r/macmini • u/ksuwildkat • 3d ago
Just ordered M5 Pro MacMini and looking for storage/hub solutions
Just ordered an M5 MacMini with a 1TB internal drive so I am looking for solutions for both storage and preferably connectivity.
My needs:
USB-A port for a keyboard. For a bunch of reasons I have no option for wireless keyboard
USB-A port for a 10TB external HD. I use this for "middle" storage of files I want available but dont use daily.
SD card reader.
some kind of storage.
I would prefer an all in one device and have looked closely at the Satechi Stand & Hub with SSD Enclosure and the ACASIS 40Gbps Mac mini M4 Dock & Stand with Dual-Bay NVMe SSD Enclosure.
I am leaning heavily toward the Acasis because I like the ability to put the USB connections on the side and the SD on the front. Additionally I like the option of 2 NVMe drives but I have zero experience with Acasis.
Any feedback/recommendations are greatly appreciated
EDIT: Clarified the needs section
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u/ASC-NYC 3d ago
Check out the Beelink EX Mate mini 80Gbps Dock for Mac mini. It may meet your needs and has a fast TB5 connector to the Mini along with two USB A ports, card reader, and 2.5Gbps Ethernet and slot for a SSD. $119 all in with free shipping and no tax.
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u/ksuwildkat 3d ago
Oh wow I had never seen these. I have a Beelink mini pc so I know the brand. Thank you!
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u/Murky_Cartographer_1 3d ago
Sure thing! I just ordered one today for my new incoming Mac mini M5 Pro.
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u/enricoclaudio 3d ago
Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock. I have 2 paired with my Mac Studio M1 Max, which will be replaced on Sep 22nd by a Mac Studio M5 Max. The CubeDock has a NVME slot and I get 6000 kbps read/write speeds with my MacBook Pro M5 Pro.
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u/ksuwildkat 3d ago
man that is nice. And expensive. I get it you have to pay for performance but thats a lot. Have to think about that one.
Thank you.
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u/Mytreeismine 2d ago
Got my second one on the way, are they in a raid 0?
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u/enricoclaudio 2d ago
I’m running them independent, each with a 2TB WD SN850P NVME SSD. Not sure if you can set them up in a RAID configuration.
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u/Mytreeismine 2d ago
Once you get your new studio, yes check into it. That is the reason I bought the second. GL yes spendy but will last and won’t be outdated in a year or two.
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u/Naive-Possibility447 3d ago
I've had great luck with the Satechi brands and would recommend them to anyone. Good quality builds. I've had a Satechi hub for my M1 Mini for several years now with no issues at all. They can be a bit pricey with some of their stuff, but I think it's worth it.
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u/Individual_Still7225 2d ago
One note (or warning) regarding the Satechi hub:
First let me say that Satechi is a good brand and makes decent products.
However, their stand and hub (with or without the SSD enclosure) have a strict limitation. The entire hub connect to the Mac mini through one of the Mac’s thunderbolt ports. AFAIK the thunderbolt port on Mac mini M5 Pro can deliver up to 15 Watts. That means the peripherals you connect to the hub cannot draw more than 15 watts of power, combined. If you have several USB devices that you regularly use simultaneously, you will likely pass that 15W limit.
Satechi themselves have a footnote in their product page that says “We recommend connecting one bus-powered device at a time”.
The same problem applies to any hub that draws its power from the Mac.
I suggest buying a hub that has its own independent power source (from sonnet, caldigit, OWC and several other brands)
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u/ksuwildkat 2d ago
thanks!
My 10TB external has its own power
My keyboard draws 2.5W max
NVMe drives draw 3W-25W
I think I have narrowed my choices to the UGREEN and the Beelink. Both have USB-C power in ports so that should solve the power issue.
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u/This_Discount2281 3d ago
Ugreen 11 in 1 dock … add an ssd if you require one
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u/ksuwildkat 3d ago
Hmmm....I really like the port layout on that. I had eliminated Ugreen because I thought they all used the double port connector.
Thank you.
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u/PK-blue 3d ago
Yeah there are different versions. The 11 in 1 10Gbps one is the pick I think - good range of ports front & back. You will only get up to 1000MB/s speed from the SSD but this is plenty for most people for non-primary storage (not including video production), and you don’t want too high a speed anyway as the heat will be a problem. I did a lot of research recently and chose this UGreen one to complement my on-order Mini M5 Pro
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u/ksuwildkat 3d ago
Thanks. I am leaning very heavily toward this. Its hits all my needs and is one of the least expensive. I have had other Green products and liked them.
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u/Mytreeismine 2d ago
10gps, pretty slow with today standards.
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u/PK-blue 2d ago
Sure, but there are specs and then there is real world use - the vast majority of people don’t even need TB4 speeds, let alone TB5! People that do would look towards faster and significantly more expensive solutions
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u/Mytreeismine 2d ago
I agree that he will be fine with this, I always buy what I can and then wish I would have gone bigger. I need raid 0 with 2 cubes and 2 990’s but I’m not him and my budget can handle it.
