Mini Sized. Mammoth Possibilities.

Just like great duos Kirk and Spock, Frodo and Sam, or Woody and Buzz, the ministack and the Mac mini have been the perfect pair since 2005. The miniStack STX now features Storage and Thunderbolt Xpansion, continuing its award-winning legacy as the best sidekick a Mac mini can have. Meet the world’s first Thunderbolt certified Thunderbolt 4 storage solution.

With a universal SATA HDD/SSD AND an NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD slot, you can expand your mini’s storage capacity to gigantic proportions. Three Thunderbolt (USB-C) ports enable you to connect to millions of Thunderbolt, USB, and future USB4 drives, displays, A/V mixers, cameras, and tablets. It also works with desktop accessories like a keyboard, card reader, or mouse. The possibilities of how you can use your Mac mini are now limited only to your imagination.

Massive Capacity - Add over 200x greater data storage on top of your Mac mini's built-in storage1

Mega Thunderbolt - Use more accessories and devices with three Thunderbolt (USB-C) expansion ports

Maximum Compatibility - Use with Thunderbolt or USB equipped Macs, PCs, iPads, Chromebook, Android tablets…virtually anything that supports external storage2,3

More Connectivity - Add a mix of up to five Thunderbolt devices, three USB devices, and two displays2,5

Power While Working - 60W of notebook charging power via Thunderbolt or USB-C

Pro-grade Performance - Save/access/backup data and edit 4K video with up to 770MB/s real-world-tested performance

Easy Backups - Apple Time Machine and Windows File History ready

Plug and Play - Includes Thunderbolt cable

Whisper-Quiet - An aluminum housing with internal heat sink and high-efficiency cooling fan provides cool, nearly silent operation

Xpands Notebooks, Tablets, and More 

Sized identically to the Mac mini, the miniStack STX is also a sleek, complementary companion for MacBook and PC notebook and desktop machines, iPads, and Chromebooks. While highly powerful, these machines are often limited in the number and variety of ports they offer. The miniStack STX solves that expansion limitation with a new world of increased connectivity and storage capacity.

The Dual Drive Dynamo

Just like superheroes have an alter ego, so too does the miniStack STX. The universal SATA drive bay holds a hard disk drive or SSD for big capacity data storage. When you need to support low latency instant access operations the NVMe M.2 SSD slot reveals miniStack STX’s ferocious power. NVMe was designed to deliver the speed potential of modern flash drive technology by using a direct path to a computer’s processor over PCIe. As a result, you can enjoy near instant access performance with the miniStack STX.

Edit. Save. Access Like a Pro.

With multiple drive configurations available, you can experience up to 770MB/s of real-world data transfer speed. Move 5GB of GoPro footage in about 6 seconds. Transfer 1000s of photos from that priceless event in mere seconds. Use the SATA drive for Time Machine or File History backups while working off the NVMe drive. With heavyweight performance like this, the miniStack STX is great for multi-stream compressed 4K video editing, photography, audio, virtual machines, and everyday data tasks.

Easily Monitor and Protect Your Data

For even more power and security, add OWC’s SoftRAID software to your miniStack STX and create a RAID 1 to automatically maintain identical copies of all your data on each drive. For over 25 years, SoftRAID has been the most fully featured and powerful software RAID solution available for Mac and Windows. It starts protecting your data even before you start saving by validating the miniStack STX drives are safe for data storage.

In the improbable event that you experience a disk issue, your data is still complete and accessible on the miniStack STX’s other drive! SoftRAID then constantly monitors your disks with a combination of S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology) attributes along with its own I/O statistics. This deep dive disk health analysis identifies potential problems so you can take preventive action. SoftRAID is available for both Mac and PC making it possible to share the miniStack STX between computers.

Move Between Macs and PCs

Accessing your miniStack STX on a Windows PC is remarkably easy with the addition of OWC’s MacDrive. This seamless software runs in the background, so there’s nothing to launch or learn. Just connect the miniStack STX and not only do you have instant-read access, but full write access too! MacDrive also includes powerful features that enable you to format and partition drives as well as repair basic disk issues.

Xpand Your Sonic Journey

Building your music setup can be daunting. With two configurable drives in the OWC miniStack STX, it’s easy to create a storage powerhouse for recording and playback of essential tracks in real-time. You can even store your entire loop and sample libraries on the NVMe SSD for in-a-flash use with near-zero latency.

