Thunderbolt 1 dock for a Mac mini "Core i5" 2.3 (Mid-2011)

[blasirl]

I have recently been given a Mac mini "Core i5" 2.3 (Mid-2011) with only a power cord. It has 8GB RAM and a 500GB HDD. I have been looking for a dock /hub for it so I can use my existing external monitors I had been using with my Windows Laptop.

I am assuming I need a Thunderbolt 1 Dock. Is this assumption correct? If not, what can I use. I am trying to do this on the cheap if there is a way.

I have looked on Amazon and AliExpress but can only find Thunderbolt 3 or 4 and USB C compatible units.

 

[Juicy Box]

You can use a TB1, TB2, or TB3 dock with the TB1 Macs.

If you don’t mind used, eBay is a great source for old TB docks.

You will probably have more options for TB2 than TB1.

TB3 docks will work, but only with Apple’s bidirectional adapter, which is $50, new. You will also need a TB1/2 cable to connect the bidirectional adapter to your Mac. This is the most expensive option, but it it has perks. You can find TB3 docks pretty easily, new and used. But, one of the best perks is that you can connect very fast TB3 NVMe drives, giving you a really fast drive if you need it.

Of course, very expensive and probably not worth it for most unless they already had some of the equipment.

 

[Bigwaff]

2011 Mac mini has TB2. You can find TB2 docks on eBay for $50-60

 

[blasirl]

You can use a TB1, TB2, or TB3 dock with the TB1 Macs.

If you don’t mind used, eBay is a great source for old TB docks.

You will probably have more options for TB2 than TB1.

TB3 docks will work, but only with Apple’s bidirectional adapter, which is $50, new. You will also need a TB1/2 cable to connect the bidirectional adapter to your Mac. This is the most expensive option, but it it has perks. You can find TB3 docks pretty easily, new and used. But, one of the best perks is that you can connect very fast TB3 NVMe drives, giving you a really fast drive if you need it.

Of course, very expensive and probably not worth it for most unless they already had some of the equipment.

What port(s) would I use to connect? Do you think I could get one that is stackable?

 

[Juicy Box]

What port(s) would I use to connect?

The Thunderbolt 1 port, the one in the middle of your photo.

Do you think I could get one that is stackable?

Maybe, but I haven't shopped for them, so don't know. Probably not the TB1 and TB2 docks, but I think I have seen TB3 docks that a Mac Mini can be stacked with. Not 100% sure though.

Not stackable, but I like the Cal Digit docks. They work well and have the TB3 version that I have works well with older TB1 and TB2 Macs.

I have the CalDigit CTS-US-60, it is a TB1 dock. You can find them for really cheap on eBay now:

CalDigit CTS-US-60 Thunderbolt Station - Newegg.com

Buy CalDigit CTS-US-60 Thunderbolt Station with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.com

I also have a CalDigit TS-3 Lite TB3 Dock, they also can be found a decent prices on eBay, and it works well for earlier TB1 and TB2 Macs:

Review: CalDigit's TS3 and TS3 Lite Thunderbolt 3 Docks Offer Solid MacBook Pro Expansion Options

While Apple's latest MacBook Pro with support for Thunderbolt 3 has been out for over six months, the first full-featured Thunderbolt 3 docks are...

www.macrumors.com