Using an OWC miniStack STX with a Mac Studio?

[jrm27]

Hello all,

After 7 years, and pushing myself to wait for the M2, I think it's finally time for me to upgrade my aging 2015 MBP. It's been a great machine, but I think it's time to invest in some new hardware to take me another 8 years.

I'm looking at the base model M2 Mac Studio, and possibly upgrading to 64gb of memory. However, I'm having trouble justifying Apple's storage costs. My current MBP is a 500GB machine and I run up against the storage limits regularly. I've got it attached to a Cal Digit T4 with 12TB of storage, and a big 'ol WD hard drive that backs that up once a day. However, the T4 has been problematic at times. Every time the computer goes to sleep (or the screen saver comes on) it disconnects. My secondary monitor is hooked up to the T4 as well, so that means I'm unplugging and restarting my monitor all the time too. Plus, it seems that CalDigit has stopped developing and supporting the T4. So, I'm looking for a new storage setup for the Studio that is reliable, supported, and stays connected.

I stumbled across the OWC miniStack STX, and it looks like I could get some decently priced storage (and extra connectivity) with it. Is anyone using that with their Studio setups? It looks like it was built primarily with the Mac Mini in mind, but perhaps it is similarly usable with the Studio?

My usage is mostly for graphic design, photography, and video. (in that order). The 64gb of memory seems like a good idea, but it also may be overkill from everything I'm reading about with these M2s. Any input on how it might be best to proceed with storage and memory?

-jon

 

[Brian33]

I'm also interested in any user comments about the OWC ministack STX and how well it works with a Mac Studio. Connection reliability, computer sleep/wake issues, HDD sleep/spindown, and fan noise are areas of interest for me.

 

[Belifant]

It's good, but I'm having the same disconnection issues like you describe, and I don't understand what the issue is. What I also don't quite understand yet is why I'm getting lower speeds with my Samsung T7 attached to it, than directly attached to the Mac Studio

Other than that, it works well. Noise really depends on the storage you put in. First I had a HDD in it, but because the Studio is virtually silent, I could hear the sound of the HDD and it bothered me. Now having an SSD in it and it is as quiet as the Mac Studio.

Maybe I should mention I don't have monitors attached to it, so I can't speak for that part.

 

[Brian33]

Thanks for the report, @Belifant.

Sorry to hear about your disconnection issues. I have (rare) disconnect/reconnect issues and have read many, many posts with seemingly similar issues; it's frustrating because it's so difficult to determine whether the problem is hardware or software. Of course everyone says try a different cable and try a different port on the Mac, but after that it gets difficult to troubleshoot, especially if like me it only happens every couple of months.

 

[Belifant]

ah for me it happens consistently whenever my Mac goes to sleep. Which would be understandable with USB, but I thought Thunderbolt doesn't suffer from that issue. Of course I have "put hard drive to sleep" turned off.

Disconnect the power cable to the logo light and even cover up the logo, and the MiniStack is great. Transfer speed is a bit of a shame, but not a huge issue. It's still way faster than any external USB HDD.

 

[Thirio2]

Does Time Machine work with the external memory? I thought I read that it only works with internal disks.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Since Mac Studio launched, been using it with OWC Ministack STX with a 20TB HDD and 8TB SSD installed and no issues, including the dreaded "unexpected ejections" that troubles many of us (and I'm about 98% convinced that is caused by macOS bugs- not all of the redirected "blame anyone & anything but Apple" stuff slung around when this topic comes up). If that flares up in this thread, the simple test is to disconnect the problematic drive and hook it up to an older Mac running macOS BEFORE Big Sur or any PC and it will very likely be perfectly fine (through the SAME cable, with the SAME firmware, using the SAME drive). It appears this issue started with Big Sur and is still awaiting bug fixes.

I'm using it purely for abundant storage with nothing attached to the additional ports. I do some heavy video editing on the SSD inside. This is not a superfast (benchmarks) option but fast enough for 4K video editing. For OPs priorities (graphic design, then photography, then video editing), it should work very well.

