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Difficulty of Hard Drive Upgrade on Mac Mini Late 2014

MacDude205100 said:
Thanks for the info. Those prices are ridiculous. I only paid $699 for this computer... no way I'm spending more than $300 or so upgrading it. I'm planning on buying a Mac Pro in a few years once this starts to get slow. I think the SATA3 SSD is the best value. That being said, it's going to be unpleasant installing it. To be honest, the speeds SATA3 SSDs are getting are like 10-20x better than a 5400rpm if I recall correctly. 40-50% more than that will have diminishing returns and isn't really necessary or worth it for my uses of this computer.

The real question is, when should I do it? I was thinking of this summer, but I bought Apple Care for this (only paid $60) and don't want to void my warranty. Are SSD prices expected to continue to fall over the next 2 or so years? They have been pretty steady lately.
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Using external SSD the speeds will be about 200 write and around 450 read

And i got this enclosure which was $12
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OJ3UJ2S?
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treekram said:
You need to go to someplace like eBay to find the PCIe SSD's (used). The last I heard (may be way out of date), 1TB was $1000. MCE sells them but I think they're on the expensive side relative to eBay. People have said the MCE products are also used (taken out of other Apple products) but it doesn't say that and I don't know.
http://store.mcetech.com/mm/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=mtos&Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=PCIEFLASH
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1tb is about $500
 
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roland.g said:
I think I am going to cancel or return my i7 Mini with 512 and get a 2.6 i5 with 16GB. I have seen posts about updating the internal drive.

1. Can I get a 256GB SSD which I assume is a PCIe Bladd and add a 2nd internal SSD via SATA? Is the connector there or do have to buy one?

2. Or would I need to get a Fusion which I hope would come with the 120 or 128 and not 24 GB SSD and then replace the 1TB drive with a SATA SSD?

3. Or do I just order the 256GB SSD and add an external USB 3.0 SSD drive?

Thanks.
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The fusion drive should be 128GB PCIe SSD + HDD, but unless it's specified by Apple as such, that may change although I doubt they would put the 24 GB SSD in there. I have a 2012 Mini with a SSD and HDD in it and I like to control which files go where so I've never been a fan of the fusion drive. Other people would rather leave that up to the OS so they go with the fusion drive. But considering that the PCIe SSD is so expensive either as an upgrade or if you get one later and one can either put in an HDD or pay somebody to put one it, I would rather get the bigger 256GB SSD rather than the 1TB fusion drive, considering they're the same price. If you get the 256GB SSD, you can wait (if I remember you don't need > 256GB immediately) and figure out which suits you better - an external or internal SATA SSD. With the right external drive, they will have comparable speed. The external is easy - just plug it it. With the internal, you need a kit like the OWC kit which has the cable, screws and grommets:

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Mac+Mini+Late+2014+Hard+Drive+Replacement/32815

You'll also need the appropriate screwdrivers. Or you can find an authorized Apple service center that will do the work for you. There was a thread here where somebody bought a used Mini still with a warranty which had an SSD put it by the previous owner. The WiFi board went bad and Apple replaced it without making an issue of the SATA SSD. So the issue isn't so much that putting in an SATA SSD will invalidate the warranty, it's that if you break something along the way, you're responsible for it. And as another thread here points out, Apple will not give you a break on non-warranty repairs, Applecare or not.
 
rigormortis said:
i did a number on mine. and I've been installing drives for years, i opened up my 2006 and 2010 model with no real difficulty.

the fan power connector broke. i had to replace the fan
the sata power connector to the logic board came off the logic board entirely. i had to send it to news york to get it reattached

one of the wifi connectors wouldnt go back on and the repair company couldnt do it either

the real problem with the mac mini 2014 model is the screws. they aren't meant to be unscrewed and screwed back on more then a few times. i had like 3 break on me, they are really soft. i think apple made them that way.

the mac mini came back from new york , and its power light won't come on, but it does boot.

the mac seems to work now.

i never did replace the drive.

i don't think the average person should touch this model. and you should refer all hard drive upgrades to a
apple authorized service center. that way, if they break the screws, they will replace them

i lost like 3 screws. you can see half the screws inside the holes, just the ones i put in on the outside of the case, trying to figure out which ones hold the plastic cover in place broke after a couple insertions
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You broke all that stuff AND lost 3 screws?

I have to say that you should accept that this project is beyond you.

People with dexterous fingers and some organizational skills should not have this much trouble. The only way to lose 3 screws is if you do it on your lap whilst sitting on a shag carpet.

Yes, I work on computers alot but I banged out 2 of these, switching the SATA for an SSD and adding the PCIE SSD BLADE with nothing broken or lost. It is doable, but you have to take it seriously. Clear the dining room table, have plenty of light, and get the tools before you start.

Take your time, take pictures, etc. Don't think of the glory of it working at the end, that makes you rush. Instead take your time, think, and be careful,.

"Give up, it's too hard, you can't do it so buy a more expensive one to begin with" is EXACTLY what Apple wants you to believe.
 
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MacVidCards said:
You broke all that stuff AND lost 3 screws?

I have to say that you should accept that this project is beyond you.

People with dexterous fingers and some organizational skills should not have this much trouble. The only way to lose 3 screws is if you do it on your lap whilst sitting on a shag carpet.

Yes, I work on computers alot but I banged out 2 of these, switching the SATA for an SSD and adding the PCIE SSD BLADE with nothing broken or lost. It is doable, but you have to take it seriously. Clear the dining room table, have plenty of light, and get the tools before you start.

