- Upgrading the storage of an M1 Mac mini is a difficult process
- With the right knowledge, components, and luck, it is possible
- The process involves desoldering chips and a lot of heat
Upgrading the storage of an M1 Mac mini is a difficult process. Apple does make it extremely difficult to upgrade the storage, but it’s not impossible. With the right knowledge and skills, as well as the correct components and a lot of luck, a determined owner can risk their hardware making the upgrade. In a YouTube video published on Friday by Luke Miani and with assistance from Apple enthusiast “[@dosdude](https://www.youtube.com/@dosdude1),” the considerable effort behind such an upgrade is revealed.
The video aims to upgrade an M1 Mac mini from 256GB of storage to 2TB of capacity. To do this, the duo had to remove the existing soldered-in storage and replace them with two one-terabyte NAND chips. This process involves disassembling the Mac mini, removing an underfill layer, and reballing the new chips with solder. After a reassembly and a restoration with Apple Configurator 2, the pair had to switch the new chips around due to an architecture mismatch. After weeks of attempts, the change worked with the use of Configurator in macOS Ventura.
At the end of the video, Miani confirms that it is possible to upgrade storage in a Mac mini, but the skill set required is way higher than in the old days. The storage bump is a considerable bonus for undergoing the project, but AppleInsider strongly advises not to go down such a risky route to upgrade a Mac mini. It is a good idea to consider using external storage options, such as a Thunderbolt storage drive, to expand the available capacity.