How to upgrade aluminum mac mini hard drives or ssds. How to upgradereplace the main drive in a 2012 mac mini. The move to a pcie solid state drive ssd for storage doesnt just make the mac mini faster. Can an external ssd match the mac minis pricey inbuilt.
Upgrade your mac mini to up to 8x more capacity and 92x faster speeds than with the apple factory drive. The hard drives in the new 2018 mac mini are pcie which means they are very fast, but also expensive. Select the external ssd to continue the booting process from the new drive. Find up to 16gb ram memory and 2tb ssd storage for your mac mini. Can an external ssd match the mac mini s pricey inbuilt storage. I am just curious how future macos updates via app store will be installed. Buy an external usb3 ssd, plug it in, and set it up to be the new boot drive. Silicon power 1tb 3d nand tlc rugged portable external ssd. Nov 21, 2018 mac mini hard drive or ssd purchase options. Apple usb superdrive with attached usb cable users guide. Get everything you need to upgrade your 2012 mac mini server ssd for a total system performance and capacity boost. Ive just done it on a 2012 imac and the difference is amazing. I attempted to download fl studio and it said i didnt have enough memory. The 2012 mac mini uses 1600mhz ddr3 sodimm modules and can accept up to 16gb across two slots.
Feb 29, 2020 besides adding an ssd, the next best thing to do to give your old mac mini some additional legs for presentday computing is to add more ram. I have established the ssd as the startup drive mac mini 2012 and it. They are pricier, but also faster and allow for much smaller enclosures. Mac mini models have different memory ram installation requirements. How to clone mac drive to ssd for free in about 5 minutes duration.
There are many options in upgrading a mac mini, and. Late 2012, earlylate 20, late 2014 5k, mid 2015 5k, mac mini late 2012 memory ram upgrade. To get a comparable mini with the same amount of storage and memory. When internal surgery of a mac isnt in the cards, an external ssd can rejuvenate a slow machine. This compares with the same internal that gets 500 mbs so usb3 is very good. Fl studio says it needs at least 2gb of free disk space online. How to add a fast new ssd to your old mac or macbook for only. Owc memory upgrade kits offer owners of the newest macintosh mini models ram savings of up 61 percent on comparable sized memory upgrades. Ive done about a dozen mac mini to ssd upgrades over the past few years but ive only owned a logic board removal tool. May 09, 2019 the best external hard drives for mac in 2020.
If that drive is a rotating hard disk, then using an external ssd will most likely be faster. Use an external ssd to make an old mac feel new without cracking. I have a mac mini 2012 i716 gb ram1tb hd and i want to upgrade it. Ram and ssd upgrades for apple mac mini upgradeable. However, it always is best to buy from a trusted company with mac knowledge for the most troublefree experience. Some drive bays have a height of 7 mm, while others have a height of 9.
Owcs stepbystep video of how to install a hard drive in the apple mac mini 2012 with model id. I was struggling to get the drive pegs into the grommet, and the usual turn it upside down and giggle it around trick just wasnt working for me. As a test, i just recorded 96 tracks of 2496, reaper reports 22mbs. Ive read about the new minis so far, is that the ram will be userupgradeable, but the ssd wont. Mac mini late 2012 hard drivessd installation video. But thanks to the usbc interface on the new mac mini, an external ssd drive is now a good option. Best of all, even if you opt to stick to the base 8gb of ram at purchase, memory is easily upgradeable by removing a plastic cover on the bottom of the mac mini.
Attach the enclosure or cableconnected ssd to the mac mini, via usb. So the best you can do is grab a 16gb kit made up of a pair of 8gb sticks. How to clone mac drive to ssd for free in about 5 minutes. I am interested in using it to make beats using a daw. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or instore pickup. I love my macbook, but well, when its starting to show its age, its not that speedy anymore. Apple mac mini grade a desktop intel core i54260u 1.
Mac mini late 2012 hard drive replacement ifixit repair. I consider installing mavericks on an external ssd drive connected via thunderbolt to my mac mini late 2012 and booting macos x from it. Ive done about a dozen mac mini to ssd upgrades over the past few years but ive only owned a logic board removal tool for my latest upgrade. Gtechnology 2tb gdrive mobile ssd durable portable external storage usbc usb 3. Use this guide to completely replace your minis hard drive. How to upgrade the 2012 mac mini for use in 2020 imore. Crucial memory and ssd upgrades 100% compatibility guaranteed for apple mac mini late 2012 free us delivery.
Adding an ssd to the new 2018 mac mini macintosh how to. Mac mini late 2012 ssd dual drive installation crucial. Ive been doing some research into the process and for the most part, it doesnt seem too difficult with installing an ssd as a 2nd drive into the mac mini thanks to the thousands of youtube videos on how to do it. Upgrade or install memory in your mac mini apple support. After resetting the pram the new configuration worked fine. For instance i just copied a 64gb memory image from my online workstation, to a usb 3 external drive, to my offline.
Whatever your use of the mac mini, be it media server or desktop computer, the one upgrade that will make the biggest impact is a ssd. Apple mac mini intel core i3 8gb memory 128gb solidstate. To minimize the possibility of damage to the computer components due to static discharge, its important to wear an antistatic wrist strap while you work with your computers memory. I run an external samsung ssd using usb3 and get 425450 mbs on my 2012 mini. Mac mini late 2012 ssd installation crucial memory guides. Compare portable, usb and external hard drive models for office and home and shop online. Mac mini late 2012 hard drive replacement ifixit repair guide. Sep 27, 2019 best of all, even if you opt to stick to the base 8gb of ram at purchase, memory is easily upgradeable by removing a plastic cover on the bottom of the mac mini. They are a hackers delight, in the true sense of the word.
