What changes if I install the "traditional" hard disk in his original slot and the SSD in the other empty slot?
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Mac Mini late 2012 is a little gem
- Thread starter dorsetdreamer
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What changes if I install the "traditional" hard disk in his original slot and the SSD in the other empty slot?
My God that is a beautiful screen. Is that the LG 34inch? I saw it at the MS store, I want one so bad.
And as I noted in a previous reply to your thread, I did not have the same experience. My Mini shipped with the HDD in the "lower" slot, easily accessible once it was opened. I took the entire thing apart and installed my SSD in the "upper" slot and it's been working fine since the first boot.
So it means that you have never had that kind of problems (flickering/glitches)?
I predict when the time comes you will be looking for a 2012 model on eBay like the rest of us.
I predict when the time comes you will be looking for a 2012 model on eBay like the rest of us.
Not sure, giving that people are saying El Cap is running better than Yosemite, I'd say I can drag this out until mid/late 2016. By then, I seriously doubt I would want a 2012 machine. Again it's not a bad machine, but it would be four years old by then.
As others have said, it's works fine to put the SSD in the vacant slot as per instructions on the owc website. The OS installs fine on the SSD with the 1TB staying where it originally was. I put in a crucial MX100 512GB and it's faster then my 2013 rmbp. The quad core i7 makes a huuuge difference when running cpu intensive stuff.
The only tricky part is reinstalling the grill because it has to slide into a groove and it requires a bent wire to pull it up as you try to fit, it, if it's not fitted all they way in the groove then the screw holes won't line up. It's very fiddly but with some patience it eventually slides in.
The only tricky part is reinstalling the grill because it has to slide into a groove and it requires a bent wire to pull it up as you try to fit, it, if it's not fitted all they way in the groove then the screw holes won't line up. It's very fiddly but with some patience it eventually slides in.
I tried both solutions about concerning SSD installation (SSD in lower/higher position and HD in higher/lower position) and all is the same: "reactivity" and speed of my Mac Mini Late 2012 are the same! Nothing changes: flickering issues are still present!!!
Another important consideration. I've a SSD drive (Crucial MX200 - 250 GB) and 16 GB of RAM (2x8 GB SoDIMM Crucial @ 1600 MHz, Apple "compliant") and when I open Final Cut Pro X 10.2.1 I've to wait about 40 seconds, also without any library loaded!!! I tried with the previous version of Final Cut Pro (10.2) but it's the same: it's too slow in opening!!!
Instead if I open other "heavy" softwares (as Adobe Premiere, Adobe Photoshop, Garage Band or Logic Pro X) they open instantly!!!
Do you have the same slowness with FCP X 10.2.1?
Instead if I open other "heavy" softwares (as Adobe Premiere, Adobe Photoshop, Garage Band or Logic Pro X) they open instantly!!!
Do you have the same slowness with FCP X 10.2.1?
Yeah, I'm running a '12 Mini (technically a server model), 2.3 i7 QC, 16GB RAM, 1TB HDD [OEM] in the "upper" bay, MX100 512GB SSD in the "lower", two 1080 monitors, one off the HDMI, the one off the TB/DP port. Runs fantastic.
Doing general computing, serving up/editing video, running multiple VMs, Unity3D work, etc.
Doing general computing, serving up/editing video, running multiple VMs, Unity3D work, etc.
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To answer some of the questions posted.
Yes the monitor is the LG and once you get used to an ultrawide display there's no going back.
It just makes more sense both visually and for workflow.
As far as where you should site the SSD, it might possibly work with some drives being agnostic but why risk having to open the mac mini up again to change the drives around?
It's best to put the drive where you intend to install OSX in the original slot and you can be sure this will work.
Yes the monitor is the LG and once you get used to an ultrawide display there's no going back.
It just makes more sense both visually and for workflow.
As far as where you should site the SSD, it might possibly work with some drives being agnostic but why risk having to open the mac mini up again to change the drives around?