Xpand Your Connections

You’ll experience newfound freedom when you’re able to connect to nearly any past, present, or future device/accessory via three Thunderbolt (USB-C) ports. Just like the miniStack STX’s innovative storage capability, these three ports have a second superpower: They reinvent the daisy chain by allowing you to create three independent chains with up to five bus-powered Thunderbolt devices with a USB device on the end of each chain (for 8 devices total). You can now also remove devices from one chain without affecting the other chain(s).

Xtend Your Investment

If you own a 2018 Intel Mac mini or the latest Apple silicon version, the fact that the internal factory drive can’t be upgraded is no longer a reason to sell your beloved little powerhouse. The miniStack STX maximizes your mini’s investment with a mighty capacity punch for a fraction of the time and money you would spend in buying and setting up a new machine. You’re not left behind if you own a Mac, PC, or device equipped with USB-A only. With a USB-C to USB-A adapter cable (sold separately), you can utilize the miniStack STX’s SATA drive bay to transfer data to/from your machine plus infuse your trusty setup with additional device connectivity.

Store from Minutes to Millions

All the features and “technospeak” of an external drive don’t mean a thing if you don’t know how much of a particular file type it can hold. For every 1TB of miniStack STX capacity, you can store up to any of the following:4

Detailed Specs

Drive Bays

• 1 bay supporting: 3.5-inch SATA drives, 2.5-inch SATA drives
• SATA drives connect via USB protocol
• 1 bay supporting: M.2 drives
• Supports NVMe M.2 SSDs with 2280 form factor and "M Key" connector type. Single- and double-sided SSDs are supported.
• The maximum performance of an internal M.2 NVMe SSD is 770MB/s due to the bandwidth of the PCIe 3.0 x1 bus inside the miniStack STX.

Hot Plug Support

• Yes

Boot Support

• Yes. Boot Camp is not supported.

Power Delivery

• Thunderbolt 4 host port provides up to 96W of power to the host computer.
• Thunderbolt 4 device ports (for external drives and other devices) provide 15W of power.

Device Ports

• (1) Host Port - Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) up to 40 Gb/s (5000 MB/s)
• (3) Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) Ports

Display Support

• Up to one 8K display @ 60Hz,
• or one 5K display @ 60Hz,
• or one 4K display @ 120Hz,
• or two 4K displays @ 60Hz,
• or one 4K display @ 60Hz,
• or one 4K display @ 30Hz

Display Support by Port

• Thunderbolt 4: Up to 8K @ 60Hz or 4K @ 120Hz via a native Thunderbolt 4 display or other display that supports USB-C connections and DisplayPort 1.4

Host Port Requirements

• Thunderbolt (USB-C) or USB (USB-C or USB-A1) port

Mac OS Compatibility

• macOS 10.14 Mojave
• macOS 10.15 Catalina
• macOS 11.x Big Sur
• macOS 12.x Monterey
• macOS 13.x Ventura
• macOS 14.x Sonoma

PC OS Compatibility

• Windows 10 32-bit Edition
• Windows 10 64-bit Edition
• Windows Server 2019
• Windows Server 2022
• Windows 11

Linux OS Compatibility

• Yes

Mobile OS Compatibility

• iPadOS 13
• iPadOS 14
• iPadOS 15
• iPadOS 16
• iPadOS 17
• Android 11.x
• Android 12.x
• Android 13.x

Other OS Compatibility

• Chrome OS
• Linux

Driver Required

• No

Other Requirements

• macOS 11.1 or later for Thunderbolt hosts
• macOS 10.14.6 or later for USB hosts

External Power Adapter

• Yes

Power Supply

• External UL-listed universal auto-switching power supply
• Need an additional power supply? Secondary/replacement power supplies are also available.

DC Output

• +20V, 9A

Replacement Adapter Part Number

• OWCPWR20V150W (sold separately)

Cooling

• (1) cooling fan

Security Slot

• Yes

Power/Activity LED

• Yes
• LED disk status light may not function with some drives, including 8.0TB OWC Aura Ultra IV MVMe M.2 SSD (OWCP4U8T1PT08).

