Beelink has just introduced the latest Mate Mini into the market. One can think of it as an auxiliary device for the Mac mini to which it attaches- a Thunderbolt 5 dock that provides users with added I/O possibilities beyond what the compact powerhouse has to offer and amounts that can ever increase its storage. The coolest part? It is available for pre-order starting for just $139 and expected to reach retail price of $169 - what a deal!
Now before we hit something awesome, this dock will require the new Mac mini equipped with Thunderbolt 5 to fully unleash its capabilities. The entry-level models have Thunderbolt 4, which is cool, but Thunderbolt 5 doubles the speeds for transferring data-hitting up to blistering 80 Gbps. So if you have splurged on a Mac mini using an M4 Pro chip that comes standard with Thunderbolt 5, this is the dock that will sing.
What really managed to catch a lot of attention would be the price. It would be very easy to find competitively priced USB-C docks. Still, the ones certified as regular Thunderbolt 3 or 4 docks? Their prices usually reach even higher than the Mate Mini, even if the technology itself is not as advanced. Beelink seems to be hitting a sweet spot here.
The Beelink Mate Mini is neatly designed to sit right above or below your Mac mini. When it connects, it brings into the mix a fresh set of handy ports:
- 2.5 Gb Ethernet for an unrivalled wired experience.
- Two USB 3.0 Type-A ports for those older peripherals.
- A trusty 3.5mm audio jack.
- An SD card reader - a welcome addition for many!
The Mate Mini stands for more than just ports; it's a storage solution. Inside the dock, this is where speedy solid-state drives get protected. Beelink comes with two flavors:
- Model A: Comes equipped with two M.2 2280 slots for handling up to 16TB of PCIe 4.0 x2 storage. Reads around 3219 MB/s, with writes approaching 2800 MB/s.
- Model B: Features a single M.2 2280 slot, but it supports a super-fast PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD up to 8TB. This means boasting even more speedy performance potential reads of 5809 MB/s and writes of 3162MB/s.
Concern over the heat generated by this speed? Both types are fitted with a heat sink and a fan.
Beelink thoughtfully includes a Thunderbolt-to-Thunderbolt connector, meaning it can be powered by a Mac mini, usually omitting the need for a separate power brick. However, Beelink recommends that anything expecting to be powered by an accessory needing power-more than 15W-be connected to a separate USB-PD power supply to ensure good power delivery.
So if you are happy with your Mac mini but want something a little bit more in terms of connectivity or storage, the Beelink Mate Mini looks very interesting, and surprisingly affordable, solution.
