Spend some time taking apart the mini and come back and tell me how much spare space you find in there. It's where the optical drive used to be. It's 9.5mm high and there's plenty of it. At the moment it's air.
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Mac mini 2013/2014 refresh.
- Thread starter animatedude
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I've had my late 2012 mini opened 3 times since I purchased it, first to swap out the original HDD for a Seagate hybrid, second to swap the hybrid for a crucial SSD any finally to add a second drive for a DIY fusion setup.
My point here is, I never once had to move-remove the motherboard.
Do a bit of googling even youtube, and you'll quickly find messing with the motherboard to be hype-overkill.
Now that ultra mini fan connector and the w/f anntena connector are another thing, pretty much taxes my 76 year old arthritic fingers.
I have found since that the w/f conn. as with the memory modules do not have to be removed to access the HDD's.
I'm surprised most videos show the removal of the motherboard. Thanks to you I found a video showing how to do it without removing the board. It's a piece of cake! Thanks!!
Hello,
So 13 pages discussions, any ideas do we get new mac mini this year or not? Thanks in advance!
Same answer as always: only Apple knows
Would you be so kind to post a link to the video you found? I'm contemplating doing this and would like to use the best resource. Sounds like you found it. Thanks.
Here you go
it shows how to add an SSD to a 2 hard drive setup. Removing the lower hard drive should be just as easyhttp://youtu.be/gBongunj4pc
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Hello,
So 13 pages discussions, any ideas do we get new mac mini this year or not? Thanks in advance!
good point!
what's your opinion? No Mac Mini until 2014
Now the final Apple keynote of the year has happened and there was no announcement of a new Mac Mini this almost certainly means that there will be no new model until 2014.
Apple are not going to do anything to overshadow their new Mac Pro which will be released in December and while they do serve very different markets why lose $$$$ on people configuring a top of the line mac mini with (i7)when you can get them to buy a new Mac Pro for more money.
As people have said before in this thread the Mac Mini seems to be in a 400 day release cycle therefore I don't think we'll see one until near March.
It would seem the low end spec of a new Mac Mini would be:
Intel HD Graphics 5000 and 4GB memory.
People have asked whether there will be PCI-E SSD - then can Apple get away with only putting 128GB flash storage as their base in a desktop? If Apple moves to an all SSD line up in Mac Mini could we see a small redesign? I think it would be possible in early 2014.
Apple needs to keep the Mac Mini cheap enough for it to be the "switch" machine for people who don't yet use Macs. By installing a SSD in the cheapest Mac Mini are Apple going to have to increase the price?
If Apple keeps the traditional spinning HDD as the low end for the next model of Mac Mini i'll be buying one and installing my current SSD from my Macbook into the Haswell Mac Mini.
Now the final Apple keynote of the year has happened and there was no announcement of a new Mac Mini this almost certainly means that there will be no new model until 2014.
Apple are not going to do anything to overshadow their new Mac Pro which will be released in December and while they do serve very different markets why lose $$$$ on people configuring a top of the line mac mini with (i7)when you can get them to buy a new Mac Pro for more money.
As people have said before in this thread the Mac Mini seems to be in a 400 day release cycle therefore I don't think we'll see one until near March.
It would seem the low end spec of a new Mac Mini would be:
Intel HD Graphics 5000 and 4GB memory.
People have asked whether there will be PCI-E SSD - then can Apple get away with only putting 128GB flash storage as their base in a desktop? If Apple moves to an all SSD line up in Mac Mini could we see a small redesign? I think it would be possible in early 2014.
Apple needs to keep the Mac Mini cheap enough for it to be the "switch" machine for people who don't yet use Macs. By installing a SSD in the cheapest Mac Mini are Apple going to have to increase the price?
If Apple keeps the traditional spinning HDD as the low end for the next model of Mac Mini i'll be buying one and installing my current SSD from my Macbook into the Haswell Mac Mini.