While I'm perfectly happy with this option, there are a LOT of storage options these days, including a pretty good variety of little hubs with a m.2 slot (for up to 8TB of storage) as well as dual bay m.2 storage (for up to 16TB of fast storage). OWC also offers a couple of 4-bay m.2 options too if you need to super size and want faster-than-HDD speeds. There are many drive options with much faster R/W speeds than this thing. It's definitely worth looking around at the variety of possibilities. Bonus: while more expensive storage, m.2 storage is usually silent storage.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Does Time Machine work with the external memory? I thought I read that it only works with internal disks.

Time Machine is best with external (I think you mean) storage. Storing internally on presumably the same drive somewhat misses the most important benefit of Time Machine: "what if the internal drive conks?" Time Machine can restore a Mac if the backup is on a drive that has not conked.

 

[jrm27]

Just to circle back around, I picked one up and have been running it with a 2TB NVME and 18TB HDD. It's been really quite nice! No ejections or anything yet. I'm mainly using it for storage and doing most of my intensive work on the internal 1TB in the Studio. The only thing I've noticed is that the HDD is pretty loud and is nearly always doing something. Even when my computer is just sitting there and I'm working on a different computer that sucker is running and clicking and whirring and doing something. I probably only notice it because otherwise the computer is completely silent. I may just need to mount it elsewhere so the noise is muffled.

 

[whgmkeller]

Presumably OWC is working on a multibay Ministack variant with 4 or more M.2 bays. They announced this at Namm 2022 but have been silent since then. I reached out to customer support a few months ago to inquire about it and they said they are still working on it.
I’m planning to buy one if the price is not too crazy.

 

[Thirio2]

My question was not clear. I meant if you use the external drive as a boot drive will Time Machine back up the external (boot) drive?

 

[Brian33]

My question was not clear. I meant if you use the external drive as a boot drive will Time Machine back up the external (boot) drive?

I don't boot from an external drive, but I do use TM to back up several external drives (in addition to my internal boot drive). I'm confident it would back up an external boot drive just fine -- can't think of any reason it wouldn't.

 

[Belifant]

Just to circle back around, I picked one up and have been running it with a 2TB NVME and 18TB HDD. It's been really quite nice! No ejections or anything yet. I'm mainly using it for storage and doing most of my intensive work on the internal 1TB in the Studio. The only thing I've noticed is that the HDD is pretty loud and is nearly always doing something. Even when my computer is just sitting there and I'm working on a different computer that sucker is running and clicking and whirring and doing something. I probably only notice it because otherwise the computer is completely silent. I may just need to mount it elsewhere so the noise is muffled.

Yeah that's why I removed the HDD, the constant sounds were annoying.

But now I'm wondering about my ejection issues, I didn't know not all users were affected, I thought this is just the way it is, Mac OS temporarily ejecting all external drives when monitor or computer goes to sleep....

 

[trickyslip]

Same here... I'm using the OWC MiniStack STX with an M2 Mac Mini.

I have a 2TB SSD in the NVME slot, and an 8TB HDD in the SATA slot. The HDD noises are really distracting. At first I thought it was a bad HDD, so I swapped it out. Same result. It's not surprising, though - there are zero noise suppression materials inside the case, at least that I have noticed. Its just a metal box.

In the 1980s, I wouldn't have noticed, but nowadays, when everything else is fanless, it takes away from the magic of a silent desktop computer. I do really like the extra ports, and the stackable form factor. I've read some posts where people have disabled the fan (and the light) after removing the HDD. I'm considering doing this. But I had another thought..What if I swapped out the HDD for a SATA SSD? I'm guessing then - it would be totally silent, except for the fan. I think I am going to do that first.

Question for the group - without any HDD - just two SSDs.. do you think the fan is still required? Apparently its very easy to disable. I could monitor the drive temps with DriveDX - I just am unsure if the fan was added to the MiniStack to cool the HDD, or the SSD or both..

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[whgmkeller]

I have a Sata SSD in the STX and it is dead silent.

 

[trickyslip]

I have a Sata SSD in the STX and it is dead silent.

Thank you for your response! Whats the speed performance of that? Can ya share a Black Magic disk speed screen shot? What brand did you go with?

 

[whgmkeller]

Sure.

I went with a Samsung 970 EVO SSD. It reaches circa 450 MB/s write and 525 read. That is not a whole lot, I know, but that is sufficient for me.
For the M2 I just installed something I had lying around. It reaches 675MB/s write and 790 read.

 

[trickyslip]

I decided to replace my STX: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/owc-ministack-stx.2324210/post-32949545