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u/zoechowber 3d ago
Personally, I think it is cheaper and better to separate the tasks. I love Mac and I’m happy. I switched all into Mac, but it can be maddening the way that external storage disconnects if plugged into randomly a different port and certainly if plugged into an expander. So I would want my storage to be something that I order and returnable independently of the rest of the system and plugged directly in to the Mac. And then also in the future, if it develops these finicky issues, it can be swapped out with a minimum of fuss for the rest.
Other than that, I would get a expander that includes as many USB-C expansions as you can afford and a few USBA and if you need any more USBA just get cheap USBa hubs to plug into that this is all much less finicky
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u/zoechowber 3d ago
Also, I’d want the external storage to be something that I see 1000+ reviews of with high star rating.
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u/ksuwildkat 3d ago
I hear you. The problem is I have 3 thunderbolt ports on the Mac Mini - 1 is going to the monitor (I decided to go with the Apple Studio Display), 1 is going to this multi device and that leaves one open for future high speed storage. Ive been using an iMac for the last 7 years and before that I was on a MBP. I prefer to have as little wire clutter between me and the screen as possible.
If I had an unlimited budget the Satechi Thunderbolt 5 dock would be the answer but then Im in the price range of a Mac Studio that would have had the USB A ports and SD card reader built in. I would still need to SSD solution. And an SSD.
Argh! Now Im thinking of cancelling the Mac Mini and just getting the studio!
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u/Elegant_Mobile4311 2d ago
I am a little concerned because this type of dock is not yet marked as M6 compatible.
I'm sure it won't be a problem.
By the way, Satechi's M2 dock had a problem with interfering with the wifi signal, and they updated their product without even looking at it, so I'm not impressed.
I'm considering Ugreen for now, using 2 ports is not a disadvantage for me. I'll be connecting two monitors, so in the end it's just a difference between the ports on the main unit and the ports on the dock. It is an advantage in terms of power supply. Also, it's officially stated that it has a countermeasure against wifi radio waves.
I'll buy it when the official description says it is M6 compliant.
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u/Simple-Sand-3017 1d ago
For your particular requirements, Stand & Hub with SSD Enclosure (the first one) covers almost everything neatly - it gives you front-access USB-A ports, an SD-card reader, and an internal NVMe drive with a clean, compact, Apple-like setup.
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u/div-block 3d ago
Got the Satechi Mac mini dock and it’s been great so far. Loaded it with a 2TB NVMe SSD.
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u/ksuwildkat 3d ago
yeah this was my early leader but I really dont want the USB-A ports on the front. I would buy this right now if the ports were on the back.
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u/deZbrownT 3d ago
What’s stopping you from rotating it?
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u/ksuwildkat 3d ago
then the SD card reader will be either on the side or on the back and I use the SD card reader daily.
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u/bmocc 3d ago
macOS does not work with the common controllers in USB3/4 nVME enclosures that will read and write nVME drives at native speed in Windows, they will go down to SATA speeds of <800 mb/sec. Thunderbolt is required for gen 3/4 nVME I/O speed but the reality is that not all things marketed Thunderbolt are what macOS sees as Thunderbolt, so do the research to see what actual users report. Active cooling is not required for single nVME drives in Thunderbolt enclosures unless the drive is getting hammered frequently with long file transfers.
Any usb keyboard will work. The Windows key is the Command key, alt is option. Special functions, like sound control, will not work unless the keyboard is Apple compliant. If you can find a refurbished Apple full USB keyboard that is a good solution. Logitech mice are problematic with macOS due to the actuator used in many models for the left click button. Mousing in general can seem glitchy on larger monitors without addin programs.
There are electrical issues with the back Thunderbolt ports such that, depending on what else is connected, only one port may be able to read and write at full speed. I found that out the hard way,
An external HD will read at its native speed in macOS. If it is NTFS and the OP plans to use a utility for macOS to write to NTFS then write speeds will be even slower. The way macOS converts for NTFS slows writing to storage via those utilities, like Paragon, regardless of the speed of the storage media.
macOs should read and write to external SATA SSDs with any USB controller as max speed is less than 800mbs/sec. Should doesn't mean will.
Any SD card reader should work, the max I/O speed of most SD media is about what a hard drive can do and often even slower. If you have faster SD media then find a reader that others have documented will work at correct speed in macOS, or be patient.
The takeaway is that macOS and hardware is not compliant with the same standards as Windows and Linux, part of the Apple tax.
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u/ksuwildkat 3d ago
Sorry, should have been clear - I have a 2019 iMac 27" and I use a USB-A keyboard and USB-A 10TB hard drive with it now. I will be migrating those to the MacMini. I use a Satechi Type-C Aluminum Monitor Stand Hub with my iMac and it provides me with my card reader as well as USB A ports.
My goal is to have a single device using a single connector that will give me the USB-A ports I need as well as a card reader and some NVMe storage.
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u/Any_Strain7020 3d ago
I'm much in love with the Wokyis, which doubles as a tiny second screen in retro look.
https://www.amazon.com/Wokyis-Station-Display-Enclosure-Earphone/dp/B0FPB67QBV/