Should an updated Mac Mini appear anytime soon, I hope it will have at least Intel Iris Pro graphics on the upgraded quadcore i7 version, with the same user-repairable form factor it currently has.
I'm afraid though it hasn't been updated yet because Jony Ive looked at a coffe cup last week and wondered if he could fit a Mac Mini in there.
My prediction therefore is that in the spring of 2014 we'll get a brand new, completely redesigned Mac Mini the size of a coffee cup, with a dual core i5 processor with HD5000 graphics, a non-upgradable 128GB SSD and soldered 4GB RAM for the revolutionary price of $699.
Of course I'd love for Apple to prove me wrong.
I'm afraid though it hasn't been updated yet because Jony Ive looked at a coffe cup last week and wondered if he could fit a Mac Mini in there.
My prediction therefore is that in the spring of 2014 we'll get a brand new, completely redesigned Mac Mini the size of a coffee cup, with a dual core i5 processor with HD5000 graphics, a non-upgradable 128GB SSD and soldered 4GB RAM for the revolutionary price of $699.
Of course I'd love for Apple to prove me wrong.
Should an updated Mac Mini appear anytime soon, I hope it will have at least Intel Iris Pro graphics on the upgraded quadcore i7 version, with the same user-repairable form factor it currently has.
I'm afraid though it hasn't been updated yet because Jony Ive looked at a coffe cup last week and wondered if he could fit a Mac Mini in there.
My prediction therefore is that in the spring of 2014 we'll get a brand new, completely redesigned Mac Mini the size of a coffee cup, with a dual core i5 processor with HD5000 graphics, a non-upgradable 128GB SSD and soldered 4GB RAM for the revolutionary price of $699.
Of course I'd love for Apple to prove me wrong.
I would prefer a cheap APPLE desktop solution...this coffee cup doesn't cover my needs...if happens, I will buy an 21.5'' iMac.
That's why you could hopefully taste the sacrasm in my post. I really hope that Jony Ive isn't redesigning the Mac Mini while high on this thinner-and-smaller hype Apple has been on. Like you, I also prefer a cheap desktop solution, and I think the current Mac Mini is just borderline that, especially since you currently don't have to upgrade your RAM or HD from the start, but can add them later yourself. I am afraid however that Apple will either drop the Mini, or redesign it to be practically useless and/or to cross the border from not-expensive to quite-expensive.
Besides, it's not feasible to happen (desktop "power" in "coffee cup" size) in the next couple of years...
I will wait for an updated Mac Mini in the next few weeks, nothing else...
(otherwise, I will buy an 21.5'' iMac)
Do you really think that Apple is going to do a refresh 2013? (I am talking about the high end Mac mini) I am not so sure any more. Intel has no new i7 processor that is going to give the Mac Mini a real speed jump, that is fact! They can not just take the same i7 as in the iMac because it is 84W.
Intel might have a new i5 with 45W but is that enough for Apple? no i do not think so, they want to update the whole Mac mini line. It is not enough for me, I need the highest spec Mac Mini, because I produce music.
??????????????????
Intel might have a new i5 with 45W but is that enough for Apple? no i do not think so, they want to update the whole Mac mini line. It is not enough for me, I need the highest spec Mac Mini, because I produce music.
??????????????????
Do you really think that Apple is going to do a refresh 2013? (I am talking about the high end Mac mini) I am not so sure any more. Intel has no new i7 processor that is going to give the Mac Mini a real speed jump, that is fact! They can not just take the same i7 as in the iMac because it is 84W.
Intel might have a new i5 with 45W but is that enough for Apple? no i do not think so, they want to update the whole Mac mini line. It is not enough for me, I need the highest spec Mac Mini, because I produce music.
