2009 Mini verses 2011 Mini Question

[Wicked1]

Has anyone had a Mini with the 2.0 Ghz Core 2 Duo CPU with 4 GB ram and now has the newer 2.66 Mini?

I am trying to see since I am selling my uMB 2.4 if I should also sell my 2.0 Mini from 2009 and just get a new 2.66 loaded with 4GB, not concerned with the HDD as I will get a 128SSD and use an external HDD for Data.

Just trying to see if I will notice a big difference especially since it will be my sole Mac?

 

[Tilpots]

What will you be doing with the Mini?

 

[arcobb]

Doubt it. I have the 2.0 ghz and it works great. If you do a lot of video encoding you'll see a speed up, but for me I'd have to be doing video all day for me to want to upgrade. I'm going to wait for a machine that has light peak/usb 3 and and i7 or better ... so I'll be hanging on to this machine for quite some time to come. The .66 increase in speed is just not something I'd see with how my machine gets used. If you do lots and lots of video, upgrade ... if not save your money.

 

[mdgm]

I agree with arcobb.

I have the early 09 2.0Ghz with CTO 4GB RAM and the late 09 2.53Ghz stock with 4GB RAM.

I do notice a difference with video encoding but not really with other tasks, I think. Though it does depend what you're doing whether you'll notice much of a difference. You may do tasks that would benefit from a faster CPU that I don't.

There is no 2011 Mini yet (the current models are mid-2010), so it's difficult to say yet whether it'll be worth the upgrade to the new models that come out hopefully within a few months or so.

If you get a new Mini you may as well upgrade it using 3rd party RAM and get 8GB (2x4GB) RAM.

Whilst the RAM is easier to upgrade in the 2010 Mini, the hard drive is harder to upgrade in the 2010 Mini.

You could just put a SSD in your current Mini. If you don't want the optical drive in your current Mini you could put a couple of SSDs in RAID-0 (or have a SSD and a hard drive) in the Mini e.g. using the OWC Data Doubler: http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other World Computing/DDMMCL0GB/

In case you were wondering you can put 8GB RAM (2x4GB) In your current mini, but you need to make sure you've installed the EFI Firmware Update 1.2 from August 2009 first: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL888

Instructions for checking whether you've already installed that update are here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1237

 

[panzer06]

Has anyone had a Mini with the 2.0 Ghz Core 2 Duo CPU with 4 GB ram and now has the newer 2.66 Mini?

I am trying to see since I am selling my uMB 2.4 if I should also sell my 2.0 Mini from 2009 and just get a new 2.66 loaded with 4GB, not concerned with the HDD as I will get a 128SSD and use an external HDD for Data.

Just trying to see if I will notice a big difference especially since it will be my sole Mac?

The current mini has a better GPU. The 320 is much more capable than the 9400m when it comes to games and other GPU intensive applications.

It that isn't an issue it may not make as much difference. That said, if you manage to sell both existing systems picking up a current refurb mini might be the ticket. I especially like the mini server with dual 500GB drives.

Cheers,

 

[philipma1957]

having owned every mac mini from 1.66 c2d to a 2010 2.66ghz .

you need to upgrade if :

1)you game a lot.
2) If you want dual screens of 1080 p
3) if you are a handbrake freak
4) if you want a 27 inch hi end led screen with 2500 by 1400 resolution

if not hang in and wait a little bit more. maybe this summer a mini upgrade with lion comes out. just my opinion

 

[Johnf1285]

having owned every mac mini from 1.66 c2d to a 2010 2.66ghz .

you need to upgrade if :

1)you game a lot.
2) If you want dual screens of 1080 p
3) if you are a handbrake freak
4) if you want a 27 inch hi end led screen with 2500 by 1400 resolution

if not hang in and wait a little bit more. maybe this summer a mini upgrade with lion comes out. just my opinion

Don't mean to hijack, but I wanted to see what your opinion of the current mini at a high resolution performs like (2560x1440)?

 

[talmy]

Based on my experience, the weakest spot in mini performance is the 5200 RPM drive. I'd suggest swapping out the hard drive as the best thing one can do and certainly more cost effective than a new mini with the same slow drive!

