With the M4 Mac mini now available, we have discovered more about Apple’s entry-level desktop. While reviews have already shown that this is one of the best computers Apple has ever made, there’s another reason to consider the entry-level model when buying a new Mac.
For $599 (we’re not considering the education price, which is even more enticing), consumers get the all-new M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-C ports in the front, and some other peripherals support as well.
The new base version, with 16GB of RAM, is more than enough for most users and will be key for running upcoming Apple Intelligence features. However, the maximum storage is likely too low for people, as we tend to store more files on the computer rather than on our phones and tablets. However, with teardowns of the new M4 Mac mini, people discovered that Apple offers modular storage for this computer. With that, it’s possible to upgrade the SSD, even though this is not a task that everyone at home will be able to perform.
Upgradeable storage for the M4 Mac mini is one of the best features we could get
A few people have shown how to upgrade the M4 Mac mini storage on YouTube. User dosdude 1 opened up the base model and upgraded the storage capacity from 256GB to 1TB.
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YouTuber Quinn Nelson also shared a comprehensive teardown of the Mac mini. Basically, the best way to upgrade the Mac mini’s storage is to remove the original AND storage chips from the board using a heat gun, recall the new NAND chips, solder them to the board, and restore the Mac mini in DFU mode.
While Apple charges up to an extra $800 for a 2TB chip, you can get it at a much fairer price. If you know a proper repair center, it will be cheaper to buy a NAND chip yourself and ask them to upgrade your Mac mini.
Wrap up
With the Mac mini offering this level of customizability, I hope this becomes a new standard by Apple, which, more than a decade ago, let users upgrade some of the components of their Macs.
