Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
This affordable and good - looking hub - standpoint offer a scope of utilitarian front - facing ports missing from the M1 / M2 Mac miniskirt itself , and cheap inner storage that will promote both the miniskirt and the Mac Studio . The up-to-the-minute version tolerate both SATA M.2 SSDs and faster NVMe M.2 SSDs but comes with WiFi issues for the miniskirt .
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Best Prices Today: Satechi Stand & Hub for Mac Mini
Compatible with : Mac mini M2 & M2 Pro 2023 ; Mac mini M1 2020 ; Mac Studio
Size:7.8 x 7.8 x 0.9 column inch
Ports :
WhileApple ’s M2 Mac miniis a midget powerhouse of a computer blessed with a orbit of ports on its back , its front face is unhelpfully bare , free of even one handy port or slot . There ’s nothing but a little twinkle to show that it ’s on . Apple certainly put the “ miniskirt ” in “ minimal ” when it come to the oral sex - on looks of its bantam desktop calculator .
TheMac Studiohas the same width and depth as the Mac mini but is taller . The Mac Studio also bluster two 10Gbps USB - ascorbic acid ports ( bombshell 4 on the M1 Ultra model ) and an South Dakota visiting card lector on its front . At the back , the Mac Studio and M2 Pro Mac mini port are the same , while the entry - point M2 Mac mini has two fewer Thunderbolt 4 ports .
The Satechi Stand & Hub for Mac mini localisation the mini ’s scanty front face by add together four USB ports , both SD and microSD card reader slot , and 3.5 mm sound recording jack port . The inclusion of the posting readers is important since the miniskirt lacks this accession point for cheap portable storage . The card readers are rated at UHS - I ( 104MBps ) ; 312MBps UHS - II would have bid speedier transference , but most users wo n’t notice the departure . A 512 GB microSD board costs about$60/£50online – a super - cheap way of contribute reposition .
Satechi has update this point of view / hub with fast connections , and most importantly support for both faster NVMe M.2 SSDs ( up to 4 TB ) as well as SATA M.2 SSDs .
The USB ports are now rated at 10Gbps for data transportation — up from 5Gbps but still not as rapid as the Mac mini and Studio ’s 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 connexion . The Satechi ’s rival Mac mini hub , theOWC miniStack STX , does offer 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 but get in 2.5x the monetary value for the privilege . 10Gbps should be ample for most non - pro basic data - transference needs .
Satechi say that the Stand & Hub ’s USB ports are data only and are not capable of charging , although in our tests we were able to charge an Apple Watch and iPhone sanely quickly using the Stand & Hub ’s USB ports .
significantly , the Stand & Hub also fixes another major Mac mini and Studio limitation : the non - user - upgradeable national computer storage . if you want more than the base 512 GB store in the Mac miniskirt or Studio , Apple makes you bear handsomely at the time of leverage ( upgrading to 1 TB costs $ 200/£200 ) and then does n’t let you subsequently upgrade the storage yourself .
Apple ’s Mac Studio does n’t need the front ports but the SSD enclosure is welcome — it ’s an inexpensive mode to add fast storage to Apple ’s newest pro - level background , too .
Inside this mini supplement is an natural enclosure where you could install an SSD interior storage board . It ’s cheaper in compare to Apple ’s build - to - ordering options – a 1 TB internal SSD cost around$50/£50 .
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The hub sits perfectly under the Mac mini and Studio , so making the aggregate span of twist look like a grandiloquent Mac Studio but with more ready to hand frontal port . It connects to the computer via an integrated USB - C cable at the back of the hub . The ports are USB rather than Thunderbolt and rated at 10Gbps ( gigabits per secondly ) compare to Thunderbolt ’s 40Gbps .
While the original version miss supporting for NVMe M.2 SSDs , the latest version earmark you to choose your SSD criterion . NVMe M.2 SSDs ( with theoretic transfer speeds of up to 20Gbps ) are more performance - driven than SATA M.2 SSDs ( max 6Gbps ) . However , that max 6Gbps limit means that the hub ’s 10Gbps USB bandwidth is fine and there ’s no USB constriction . Many people do n’t require blister storage speed and can keep any file that involve broken - latent period fast performance on the Mac mini ’s own speedy interior SSD and move more archival storage on the envelopment ’s SSD .
NVMe SSD boards are more coarse than SATA M.2 SSDs these days . Installing the SSD inside the Stand & Hub is simple , and the correct - sized screwdriver and screw are included .
The Satechi Stand & Hub score well on Read & Write test , managing over 1GBps Write and nearly 900MBps Read using a1 TB Western Digital SN850X NVMe SSD .
If you do n’t need the extra storage place , Satechi also offer itsStand & Hub for Mac miniin a exemplar without an SSD inclosure for $ 20 less . We ’d recommend spending the extra for theStand & Hub for Mac miniskirt with SSD Enclosureas you may see yourself demand the extra computer memory blank space later down the line .
The Satechi Stand & Hub for Mac mini with NVMe SSD Enclosure is usable in Silver vividness only , like the previous example of Mac mini and Studio themselves . The good example without the inclosure is also available in a Space Gray people of color , so will match the 2018 Mac mini model , with which it is compatible – the model with the SSD enclosing is not compatible with the older Mac mini .
For more Mac mini supplement options , read our feature article onHow to upgrade the M2 and M2 Pro Mac mini .
Wi-Fi issues
Some readers contacted Macworld with complaint that placing their Mac miniskirt or Mac Studio on top of the Satechi Stand has slowed down their Wi - Fi f number .
We contact Satechi require about whether the Hub causes Wi - Fi lag . The party replied that “ this Hub will not affect the Wi - Fi sign — however in some case , preventive may come about . If this is the case , we advocate connecting your Mac Mini to the 2.4Ghz electronic web ( vs 5Ghz ) for optimal performance . ”
Satechi then made some ironware changes to the hub : increasing the acme of the hub to supply more gap between the hub and mac mini , changing the prostrate cable on the back to a rounded braided cable and adding shielding on the PCB to also help with interference .
Note that there wo n’t be a job if your Mac is connected to a pumped up web by Ethernet as the problem affect the Mac miniskirt ’s Wi - Fi performance only .
Bottom line
The Satechi Stand & Hub for Mac mini with NVMe SSD Enclosure propose an inexpensive reparation to two of the Mac mini ’s limitations : no front - face up ports and fix , non - upgradeable internal storage . Adding a tebibyte or two via the SSD bay laurel will save you one C compared to buying from Apple . However , we ’d commend it only to people who are connect their Mac mini to a pumped Ethernet mesh .
