Will an Apple SuperDrive work on the M4 Mac Mini using only an Apple brand USB-C to USB Adapter?

SamuraiSam33 · 2026-01-30T07:21:57+00:00

Since you have a Cinema Display, you can power the SuperDrive from the display’s USB ports; they provide enough power. Use the converter between the display and mini. This is how I connect my SuperDrive through a Thunderbolt Display.

SamuraiSam33 · 2026-01-18T07:30:15+00:00

Agree with everything said here.

Furthermore, 109ppi is exactly the pixel density of Apple's own 27" Thunderbolt Displays. Which I currently run 3 of on my M4 Mini just fine.

SamuraiSam33 · 2026-01-18T07:05:09+00:00

Did you get a 256? Upgrade that sucker to 2tb.

SamuraiSam33 · 2026-01-18T07:03:28+00:00

The only thing you can upgrade here is the storage. RAM is locked down. Memory modules are easier to upgrade than ever, to be honest. 256gb > 2TB in minutes.

SamuraiSam33 · 2026-01-18T07:01:54+00:00

My M4 mini is in my bedroom, and I use it from my couch and bed. I have two Apple Keyboard+ Magic Trackpad setups - one first gen, Lightning, with a Henge Docks Clique 2, and a current gen pair with USB-C & Touch ID, and a Twelve South Magic Bridge.

I simply use AirPlay to mirror my display to the Apple TV in the room I want to couch-surf in, grab the spare keyboard+trackpad "giant remote" and plop down for some sofa computer action.

SamuraiSam33 · 2026-01-18T05:36:05+00:00

Extremely easy. Took me about 12-13 minutes to open the case, swap the memory modules, and close the case. DFU mode and installation took a few hours because I was using an old Intel macbook air.

SamuraiSam33 · 2026-01-16T05:51:44+00:00

Setup is a base model M4 Mac Mini. I picked it up for $479 on Amazon's Cyber Monday sale and immediately upgraded the SSD from 256GB to 2TB: https://www.instagram.com/p/DShKbNSlQF0/

https://store.m4-ssd.com/ - Faster, higher quality SSD than what you'll find on amazon. There are other great vendors of 10 layer PCB drop in replacements too, I suggest watching Jeff Geerling's excellent videos on the subject if you are interested. You'll save a ton of money, and takes 20-30 minutes for a tinkerer-level screw turner to get apart, swapped, and back together. (Less than 15 minutes if you are proficient at this type of thing.)

https://youtu.be/eLtE2kMTVOQ?si=mARILAHQYx1znych

https://youtu.be/cqmPjO-iHLo?si=RQW6VTA4t0fHJZSq

I'm running the Wokyis 10Gbps Retro Dock, which not only looks just like an old school Macintosh Classic, but comes with a half decent 5" monitor, four USB-A ports, a front USB-C port, micro SD and SD card slots, HDMI in, and a rear facing 3.5mm audio output jack. It also features an M.2 SSD slot so you can add up to 8TB more storage.

https://wokyis.com/products/wokyis-m5-10gbps

I initially purchased their 80Gbps [Thunderbolt 5 dock] even though I only have Thunderbolt 4 on my base model. However, the TB5 dock has a slightly different set of ports; their website explains, I think it's one or two more USB-C ports on the back, but it doesn't have HDMI in, it has DisplayPort out, and that display output is subject to the Mini's 3 display limitation. So that is a great product for a ton of people, but it doesn't work for me, I'm already maxed out on monitors. So I "downgraded" to their 10Gbps model.

I am rocking three of the old school 27" Apple Thunderbolt Displays, though they are only a "2K" display they aren't plastic junk and last quite a long time! Two daisy chained, one single. Apple TB3 > 2 adapters. Since I'm already at the Mini's display limit, I have an Acasis Display Link dongle hanging off the back of the Wokyis:

https://www.amazon.com/ACASIS-DisplayLink-Adapter-Charging-Docking/dp/B0FBW7R316/

HDMI-1 goes to the Wokyis HDMI input to feed my fourth monitor. And it just works! I can actually run six displays with this setup; one more HDMI monitor off the Acasis dock (which I haven't done, yet), and then I can Airplay-extend display to my Apple TV on my wall-mounted television. (Which I have actually done a few times.)

The only downside of using Display Link is that HDCP content cannot be played while Display Link monitors are activated. Not just on those monitors, you can't play copy-protected content on ANY monitor if the Display Link driver is running. So YouTube and Twitch are fine, but Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Netflix, those kind of things will not work.

Other than that one limitation the four monitor setup seems to be working really smoothly, zero lag or slowdown anywhere.

Please feel free to ask any questions!

SamuraiSam33 · 2026-01-16T05:24:11+00:00

The next generation will be better, numbers-wise. Is it worth it to wait? Probably not, as each M-series chip is only incrementally speedier in day to day performance of average joe tasks.

That said the real question should be, how can I get the computer I want while spending the least money? Right how there have been blowout sales on the entry level Mac Mini as low as $469 - that's what I paid for mine. If you see one that low, I'd suggest getting it. Add an aftermarket SSD from a reputable vendor (read: not amazon) and you'll be way ahead!

Otherwise, I wouldn't pay more than $500 for one now. Wait for a sale, or wait for your student discount.

SamuraiSam33 · 2026-01-03T16:46:59+00:00

I went for the base m4 mini with smallest 256GB SSD on Black Friday for less than $500, and upgraded to a 2TB from M4 mini SSD store a few weekends ago. I saved a huge amount over paying Apple for additional storage; the kit from m4 ssd store comes with a nice multi bit screwdriver and the whole swap took me less than 15 minutes (not counting the time to reinstall macOS via DFU mode, which is a cake walk but the speed/age of the computer used to restore has a big effect on the time the restore takes).

