SSD Compatibility

There is no 2020 Intel Mac mini.

A 2018 Mac mini was the last Intel model and a 2020 Mac mini was the first Silicon model.

To correctly identify your Mac mini model, see > Identify your Mac mini model - Apple Support

If you go for a stackable external Hub with an SSD slot?

Check with the manufacturer for Mac compatibility and the type of SSD that is required.

That is not entirely correct. Apple improved the base model 2018 with higher SSD from the original 128 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08632KX27/…but didn’t rename it.

But it wasn’t just memory they added, they also made the 2020 compatible with AirPlay without doing likewise for the 2018.

The below compatibility chart was issued prior to the release of the M1. Needless to say, it aggravated a ton of 2018 owners, myself included.

They’ll all show up 2018s. Mine shows up as 2018 because I grabbed it as soon as it was released (November 2018).

The 2020 was meant to correct a 2018 marketing booboo by upping the base model SSD from 128 Gigs to 256. However, end users were given the impression it was new and improved 2020.

Additionally, it got AirPlay support which I suspect was because the confusion was widespread internally within Apple as well. AirPlay actually worked on the 2018 model and then got abruptly yanked in one of the macOS updates early 2020, inadvertently I suspect, after the 2020 came out.

There were tons of complaints about that here, also confused posts on whether 2020 was actually 2018 old stock.

If you’re interested in learning more, you can either use Search or await my book “Back to the mini future”…😁🍻

I missed the boat on that one as well.

I bought my 2018 512GB Mac mini from the Apple Refurbished Store in 2019.

Any idea if the About This Mac shows it as a 2018 or 2030 Intel….?

That's good info, thanks.

Sorry about the 2030 mistake earlier, I was on my iPhone and didn't have my reading glasses.

👍