInsider makes all the logic in the world, a slot designed for internal repairs. So far, iFixit has not published a track-by-track review of the Mac mini M4, so it’s not possible to verify this firsthand at this time.

The most experienced and knowledgeable users have been seen in YouTube videos performing the desoldering and replacement of memory chips. They’ve also managed to create custom storage drives for Mac Studio and even MacBook Pro, but The operation is too delicate for a user with basic knowledge to perform it.. It should also be taken into consideration that Soldering tasks are risky and nothing guarantees that a Mac subjected to such adjustments can perform at its best in time.

The best solution to have more storage on Mac

Partial disassembly of M4 Mac Mini / 16 GB RAM and 256 GB SSD. Interesting remark: WiFi chip and antenna behind the lower air intake. SSD on additional card. And even the base 256GB version comes in two chips. No compromise on speed. Theoretically, it can also be upgraded by the end user. pic.twitter.com/vA2vQwkl7J

— ＨＧ阿聻 𓆣 𓇽 (@ohgkg) November 8, 2024

Another video featured on X, showing a partial disassembly, reveals the conditions under which the Mac mini M4 was assembled. Wi-Fi chip and antenna are behind the bottom vent. An interesting fact is that Storage space is split in half as the entry version contains two chips. The speed will be even better than other Macs where Apple decided it was better to have a single chip; just like in the Mac mini, but with an M2 chip or M2 MacBook Air.

To avoid risking your new Mac mini, It is best to purchase an external storage drive in case you need more storage in the future. A regular or compact-sized SSD, as manufacturers now present that storage as if it were an NVMe type. You can examine the transfer speeds of existing models according to your needs.in case you need it due to large files in both reading and writing.

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