Hi, some of the newer. Minis are challenging to open. After they're open, replacing the drive is actually not particularly difficult. Most of the Apple laptops are also reasonably easy to get at the drive, but memory is a different animal, especially for those that have RAM that is soldered to the board. I believe that your model of Mini has RAM that is user changeable, but, still getting into it is the challenge. I go inside these fairly often, but I totally understand your reluctance and feel that if you're not confident, then your better served to have a Tech perform the upgrades.
Later... Tim Kilburn Apple Teacher Fort McMurray, AB Canada On May 14, 2018, at 08:31, Steve Matzura <[email protected]> wrote: Firstly, I don't have a set of Torx screwdrivers. Secondly, the way I hear it described, there are lots of short and delicate wires that I'm afraid I'd snap without even knowing it. If I had a dead Mini on which to try it first, I'd definitely pick that one apart and see what it's like in there, otherwise, too risky for me. On 5/13/2018 5:32 AM, Simon Fogarty wrote: > Why not do it your self? > > The hdd isn't easy but it can be done. > > Ram is so simple you'd be crazy not to do it yourself. > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On > Behalf Of Steve Matzura > Sent: Sunday, 13 May 2018 3:09 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: TO upgrade, or to change platforms entirelyWWYDWhat would you do? > > I was thinking of doing that, but with the proliferation of computer repair > joints, I don't know how I'd figure out which ones are reputable and which > are not. I'm already thinking about where to go to have this stuff done. > There's actually a place right down the street from me that sells Apple > stuff, but they're not an Apple Store store. I know that sounds gramatically > in error, but you know what I mean I'm sure. I'm going to give them a call > first to find out if they'll handle the third-party hardware aspect of this > upgrade. > > > And thanks in advance for the research. > > > On 5/12/2018 3:54 AM, Nickus de Vos wrote: >> Hi Steve >> I’ll do some research on parts for your Mini and get back to you in a few >> hours. >> >> Just one thing, if you want Apple to do the upgrade for you, as far as I >> know they won’t allow you to buy your own SSD and RAM. They will quote you >> on their parts and installation, even if the same parts you wanted to buy in >> the first place, it will be a lot more expensive going threw Apple. >> If you want to buy your own parts you’ll have to get a third party shop to >> do the installation for you. Ask around your area, usually there are a lot >> of third party computer places willing and able to work on Apple hardware as >> well at much better prices. >> >> Nick >> >> >>> On 12 May 2018, at 03:51, Steve Matzura <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> Nick, >>> >>> >>> If a new Mini is on the near horizon, then I can hold my breath and see >>> what it's like when it arrives. But a disk upgrade could always be useful, >>> even if I buy the new Mini later. >>> >>> >>> Re upgrading, memory and SSD are the highest of priorities. I already have >>> my eyes on solutions for the disk. I don't think I'd want to waste one of >>> four USB ports for a boot device, though, except if it was just for >>> short-term testing and setup. I'm thinking of paying Apple the dollars, >>> about a hundred fifty of them, to swap the drive and double the memory for >>> me (plus parts, of course). I just have to obtain the correct sticks, as >>> you say. Any advanced info before searching for info thereon would be most >>> appreciated. >>> >>> >>> Re the external MyBook with TM backups and samples on it, the samples and >>> other music production library stuff is all 100% duplicated on a drive on a >>> Windows machine, and even if that breaks, it can all be re-downloaded from >>> the sites from which it was purchased. Once the SSD is installed in the >>> Mini, that data gets moved there, giving the whole 3TB MyBook drive over to >>> TM. >>> >>> About the Mac Pro, I think I'm off that idea for good, and not just because >>> of your explanation. Yes, the ones I'm seeing on eBay are 2013 build >>> models, therefore not upgradable. But with eight cores and 32GB memory, I >>> don't think any upgrading would even be necessary, with the exception of >>> swapping the internal drive it comes with for an SSD. What kind of killed >>> the whole idea for me is that I think these machines only have SATA2 >>> interfaces. >>> >>> So let's talk more about booting from a USB-connected SSD. The >>> specifications really say it all. Have you any recommendations for an >>> adapter, caddy or enclosure for a SATA3 SSD? I don't really need one of >>> those big three-and-a-half-inch enclosures, and I've never met one I really >>> liked anyway. When I buy the SSD, I'll of course buy the >>> two-and-a-half-inch form factor unit that will fit into the Mini, but I'd >>> like to set it up and test with it before taking the Mini in for the >>> permanent transplant, which is why I'd want the enclosure or adapter. >>> >>> Other than that, I don't think there are any other considerations to ponder >>> before starting to order parts and make appointments to have the surgery >>> done. >>> >>> On 5/11/2018 4:11 AM, Nickus de Vos wrote: >>>> Hi Steve >>>> Firstly when talking Mac Pro I presume you are referring to the cheese >>>> grater, since that’s the only Mac Pro which is upgradable, the newer >>>> trashcan isn’t at all upgradable when it comes to drives and RAM. >>>> The last cheese grater is already older than your current 2012 Mac Mini, >>>> without some hacking the last model cheese grater can for example not run >>>> High Sierra where your Mini is still officially supported. The other >>>> problem with the cheese grater is the wifi and bluetooth on it which can’t >>>> be upgraded very easily, same with the USB-2. >>>> >>>> I saw a post on another platform the other day of a guy who upgraded a >>>> cheese grater, it took him a lot of tinkering and hacking, a lot of >>>> searching and expensive Ebay shopping, but eventually he could upgrade the >>>> wifi and bluetooth to more current versions, he installed USB-3 and he >>>> installed PCI SSD storage. The entire modding process eventually costed >>>> him more than what he bought the second hand machine for, and in the end >>>> he commented that it was probably not the smartest money he ever spent. >>>> >>>> I own a late 2013 iMac which probably has much the same internals as your >>>> Mini, also 1 TB drive, also 8 GB RAM, I gave this machine of mine some new >>>> life the other day. The iMac can’t be opened up easily to upgrade the >>>> internals and I wasn’t willing to pay Apple to do it. I rather decided to >>>> get a external USB-3 SSD to be used as the boot drive. I installed High >>>> Sierra on the external SSD along with all my other stuff and now I use the >>>> internal 1 TB HDD only as mass storage. The iMac runs like a dream, it’s >>>> nice and fast again, almost as fast as my 2015 MBP with 256 GB SSD and >>>> double the RAM. >>>> >>>> If you are very confident in your abilities or have a friend who can do >>>> it, then I suggest you install