Housing Color

• Matte Black / Black

Housing Material

• Aluminum

Color

• Matte Silver / Black

Dimensions

• Height: 3.7 cm (1.5 in)
• Length: 19.7 cm (7.8 in)
• Width: 19.7 cm (7.8 in)

Weight

• 920.0 g (2.03 lbs)

Country of Origin

• Taiwan

TAA Compliance

• Yes

Ambient Temperature

• Operating: 50°F to 95°F (10°C to 35°C)
• Non-Operating: -40°F to 149°F (-40°C to 65°C)

Humidity

• Operating: 8% to 90% non-condensing
• Non-Operating: 5% to 95% non-condensing

1. Works with Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, USB4, and USB host computers and mobile devices. Thunderbolt/Thunderbolt 2 Mac models are supported via USB-A host connection. Thunderbolt/Thunderbolt 2 host connection is not supported.
   - Thunderbolt (USB-C) host connection and macOS 11.x or later required for NVMe SSD use.
   - With a USB host (such as a USB-C equipped MacBook, iPad, Chromebook, Android device, or PC), SATA drive is supported, NVMe SSD is not supported, and device works as a USB hub. Bandwidth is reduced to USB speeds, Thunderbolt devices are not supported, and additional functionality will vary depending upon the host port's capabilities.
   - With a USB-C host, displays and power delivery support will depend upon the host port's capabilities.
   - With a USB-A host, displays and power delivery are not supported. Requires a USB-C to USB-A adapter (available separately).
   A USB host connection is required for Mac systems running macOS 10.14 or 10.15.
2. NVMe SSD usage requires a Thunderbolt (USB-C) host connection with a compatible system running macOS 11.x or later. USB host connectivity provides SATA drive use only, and limits additional miniStack STX ports to USB connectivity only.
3. Works with Thunderbolt (USB-C), Thunderbolt/Thunderbolt 2 (mDP), and USB devices. Thunderbolt/Thunderbolt 2 (mDP) device support requires a certified Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 (mDP) adapter and a Thunderbolt 2 cable (available separately) and provides data transfer at up to 20Gb/s.
4. Dual display support, including available resolution and refresh rates, is dependent on host hardware and drivers.
   Apple silicon M1/M2/M3 Pro, M1/M2/M3 Max, and M1/M2 Ultra Mac models, Apple Intel-based Mac models, and Thunderbolt 4 PCs can support up to two displays at up to 4K @ 60Hz via Thunderbolt.
   Apple silicon M1/M2/M3 Mac models can support one external display up to 4K @ 60Hz via Thunderbolt.
5. The following Apple silicon M1/M2/M3 Mac models support a single display over a Thunderbolt port:
   - MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3, 2023)
   - MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) - MacBookPro17,1
   - MacBook Pro (13-inch, M2, 2022) - Mac14,7
   - MacBook Air (M1, 2020) - MacBookAir10,1
   - MacBook Air (M2, 2022) - Mac14,2
   - Mac mini (M1, 2020) - Macmini9,1
6. The following Mac models provide only partial support for DisplayPort 1.4, including limiting resolution to 5K or 6K at 60Hz. Please review Apple's display specifications for your specific Mac to determine the maximum supported resolution and color depth:
   - MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018) - MacBookPro15,1
   - MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports) - MacBookPro15,2
   - MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports) - MacBookPro15,2
   - MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019) - MacBookPro15,1 and MacBookPro15,3
   - MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) - MacBookPro15,4
   - MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) - MacBookPro16,1 and MacBookPro16,4
   - MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports) - MacBookPro16,2
   - MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) - MacBookPro16,3
   - MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) - MacBookAir8,1
   - MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2019) - MacBookAir8,2
   - MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020) - MacBookAir9,1
   - iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019) - iMac19,1
   - iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019) - iMac19,2
   - iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020) - iMac20,1 and iMac20,2
   - Mac mini (2018) - Macmini8,1
   - Mac Pro (2019) - MacPro7,1
   - Mac Pro (Rack, 2019) - MacPro7,1
7. Mac Users: A software driver is required to enable Apple Super Drive, Apple USB Keyboard, and for charging iPad generations 1, 2 and 3. This driver is included in the OWC Dock Ejector software download package. If your SuperDrive doesn't respond when connected to an external display or USB hub, connect your SuperDrive to a USB port directly on your Mac.
8. UltraStudio Recorder 3G is not compatible with OWC Thunderbolt Hub. System Report will show the device being connected; however, the driver won’t load which doesn’t allow for use of the device. UltraStudio Recorder 3G works properly when directly connected to a system.