Take your time, take pictures, etc. Don't think of the glory of it working at the end, that makes you rush. Instead take your time, think, and be careful,.

"Give up, it's too hard, you can't do it so buy a more expensive one to begin with" is EXACTLY what Apple wants you to believe.
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How easily do you think it'd be to damage something? I'm still leaning towards going through the full SATA 2.5" drive replacement.
 
MacDude205100 said:
How easily do you think it'd be to damage something? I'm still leaning towards going through the full SATA 2.5" drive replacement.
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Follow the ifixit guide EXACTLY. The real tricky stuff is disconnecting cables like the WiFi antenaes and PCIE SSD cables. Do it how they show, using spudger and from the angle they show.

You have to be patient and not get eager to finish.

My 2014 went from beachball city to zippy by doing this one upgrade.
 
MacVidCards said:
Follow the ifixit guide EXACTLY. The real tricky stuff is disconnecting cables like the WiFi antenaes and PCIE SSD cables. Do it how they show, using spudger and from the angle they show.

You have to be patient and not get eager to finish.

My 2014 went from beachball city to zippy by doing this one upgrade.
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Good advice, however when I did my 2012, at least one of the connectors was different from what was in the instructions and video. You need to allot time for such contingencies and then look through for other instructions/videos, possibly from related computers (say, an older or newer models) for how to remove the connector. I think people also have problems in areas away from where they're focusing on (so watch your hands) and on forcing something where a more careful approach is a better strategy. I also noticed that a list of tools may be prescribed, but then they're using a spudger that was not in the list - I think this was the case with the pointed-end spudger - a very useful tool for doing this job.
 
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roland.g said:
1. Can I get a 256GB SSD which I assume is a PCIe Bladd and add a 2nd internal SSD via SATA? Is the connector there or do have to buy one?

2. Or would I need to get a Fusion which I hope would come with the 120 or 128 and not 24 GB SSD and then replace the 1TB drive with a SATA SSD?

3. Or do I just order the 256GB SSD and add an external USB 3.0 SSD drive?
Click to expand...

  1. The 256GB SSD is a PCIe blade but although there is a connector there is no SATA cable or bay installed for a SATA drive.
  2. You don't have to hope! The mini version of Fusion Drive comes with 128GB SSD and full SATA hardware as well!
  3. Do it this way (external USB 3.0) if you wish but the Fusion Drive method is neater and can provide faster SATA performance.
 
opeter said:
I upgraded mine (2014 model, 2.6 GHz) to an 480 SSD. Took me about 25 minuts.
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What was in there before. I just got a 2.6 256 and am wondering since it is not a fusion how easy I can add a second SSD.
 
MacDude205100 said:
How easily do you think it'd be to damage something? I'm still leaning towards going through the full SATA 2.5" drive replacement.
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I was very careful with mine but did damage the fan connector. I was able to fix it myself but bought a fan for the future in case I have an issue with the connector. So, $15 for a fan, it was worth it. I have a 2011 model that came with the 500GB spinning drive. I installed the OWC data doubler kit, 256GB SSD and setup fusion. I also upgraded the RAM to 16GB. My eyes are getting older and everything inside is tiny but if you take your time you will be able to get this done. The fan connector was believe it or not me being too careful that broke it. The videos showed everyone pull up on the cable, I used a spudger and pried on a corner which damaged the corner. I should have pulled on the wire like instructed. Still, not a bad job if you follow the guides and take your time. I bought the fan with the idea that I might go back in one day and swap the SSD for a bigger SSD or swap the spinning drive for a 7200RPM model or whatever might come up. At the moment though, could not be happier.
 
I just finished converting my MacMini from a 1TB HHD to a 1.25 FD and now the Mini rocks! I used Scoob's method and bought a 256GB Apple PCIe SSD from Ebay along with the carrier w/PCIe cable from Apple Components.

After installing the parts I used Internet Recovery which asked to "fix" the fusion drives in which I said yes. Then I recovered from the last Time Machine backup and now it feels like a new computer :). BlackMagic tests says it is doing 616 MB/s writes and 722 MB/s reads. I wished I did a test beforehand for comparison but I didn't really need a test to tell me that the old setup was slow, lol.

Thanks to Scoob and to Fishrrman for his link to Scoob's posts.
 
+1 for the iFixit guide, and the iFixit toolkit. I just bought a used 2014 and replaced the HDD with an SSD. Went off without a hitch.

In addition to the toolkit, I recommend a well-lit, clutter-free workspace.

The MM is a marvel of compact engineering. I have a new-found appreciation for it. Sure there are NUCs and whatnot, but they cheat by having a big external power brick. The MM has the PSU inside with everything else.
 
MacDude205100 said:
How easily do you think it'd be to damage something? I'm still leaning towards going through the full SATA 2.5" drive replacement.
Click to expand...
FWIW, I recently upgraded my 2012 mini. In the process of doing so I took it apart and put it back together probably 5 times. [Why so many times? Well I'm new to Macs and it took me a while to confirm that the first SATA cable I bought was defective. I highly recommend the OWC cable btw]. Anyhow, I know the 2012's build is somewhat different from that of the 2014(especially the screws) but the overall process is quite similar and I can say that I had no problem as a Mac noob, of going through the process many times without damaging my Mac.

The video above is great but I would definitely recommend using a spudger to remove the fan connector. The solder points on the fan connector are tiny and would easily break.
 
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