??????????????????
a. it is very logical to happen / silently / (similar to iMac update).
b. it is very likely to find:
a. dual-core i5 mobile Haswell processor + HD5000 (low-end Mac Mini, almost everybody knows...) ...BUT...
b. dual-core i7 mobile Haswell processor + Iris 5100 (high-end Mac Mini, almost disappointing).
(similar to 13'' rMBP and MBA technology).
I wouldn't be surprised to see a silent update with intel's newer processors in top end MacMinis
I wouldn't be shocked to see Apple push off an update until later in 2014 when they jump over these processors into Broadwell or something newer, smaller, more energy efficient and then spend time to compress the form and perhaps discard all HDD for SSD.
A redesign next year could be something impressive and new or just a much-smaller version of what we have now. It would be worth waiting for, if current processors provide no palpable improvement with the Mini.
A redesign next year could be something impressive and new or just a much-smaller version of what we have now. It would be worth waiting for, if current processors provide no palpable improvement with the Mini.
Do you really think that Apple is going to do a refresh 2013? (I am talking about the high end Mac mini) I am not so sure any more. Intel has no new i7 processor that is going to give the Mac Mini a real speed jump, that is fact! They can not just take the same i7 as in the iMac because it is 84W.
Intel might have a new i5 with 45W but is that enough for Apple? no i do not think so, they want to update the whole Mac mini line. It is not enough for me, I need the highest spec Mac Mini, because I produce music.
??????????????????
The top of the line mini could potentially use this processor:
http://ark.intel.com/products/76086
Good choice but check the MAX TDP....it's 47W! You are out of mini case limits....
How do you know if the limit is really 45W and do you think Apple could find a workaround over 2W (assuming the limit really is 45W)?
Do you have a 2012 Mac Mini? Check its specs....I don't have any Mac Mini but other users have checked the MAX TDP and confirmed 45W. If you want to know better, ask an APPLE technician.
Usually, processor+iGPU MAX TDP in older models is much lower than case limit...I am not sure if APPLE wants to overpass this limit....probably, they will follow 13'' rMBP steps...
PS: If this happens, forget a new powerful Mac Mini.
Then, iMac or 13'' rMBP will be a better option (depending on your real needs).
Do you have a 2012 Mac Mini? Check its specs....I don't have any Mac Mini but other users have checked the MAX TDP and confirmed 45W. If you want to know better, ask an APPLE technician.
Usually, processor+iGPU MAX TDP in older models is much lower than case limit...I am not sure if APPLE wants to overpass this limit....probably, they will follow 13'' rMBP steps...
PS: If this happens, forget a new powerful Mac Mini.
Then, iMac or 13'' rMBP will be a better option (depending on your real needs).
Here are the facts:
Current Ivy Bridge i7 quad-core processor has a TDP of 45W.
Potential Haswell i7 quad-core processor has a TDP of 47W.
Is the power limit really 45W or is that just the TDP of the highest-drawing CPU used in the mini?
Even if 45W is the real current limit, is there any reason to think Apple is so incapable of a tiny case mod that they couldn't boost the power limit by a measly 2W?
Would you buy a computer from a company that wouldn't know how to boost the power limit by 2W?
The answer is YES and NO!
First read the answer blanka gave me in this thread:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1656646/
This is a good technical solution!
BUT
I am not sure whether or not APPLE wants to follow...
Besides, if Mac Mini update happens in 2013, they don't have enough time even for minor external case redesign. Heat destroys everything inside a small crowded machine...this is the real problem.
Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the mac book pro retina 15" version go from 45W to 47W.
47 TDP is the max the chip will operate at so if and I struggle to believe apple can't shoehorn it in they can drop or undervolt the chip.
In short there are various ways round it but I don't believe the design of the mini is what will keep the iris pro out of a refresh, price will be.
47 TDP is the max the chip will operate at so if and I struggle to believe apple can't shoehorn it in they can drop or undervolt the chip.
In short there are various ways round it but I don't believe the design of the mini is what will keep the iris pro out of a refresh, price will be.