Apple’s latest Mac mini models appear to have dropped support for aftermarket internal storage upgrades, marking a change from the previous M4 generation.
Teardowns of the M4 Mac mini showed that its internal SSD was not soldered directly to the logic board. This allowed users to remove the storage module and install compatible aftermarket upgrades, potentially offering more storage at a lower cost than Apple’s upgrade options.
The new M6 and M5 Pro Mac mini models appear to take a different approach. According to an examination by Expand Mac mini, the NAND storage is now soldered to the logic board, meaning the internal SSD module is no longer removable.
This change could make aftermarket storage upgrades significantly more difficult or potentially unavailable for the latest models. Expand Mac mini, which offers storage upgrade modules for the M4 and M4 Pro Mac mini, said support for the M6 and M5 Pro currently appears unlikely.
The difference could also affect upgrade costs. A 1TB storage module for the M4 Mac mini is listed by Expand Mac mini at $300, while Apple charges $500 to upgrade the M6 Mac mini from 256GB to 1TB. The aftermarket company’s 2TB module costs $420, compared with Apple’s $1,000 upgrade price.
Apple’s repair documentation continues to show removable SSDs for the Mac Studio, although independent teardowns of the latest model have not yet confirmed whether that design remains unchanged.
For owners of the M4 Mac mini, the storage upgrade option remains available, but buyers of the newer models may need to choose their storage capacity carefully at the time of purchase.