Mac mini expansion dock: the smaller the better, unboxing experience of "a good office partner"｜Minisopuru

Introduction: Why does the M4 Mac mini still need a docking station?

"The smaller the Mac, the more accessories it needs". Even though the latest M4 Mac mini has added interfaces, in my actual use, a suitable expansion dock is still a necessity in order to connect a wired keyboard and mouse and to easily read SD/TF cards. After a series of adjustments to my desktop equipment (including Thunderbolt hard drive enclosure, 10G network card, NAS, Time Capsule backup disk), I finally chose the Minisopuru product, and this article will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of it.

1. Unboxing and Design

The Minisopuru docking station (available on Amazon) includes a host, a Type-C cable, and a set of SSD installation tools. Its design perfectly matches the Mac mini, and the most eye-catching feature is the power button reserved for the M4 Mac mini.Special-shaped corner design, very humane.

Interface layout:

• front: 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x SD card slot, 1 x TF card slot
• back: 1 x USB 2.0, 1 x 3.5mm audio jack, 1 x 4K@60Hz HDMI, 1 x USB-C 3.2 (to host)
• bottom: Built-in M.2 SSD slot, compatible with multiple sizes of 2230/2242/2260/2280.

2. My personal interface workflow

I have clearly divided the front and back interfaces to maximize efficiency:

• Front interface (easy access): It is mainly used to connect various microphones, charge wireless mice in an emergency, and conveniently read TF card data through the SD card holder.
• Rear interface (permanent connection):
  • Host side: RJ45 connects to the Time Capsule backup disk, one Thunderbolt port connects to the expansion dock, one connects to the 10G network card, and the other connects to the Thunderbolt 4 hard drive box with a 1TB SSD asExternal system disk.
  • Expansion dock: USB 2.0 connects to the keyboard, 3.5mm connects to the monitoring headphones, and HDMI connects to my Redmi 4K monitor.

3. Performance Measurement

• HDMI output: Verification passed. In the system settings, you can stably enable 4K resolution and 60Hz refresh rate.
• M.2 SSD Speed: Tested with SanDisk 1TB SSD,Write speed is about 900+ MB/s, read speed is about 700-800 MB/sThis speed is used as an external system disk for daily office work and Internet access, and the physical feel is not much different from that of the Thunderbolt 4 solution.
• SD card slot speed: Tested with Samsung white card, average read and write speedStable over 100MB/s, which is about 20% slightly higher than the official nominal 104MB/s, and the performance exceeded expectations.

4. Summary of advantages and disadvantages and purchase suggestions

advantage:

1. Practical special-shaped design: Convenient to press the power button.
2. Stable non-slip rubber pad: It is not easy to move when plugging and unplugging cables.
3. Strong SSD compatibility: Supports various sizes of M.2 SSDs and can utilize old hard drives.

Points to note:

1. Original cable: Good quality but a bit hard, need to reserve 7-8cm of rear space.
2. Passive Cooling: The temperature of the built-in SSD will rise after long-term use, but it will have little impact on the device.

One regret:

If we can support more cost-effective SATA 3 SSD It will be more perfect. For users who pursue large-capacity backup, SATA 3 is more attractive. However, the current 10Gbps M.2 NVMe solution strikes a good balance between practicality (old M.2 SSDs can be used) and economy.

Final Recommendations: This is a product that strikes a good balance in design, performance, and price. Users should choose the docking station that best suits them based on their actual needs for speed, capacity, and budget.

Friends who want to buy can go to Amazon Mall:Product Link