Overview
- Reports published Tuesday show the M5 Pro and M6 Mac mini have NAND flash soldered to the logic board, removing the removable SSD module that appeared in the M4 Mac mini.
- Expand Mac mini analyzed the new boards and said support for its aftermarket modules for the M5 Pro and M6 now looks unlikely, which ends a brief era of lower‑cost internal upgrades.
- Apple’s repair documentation for the M5 Max and M5 Ultra Mac Studio confirms slotted SSD modules can be replaced, but Apple says those modules are specific to each Mac model and carry serial‑number pairing.
- Documentation and teardowns indicate Apple places the SSD controller function in Apple Silicon rather than on the module itself, which makes standard M.2 drives incompatible with these Macs.
- The practical result is fewer internal upgrade choices and preserved premium pricing for Apple upgrades, a shift that could push third‑party vendors toward external drives or other repair services and raise costs for users who want more storage.