External SSD for Mac Mini M4 Will this work?

WD_BLACK 1TB SN7100 NVMe Internal Gaming SSD Solid State Drive - Gen4 PCIe, M.2 2280, Up to 7,250 MB/s - WDS100T4X0E


Posted on Feb 27, 2025 04:02 PM

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6 replies

Feb 27, 2025 04:18 PM in response to sawilsonaz

"External SSD for Mac Mini M4 Will this work?: WD_BLACK 1TB SN7100 NVMe Internal Gaming SSD Solid State Drive - Gen4 PCIe, M.2 2280, Up to 7,250 MB/s - WDS100T4X0E"

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So, what is your question? Looking to upgrade the macOS onto your Mac?


Installing the macOS:


Determine which Update(s) will Install:

I. Verify Compatibility:

A. Start Here: Learn About Compatibility and how to Identify your Specific Mac Model - Apple Support


B. How to Verify:

Reveal your Model:

What is the Model of your Mac? To find out...

  1. Go to: Apple menu
  2. Click: About this Mac
  3. View: Second Line-Down

then...


II. Compare the Results:

See if the Model you found is shown here: macOS Sequoia is compatible with these computers - Apple Support


III. If Compatible:

Back Up your Mac First:  Be certain you Create a Time Machine Backup of your Mac, so that way you can have something to restore your Mac from, should anything go wrong with the reconfiguration.


Mar 3, 2025 10:43 AM in response to sawilsonaz

And if you intend to use that external drive as your boot drive then be aware that booting from an external drive on an Apple Silicon Mac can be tricky because of how macOS is locked down these days.


In my opinion you should use the M4 Mini’s internal drive as your boot drive and use the external drive for storing your user data.


Also be ware that using this drive with a Thunderbolt 4 port it will never be able to achieve the advertised speed.

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External SSD for Mac Mini M4 Will this work?

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