Upgrading the M4 Mac Mini SSD Storage: Possible but Challenging

This week, we shared exciting news that the storage in the newly released Mac mini is designed to be modular, meaning it isn’t soldered to the device’s logic board, making it user-accessible. However, that doesn’t imply upgrading the storage would be straightforward for everyone—though one user has proven it can be done.

Renowned Mac repair expert dosdude1 has completed the first SSD upgrade on the latest Mac mini, proving that it’s indeed feasible. In a YouTube video released on the day of the new Mac mini’s launch, he disassembled his base model Mac mini and upgraded the storage from 256GB to 1TB. Although he originally intended to boost it to 2TB, he encountered complications during the restoration process.

Removing the original storage

After taking apart his Mac mini, dosdude1 successfully removed the storage module and swapped out the two storage NAND chips on it. For reference, Apple uses two 128GB NANDs in their recent 256GB models. To achieve the 1TB upgrade, he utilized two 512GB NAND modules.

This procedure requires detaching the existing NANDs, which is somewhat challenging due to the underfill material Apple uses to secure the NANDs. He then had to clean off the leftover solder, creating a smooth surface for the new NANDs to be attached, a task he needed to repeat for both NANDs on the module.

Installing new storage

Next, he needed to reball the new NANDs for resoldering onto the original modules. This step involves using a stencil to apply solder paste evenly into each hole on the bottom of the NANDs, followed by heating it with flux to guarantee proper installation.

This meticulous process takes time, but once the new NANDs are securely soldered to the storage module, he can reintegrate it into the Mac mini, execute a restore using Apple Configurator—and just like that, the Mac mini boots up with the enhanced 1TB SSD, effectively quadrupling the original storage capacity.

Simplifying the process for users

Clearly, this procedure is quite complex, and most people lack the microsoldering expertise that dosdude possesses. The repair demands a high level of accuracy to execute properly.

But what if it could be made simpler? Imagine if someone offered pre-made modules with greater storage? There’s good news on that front.

While they aren’t available for purchase just yet, a company called Polysoft Services might soon market storage modules tailored for the new Mac mini. They’ve already developed prototype modules for the Mac Studio that dosdude has vetted. It appears they plan to start shipping these to customers as early as next month.

If all goes as planned, we could soon enter an era where upgrading storage in the latest M4 Mac minis becomes a breeze for users, which would be quite exciting.

Conclusion

In summary, we could be looking at a future where users can easily enhance storage on their new Macs without needing any technical repair skills. Personally, I wish Apple would offer these modules directly or permit users to upgrade storage at the Genius Bar—eliminating the need to rely solely on third-party solutions.

I highly recommend checking out dosdude’s video; it’s an entertaining experience:

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