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4GB Mac Mini 2GHz Core Duo 2 with 128GB SSD

LEStudios

LEStudios

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 24, 2007
291
5
Houston, TX
Yeah has anybody done this yet or will I be the first? I already upgraded my Mac Mini to 4GB using Kingston PC2-5300 memory that was on sale for $79.99 at Fry's Electronics or if you want it online www.frys.com . My next move since I see way faster of applications operations that improved despite it utilizing 75% of the total memory because of lack of a firmware update. I'm more interested in putting a solid state drive in the Mac Mini. I seen how fast the Mac Book Air was running on SSD. I honest was very impressed. It just ALL my years messing with computers I've never seen a computer move so fast. Everything was instantaneously. Also after reading the article below I then became more intrigued. If anybody got any input on this please post it. :apple:

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4259
 
Why in the name of all that is good and holy would you want to drop $3000 on an SSD for a mini?

If you do, you might as well upgrade the processor to a 2.33GHz.
 
iMpathetic said:
Why in the name of all that is good and holy would you want to drop $3000 on an SSD for a mini?

If you do, you might as well upgrade the processor to a 2.33GHz.
Click to expand...

Why not? You got people out there that spend $500 on a Sealed iSight camera on eBay. There's people out there spending $3,000 on a computer and using to play Solitaire and surf the web. There's guy spend 5 times as much on a 454 Big Block Engine as part reconstructing of a '68 Chevy Pickup. Also the main reason I'm doing it it's freaking sweet! :D
 
Pressure said:
Why not buy a Mac Pro and RAID-0 some drives? :D
Click to expand...

My Mac Pro plans are 32GB PC6400 with 4TB SATA II (four 1TB Seagate) with Apple Raid, NVIDIA 8800GT 512MB DDR3 with 30" Cinema HD that HDCP supported. Honestly I rather wait for Apple announcing Blu-Ray Drives in the lines before making any large purchases. That away I won't have any regrets. The Mac Mini right now is the main computer until the Mac Pro I specified comes into the picture, so for now I'm making the best of it. :D
 
I see you've also bought into Monster Cables so money is of no obvious concern. Go for it! More dollars than sense but it's your money.
 
supercooled said:
I see you've also bought into Monster Cables so money is of no obvious concern. Go for it! More dollars than sense but it's your money.
Click to expand...


Dude you brought a Dell! I believe you really wanted a $1999 30" Dell 3008WFP monitor, didn't you? I'm pretty sure that you could have gotten a 24" HP for $499 or have a matching New Apple 23" Cinema Display for $899 or $749 Refurb. Because it looks like we got a lot in common. "More dollars than sense but it's your money." :D
 
clyde2801 said:
the c2d will support 3.something gigs, like the last generation c2d white imacs. apple will only support 2gigs. then again, apple doesn't support solid state drives in the mac mini, either.
Click to expand...

It's shows 4GB but the system can only Utilize 3GB of it. If Apple wanted to they could send a firmware update where then the system can see 4GB and uses 4GB, but that's not happening like those who owns a Airport Express. The New Airport Express with 802.11n I feel was a firmware update to utilize 802.11n, but rather users to spend another $99 for a New Airport Express instead of spend $1.99 to update the old one. Apple would make 50 times the money by getting new customers. Just like MAC OS X new versions getting us to spend $129 for a New OS every 2-3 years. This particular SSD has a SATA interface and it' has a height of 9.5mm so it can go in typical 2.5" areas like PC notebook computers well as MacBooks and MacBook Pros, Mac Minis, AppleTVs and if I wanted to, a Playstation 3 (Now thats a waste of money!) :D
 
LEStudios said:
It's shows 4GB but the system can only Utilize 3GB of it. If Apple wanted to they could send a firmware update where then the system can see 4GB and uses 4GB, but that's not happening like those who owns a Airport Express. The New Airport Express with 802.11n I feel was a firmware update to utilize 802.11n, but rather users to spend another $99 for a New Airport Express instead of spend $1.99 to update the old one. Apple would make 50 times the money by getting new customers. Just like MAC OS X new versions getting us to spend $129 for a New OS every 2-3 years.
Click to expand...

The RAM limit is hardware, not software. The old Express does not have an 11n chip. You don't have to buy every OS, they put a lot of work into updating it.
 
LEStudios said:
It's shows 4GB but the system can only Utilize 3GB of it. If Apple wanted to they could send a firmware update where then the system can see 4GB and uses 4GB, but that's not happening like those who owns a Airport Express. The New Airport Express with 802.11n I feel was a firmware update to utilize 802.11n, but rather users to spend another $99 for a New Airport Express instead of spend $1.99 to update the old one. Apple would make 50 times the money by getting new customers. Just like MAC OS X new versions getting us to spend $129 for a New OS every 2-3 years. This particular SSD has a SATA interface and it' has a height of 9.5mm so it can go in typical 2.5" areas like PC notebook computers well as MacBooks and MacBook Pros, Mac Minis, AppleTVs and if I wanted to, a Playstation 3 (Now thats a waste of money!) :D
Click to expand...



