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OWC miniStack STX
Stackable Storage Enclosure with Thunderbolt Hub Xpansion - Matte Black
Used | OWC Tested
Mfr P/N: T4MS9000 OWC SKU: OWCT4MS9000U
Sized to stack with the Mac mini (2012 - 2023) and Mac Studio. The ideal storage and connectivity expansion solution for all.
- Massive capacity: add over 200x greater data storage on top of your Mac mini or over 50x greater data storage on top of your Mac Studio's built-in storage1
- Mega Thunderbolt: use more accessories and devices with three Thunderbolt (USB-C) ports
- Maximum compatibility: use with Thunderbolt or USB equipped Macs, PCs, iPads, Chromebooks, Android tablets…virtually anything that supports external storage2
- More Connectivity: add a mix of up to five Thunderbolt devices, three USB devices, and two displays2,3
- Power while working: 96W 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
- 90 Day OWC Limited Warranty
In Stock: Ships Same Day!$169.75
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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. Now featuring Storage and Thunderbolt Xpansion, the miniStack STX continues its award-winning legacy as the best sidekick a Mac mini can have.
With a universal SATA HDD/SSD bay 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, tablets, and desktop accessories like a keyboard, card reader, or mouse. The possibilities of how you can use your Mac mini is now only limited to your imagination.2
Xpands Notebooks, Tablets and More
While sized identical to the Mac mini, the miniStack STX is a sleek, complementary companion for MacBook and PC notebook and desktop machines, iPads, and Chromebooks as well. 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 more direct path to a computer's processor over PCIe (requires Thunderbolt host).5 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.
More Powerful With SoftRAID
Need more power and protection? Choose a solution that includes OWC's powerful SoftRAID RAID software.
SoftRAID is the most powerful, intuitive software RAID utility on the market. Multiple RAID levels let you select the RAID level that fits you or your project’s needs best. If you need maximum volume capacity, optimum drive performance, data protection, or a combination of attributes, SoftRAID has you covered.
Packed with features like drive validation, verification and failure prediction—SoftRAID includes features you simply don’t get with hardware RAID. It’s like having a datacenter on your desktop! From home users looking to protect photos and documents to professionals needing to protect and quickly access projects, SoftRAID is the perfect solution.
Try SoftRAID COMPLETELY FREE for 14 Days
Start protecting yourself and your data today! Get all of SoftRAID's great disk checking and monitoring features, plus the fastest and most efficient software RAID there is.
Move between Mac and Windows
Transferring data between Macs and Windows PCs has become easier, but can be extremely time consuming using cloud or email transfers. Now you can do it directly with external drives and take advantage of crazy fast speeds to transfer huge amounts of data in no time at all thanks to OWC’s MacDrive. This seamless Windows software runs in the background, so there’s nothing to launch or learn. Simply unplug your HFS+ formatted drive from your Mac or PC and move it to your other computer. Not only do you have instant read access, but full write access! MacDrive also includes powerful features that enable you to create and partition and repair basic drive issues.
- Compatible: Works with all types of media including hard drives, SSDs, CD/DVD, etc.
- Access: Read and write Mac disks direct from Windows Explorer
- Manage: Format, partition and delete Mac disks on your PC
- Repair: Built-in tools can safely fix basic drive issues
- Backups: Browse through Time Machine backups as well as copy those files and folders to your PC
Everything is better when you share. MacDrive makes it incredibly easy to move data between Mac and Windows PCs. If you live in a cross-platform environment MacDrive is a must. Learn more about MacDrive.
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.5
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.2,3,4 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 total 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 M1 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.
If you own a Mac, PC, or device equipped with USB-A only, you’re not left behind. With a USB-C to USB-A adapter cable (available 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.4,5
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 your OWC drive capacity, you can store up to any of the following:
- 250,000 photos
- 250,000 standard quality songs
- 38,000 high quality songs
- 200 high-definition movies
- 41.6 hours of GoPro 4K footage
- 4.3 million MS Office documents
- 24+ PS4/Xbox games
Keeps the Power Flowing
Whether you’re taking a short break or are done for the day, the miniStack STX keeps you powering ahead. No matter if your machine or STX goes into sleep mode, the STX’s Thunderbolt ports continue to power and/or charge connected devices. Your notebook will stay charged and ready too with 96 watts of power through its Thunderbolt or USB-C connection.4
Secure Your Connections
Unexpected disconnects during file transfers or a work session can be devastating. The OWC ClingOn (sold separately) easily reduces – if not eliminates – cable strain on the miniStack STX Thunderbolt connection ports.
Certified for Demanding Use
We understand having confidence in gear reliability is paramount to creative professionals. That’s why the miniStack STX goes through a multi-step performance certification prior to shipping. This ensures it arrives operating properly and immediately ready for your demanding use.
