Apple’s newer Mac mini models with M6 and M5 Pro chips remove support for typical aftermarket storage upgrades by soldering NAND flash storage to the logic board. Earlier Mac mini configurations with the M4 and M4 Pro chips had removable internal SSD storage modules, based on teardown findings and follow-up reporting.
Multiple outlets cite the same implication: owners can no longer swap the SSD module after purchase on the newer models. The Mac mini community notes that a third-party marketplace previously offered plug-and-play SSD modules that worked with the removable design, including a strategy where buyers chose the lowest Apple storage tier and later upgraded with a cheaper compatible module. That approach is described as no longer workable for M6 and M5 Pro configurations.
Sources also report performance differences tied to the 256GB tier. Testing referenced by one outlet indicates that 256GB models use a single NAND chip, which corresponds to slower read/write speeds than higher-capacity configurations that use dual NAND chips. Apple has not publicly commented on the storage design changes.