 

[mdgm]

I agree. If you put a SSD in the 09 Mac Mini you can always take it out again before you eventually sell the Mini if you wish.

 

[philipma1957]

Don't mean to hijack, but I wanted to see what your opinion of the current mini at a high resolution performs like (2560x1440)?

when I went from the 2007 2.0 with the intel gpu to a 2.26 2009 with a nvidia 9400 gpu.


i had huge eyeTv improvement in picture quality it was off the air rooftop antenna and CBS NBC ABC FOX all had better reception. Sports movies everything improved along with DVD and netflix streaming. I later upgraded to a 2.66 2009 8gb ram with a double estata hack . I use a pair of these as twin boot drives.


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...07017&cm_re=2tb_fantom-_-22-207-017-_-Product

this was a small improvement over the 2.26Ghz machine I had.



I then went to a 2010 2.66ghz cto with a dvd player and a 320gb hdd. maxed the ram to 8gb. for hdtv dvd and netflix streaming I had no visible improvement in picture quality.

I was able to set the 2010 2.66 up with a pair of 1900 by 1200 princeton ultrasharp 24 inch lcd screens and tested it against the 2009 2.66 with the same setup. The 2010 was a little better but how many people need a pair of 1080p monitors.. I don't if you do need a pair. I had some visible improvement .

I post a lot on 123 mac mini and none of us had great results with 2 monitors and either mac mini 2009 or 2010. I have never run a mac mini with a 2560 by 1440 Apple monitor I have an imac can't hook it up to test. These units are still a bit short.. For graphics. So I sold the 2010 2.66 and I kept my 2009 double esata hack. I want a mini for my ht. Right now none of them are quite good enough so I am waiting for a 2011 upgrade. THE imac and the mac pro I own are both much much much better for eye tv. they handle sports with no blurring. no mini I have owned was or is as good.

 

[mdgm]

none of them are quite good enough so I am waiting for a 2011 upgrade. THE imac and the mac pro I own are both much much much better for eye tv. they handle sports with no blurring. no mini I have owned was or is as good.

What about if you put a SSD in the Mini? Would that make a difference for EyeTV (I guess probably not if you were using the RAM buffer)?

 

[philipma1957]

What about if you put a SSD in the Mini? Would that make a difference for EyeTV (I guess probably not if you were using the RAM buffer)?

you got it no mini gpu has enough the older ones were 64mb then 256mb the imac has a 4870 = 512mb the mac pro has a 5870 = 1gb

It is frustrating to me as my ht is in a den and I don't have a lot of room in the rack for a big computer. I would have liked a mac midi the old foot print of 6.5 by 6.5 with 4 inches or 5 inches height.

A nice gpu cpu and blu ray. more like this

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856158018&cm_re=asrock-_-56-158-018-_-Product


or maybe this


http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php...-Combo-PC-Barebone-System-White-w-MCE-Remoter

 

[mdgm]

I was just curious as I use EyeTV on my Mac Minis and was curious as to whether a SSD would help improve things. I guess I'll need to consider upgrading to the 2011 Mac Mini too when it comes out.

 

[philipma1957]

I used intel


x 25 80gb more then 10 no failures

x 25 160gb more then 6 no failures
****************************************************************************
x 25-e 32gb



3 no failures also OF every drive I ever owned this had the fastest scores and never crashed or ever had any problems of any kind. if this drive came in a big size and would not cost me a fortune. I would have a few.

but at 350 dollars for 32gb it is a no go

*****************************************************************************

x 25-e 64gb had 2 no failures and the second fastest drive i ever owned

patriot inferno 200gb I owned 2 1 failed got an rma

corsair x64 64gb I owned 2 1 failed got an rma


and a few ocz vertex 120 gb ssds two failed I was able to return them.


having made 40 or 50 systems for buyers of minis I tried just about every type of hdd and a lot of ssd's. I push western digital scorpio blacks 500gb and 750gb size more then most other drives.


with eyetv.

unless you are recording a show and surfing the net an ssd or a quick hdd does not make a lot of difference. it will make a big difference if you open and close lot of windows do internet work/research while recording a tv show. with a 5400rp stock drive the net windows will be pretty slow as they open and close. of course I am making the assumption you have a fast net connection.