Why again is a Playstation 3 a waste of money?
 
LEStudios said:
OK, well show me a non-flash hard drive with these specs and yeah gotta be a 2.5" SATA HDD why you at it! :rolleyes:

Rated R/W Performance: 100MB/s read, >100MB/s write, .1ms access
Click to expand...

So? How much of that translates into real world performance?

Show me a computer that spends all its time doing disk IO and I will show you a computer that has too little memory.
 
waremaster said:
Why again is a Playstation 3 a waste of money?
Click to expand...

I use to say it's worth it to use as a Blu-Ray player and that was it. Then I discovered that they do not support internally decoding DTS HD Master Audio or even shoot out as PCM to a Receiver that can decode DTS HD Master Audio. I got a lot of Fox Blu-Ray Movies that I was looking forward to listen in DTS HD Master Audio. Which by the way blows Dolby TrueHD out the water! :D
 
What are you doing with it?

My big beef about doing much with my mini is mainly because of the on-chip graphics.

I just bought some memory and a bigger disk to put into it. I'm also pulling a 2.0 Ghz core duo out of my iMac, since I have a 2.3 Ghz core 2 chip to put in it.

I doubt I'd spend the cash to do the SSD upgrade though.

If it's just for the wow factor, thats cool, I don't know if I would use it as a workhorse machine though.
 
Apogee said:
So? How much of that translates into real world performance?

Show me a computer that spends all its time doing disk IO and I will show you a computer that has too little memory.
Click to expand...

Read the review. Also since I been installing Windows XP & Vista (Once, I really hate that OS) that takes a lot of time installing. For a Vista to take total of 25 minutes on a clean install there's your real world performance! Keep in mind Vista needs at least 15GB to install where as XP needs 1.5 at least. You do the math of real world performance or go to a retailer that has a MacBook Air with SSD on Display and see for yourself. Open Memory usage programs like iPhoto, Garageband, iMovie and see for yourself. I tested the MacBook Air and I was shocked. I had a Flash Drive with a 256Kbps AAC of Eagles Hotel California. I set iTunes to copy to hard drive and when I clicked to play it was already copied. That was Intel Core Duo 2 1.8GHz with 4MB L2 cache and 2GB PC2-5300 memory with a 64GB SSD SLC comparing this to a Mac Mini with 2GHz Core Duo 2 with 4MB L2 Cache, 4GB PC2-5300 memory with a 128GB SSD SLC. I expect the results to be equal or better, but really expect the best. I'm about to do something now that would be the blueprint or foundation of the future computing Solid State Drive will be everywhere but will take up 5 years for it to become mainstream. I loved the idea of having a Raid 0 of four 4TB SSDs in a 32-core 9.6GHz per core Mac Pro Ultra with 64GB 2GHz memory. Yeah watch the next 5 years and comeback to this and say I was right! ;)
 
pilotError said:
What are you doing with it?

My big beef about doing much with my mini is mainly because of the on-chip graphics.

I just bought some memory and a bigger disk to put into it. I'm also pulling a 2.0 Ghz core duo out of my iMac, since I have a 2.3 Ghz core 2 chip to put in it.

I doubt I'd spend the cash to do the SSD upgrade though.

If it's just for the wow factor, thats cool, I don't know if I would use it as a workhorse machine though.
Click to expand...

As a workhorse machine well we about to find out how Intel Core Duo 2, 4GB and a 128GB SSD workout. ONLY thing is I'm shocked that I would be the first. I thought with all of the MacManiacs somebody would have done this already. Times must be really tight! :eek:
 
LEStudios said:
I use to say it's worth it to use as a Blu-Ray player and that was it. Then I discovered that they do not support internally decoding DTS HD Master Audio or even shoot out as PCM to a Receiver that can decode DTS HD Master Audio. I got a lot of Fox Blu-Ray Movies that I was looking forward to listen in DTS HD Master Audio. Which by the way blows Dolby TrueHD out the water! :D
Click to expand...

For audiophiles, sure the PS3 falls short, but for ANYONE else (95% of people probably) its more than a deal at 399. The speed and upconversion is spectacular, so while not ideal for a THEATRE...for the living room without 7.1 sound (which most living rooms do not have the space to accomidate anyhow), not only is the PS3 NOT a waste of money, its the very best value in its class, so to speak.

Correction: Probably isnt right for me to say BEST value, unless you will use the PS3 at least a LITTLE for its other functions...just trying to be fair.
 
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