MacMini SSD replace...
 

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[Closed] MacMini SSD replacement - Anyone

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Posts: 4
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Topic starter
 

Evening,

HAs anyone done one of these in real life? The videos show you how to take the thing to a million bits, but I'm concerned that it may not be as easy in real life. I've done a couple of iPhone 5 screens, and iPhone 5 battery, but I don't know if I'm ready to bugger up my desktop completely.


 
Posted : 06/04/2017 7:22 pm
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Changed the hardrive in my 2009 Mini. Not too bad. What model year is yours ?


 
Posted : 06/04/2017 7:28 pm
 mboy
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Yeah done it

Does require a fair degree of delicacy, and the correct tools, but I've done more fiddly jobs.


 
Posted : 06/04/2017 7:32 pm
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Think it's a 2011 version. Was it worth doing from a performance point of view?


 
Posted : 06/04/2017 7:51 pm
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did my 2012(ish) mac mini - made a big difference on performance. Was okay to do - there are plenty of instruction videos about.


 
Posted : 06/04/2017 8:00 pm
 mboy
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Think it's a 2011 version.

That's what I've got...

Was it worth doing from a performance point of view?

Night

And

Day...

No use having an i5/i7 processor and 8GB plus of RAM if the HDD is only capable of reading at 50MBps... Not when even the cheaper SSD's are 10x faster than that these days!


 
Posted : 06/04/2017 8:05 pm
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Cheers.

Does anyone have a recommendation for the SSD then, the crucial one I was looking at was about £130 for a 500GB drive.


 
Posted : 06/04/2017 8:44 pm
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I use Samsung Evo/Pro. £130 for 500GB seems pretty cheap to me.

As above speed difference is huge and eases RAM pressure impact too. An SSD will read/write at 500mps whereas an old harddrive is probably around 50. So 10 times faster. Boot from cold in 20 seconds not 2-3 minutes. Applications start immediately.

You will probably need some special tools, check how-to guides - torx 10 screw driver for example.

You will need to understand how to clone or restore from time machine backup to duplicate the harddrive to the ssd. Having tried a few methods I prefer to make a bootable usb and then put the ssd into the machine blank, boot from isb and then format the ssd. The old harddrive I like to put in a £15 usb caddy. You can then clone it to the ssd or do a restore from time machine if you have such a backup.


 
Posted : 06/04/2017 9:43 pm
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Cheers all. I've got a 500gb external hard drive plugged in for a time machine backup, and I've got a USB hard drive caddy with a laptop hard disk in somewhere that'll probably work.


 
Posted : 06/04/2017 9:53 pm
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Does anyone have a recommendation for the SSD then,

I'd agree with Jamba (well, it is a Mac thread). Samsung Evo is the one to get.


 
Posted : 06/04/2017 10:06 pm
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OP lookup command key start up modes.

If you have 8gb+ ram you are fine, if only 4 I suggest adding more ar same time.


 
Posted : 06/04/2017 10:31 pm

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