Overview
Expand Your Mac’s Potential with the OWC miniStack STX
Designed to match the footprint of the Mac mini and Mac Studio, the OWC miniStack STX offers a seamless blend of high-capacity storage and advanced connectivity. Whether you’re a creative professional or simply looking to expand your desktop’s potential, this enclosure delivers the performance and flexibility to keep your workflows running efficiently.
Elegant Design, Practical Expansion
The miniStack STX is engineered to stack perfectly with your Mac mini (2012–2023) or Mac Studio, transforming your setup into a streamlined and powerful workspace. It adds over 200 times the internal storage of a base Mac mini and more than 50 times that of a Mac Studio. The compact, minimalist form ensures it complements your device without taking up additional desk space.
Dual-Drive Power and Versatility
Inside, the enclosure houses both a universal SATA bay for 2.5" or 3.5" HDDs/SSDs and an NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD slot. This combination provides the perfect balance between massive capacity and ultra-fast performance. Access and back up files, edit 4K video, and launch applications with real-world speeds up to 770MB/s.
Connectivity That Evolves With You
Three Thunderbolt (USB-C) ports expand your desktop’s capabilities, supporting a wide range of devices including displays, storage drives, audio interfaces, and peripherals. These ports allow for daisy-chaining up to five Thunderbolt devices, with support for USB accessories at the end of each chain, ensuring future compatibility across your setup.
Designed for All Devices
While tailored for Mac users, the miniStack STX works seamlessly with USB-C and Thunderbolt-equipped PCs, iPads, and Chromebooks. For legacy systems with USB-A ports, an adapter (sold separately) enables full access to the SATA drive and connectivity features, making this a truly universal storage solution.
Ideal for Professional Workflows
The miniStack STX is optimised for high-performance tasks such as multi-stream 4K video editing, audio production, and working with virtual machines. Use the NVMe SSD for low-latency operations while backing up with the SATA drive via Apple Time Machine or Windows File History, all without compromising speed or reliability.
Power Delivery and Efficient Cooling
Delivering up to 96W of power through Thunderbolt or USB-C, the miniStack STX keeps your laptop or connected device charged while you work. An aluminium housing with an internal heat sink and high-efficiency fan ensures quiet, cool operation—even during intensive workloads.
Advanced Software Options
Upgrade your setup with OWC’s SoftRAID software (optional), which provides powerful drive management, performance optimisation, and multiple RAID configurations. Ideal for users needing greater data protection, speed, or both, it brings enterprise-level tools to your desktop.
Cross-Platform File Access
With OWC’s MacDrive software (available separately), transferring files between macOS and Windows becomes effortless. Read, write, and manage Mac-formatted drives directly from a Windows PC without complex setup, ensuring seamless workflow in mixed operating system environments.
Purpose-Built for Creative Setups
From musicians storing sample libraries on ultra-fast SSDs to video editors working with large media files, the miniStack STX adapts to your needs. Its flexibility and robust design make it an essential tool in any production environment where reliability and speed matter.
Built to Last
Each unit undergoes a multi-step performance certification before shipping, giving you peace of mind that the miniStack STX will deliver dependable performance from day one. It’s a long-term investment in expanding the lifespan and capability of your Mac or PC setup.
- Instantly expand your Mac’s storage without replacing your current system
- Keep your entire creative workflow in one sleek, stackable unit
- Edit, back up, and access large media files in seconds — not hours
- Charge your notebook while staying fully connected to your devices
- Free up your desk and eliminate clutter with one powerful, silent enclosure
- Future-proof your setup with flexible Thunderbolt and USB-C connectivity
- Transfer files between Mac and Windows without the hassle of the cloud
- Tailor your storage exactly to your needs with dual-drive configuration
- Maintain peace of mind with certified reliability for demanding use
Video
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.
Compatibility
Compatible with the devices listed below.
MacBook
MacBook Air
MacBook Pro
Mac Pro
iMac
Mac mini
Mac Studio
iMac Pro
iPad
Specifications
- Total Capacity
-
- 0TB
- 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
- Hot Plug Support
-
- Yes
- 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
- Other Requirements
-
- macOS 11.1 or later for Thunderbolt hosts
- macOS 10.14.6 or later for USB hosts
- Driver Required
-
- No
- Power Supply
-
- External UL-listed universal auto-switching power supply
- DC Output
-
- +20, 7.5A
- External Power Adapter
-
- Yes
- Power Delivery
-
- 60W
- Drive Bays
-
- 1 bay supporting: 3.5-inch SATA HDDs, 3.5-inch SATA SSDs, 2.5-inch SATA HDDs, 2.5-inch SATA SSDs
- SATA drives connect via USB protocol
- NVMe SSDs with a heatsink will not fit and are not supported
- 1 bay supporting: M.2 SSDs supported
- Supports NVMe M.2 SSDs with 2280 form factor and "M Key" connector type. Single- and double-sided SSDs are supported 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
- Device Ports
-
- 1 x host port - Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) up to 40Gb/s (5000MB/s)
- 3 x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports
- Cooling
-
- 1 x cooling fan
- Security Slot
-
- Yes
- Power / Activity LED
-
- Yes
- TAA Compliance
-
- Yes
- Dimensions
-
- H: 37 x L: 197 x W: 197 mm
- Weight
-
- 920 g
What's in the box?
- 1 x OWC miniStack STX
- 1 x 0.7 m Thunderbolt 4 Cable
- 1 x Quick Start Guide
Warranty
- 1 Year Limited Warranty
Part Number
- OWCT4MS9000