Drive positions

[andeify]

I recently bought a Mac Mini base i5 and want to install a Samsung 830 in the other bay.

I'm confused on what bay is called the top bay / bottom bay, is it the top bay if the mini is the right way up or as you look at it upside down with the bottom off?

The standard drive is in the bay closest to the wifi antennae and the cable plugs into the sata connector furthest away from the ram. Could someone help me out understanding this better?

 

[illusionx]

Does it really matter?
I placed mine closest to the wifi antenna as it does not require full disassembly to remove. I take it that the SSD will fail before the mechanical hdd.

 

[andeify]

Yeah because I want to keep the HDD in there for storage and add the SSD in the spare bay for the OS

 

[chabig]

Yeah because I want to keep the HDD in there for storage and add the SSD in the spare bay for the OS

Fine. Put them both in there, but the locations don't matter.

 

[andeify]

Yes but I need to buy a cable and the descriptions are for "bottom" and "top" bays, which is which?

 

[chabig]

You didn't ever say which specific model you have. See if this helps:

http://www.everymac.com/systems/app...ade-hard-drive-aluminum-unibody-mac-mini.html

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After further searching, maybe you want this:

https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Mac/Mac-Mini-Dual-Drive-Kit/IF171-005

Instructions will be included.

 

[andeify]

Ooh thanks for the links, it's a late 2012 Macmini6,1

 

[oneMadRssn]

Yes but I need to buy a cable and the descriptions are for "bottom" and "top" bays, which is which?

I think this picture helps. The top and bottom refer to if the computer is up right sitting as intended.

 

[hallux]

Look in Disk Utility. Select the drive and note at the bottom which location it's in. Buy the cable needed for the other one.

FWIW, the "lower" bay is the one closest to the opening created when you open the bottom of the computer. The "upper" bay is above the logic board.

 

[illusionx]

Yes but I need to buy a cable and the descriptions are for "bottom" and "top" bays, which is which?

Check ifixit web store. They sell the kit for the secondary drive. So you don't have to worry about wether it is top or bottom.

 

[ColdCase]

Check ifixit web store. They sell the kit for the secondary drive. So you don't have to worry about wether it is top or bottom.

Probably not applicable to the OPs model, but there have been several recent reports that the OEM drive was installed in the upper bay instead of the lower bay. There was at least one that purchased an secondary drive kit in anticipation only to have to return it as the OEM drive was already in the upper bay. Probably best to use disk utility or physically check before purchasing a kit.

 

[mvmanolov]

i'm not sure that the cables are actually different! You just bend it the other way, no?

 

[illusionx]

You are right about disk utility to check the drive position. But I doubt that apple would put anything in the upper if it is not the server model.

Anyways, OP can check this out and buy the appropriate cable from ifixit

And no, the cables are different for each drive location. The space inside is so limited that you cannot just bend the cable to fit.