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Would connecting an SSD to my Mac mini through Thunderbolt 4 and leaving it connected all the time cause any damage?

I've heard rumors that certain Thunderbolt 4 SSD enclosures might cause damage to the Mac mini's motherboard, but I'm not sure if it's true. I'm planning to purchase an Acasis 40Gbps M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure. Do you think this enclosure is stable and safe to use? Additionally, I'm considering installing macOS on my external SSD. Is it recommended to do so? Will I have a similarly stable experience compared to using the internal drive?



Apologies for asking so many questions. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Mac mini (M2, 2023)

Posted on Oct 16, 2023 1:39 AM

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7 replies

Jan 28, 2024 2:01 AM in response to zzz331

Regarding installing the macOS on an external SSD . . . I have done precisely that on my new base model M2 mini.


However, in my case, it's a bog standard Crucial 1TB connected via USB 3.0


USB 3.0 is only a fraction the speed of the internal drive so you would expect a real performance hit but that is not so.


Using bench tests such as GeekBench, I get identical figures whether I am booted from the internal or external SSD.


More importantly, I get identical performance with normal apps including video editing with Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve . . . rendering and export times being identical.


So why go to the trouble of booting from the external? The answer is simple. SSDs have a finite TBW lifespan and the smaller the SSD, the shorter its theoretical life will be.


Booting from the external means that all the wear and tear takes place on that drive which is extremely cheap and easy to replace unlike the built-in one.


The fact that it is also 4 times bigger means that it should last longer in the first place but even if it doesn't, it's cheap as chips to get another and plug it in!


If the mini SSD fails outside warranty, you are left with a very expensive but useless paperweight.

Oct 16, 2023 10:20 AM in response to zzz331

Generally speaking, an always connected external drive will not damage the Mac. Of course, any external drive with questionable build quality is a potential problem. I cannot speak to the quality of the Acasis enclosure that you mention in your post.


Re: installing macOS on an external drive... it's an option, and a good one for many older Macs. I don't see any particular advantage to doing that with the new Mac mini... unless the internal drive is low capacity and you expect to outgrow the space available very soon. As long as the external drive is one of quality and the connection is Thunderbolt or USB-C the experience should be just fine... at least near-equal to running from the internal startup drive.

Oct 17, 2023 5:11 AM in response to zzz331

I can't speak for the Acasis enclosure, but I have a 1TB OWC Envoy Pro SX Thunderbolt drive connected 24/7 and is used as a boot drive.


I have seen reviews of some DIY enclosures that claim to have destroyed ports. However, I would surmise that the root cause may not have been the drive at all but the cheap cable that was supplied with the drives. I would suggest getting a quality and certified Thunderbolt3 or Thunderbolt4/USB4 cable and toss any supplied by the vendor.

Would connecting an SSD to my Mac mini through Thunderbolt 4 and leaving it connected all the time cause any damage?

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