I have a mid 2012 base model mac mini, I want to replace the stock hdd with a Samsung Electronics 840 EVO-Series SSD drive, will this specific model fit the base model mac mini?
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Mac Mini hdd replacement
- Thread starter Saileshbreaker
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Yes, it will fit, but don't replace but add it. The mini has an empty slot. Grab a relevant SATA cable with tools on Ebay (20$). Open the bottom and check the correct position of the empty spot (upper or lower, lower is closest to the bottom plate).
Oh, and grab a bit more cash for the Pro. You will be thankful in the long term. Especially if you plan to make a Fusion with the stock drive. The Evo is already a fusion of high speed SSD (3GB on the 125GB model - 9GB on the 1TB model) with low speed SSD (<250MB/s R/W), and fusion of a fusion gets kind of messy. And the smaller EVO's are not so fast, especially the 125GB is a bad performer. The 128GB Pro runs circles around that one.
Oh, and grab a bit more cash for the Pro. You will be thankful in the long term. Especially if you plan to make a Fusion with the stock drive. The Evo is already a fusion of high speed SSD (3GB on the 125GB model - 9GB on the 1TB model) with low speed SSD (<250MB/s R/W), and fusion of a fusion gets kind of messy. And the smaller EVO's are not so fast, especially the 125GB is a bad performer. The 128GB Pro runs circles around that one.
Just take your time. Make sure you are organized before you start, look at threads here for making copy of the existing disk (via CCC or Super\Duper for example) if you are going to remove it. Note if you do remove it you can put it in an enclosure (external box) to use it as a backup or indeed to boot from if the new disk doesn't work immediately. Make sure you know the various restart modes with the CMD button (ie choose boot disk and from the recovery partition). Good luck.
Yes, it is.
My recommendations :
1. Make sure you have the right tools, including the mobo puller.
2. Don't get the screws mixed up (!)
3. Hopefully your eyesight is good otherwise get a headset w. lamp & magnifier.
4. There are only 3 scary bits - removing the fan (don't tug on the wires) - unplugging the IR sensor (don't lever up the socket) and - pulling the mobo forward (make sure you depress the end tabs, otherwise it'll get stuck)
5. Sometimes the new drive won't seat properly in the case holes. Don't be afraid to tip the Mini on its side and let gravity help you.
6. The guides don't tell you about the extra layer on top of the antenna plug (extra shielding), you may need 2 spudgers to help here.
No, no, no...assuming your 2012 Mini is like mine (existing HDD was in the "bottom" bay - closest to the black plastic base) and you're doing a straight replacement - not adding a second drive, there's no need to move the motherboard.
I did mine about a month ago - and posted about it in a thread here somewhere (too lazy to find it now), but I didn't need to remove the fan or Wifi grate connectors, just "folded" them up and out of the way. Also you don't need to remove the RAM or the case screw that's opposite the drive bay (since you aren't moving the motherboard). Just have a stiff business card or old credit card (plastic) to use as a guide when inserting the new SSD (there's a video on Youtube showing how to use the card - but he removes the fan and wifi-grate connectors and that case screw for no reason).
Be patient and have the right Torx and Phillips screwdrivers and you're all set...the whole process (not counting cloning the old HDD to the new SDD first) took about 20 minutes.
I did mine about a month ago - and posted about it in a thread here somewhere (too lazy to find it now), but I didn't need to remove the fan or Wifi grate connectors, just "folded" them up and out of the way. Also you don't need to remove the RAM or the case screw that's opposite the drive bay (since you aren't moving the motherboard). Just have a stiff business card or old credit card (plastic) to use as a guide when inserting the new SSD (there's a video on Youtube showing how to use the card - but he removes the fan and wifi-grate connectors and that case screw for no reason).
Be patient and have the right Torx and Phillips screwdrivers and you're all set...the whole process (not counting cloning the old HDD to the new SDD first) took about 20 minutes.
It's a good video to get you familiar with the Mini's innards but there's a lot of extra unplugging and unscrewing that's unnecessary (removing that case screw opposite the drive bays is totally unnecessary - it doesn't help you get anything out of the way of the process) . In reading these forums the most problems people seem to encounter when replacing the HDD are being ham-fisted and breaking the clips off the RAM sockets or pulling the sockets off the motherboard.
With the way I did it, the only connector you have to unplug is the SATA one for the HDD...way less chance to break something in my opinion.
But - it's your machine - do whatever you feel comfortable with.
Suggest instead you look at the iFixit one. No need to take the RAM out. The only mistake IMO is that they suggest you pull on the fan wires - NONONONO. Lever it out of the socket. Otherwise it's better and clearer IMO.
I've just done this on a mid 2011 mini.
The only cable i removed was the sata and fan by very gently puling all the wires upwards.
The method i used was to put the SSD in an external enclosure, use CCC to make an image, went into preferences, start up disk, selected the new SSD drive, let the system reboot to test. Power off perform the change and power up.
At least this way you have proved the mini has booted to the new drive before you have touched anything. Be careful pulling the logic board back if you don't disconnect the cables, i found i only needed about 5mm to get the disks in and out.
The only cable i removed was the sata and fan by very gently puling all the wires upwards.
The method i used was to put the SSD in an external enclosure, use CCC to make an image, went into preferences, start up disk, selected the new SSD drive, let the system reboot to test. Power off perform the change and power up.
At least this way you have proved the mini has booted to the new drive before you have touched anything. Be careful pulling the logic board back if you don't disconnect the cables, i found i only needed about 5mm to get the disks in and out.