Best docking station for Mac mini M4/M4 Pro with all essential ports

Does anyone know if it is expected to be released a docking station for the new Mac Mini M4/M4 Pro with all relevant ports and interfaces?

By relevant I mean traditional USB-A and SD Card reader on the front + jack 3.5mm and USB-A on the back + NVME disk slot.


I see a lot of new docking stations but none of them have "everything" I consider important.

The majority don't include a jack 3.5mm on the back for speakers nor a USB-A on the back for a web cam.


The only one I consider to be "complete", so far, is the "RayCue Mac Mini M4 Dock", but it misses the height or the leverage to facilitate the click on the Mac Mini button and its reviews are disapointing...


Do you know any other solution that meets the expectations I described?


Am I the only one with all of these "needs" ?


Thank you very much.

Kind regards



[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Posted on Jan 16, 2025 2:40 AM

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Posted on Jan 16, 2025 2:23 PM

Nothing else is going to give you easy access to the power button, though I've seen people report that they just put the mini on its side. Whether that would affect cooling I can't confirm. I also haven't yet found a dock that has an analog audio output on the back, probably because most people want to use headphones and so want the output on the front. With enough open ports, you could consider a USB-to-analog adapter. As to your other requirements, if you can go without an NVME slot that opens up other possibilities. Here's another one you could look at:


https://www.owc.com/solutions/thunderbolt-3-dock-14-port


There are other vendors making docks with similar specs including the aforementioned Satechi.


Regards.

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39 replies

Jul 19, 2025 7:54 AM in response to antoniomsvenancio

Finally, I received a Raycue minidock with the following characteristics: 40Gbps, 2 USB A ports on the back, a headphone jack on the back, a USB C port to connect to the Mac mini. On the front it has a micro SD, SD, and CFExpress B port and a NVME slot (up to 8GB) on the bottom. In other words, it is a wonderful expansion package for photographers. So far, it has been reliable and has not interfered with the WiFi signal. The only downsides that I've experienced is that it does not deliver advertised NVME speeds of 40Gbps, rather it clocks in around 22-25 Gbps.

Jan 16, 2025 11:29 AM in response to varjak paw

Thank you again for your answer!


Yes, I have all 3 ports of the Mac mini because I am using 3 monitors.

That is the reason why I would like to have the jack and one more usb (for the speakers and web cam respectively).


Even if it does not elevate the Mac for making the access to the button easier, if it has that 2 ports I mentioned for me it's fine (I also don't need neither SD Card reader nor the NVME slot as mentioned before - I was just trying to understand if there is in the market any "full package" being sell).


Regards.

Feb 26, 2025 1:24 AM in response to Brent Wilson

Yes they have. I already tried it. It kinda works, but if I connect the speakers through the 3.5mm audio monitor, then I loose the capability of controlling the volume slider to control the volume.

The sound from my monitors is controlled on their buttons and I cannot manage it on the MacOS like when I connect the external speakers to the Mac mini front port:

External Speakers (controllable):


Monitor Sound (Not Controllable):


When I connect the external speakers to 1 of the monitors I loose the ability to control it anymore.


Also, on another topic, I really feel the need of a web cam connected to the back part of the Mac mini...

It was amazing if some brand released a good docking soon---

Apr 23, 2025 6:38 AM in response to varjak paw

I got this, nothing worked, not the SSD after installing it, (works in a uGreen case with no issues) SD card reader doesn’t work, and neither did the USB ports all kept disconnecting and reconnecting constantly, bought through Amazon thinking if I had issues at least I wouldn’t have to go through the manufacturer, nope they make you contact the company. Took them 5 days to respond to my email, I initiated the return through Amazon and I am now waiting for the return shipment to arrive until I can get a refund. One of the worst experiences. I will not be buying from this company again.

May 7, 2025 1:48 PM in response to Brent Wilson

I am also looking at docks for my 2024 m4 and I am confused on many things with them I am also favoring the Pulwtop but I am having concerns with over heating of the SSD what is the best one that I don’t have to worry about that I kind of like the Samsung 990 plus . What is the best for this hub that won’t overheat. I am not a gamer just an everyday user. Do I need the Ethernet one or just the cheaper one, is that something that is needed. I also read that the dock holds the computer very well with not tipping or sliding around. Have been looking at these for a couple of weeks and I don’t want to buy something isn’t as nice as the sellers say they are all reviews are pretty good but a lot of reviews don’t say too much about functionality. I know that they are packaged nice


Thanks any help is appreciated

Jul 29, 2025 2:11 AM in response to Memeblessyou

Hello!

Thank you for your answer!


I think it won't fully meet all my needs because of my 3 monitor setup, but I think I will give up and go with this one!!


Since I am using 3 monitors with 165hz, I need all 3 usb-c in ports in the back. According to what I checked, since the connection between the dock and the mac mini is through one of the ports, I would need to connect 1 monitor through hdmi 2.1 and would be able to get only the 144hz instead of the 165hz.

But I think I can leave with that... Thank you for sharing :)

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Best docking station for Mac mini M4/M4 Pro with all essential ports

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