Does a Mac mini SSD upgrade void the Apple warranty in the EU?

The short answer

• Your legal guarantee under EU law is a right against the seller. It does not depend on a warranty from Apple, and a manufacturer's warranty can never reduce it (Your Europe).
• Apple's One Year Limited Warranty is a separate, voluntary warranty from the manufacturer. Apple's own terms say it is in addition to your consumer-law rights, not a replacement for them.
• That warranty excludes damage caused by an upgrade done by anyone other than Apple or an Apple Authorised Service Provider. So Apple can refuse to repair, under its warranty, a fault that an upgrade caused.
• The legal guarantee covers a defect that existed when the Mac mini was delivered. Damage that you cause later is outside it.
• Apple's published warranty does not list opening the case as an exclusion.

Two protections, side by side

What the EU legal guarantee covers

Under Directive (EU) 2019/771, article 10(1), a seller is liable to the consumer for any lack of conformity that existed when the goods were delivered and that becomes apparent within two years. Under article 13 the consumer can choose between repair and replacement. A price reduction or termination of the contract is possible under the conditions in that article. The Dutch Civil Code implements these rules in Book 7, articles 17, 18, 18a and 21.

Who has to prove what matters. In the Netherlands, a defect that appears within one year of delivery is presumed to have existed at delivery, unless the seller proves otherwise or the presumption does not fit the nature of the goods or of the defect (article 7:18a, paragraph 2). The Directive lets a member state extend that period to two years (article 11(2)). Other EU countries may differ.

The legal guarantee does not depend on a manufacturer's warranty. A shop or producer may add a commercial guarantee, but it can never exclude or reduce the minimum two-year guarantee (Your Europe).

What Apple can refuse after an upgrade

Apple's One Year Limited Warranty lists what it does not apply to. Three entries matter for an SSD upgrade. The wording below is a short paraphrase of the Dutch edition, items (c), (f) and (g). The German edition lists the same three.

• Damage caused by use with a third-party component or product that does not meet the specifications of the Apple product.
• Damage caused by a repair, including upgrades and expansions, performed by anyone who is not an Apple employee or an Apple Authorised Service Provider.
• An Apple product that was modified to change its functionality or capability without Apple's written permission.

So Apple can decline to repair, under its warranty, a fault that an upgrade caused, and it may point to these entries if the storage was changed. We cannot say how Apple will decide in a given case.

The same Dutch document also says that the warranty is voluntary and separate from your consumer-law rights, that consumers can choose which of the two to rely on, and that the warranty terms do not apply to claims under consumer law. Apple's consumer-law page adds that the warranty benefits come in addition to the rights under consumer protection law. Other countries have their own edition: see Apple's warranty overview.

What this means for your Mac mini

• A fault that has nothing to do with the SSD, such as a failed fan or power supply. The legal guarantee against the seller of the Mac mini can still apply if the defect existed at delivery. Apple's warranty can still apply within its terms. The seller or Apple may ask whether the fault is connected to the upgrade.
• A fault that the upgrade caused, such as a bent connector or a cracked board. Apple's warranty excludes it. The legal guarantee covers only defects that existed at delivery, so expect to bear the cost of that repair.
• A disagreement about the cause. This is where the burden of proof matters. In the Netherlands, within the first year, the defect is presumed to have existed at delivery unless the seller proves otherwise. After the first year that presumption no longer applies. Which side is right depends on the facts, and this guide cannot assess them.

What our 2-year guarantee covers

We sell the module, so our legal guarantee covers the module. As a consumer in the EU you have a two-year legal guarantee of conformity from CDCT, the company behind PCB Innovations. If the module is defective or does not do what we say it does, you are entitled to repair, replacement or a refund, and the return of a faulty module is at our cost. Email [email protected] with your order number and a description.

It covers the module only. It does not cover the rest of your Mac mini, and it does not bind Apple.

The Directive treats an installation error made by the consumer as a lack of conformity only if the error was due to shortcomings in the installation instructions provided by the seller (article 8(b)). This is why the module comes with the installation guide. Damage from forcing a part is a different matter. See also what is in the box.

What we do before shipping: every module is tested in a Mac mini M4 before it is packed. To make a claim you need only the order confirmation email with the order number. There is no registration and no serial-number form.

Before you upgrade

• Keep the original module. Refitting it returns the hardware to its original configuration. It does not move your data between modules, so make a backup first and see the DFU restore guide.
• Keep the proof of purchase for the Mac mini and the order confirmation for the module.
• If you have AppleCare, read its terms before you upgrade. We have not reviewed them, and we cannot promise what Apple will do.
• Check that your Mac mini is the model the module fits: is the Mac mini M4 SSD upgradeable.

Sources and limits of this guide

This guide is general information about EU and Dutch consumer law and about Apple's published terms, checked on 16 October 2026. It is not legal advice and cannot say how a particular claim will be decided. Laws and terms change. For a dispute, ask a consumer advice service or a lawyer.

• Directive (EU) 2019/771 on contracts for the sale of goods: articles 7, 8, 10, 11, 13 and 17.
• Burgerlijk Wetboek, Book 7: articles 17, 18, 18a, 21 and 23.
• Your Europe: legal and commercial guarantees.
• Apple's One Year Limited Warranty: Dutch edition, German edition, and Apple Products and Consumer Law Rights.