A MiniMate SSD under a Mac on an all white set
(Image credit: Orico)
If you’re considering getting the new M4 Mac mini, you’ve probably noticed that it costs a pretty penny if you want to upgrade the amount of storage it comes with. If you want to upgrade from the base 256GB Mac mini to the 512GB configuration, that’ll cost you $200 / £200 - then it’s the same amount for every additional half-terabyte after that. Luckily storage company Orico has just released MiniMate: an external SSD designed to accompany the new Apple M4 Mac mini, and it’s only $139.99 for 512GB of extra storage.
If you want additional storage for a Mac mini but don’t want to pay Apple’s tall prices, this certainly looks like a good option. The MiniMate is an easy addition that doesn’t require you to open up your Mac mini or deal with a complicated setup process, because it was designed from the ground up to work quickly and easily with the new Mac mini.
You can connect the MiniMate using one of the Mac mini’s high-speed Thunderbolt/USB4 ports and it can transfer data at speeds of up to 40Gbps, which is very quick. It’s worth noting that the speed will depend on the individual configuration of the MiniMate you get.
The MiniMate is made of aluminum, the same material that Apple uses for its devices, and it comes in a sleek silver color that will match a Mac mini perfectly. It’s made to sit on top of the M4 Mac mini and match your setup seamlessly.
A view of the MateMini SSD from above
The MateMini is designed to sit atop the M4 Mac mini and perfectly match its footprint.(Image credit: Orico)
Release dates, storage options, and price information
It packs a lot of data, with the base model starting at 512GB and configurations ranging all the way up to 8TB, and it uses NVMe SSD storage which is known for being fast and reliable. It’s also built to stay cool while working, so it won’t overheat even when you’re transferring large files. The M4 Mac mini vents from the underside anyway and doesn’t run particularly hot in the first place - at least, not compared to powerful creative CPUs from the likes of Intel - so you won’t have to worry about overheating from either one (while using it normally).
When it comes to price, you’re looking at $139.99 for the 512GB model, going up to $999.99 for the 8TB version. Expensive, certainly, but still a lot cheaper than what Apple will charge you; the maximum the M4 Mac mini can be configured up to is 2TB, which will cost you a hefty $800 on top of the base model. The MiniMate will be available for purchase on December 13, 2024.
If you’ve read all of that and aren’t planning to get a MacMini but wish you could use the MateMini, then good news: the MiniMate also works with other systems like Windows, Linux, and Android. It just won’t look quite as cute sitting atop a regular desktop PC.
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Computing Writer
Kristina is a UK-based Computing Writer, and is interested in all things computing, software, tech, mathematics and science. Previously, she has written articles about popular culture, economics, and miscellaneous other topics.
She has a personal interest in the history of mathematics, science, and technology; in particular, she closely follows AI and philosophically-motivated discussions.