a SSD in your Mini to be used as your boot >>>> drive, 512 GB even 256 GB should do it. I can’t remember off hand, but if >>>> I recall doing this on the 2012 Mini is still quite easy, I doubt any >>>> special tools are needed for example. >>>> Next while you are at it and if you have the budget, upgrade the RAM to 16 >>>> GB, just read up and make double certain you get the correct RAM. >>>> >>>> As for your external drive with your samples and time machine backup, have >>>> you got a backup of all samples and another time machine drive or is this >>>> your only copy of this data? >>>> I suggest you get a second external hard drive of the same or bigger size >>>> and make a clone of your external drive so that you have 2 copies of that >>>> data. I also suggest you partition the drives to split your sample library >>>> and time machine to two partitions. >>>> >>>> If you can’t install a SSD in to your Mini then do what I did, use a >>>> external SSD as your boot drive,, but SSD is definately the way to go >>>> here. Another advantage of doing it this way is that you can very easily >>>> reuse that external SSD for something else should you stop using your Mini >>>> one day. >>>> >>>> Before you purchase anything, maybe wait till WWDC next month, a new Mac >>>> Mini model is long overdue and I hope we will see one announced then. >>>> >>>> Nick >>>>> On 11 May 2018, at 03:50, Steve Matzura <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> I have a quad core i7 late 2012 Mac Mini with the stock 5400rpm 1TB drive >>>>> and 8GB RAM. I use it exclusively for music reation and education (mainly >>>>> my own) with Logic and Pro Tools. My sample libraries are stored on an >>>>> external MyBook 3TB drive which is also shared with time Machine. >>>>> Consequently, once per hour, there's a little gligtchiness sometimes if I >>>>> happen to be playing something that draws heavily on sampled content when >>>>> TM runs. Granted, it only lasts for a second or two because the machine >>>>> does not require much in the way of backups, as very little on it changes. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> So I'm starting to think it's time for an upgrade. But what to upgrade? >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Clearly more memory would help, as well as replacing the mechanical drive >>>>> with a solid-state drive. There's also the main hardware, which surely >>>>> can't be upgradable to the next operating system forever. I ran into this >>>>> with a 2009 iMac when Sierra was released. For disk replacement, Crucial >>>>> has a 2TB drive for five hundred dollars--that's just twenty-five cents >>>>> US per gig--a very nice price. I'm quite fond of Crucial solid-state >>>>> disks, as I already own two other smaller units used in other machine. I >>>>> figure if I changed out the 1TB rotating drive for a 2TB SSD and moved >>>>> all my sample libraries to that drive, that would also eliminate the USB >>>>> 3 slow-down (if there really is one, which I'm not convinced there is), >>>>> then that USB drive would be used exclusively for Time Machine backups. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Another option is to purchase an empty Mac Pro and put the Crucial 2TB >>>>> drive and lots of memory into it, then set the rest of it up as above. >>>>> But how long will a Mac Pro last before it, too, can no longer be >>>>> upgraded? With the price of Apple hardware ever increasing, will I >>>>> eventually get priced out of upgrading? >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Everybody says it's bad practice to mix system and data files on a drive. >>>>> But if it's a solid-state drive, how could this be bad? >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> If I obtain a Mac Pro, which model year has the highest expandability >>>>> quotient? i.e., which one can I keep the longest and expand the most into >>>>> the future before it won't be expandable/ upgradable any more, like my >>>>> old 2009 iMac turned out to be when Sierra was released. >>>>> >>>>> So, what would you do? >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> The following information is important for all members of the Mac >>>>> Visionaries list. >>>>> >>>>> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or >>>>> if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the >>>>> owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. >>>>> >>>>> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. You can reach >>>>> mark at: [email protected] and your owner is Cara Quinn - you can >>>>> reach Cara at [email protected] >>>>> >>>>> The archives for this list can be searched at: >>>>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >>>>> --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>> Groups "MacVisionaries" group. >>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>>>> email to [email protected]. >>>>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>>>> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. >>>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>> -- >>> The following information is important for all members of the Mac >>> Visionaries list. >>> >>> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if >>> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners >>> or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. >>> >>> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. You can reach >>> mark at: [email protected] and your owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach >>> Cara at [email protected] >>> >>> The archives for this list can be searched at: >>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >>> --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "MacVisionaries" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>> email to [email protected]. >>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- > The following information is important for all members of the Mac Visionaries > list. > > If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if > you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or > moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. > > Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. You can reach mark at: > [email protected] and your owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at > [email protected] > > The archives for this list can be searched at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MacVisionaries" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- The following information is important for all members of the Mac Visionaries list. If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. You can reach mark at: [email protected] and your owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at [email protected] The archives for this list can be searched at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- The following information is important for all members of the Mac Visionaries list. If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. You can reach mark at: [email protected] and your owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at [email protected] The archives for this list can be searched at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
