3D Print a Mac Mini Monitor Mount

When Apple released the M4 Mac Mini late last year, one of the first things I did was 3D print a fun case for it in the style of a Mac Pro desktop. But as I started working on a new project to expand the storage in that base model Mac Mini (which had only a 256GB SSD), I realized I wanted easier access to everything. 

So I formed a plan to simultaneously add an external M.2 drive to the Mac Mini, re-map its Home directory to the larger external drive, and finally use a 3D printed mount to stick everything on the back of the Apple Studio Display I use with that setup. 

I'll go over how I picked my M.2 drive and drive enclosure and how I remapped my key folders to the 2TB drive I used in a future How-To article. For now, let's look at the clever Mac Mini mount I 3D printed to turn this into something close to a super-sized iMac. 

Finding the right mount model 

My goal was to reclaim some desk space and create a setup that felt as close to a self-contained all-in-one as possible. The Mac Mini is small enough to hide, and the wide Studio Display looked like the perfect place to hide it. This is exactly the kind of bespoke problem that a 3D printer is perfect for solving.

I headed over to MakerWorld, my first stop for finding .stl files for 3D printing. After looking at several models for specifically mounting an M4 Mac Mini to an Apple Studio display, I chose this one, because it looked sturdy, not overly complex, and had a relatively low print time. 

See the model here: Mac Mini Studio Display Mount  

From there, I sent the file to my Bambu A1 printer.  The print took about three hours in matte PLA from Inland, and came out great on my first attempt. 

From there, it was easy to mount it on the back of the Studio Display, using the cutout built into the monitor's rugged aluminum base, then connect my power and data cables. 

Now, I don't have to worry about dragging any cables when moving the Studio Display around on my desk, and the ports on the Mac Mini (and the semi-hidden power button) are easier to reach.

Clean and minimalist

The end result is exactly the kind of clean, minimalist setup I was looking for. The Mac Mini is completely hidden from the front, creating that iMac-like look, while its ports remain easily accessible from the side. 

To complete the decluttering, I even tucked my compact external SSD onto the back of the display stand as well, held in place with some sturdy mounting tape. More on that in an upcoming Mac Mini storage expansion How-To.