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M4 Mac Mini SSD modded from 256GB to 1TB — modder solders higher-capacity NAND to the removable SSD module

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M4 Mac Mini SSD modded from 256GB to 1TB — modder solders higher-capacity NAND to the removable SSD module

Apple’s latest M4 Mini features NAND modules that can be upgraded if you’re proficient enough in micro-soldering, as dosdude1 shows in his latest machine teardown.

The M4 Mac Mini starts at just $599, putting many Windows machines to shame in terms of performance and pricing. But like all Apple machines, these are not self-serviceable and upgradable—starting with a paltry 256GB of SSD storage.

Users looking for higher capacities must pay a pretty penny since the 512GB version starts at $799, with a $200 upcharge for 256GB of extra storage. And for the unseasoned, this isn’t like the desktop landscape where you could swap in your old SSD with a fancier, faster, and larger version. The NAND modules are soldered onto a PCB, and the memory controller is on the SoC. Better yet, older designs had the entire assembly packaged onto the SoC – so any severe damage would’ve rendered the system as good as dead.

(Image credit: dosdude1)

Like the Mac Studio, the M4 Mac Mini has a PCB with two NAND chips – one at the front and one at the back. Theoretically, you could swap these two modules and replace them with more capacity.

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