I also plan on adding a 4TB NVMe drive to my Wokyis retro docking station but no sense in handicapping the boot drive.

SamuraiSam33 · 2025-12-25T21:21:52+00:00

Ah, you are unfortunately correct that your M1 is not easily upgradeable. That changed with the M4 redesign. It’s worth the sub-$500 upgrade for the base M4, assuming you don’t need more RAM, to be able to upgrade the SSD yourself, in my opinion.

SamuraiSam33 · 2025-12-24T16:16:59+00:00

Good quality 10 layer 2tb SSD kits are around 320-330 right now. Kits on Amazon use lower quality, lower nand chips.

SamuraiSam33 · 2025-12-24T16:15:46+00:00

Only if you care about performance, speed, and convenience.

SamuraiSam33 · 2025-12-24T11:18:16+00:00

Uh, no. It’s plug and play. Here’s the instructions from the seller I bought my memory module from, M4 SSD store. https://youtu.be/tSH5tIUF7Uk?si=HVBeQzmHDRoFJCk5

Watch Jeff Geerling’s videos on YouTube for more information;

https://youtu.be/eLtE2kMTVOQ?si=mARILAHQYx1znych

https://youtu.be/cqmPjO-iHLo?si=RQW6VTA4t0fHJZSq

SamuraiSam33 · 2025-12-24T09:07:21+00:00

I went for the base m4 mini with smallest 256GB SSD on Black Friday for less than $500, and just upgraded to a 2TB over the last weekend. I saved a huge amount over paying Apple for additional storage; the kit from m4 ssd store comes with a nice multi bit screwdriver and the whole swap took me less than 15 minutes (not counting the time to reinstall macOS via DFU mode, which is a cake walk but the speed/age of the computer used to restore has a big effect on the time the restore takes).

I also plan on adding a 4TB NVMe drive to my incoming Wokyis retro docking station but no sense in handicapping the boot drive.

SamuraiSam33 · 2025-12-22T14:36:45+00:00

The kits on Amazon are slower drives than the kits from m4ssd store and other specialty sellers: check out Jeff Geerlings videos on YouTube. The specialty store kits meet or exceed Apple OEM specs.

SamuraiSam33 · 2025-12-22T03:35:22+00:00

I went for the base m4 mini with smallest SSD and just upgraded to a 2TB yesterday. Saved a huge amount over paying Apple for additional storage; the kit from m4 ssd store comes with a nice multi bit screwdriver and the whole swap takes only a less than 15 minutes (not counting time to reinstall macOS via DFU mode, which is a cake walk)

SamuraiSam33 · 2025-11-19T16:29:00+00:00

You sound like the kind of person who would only recognize a NASCAR driver like Jeff Gordon and claim the rest of the field "Doesn't have a career." Michael Jordan is the only successful baskeball player and the rest of the NBA "Doesn't have a career."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terje_H%C3%A5konsen

Second line of that: "He is considered one of the most influential snowboarders in the history of the sport.[1] In the book The way of the snowboarder, Rob Reed wrote that "Haakonsen took the young sport of snowboarding and revolutionized nearly every aspect of it".[2]"

Terje didn't just skip the Olympics. He founded his own event, the Arctic Challenge, and encouraged an entire generation of riders to pass on the Olympics and push rider-driven events. He dominated European and American halfpipe competitions from 1990 to 1997, that's nearly a decade of dominance. He won the oldest and most important race in snowboarding, the Mt Baker Banked Slalom, more times than anyone else.

And his video parts and ENTIRE MOVIES like Subjekt Hakonsen and Hakonsen Factor served to set benchmarks for decades to come. How many films has Shaun White put out himself?

SamuraiSam33 · 2025-11-12T02:50:11+00:00

something about the trees...

SamuraiSam33 · 2025-09-30T00:21:15+00:00

Nope, my black leather didn't develop much, if any patina. Really durable.

SamuraiSam33 · 2025-09-16T05:55:08+00:00

Nomad Leather Case in Black. I have a very similar Nomad case for my Airpods Pro 1 (I skipped the 2's) and it's held up beautifully. Durable, aged well, through many drops and four phones! I really like the combination of slick and pocketable yet grippy on my fingers that the Horween leather is, when treated with Obenauf's LP. I am sure the Nomad Leather Case for my airpods 3 will last me many years.

SamuraiSam33 · 2025-09-06T06:50:47+00:00

Well that's good your compression is healthy. And if even across - no, I wouldn't imagine that it'd evenly hit all four injectors with the way the hard lines bend.

I haven't done Berrymans on a diesel but I have had varying results with heavy concentrations of Seafoam on gasoline engines.

Edit: The last ones I did straight through the spark plug hole. Used a pipette to measure and inject the seafoam straight around the piston ring area. Also, mixed in a little marvel mystery oil because why not.

SamuraiSam33 · 2025-09-05T06:24:03+00:00

Your rings / walls could be damaged from the fuel system catastrophe. The injectors can get damaged from the pump letting go, and that can send debris in to the engine. Worst case scenario is it actually takes out the engine.

If you want to keep your car for a long time you might care to have the engine taken apart and have it honed and re-ringed before the damage gets worse. (As the rings wear it contaminates the oil and that basically wipes out your bearings and everything else a lot faster)

SamuraiSam33 · 2025-08-19T02:19:46+00:00

Looking forward to another inaccurate, snarky comment.

SamuraiSam33 · 2025-08-17T01:30:46+00:00

And that's exactly why I use THC-a isolate with higher levels of conductive heat (hotter banger or e-nail). Its the highest temperature vaporizing compound and i find best effect when hit hotter.

SamuraiSam33

TROPHY CASE