Apple recently released the new Mac Studio, but last year’s M1-powered Mac mini is a far more affordable option for most of us. Yet, adding extra storage to your Apple devices can become very expensive. This is where the OWC miniStack STX can help.

Unlike most Apple products, the OWC miniStack STX has been designed so that owners can customise and upgrade the storage as needs change. The miniStack STX features a universal SATA HDD/SSD bay and an NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD slot that is easy to access for upgrades and maintenance. In addition, the STX has four Thunderbolt (USB-C) ports for device connections.

The device itself is available for $299 for the empty enclosure, or it can be customised at the time of purchase with up to 8TB of SSD storage and 18TB of HDD storage. For this article, we had access to the 2TB SSD version, available for $369

Design and Build Quality

The miniStack STX features the same rounded aluminium casing and dimensions of a current M1 Mac mini, and with its sleek black finish, has been designed to place your beloved Mac mini on top of it. 

The front of the enclosure features two small lights on the bottom right of the device, indicators for the two internal drives (SSD and SATA). The rear of the enclosure is where you will find the 20V DC power connection and three USB-C (Thunderbolt) ports for connectivity expansion of the Mac.

OWC claim that users can add a mix of up to five Thunderbolt devices, three USB devices, and two monitors with the miniStack STX, by daisy-chaining devices. You can now also remove devices from one chain without affecting the other chain(s).

In addition, the miniStack STX can work with any Thunderbolt compatible device like an iMac, Macbook Pro, iPad, iPhone, PC, Chromebook, and even Android tablets. I was able to connect and power my M1 Macbook Air over the 60W thunderbolt port (closest to the power supply), which adds even more versatility to the miniStack STX.

Like all OWC drives, miniStack STX is built to the highest standards of reliability and performance and is backed by a 3-Year OWC Limited Warranty (drives included) or a 1-Year OWC Limited Warranty (enclosure only).

Speed and Performance

With multiple drive configurations available, OWC state that the miniStack STX can run at 770 MB/s of performance through the SSD drive. I tested the miniStack STX SSD to transfer, store, and edit about 60 GB worth of samples and project files, and those numbers are pretty accurate. However, working directly off of my M1 Mac mini SSD, performance and speed is significantly faster.

Intel Mac mini Owners

If you own a 2018 or later Intel Mac mini, the miniStack STX maximizes your investment with expanded capacity for a fraction of the time and money you would spend buying a new machine.

If you own a Mac, PC, or a device equipped with USB-A only, you're not left behind. OWC's USB-C to USB-A adapter cable (sold separately) lets you can utilise the miniStack STX's SATA drive bay to transfer data to/from your machine, plus set up any additional device connectivity.

Final Verdict

We all know that adding storage to your Apple devices can become very expensive. Going from a 256GB SSD to a 1TB SSD on the M1 Mac mini adds $400. Plus, once you make the drive size choice, you're stuck with your decision until your next machine purchase. 

The miniStack STX is $369 for the 2TB version, but you can expand the entire unit with an 18TB HDD and 8TB NVMe SSD, which massively dwarfs the computer's base storage options. The extra storage and connectivity are excellent added benefits.

If you require both expanded and upgraded storage space faster than a standard external HDD that has the connectivity for connecting other devices that neatly pair with your machine, then yes, absolutely! The miniStack STX is a must-have.