The Mac mini M4 is easily one of the best mini PCs I’ve tested so far, but because Apple is Apple, it still has some quirks. Whether it’s the awkward power button placement on the bottom of the device, the complete lack of USB-A ports or the eye-watering cost to bump up the size of its internal storage, there is usually a catch.
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Fortunately, there are plenty of third-party accessories to fill in those gaps, with Satechi’s being my personal favorite. Once I added the Satechi Mac Mini M4 Hub & Stand underneath my own Mac mini M4, it instantly became the perfect mini PC for my workflow, adding more ports, a card reader and most importantly, an M.2 SSD slot for cheap storage expansion.
Satechi’s accessories are as close to looking first-party as they come, which is why I was taken aback when I saw its latest docking station at CES 2026. The new Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock is packed to the brim with powerful ports, but its design is what immediately won me over. In fact, it might be the perfect dock if you have one of the best MacBooks but always wondered what it would be like to have a Mac mini on your desk instead.
No, that's not a Mac mini on your desk
At 5 x 5 x 2 inches, Satechi’s Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock is slightly taller than the Mac mini M4, but its finish and curves match Apple’s mini PC perfectly. Made from solid aluminum, this new docking station instantly feels premium. When seen from above, I wouldn’t blame you for thinking it really is a Mac mini M4; I know I almost did there for a second.
On the front, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack, a 10Gbps USB-C port that can also deliver 30W of power, a 10Gbps USB-A port, and both a microSD and SD card reader along with a lit power button.
Moving all that data while driving up to three displays at 8K/60Hz or 4K/144Hz can produce a lot of heat. For that reason, Satechi added cooling vents on both sides of its CubeDock in addition to the ventilation at the rear. Meanwhile, cool air gets pulled in from vents on the bottom of the device.
Around back is where the real connectivity happens. On the far left, there’s an upstream Thunderbolt 5 port where you can connect a MacBook, Windows laptop, or heck, even a Mac mini M4. Then, there are three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports that provide 80 Gbps by default but can boost up to 120 Gbps when your high-res displays need the extra bandwidth. You also get an additional 10Gbps USB-A port and a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port — perfect for plugging directly into one of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers.
Finally, the barrel port on the top left connects to the included 180W smart power supply. In total, you get 140W host charging to keep your MacBook or even one of the best Windows laptops fully charged while docked. You also get 30W of power delivery on that front USB-C port, which is enough to fast-charge a smartphone or even a tablet like the iPad mini right there on your desk.
But it will let you skirt the Apple Tax
It might seem tempting to just spend the extra several hundred dollars on storage when buying a new MacBook or a desktop Mac. However, if you’re not working on the go all the time, you absolutely shouldn’t. Instead, buying an internal M.2 SSD and an enclosure is a much more cost-effective solution.
Just like with its Stand & Hub for the Mac mini, Satechi has included an SSD slot on the bottom of the CubeDock. However, this is a massive step up in performance. You can instantly add up to 8TB of storage for your MacBook with transfer speeds up to 6,000 MB/s — roughly six times faster than Satechi's previous hubs. Installation is simple: just open the tool-free lid on the bottom and secure your drive with a single screw.
One thing I’ve always liked about Satechi’s design is the flexibility; you aren’t limited to one size, as the dock supports 2230, 2242, 2260, and 2280 M.2 NVMe drives. I even spoke with the CubeDock’s product manager on the CES show floor, who pointed out that they made this enclosure deep enough to support SSDs with heatsinks attached. This means you can repurpose a high-performance drive (like the kind you’d add to a PS5) and let the dock's active cooling keep it from throttling during heavy video edits.
Docking at a premium
Satechi’s CubeDock certainly has the looks, along with all the ports and power to earn a place on any creative pro’s desk, but all that power doesn’t come cheap. At $399, the CubeDock isn’t far off from the price of a standard Mac mini M4. However, with Thunderbolt 6 still quite a ways off, this is a docking station you’ll be able to use for maximum performance and productivity for years to come.
The Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock is available for pre-order now on the company’s site and is expected to begin shipping by the end of March. If you’re after a pro-level docking station for your MacBook or even your Windows laptop, you can use the code CES2026 on Satechi’s website until January 31 to save 20% on the CubeDock and the company’s new Thunderbolt 5 Pro Cable — though keep in mind that one high-speed cable is already included in the box.
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