It's best to put the drive where you intend to install OSX in the original slot and you can be sure this will work.
As several of us have noted earlier in your thread, IT DOESN'T MATTER. My Mini came with the HDD in the "lower" slot, I installed my SSD in the "upper" slot and it's working FINE as the OS/boot drive. In fact, some people have reported that their Mini shipped with the HDD in the "upper" location wile many others report that it was in the "lower" location like mine was. The only difference between the locations are the plugs on the logic board that it plugs into and where it's physically located in the case.
Quick question: I purchased one of these a few months ago based on all the positive reviews. It's the "middle of the road" 2012 model, with an i5 processor, standard 5400rpm HDD, and only 4gb of RAM. It really gives me the spinning beachball alot and really tends to freeze up on me. I'm assuming it's because of the RAM only being 4gb. My plan was to upgrade it to 8gb, but here's my question. Do I have to buy 2x4gb sticks so that they "match" in size, or can I buy a single 8gb stick and throw it in one of the slots for 10gb total? Thanks
I don't think 10gb of RAM is really necessary for anyone unless you are running many, many professional apps (in that case get a Mac Pro). It's also most of the time cheaper to go 2x4 than just one 8 gig. I personally run Motion, Ps, Lr, iMovie, Steam, GoPro Studio, and all of the stock OS X apps just fine with 8 gigs. I regularly keep 5-10 tabs open at a time too. I have the same model but 2x4 8gb of Crucial RAM and a 120 GB SSD. My Mac Mini runs like new
I don't think 10gb of RAM is really necessary for anyone unless you are running many, many professional apps (in that case get a Mac Pro). It's also most of the time cheaper to go 2x4 than just one 8 gig. I personally run Motion, Ps, Lr, iMovie, Steam, GoPro Studio, and all of the stock OS X apps just fine with 8 gigs. I regularly keep 5-10 tabs open at a time too. I have the same model but 2x4 8gb of Crucial RAM and a 120 GB SSD. My Mac Mini runs like new
Thanks for the quick reply. Glad you brought that up, I don't really need 10gb total, I was just thinking it would be cheaper to buy 1 stick than 2. But if 2x 4gb is cheaper, I agree that 8 is the sweet spot. Don't really have the time/expertise to upgrade the HDD to an SSD yet but hopefully the upgraded RAM will solve most of my issues. Thanks again, and any good recommendations to check out for the RAM (other than Crucial, which I know).
Check out http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YUF8ZG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00
My 2011 iMac is running these. They were on sale for $40 so I bought them. Seem to work just as well as my Crucial but I haven't done any official testing
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Pretty much agree with you accept if your running virtual machines as I do 16GB will get ate up in a hurry. You don't need a Mac Pro unless you make a living doing extensive video/audio/cad work.I don't think 10gb of RAM is really necessary for anyone unless you are running many, many professional apps (in that case get a Mac Pro). It's also most of the time cheaper to go 2x4 than just one 8 gig. I personally run Motion, Ps, Lr, iMovie, Steam, GoPro Studio, and all of the stock OS X apps just fine with 8 gigs. I regularly keep 5-10 tabs open at a time too. I have the same model but 2x4 8gb of Crucial RAM and a 120 GB SSD. My Mac Mini runs like new
Your beachball is probably more likely the result of running a spinner than 4GB of RAM.
Yes, this is the point that is so often overlooked.
In our minis, SSDs run much faster than HDDs. Running recent OS X versions and applications, 8Gb is much better than 4Gb of RAM. 16Gb is not much better than 8Gb unless you are running virtual machines or other RAM intensive software.
However, an SSD can accelerate a memory poor machine so much that it masks the delays caused by paging. In fact, the best performance gain or "bang for your buck" comes from an SSD upgrade. If I am correct, upgrading a slower HDD equipped mini from 4Gb of RAM to 8Gb of RAM should still create a tangible performance increase with marked improvement of RAM related numbers. If I am wrong, 4Gb is enough for most folks and SSDs are still lightning fast.