2013 Mac Mini Ram...?

[mvmanolov]

So, we've talked about CPU's!

We've talked about GPU's!

We've talked about TB 2.0 and USB 3...

We've talked waaaaaay too much about the release date.....

How is this for a change....

32GB Ram in a 2013 Mini..? What do you think? possible, probable, just plain crazy?

 

[opinio]

So, we've talked about CPU's!

We've talked about GPU's!

We've talked about TB 2.0 and USB 3...

We've talked waaaaaay too much about the release date.....

How is this for a change....

32GB Ram in a 2013 Mini..? What do you think? possible, probable, just plain crazy?[/QUOT

16GB (2*16=32) SODIMMs don't exists in 204 pin (unless there was a very recent release).

 

[Rapscallion]

I just hope the ram is not soldered onto the mother board.

 

[COrocket]

I fear the ram might be soldered which is why I felt good buying a 2012 model after seeing where apple is taking things, at least on the notebook side of the house. I've been holding out on upgrading my 2012 mini to see if 2x16GB DDR3 kits ever materialize. The stock RAM is fine for my uses presently but eventually I'll have to add more.

 

[Gav2k]

If the design stays the same 16gb will be the max.

If they turn it into an airport tower then it'll be soldered max 16gb

 

[blanka]

It depends on the question if someone will make DDR3 SO-dimms with 16Gb, not on Apple.
If these are made, you can put 32 in the 2011-2012 models too, the chipset supports it.

I guess it will stay a 2 slot machine. Apple is doing lazy updates this year (all energy in the MacPro) so the design will not alter much, just as we saw with the MBA and the iMac.

 

[Santabean2000]

It depends on the question if someone will make DDR3 SO-dimms with 16Gb, not on Apple.
If these are made, you can put 32 in the 2011-2012 models too, the chipset supports it.

I guess it will stay a 2 slot machine. Apple is doing lazy updates this year (all energy in the MacPro) so the design will not alter much, just as we saw with the MBA and the iMac.

It's my suspicion that we won't see a refresh this year. I'm picking (an even smaller) redesign to debut in Feb '14. In which case RAM will be soldered in and capped at 16GB.

I hope I'm wrong.

 

[madrag]

I too would like to see 32GB (or more) RAM capability...

I bought the Mini in December 2012, and got 16GB RAM elsewhere, but because of using emulators for some windows/linux work and various memory leaks, I get a lot of page outs!

So it is not senseless to think of more RAM, and I do hope that newer Mac Mini's won't have it soldered...

 

[philipma1957]

I too would like to see 32GB (or more) RAM capability...

I bought the Mini in December 2012, and got 16GB RAM elsewhere, but because of using emulators for some windows/linux work and various memory leaks, I get a lot of page outs!

So it is not senseless to think of more RAM, and I do hope that newer Mac Mini's won't have it soldered...

the new mini will have solder ram capped at 16gb. you will have to get a pcie ssd. the pcie ssd will be okay with page outs .

if you want more ram power buy an imac or the new mac pro.

not what I want to be true and not as true as we are all going to die

(i don't like that much either) but my guess is this will be apple's approach

with the new mini.

 

[jhfenton]

Maybe I'm being naive, but I can't believe Apple would go to soldered RAM unless they're turning the mini into an HTPC appliance and want to make it truly tiny. And at that point, it's no longer really a mini as we now know it. Unlike a laptop like the Air, there's a limit to how much benefit you get from shrinking the size of a desktop computer.

I'm expecting either a Haswell, PCIE, wireless AC bump with no major design changes or no fall release--if they can't figure out a good performance/profit margin point with the Haswell chipsets and other upgraded components.

John

 

[mvmanolov]

Maybe I'm being naive, but I can't believe Apple would go to soldered RAM unless they're turning the mini into an HTPC appliance and want to make it truly tiny. And at that point, it's no longer really a mini as we now know it. Unlike a laptop like the Air, there's a limit to how much benefit you get from shrinking the size of a desktop computer.

I'm expecting either a Haswell, PCIE, wireless AC bump with no major design changes or no fall release--if they can't figure out a good performance/profit margin point with the Haswell chipsets and other upgraded components.

John

I think i agree with that. I also dont think that they will go with soldered ram especially given how many people/companies use it as the server box. i do think that Apple wants to keep that market segment and there upgradability (within certain limits) is quite important.

 

[ioannis2005gr]

...

I guess it will stay a 2 slot machine. Apple is doing lazy updates this year (all energy in the MacPro) so the design will not alter much, just as we saw with the MBA and the iMac.

I agree but I think the most important difference in Mac Mini will be PCI-e SSD and Iris graphics...RAM can be replaced by owners in anytime....

 

[paulrbeers]

Maybe I'm being naive, but I can't believe Apple would go to soldered RAM unless they're turning the mini into an HTPC appliance and want to make it truly tiny. And at that point, it's no longer really a mini as we now know it. Unlike a laptop like the Air, there's a limit to how much benefit you get from shrinking the size of a desktop computer.

I'm expecting either a Haswell, PCIE, wireless AC bump with no major design changes or no fall release--if they can't figure out a good performance/profit margin point with the Haswell chipsets and other upgraded components.

John

Even if they did a major redesign, Apple has updated (or is updating) their other two desktops (iMac and Mac Pro) last year and this year and NEITHER used Soldered RAM. Mac Pro definitely could not go to Soldered RAM, but the iMac as thin as they made it, they still left it as user upgradable (at least for the 27" and "sorta" for the 21.5"). I can't see them soldering the RAM in the Mini since they haven't shown that it is important to them to do so in desktops.

