OWC miniStack STX Thunderbolt 4 Certified Storage and Hub Expansion Solution Stack With Mac mini

Other World Computing, Inc. (OWC) announces the miniStack STX, a Thunderbolt 4 certified storage and hub expansion solution that stacks with the Mac mini.

It is also a plug and play expansion companion for Thunderbolt or USB-equipped Macs, PCs, iPads, Chromebooks, and Android tablets.

Three Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C compatible) ports connect to millions of Thunderbolt, USB-C and future USB-4 devices and accessories. An universal HDD/SSD bay and an NVMe M.2 SSD slot provide storage capacity expansion and can be combined in a RAID-1 configuration. With up to 770MB/s of storage performance, the miniStack STX is for bandwidth-intensive video editing, photography, audio, VMs, and everyday backup and access tasks. Its heat-dissipating aircraft-grade aluminum with an internal heat sink and fan provides cool, nearly silent operation.

miniStack STX with Mac mini

The miniStack STX lets you edit, save and access like a pro with multiple drive configurations available. Move 5GB of GoPro footage in about 6s. Transfer 1,000’s of photos of 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 for multi-stream compressed 4K video editing, photography, audio, VMs, and everyday data tasks. Building your music setup can be daunting, but with 2 configurable drives in the miniStack STX, it’s easy to create a pro audio 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.

miniStack STX rear with Mac mini

The miniStack STX lets you expand your connections by connecting to nearly any past, present, or future device and accessory via 3 Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports. Just like its storage capability, these ports have a second super ability. They reinvent the daisy chain by allowing to create three independent chains with up to 5 Thunderbolt, USB, or display devices. You can also remove devices from one chain without affecting the other chain(s).

“We understand having confidence in gear reliability is paramount to our customers, and OWC is constantly developing revolutionary products to complement Apple’s innovations,” said Larry O’Connor, CEO and founder..” While great for the Apple Mac mini, the OWC miniStack STX packs a lot of capabilities in a small footprint that expands the functionality of any Mac or PC notebook or desktop computer.“

If you own a 2018 Intel Mac mini or the latest M1 version, the internal factory drive can’t be upgraded, making it 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.

“Thunderbolt 4 technology enables our partners like OWC to deliver super-fast storage and abundant docking capabilities in new ways,” said Jason Ziller, GM, client connectivity division, Intel Corp. “Thunderbolt 4 continues to build on the innovation of Thunderbolt 3 for a truly universal cable connectivity experience, and we’re proud that Thunderbolt 4 has just been recognized as a CES 2022 Innovation Award Honoree ⁽⁶⁾ for its design, innovation, and engineering.“

Inside miniStack STX

miniStack STX highlights:

• Capacity: add over 200x greater storage to your Mac mini ⁽¹⁾

• Mega Thunderbolt: use more accessories and devices with three Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports

• Compatibility: use with Thunderbolt or USB equipped Macs, PCs, iPads, Chromebooks, Android tablets virtually anything that supports external storage ^{(2), (3)}

• More connectivity: add a mix of up to 5 Thunderbolt devices, 3 USB devices, and 2 displays ^{(2), (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

• Data security: RAID-1 support

• Plug and play: includes Thunderbolt cable

• Whisper-quiet: aluminum housing with internal heat sink and efficiency cooling fan provides cool, nearly silent operation

The miniStack STX is available for pre-order on Macsales.com starting at $299.

⁽¹⁾ Based on 2018 Mac mini with factory equipped 128GB SSD vs miniStack STX with 18TB HDD and 8TB NVMe SSD.
⁽²⁾ Thunderbolt 4 devices like miniStack STX are not supported for use with legacy Thunderbolt 1 and 2 machines via Apple’s Thunderbolt adapter. Use with a Mac, PC, or device equipped with USB-A only requires USB-C to USB-A cable (sold separately). Up to 2 external displays supported by Intel Mac machines over Thunderbolt connection. M1 Macs support 1 external display over Thunderbolt.
⁽³⁾ Use of miniStack STX with a USB-C or USB-A host allows use of the miniStack STX’s SATA drive only and use of its ports for USB accessories only.
⁽⁴⁾ Storage examples for illustrative purposes only. Individual results may be different based on variety of factors including specific file size and format, settings, features, software, and other factors. Storage estimates based on the following:

• 12-megapixel camera with 4MB image sizes

• 4-minute average 4MB MP3 songs

• 4-minute average uncompressed Apple Lossless (ALAC) songs

• 1,080p HD videos with 5GB average file size

• 60FPS 24GB/hr

• 250KB average MS Office document file size

⁽⁵⁾ Use with Thunderbolt/Thunderbolt 2 peripheral devices requires a certified Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 (mDP) adapter. Devices such as external drives will operate at Thunderbolt/Thunderbolt 2 speeds.
⁽⁶⁾ The CES Innovation Awards are based upon descriptive materials submitted to the judges. CTA did not verify the accuracy of any submission or of any claims made and did not test the item to which the award was given.