In my case it was a mac mini late 2012 model, with the original drive being in the lower position ie. How to give your 2012 or 2014 mac mini a performance boost by. Aug 07, 2019 learn how to remove or install memory into your mac mini computer. Oct 29, 2012 i removed the original 1tb hard drive from a new midrange 2012 mac mini and added two 256gb samsung 830 drives. Just need to be sure that the external enclosure has the latest drivers not all usb3 enclosures are the same in performance. In theory, just about any hard drive or ssd that meets the minimum requirements should work in the mac mini. Following an installation procedure similar to ifixit s for adding a second drive i had only one issue very slow boot. Nov 07, 2017 while your inside your 2012 mac mini, you can also upgrade the memory up to 16gb. The tools worked to take everything apart and get access to the bracket to install my ssd in the upper position. Owc announces memory upgrades for new 2012 apple mac mini models.
Aug 21, 20 owcs stepbystep video of how to install a hard drive in the apple mac mini 2012 with model id. Besides adding an ssd, the next best thing to do to give your old mac mini some additional legs for presentday computing is to add more ram. Canada ram sells ssd in canada apple macbook pro, imac. The move to a pcie solid state drive ssd for storage doesnt just make the. Shop apple mac mini intel core i3 8gb memory 128gb solidstate drive space gray at best buy. I chose to buy the smaller and cheaper 250gb mac mini and supplement it. Works great to add a secondary drive to a mac mini. Owc chris s the fusion drive option for the 2012 mac minis can cause some severe data loss if youre not careful. Fortunately, there is a quick way to increase the performance of an old mac upgrading the internal hard drive to ssd solidstate drive. Apple can supply the unit with up to 2tb of solid state drive ssd storage, but charges an eyewatering. External drives add clutter to the desktop and introduces multiple possible failure points. A solidstate drive ssd offers quick access to your data because it stores your bits in a type of flash memory rather than on spinning platters. Even without changing a macs cpu, gpu, or ram, replacing the hard drive with an internal. After you have verified macos loads fine and everything is working.
Use this guide to install ifixits dual hard drive kit in your late 2012 mac mini. The best external hard drives for mac in 2020 pcmag. My internal mac ssd hits 1800mbs, and an external glyph atom hits roughly 425mbs. Owc announces memory upgrades for new 2012 apple mac. Other world computing announced today the immediate ordering availability of owc ddr3l 1600mhz memory upgrades for all new 2012 mac mini models announced by apple yesterday. It is one of four desktop computers in the current macintosh lineup, serving as an alternative to the allinone imac, and sits below the performance range imac pro and mac pro. While your inside your 2012 mac mini, you can also upgrade the memory up to 16gb. Can an external ssd match the mac minis pricey inbuilt storage.
Not a wise choice when there is room for adding a drive to the inside of a mac mini. The mac mini stylized with a lowercase mini is a desktop computer made by apple inc. Gtechnology 1tb gdrive mobile ssd rseries storage previous gallery image. Use this guide to completely replace your mini s hard drive. Owc announces memory upgrades for new 2012 apple mac mini models wednesday, october 24th, 2012 author. Crucial memory and ssd upgrades 100% compatibility guaranteed for apple free us delivery. Mar 14, 2019 david wants a new mac mini but doesnt want to pay apples eyewatering price for a 2tb ssd. How to give your 2012 or 2014 mac mini a performance boost by replacing the hard drive with an ssd.
I removed the original 1tb hard drive from a new midrange 2012 mac mini and added two 256gb samsung 830 drives. The apple mac mini has a loyal fan group around the world. Technical specifications for the mac mini core i5 2. How to speed up your mac with a solid state ssd drive. Mac mini upgrade ssd external ssd upgrade for final cut pro x pny. Best external hard drives for macs in 2020 techradar. I had a tech recover my files, and put them on my external glyph. Drive thats on the top when the mini is turned upside down to open it. Mac mini upgrade ssd external ssd upgrade for final cut pro x. I want to keep the original hd for storage but after installing an ssd into my windows machine, im finding that my mac is. When internal surgery of a mac isnt in the cards, an external ssd.
Owc data doubler optical bay hard drivessd mounting solution for mac mini 2010. The 2014 model also had a sata option, please see our notes on upgrading. Oct 24, 20 thanx for the article, really, really helpful. Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more. Cheaper, can be installed in 3040 minutes with tools and instruction videos provided by the vendor.
How to upgrade your mac mini with an ssd 2019 updated. Newegg does not process or deliver orders on weekends or holidays. New mac mini external storage suggestions mac questions the. My current mac mini has a 1tb ssd internal installed by me. To get a comparable mini with the same amount of storage and. While the 2010 mac mini limits you to firewire 800 or usb 2. The 8 best external hard drives and ssds for mac and pc users. Discover the world of external hard drives for mac. Depending on the size of your drive bay, you may need to use a spacer to make your ssd fit properly. The machine was configured to boot from the external ssd and only used the internal drive for time machine backups, but they still had problems.