 

[deconstruct60]

Maybe I'm being naive, but I can't believe Apple would go to soldered RAM unless they're turning the mini into an HTPC appliance and want to make it truly tiny.

Soldered RAM doesn't make devices tiny. It makes them thinner (less tall) at the cost of blowing length and width dimension. For the laptops where the length and width are driven by the screen and keyboard anyway that isn't a bad tradeoff. For a Mini it would kind of goofy. It is not particularly pressed to be thinner. All the more so in a HTPC context if trying to fit A/V equipment like cubby holes. Sub 1" tall Mini isn't going to anything better in that context.

It is far more effective 3D space and cost efficient just to use the SO-DIMMs the Mini currently has.

And at that point, it's no longer really a mini as we now know it. Unlike a laptop like the Air, there's a limit to how much benefit you get from shrinking the size of a desktop computer.

Even the Air is limited. If shrink the screen and keyboard too small it too will loose utility.

I'm expecting either a Haswell, PCIE, wireless AC bump with no major design changes or no fall release--

PCIE meaning PCIe SSD? That would be a substantive internal design change. Tossing one of two drive bays would be as big a change as mutating the ODD bay to a second 2.5" HDD bay.

if they can't figure out a good performance/profit margin point with the Haswell chipsets and other upgraded components.

There a plenty of Haswell chipset to choose from that are good enough to warrant an upgrade. Trying to squeeze Iris Pro into a Mini's price point probably isn't going to work this iteration. Even a nudge with 4600 graphics would be good.


The more likely motivators for a non Mac Mini update would either be

i. that the sales are missing the targets. Similar to the iPod Touch. They sell but shrinking and not particularly strategic so just nudge every other year.

ii. that the Mini was tightly coupled to the MBP 13" components that Apple was choosing to kneecap on purpose. Too many folks till buy MBP 13" but Apple wants it to die so hamstring it with no updates to boost rMBP 13" and MBA 13" sales. The mini could get caught in that crossfire.

 

[deconstruct60]

, but the iMac as thin as they made it, they still left it as user upgradable (at least for the 27" and "sorta" for the 21.5").

Relative to MBA and rMBP the iMac isn't thin. Throw out the edges ( where the RAM is not ] it is closer to twice as thick. There isn't substantive room in the 21.5 to blow out a large increase in logic board space consumption to solder a substantive amount of RAM. And it doesn't really buy anything (in terms of "thickness" savings ).

 

[57004]

I'm not expecting any redesign at all. They've only done 3 releases with the current design, and like 8 or so with the previous one, all the way back to the Power PC. There is no need to update the design either, it is great the way it is.

I just expect the 2012 model with Haswell, the better video that comes with it, and maybe (hopefully) Thunderbolt 2.

 

[paulrbeers]

I'm not expecting any redesign at all. They've only done 3 releases with the current design, and like 8 or so with the previous one, all the way back to the Power PC. There is no need to update the design either, it is great the way it is.

I just expect the 2012 model with Haswell, the better video that comes with it, and maybe (hopefully) Thunderbolt 2.

Actually they only did 4:
2005 PowerPC based*
2006 Core Solo/Core Duo based
2007 Core2duo based
2009 Core2duo based*

* 2009 had an all new port layout, so it was a moderate redesign. The others were all relatively the same.

At this point we are at the 4th version of this model if it is released this year.

The biggest question around the Mini this year is will it get PCIE based SSD's. Their options:
1. Stick to SATA since it is "only a Mini", but that very well could leave the Mini to be the only computer left with SATA based SSD's (especially if Apple drops the cMBP).
2. Figure out a way to route a PCIE connection using ribbon cables, so that they do not have to redesign the Mini (there isn't room right now to attach it directly to the motherboard as far as I can tell).
3. Completely redesign the Mini, so that it is a bit taller and then it could hang the PCIE SSD off the top of the mobo....

Note: We need to remember that mid-year spec bumps that Apple does are not considered new versions, and often times don't even carry a new model number of if they do they are more "point releases" (i.e. the 2005 early was PowerMac10,1 and the late 2005 was PowerMac10,2).

 

[philipma1957]

Actually they only did 4:
2005 PowerPC based*
2006 Core Solo/Core Duo based
2007 Core2duo based
2009 Core2duo based*

* 2009 had an all new port layout, so it was a moderate redesign. The others were all relatively the same.

At this point we are at the 4th version of this model if it is released this year.

The biggest question around the Mini this year is will it get PCIE based SSD's. Their options:
1. Stick to SATA since it is "only a Mini", but that very well could leave the Mini to be the only computer left with SATA based SSD's (especially if Apple drops the cMBP).
2. Figure out a way to route a PCIE connection using ribbon cables, so that they do not have to redesign the Mini (there isn't room right now to attach it directly to the motherboard as far as I can tell).
3. Completely redesign the Mini, so that it is a bit taller and then it could hang the PCIE SSD off the top of the mobo....

Note: We need to remember that mid-year spec bumps that Apple does are not considered new versions, and often times don't even carry a new model number of if they do they are more "point releases" (i.e. the 2005 early was PowerMac10,1 and the late 2005 was PowerMac10,2).

yeah if they go the route of pcie based ssd and no hdd at all ram becomes much less of an issue since page outs to ssds are far far far faster then pageouts to hdds.

In a way I would like a pcie ssd and a 5100 gpu. I would not care that much about the ram option as I would max the pcie ssd for internl osx and attach a t-bolt nas for storage. time will tell

 

[opinio]

There is no need to update the design either, it is great the way it is

Do you have a quad core mini that utilises the CPU to its max potential? The CPU heat resulting from the current design is not what I would consider as 'great'. This part of the current design really needs to be fixed.