REVIEW – The Mac Mini M4 was announced last year to much deserved fanfare. Gone was the ill-fitting housing for the M1 and M2 Apple Silicon chips, and instead, the redesign made the Mini worthy of its name. For me, I need an SD card reader, and up until now, I have made use of a USB-C dongle that hung off the back of my Mini. And the 256GB SSD on the base model is “okay,” but I did want to look into adding more storage. Was the Beeline Mate Mini Dock for Mac Mini M4 the one-stop answer for my needs?
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $339.00 $279.00 (w/ Crucial 2TB SSD)
Where to buy: Beelink
What is it?
The Beeline Mate Mini Dock for Mac Mini M4 is a convenient, perfectly matched device that can be installed either on top of or below Apple’s Mac Mini or Mac Mini Pro. It brings up to 80 Gbps access with a built-in SSD and additional ports.
What’s included?
- Beeline Mate Mini
- 80Gbps USB-C to USB-C cable x 2
- User’s Manual
Tech specs
Model(s): Model A (Capacity) / Model B (Performance)
Color: Silver
Material: Aluminum Alloy
Storage Interface: M.2 PCIe
Storage Support: M.2 2280 PCIe3.0/4.0/5.0
Dimensions: 127 x 127 x 16 mm
Weight: 250 g
Ethernet Chipset: Realtek RTL8156BG
Ethernet Interface: USB 3.0
Ethernet Data Rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps
USB-C 80 Gbps Port x 1
USB-A 3.0 Port x 2
2.5G LAN Port x 1
SD 4.0 Card Port x 1
3.5mm Audio Jack x 1
USB-C PD3.0 Power Only Port x 1
Design and features
The Beeline Mate Mini Dock for Mac Mini M4 comes in two models.
- Model A comes with dual PCIe slots that support up to 8TB per slot, allowing a total of 16TB of storage space.
- Model B comes with a single PCIe slot that maxes out at 8GB and allows up to speeds of 6228MB/s, making it a performance powerhouse.
I chose to review Model B with a 2 TB Crucial SSD pre-installed for performance over capacity. I also received the latest version that achieves better thermal performance with a revised bottom cover and heat sink.
I placed the Beeline Mate Mini Dock for Mac Mini M4 on the top of the Mac Mini and used the corresponding USB-C connector. The new device was recognized immediately.
I did see the internal drive was formatted as Windows NTFS and was labeled ‘New Volume’. I reformatted the drive as APFS and renamed it to ‘Beelink’.
The Beeline Mate Mini Dock for Mac Mini M4 has a couple of shortcomings, namely the aforementioned lack of an SD reader and also no USB-A ports. Yes, both can be corrected by using dongles or adapters, but these things that hang off the computer tend to add up, and what was once a mini, compact computer has now grown legs and is spiraling over the desktop. With the Beeline Mate Mini Dock for Mac Mini M4, I get my SD card reader (at UHS-II speeds no less), two USB-A ports, an audio jack, and an USB-C port upstream connector, and a separate USB-C connecter to provide power for any power hungry connected devices that demand more than 15W of power, as well as a 2.5Gbps ethernet port. Oh….and 2TB of additional storage that is nearly as fast as the internal drive!
There is a fan to handle cooling, but I’ve yet to hear it.
Assembly, Installation, Setup
After unboxing the Beeline Mate Mini Dock for Mac Mini M4, simply choose whether you would want the device on the top or the bottom of the Mac Mini. Depending on your preference, choose the correct USB-C adapter. I did see other reviewers experiencing wi-fi issues when the Beeline Mate Mini Dock for Mac Mini M4 sis placed on the bottom of the Mac Mini. Also, the power button is not accessible when mounted to the bottom. I chose to install on the top.
The Beeline Mate Mini Dock for Mac Mini M4 I was sent had a Crucial 2TB SSD pre-installed. Here are the steps to get to the SSD slot:
- Remove the adhesive felt padding on each side of the bottom of the Beeline Mate Mini Dock for Mac Mini M4.
- Remove the 4 screws and then wedge the bottom cover off.
- Remove the additional 4 screws and pull the cover plate off, being careful of the connecting wires.
- There is one more screw holding the SSD in place.
Performance
I did some speed tests using the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test app on the Mac Mini. Since I have the Mac Mini with M4, and not the upgraded model with M4 Pro chip, my USB-C ports on the back are Thunderbolt 4 (not Thunderbolt 5). The base 256GB drive option is the slowest as well. All this to say, that if you have the Mac Mini M4 Pro, you should see much better results than me.
Final thoughts
Like I mentioned before, the Beeline Mate Mini Dock for Mac Mini M4 solves 2 big asks for me: the ask for an SD slot, and a way to increase storage. And the Beeline Mate Mini Dock for Mac Mini M4 accomplished both perfectly for me! Plus, I get a couple of USB-A ports all in a package that complements and perhaps even enhances the look of the Mac Mini.
If you don’t need any of the extra ports of something like the Anker Prime TB5 Docking Station, but also want to increase your storage, then the Beeline Mate Mini Dock for Mac Mini M4 is the perfect choice!
What I like about the Beelink Mate Mini Dock for Mac Mini M4
- Matches the look of the Mac Mini M4 perfectly
- Provides a much-needed SD Card slot (SD 4.0!)
- Included connectors that are small and allow for a clean setup without a bunch of additional wires
- Access to increase the SSD in the future
- 3 Year warranty
What needs to be improved?
- Nothing!
Price: $339.00 $279.00 (w/ Crucial 2TB SSD)
Where to buy: Beelink
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Beelink. Beelink did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
Check out these other reviews!
- Satechi USB4 Slim NVMe SSD Enclosure review – Perfect for a Mac mini, good for other Macs
- Satechi Mac Mini M4 Stand & Hub with SSD Enclosure review – my new Mac Mini M4 is now made whole
- Qwiizlab Aluminum Stand Hub for the Mac mini M4 review
- Waterfield’s new Shield case lets you travel with your Mac mini
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