OWC, Trusted by Pros & Enthusiasts the World Over
We build our hardware to the highest standards of reliability and performance. Because 100% reliability is always the goal, we rigorously quality test and back the miniStack STX with award-winning global customer support.
- 28TB miniStack STX provides over 218x greater data storage than a 2018 Mac mini with factory equipped 128GB SSD and over 54x greater data storage than a 2023 Mac Studio with factory equipped 512GB SSD.
- 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 (not included) and provides data transfer at up to 20Gb/s.
- Actual display support depends upon host. Please review the display specifications for your specific host system to determine the maximum supported resolution, refresh rate, color depth, and number of external displays over Thunderbolt or USB.
- 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.
- With a USB host (such as a USB-C equipped MacBook, iPad, Chromebook, Android device, or PC), this 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 cable (available separately).
- A USB host connection is required for Mac systems running macOS 10.14 or 10.15. - 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.
- 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: 12-megapixel camera with 4MB image sizes, 4-minute average 4MB MP3 songs, 4-minute average uncompressed Apple Lossless (ALAC) songs, 1080p HD videos with 5GB average file size, GoPro 4K footage at 60FPS 24GB/hr, 250KB average MS Office document file size, 40GB average game sizes.
Includes
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- (1) OWC miniStack STX Storage Enclosure
- (1) External Power Supply
- (1) US Power Cable
- (1) 0.3M (11.8") Thunderbolt (USB-C) Cable
- (1) Quick Start Guide for OWC miniStack STX
- (1) User Guide for OWC miniStack STX
- 90 Day OWC Limited Warranty
Specs
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Drive Bays
- 1 bay supporting: 3.5-inch SATA drives, 2.5-inch SATA drives
- SATA drives connect via USB protocol
- NVMe SSDs with a heatsink will not fit and are not supported.
- 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.
Device Ports
- (1) Host Port - Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) up to 40Gb/s (5000MB/s)
- (3) Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) Ports
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.
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 Interface 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
- macOS 15.x Sequoia
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
- iPadOS 18
- Android 11.x
- Android 12.x
- Android 13.x
- Android 14.x
- Android 15.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
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
- NVMe SSDs with a heatsink will not fit and are not supported.
- The LED function of this product will be disabled and not function if used with an 8TB OWC Aura Ultra IV MVMe M.2 SSD (OWCP4U8T1PT08).
- 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. - 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.
- 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 (not included) and provides data transfer at up to 20Gb/s.
- 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. - 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 - 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 - 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.
- 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.
Videos
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Drive Install Install Video
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Customer Reviews
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It’s a great device, but it is ruined by the giant and heavy power brick
This does exactly what I needed it to do, and does it well, but it uses a power brick that is bigger and heavier than the device itself. That makes it be only marginally satisfactory.
Verified Purchase.Reviewer593343368,
Jan, 23 2025
- Reviewer:Reviewer593343368
Response from OWC, Support
Thank you for you for sharing your honest feedback with us. We're glad to hear that the MiniStack STX meets your needs and performs well. We also appreciate your input regarding the power bricks size and weight; It's something we take seriously as we strive to improve our products. Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions, comments, or concerns. https://eshop.macsales.com/Service/
great external drive
Very versatile , love the combination of SSD and HHD. Many options for real time and backup. I have over 500,000 photo files from over 40 years of work. For security I have offsite backups kept in a safety deposit box as well as a full set of backups on site. No reliance on Cloud or WiFi networks is reassuring. What used to be a chore is now just so much faster! I'll be ordering another two soon to replace those at the bank. Thank you!
I would recommend this product to a friend!
Verified Purchase.Reviewer436135444,
Jan, 22 2025
- Reviewer:Reviewer436135444
Response from OWC, Support
Wow, thank you so much for your fantastic review! We're thrilled to hear that our external drive is making your file management so much easier and faster! It's incredible to know that you have such an extensive collection of photo files, and we're glad our combination of SSD and HDD options suits your needs perfectly. Your approach to backups is commendable, and we love that our product is part of your secure and efficient workflow. We can't wait to help you with your upcoming orders – thanks again for choosing us! Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions, comments, or concerns. https://eshop.macsales.com/Service/
Perfect addition to my Apple Studio
This drive replaced a very old 12TB LaCie drive. The bonus was getting 3 Thunderbolt ports, which I'm using for other devices.
I would recommend this product to a friend!
Verified Purchase.Reviewer2817452307,
Jan, 9 2025
- Reviewer:Reviewer2817452307
Response from OWC, Support
Thank you so much for your amazing review! We're thrilled to hear that our drive is a perfect addition to your Apple Studio and that it has replaced your old LaCie drive so seamlessly. Those Thunderbolt ports are such a fantastic bonus, and it’s great to know you’re putting them to good use with your other devices! We appreciate your support and look forward to serving you again! Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions, comments, or concerns. https://eshop.macsales.com/Service/
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