So after losing an argument to myself I decided to upgrade my trusty 2009 mini instead of buying a new one 
and I thought I'd share it with you.
Rationale :
I'm not really CPU bound unless I'm converting video but the mini was swapping a lot since installing Lion so I decided to max out RAM to 8Gb and install an SSD while I was in there. The superdrive was going a bit wonky (accepts only pristine DVD's and only spins up after a couple of tries) so I'll put the SSD in its place.
To install the SSD in the optical drive slot I went for the OWS Data Doubler.
Package includes the mounting frame, which has a nice sturdy feel to it, 4 screws, SATA cable, some screwdrivers & spudger (wasn't expecting those, nice!) and a handy ilustrated installation guide.
Next up: the SSD. I went for the Intel 320 120Gb because it's a nice SATA2 drive, which is all the 2009 mini supports anyway, and for its rumored reliability. It also happened to be the cheapest 120Gb drive available through my local sellers but that wasn't the primary concern.
It comes with a cable, some screws, a 3.5" mounting bracker, an ugly sticker and software that'll be utterly useless on a mac
Here's the original 120Gb system drive compared to the 120Gb SSD, outwardly similar but internally completely different :
Installation was easy enough. Just put the SSD into the Data Doubler with the 4 included screws and connect the cable.
Crack open the mini, remove 4 screws that hold the Superdrive in place and replace it with the Datadoubler. BAM, you're done. Here's a shot of the mini with Superdrive removed (left) and Data Doubler put in (right) :
The only worry I had was that the cable connecting the SSD to the SATA connector on the riser card thing was a) short and b) didn't click into place so it's connected very loosely. I tried to "mold" the cable into place a bit and figure the pressure of the mini's enclosure pushing down onto the cable ought to hold it in.
All in all a pretty braindead install, anyone who's confident with a screwdriver should be able to handle it.
and I thought I'd share it with you.Rationale :
I'm not really CPU bound unless I'm converting video but the mini was swapping a lot since installing Lion so I decided to max out RAM to 8Gb and install an SSD while I was in there. The superdrive was going a bit wonky (accepts only pristine DVD's and only spins up after a couple of tries) so I'll put the SSD in its place.
To install the SSD in the optical drive slot I went for the OWS Data Doubler.
Package includes the mounting frame, which has a nice sturdy feel to it, 4 screws, SATA cable, some screwdrivers & spudger (wasn't expecting those, nice!) and a handy ilustrated installation guide.
Next up: the SSD. I went for the Intel 320 120Gb because it's a nice SATA2 drive, which is all the 2009 mini supports anyway, and for its rumored reliability. It also happened to be the cheapest 120Gb drive available through my local sellers but that wasn't the primary concern.
It comes with a cable, some screws, a 3.5" mounting bracker, an ugly sticker and software that'll be utterly useless on a mac
Here's the original 120Gb system drive compared to the 120Gb SSD, outwardly similar but internally completely different :
Installation was easy enough. Just put the SSD into the Data Doubler with the 4 included screws and connect the cable.
Crack open the mini, remove 4 screws that hold the Superdrive in place and replace it with the Datadoubler. BAM, you're done. Here's a shot of the mini with Superdrive removed (left) and Data Doubler put in (right) :
The only worry I had was that the cable connecting the SSD to the SATA connector on the riser card thing was a) short and b) didn't click into place so it's connected very loosely. I tried to "mold" the cable into place a bit and figure the pressure of the mini's enclosure pushing down onto the cable ought to hold it in.
All in all a pretty braindead install, anyone who's confident with a screwdriver should be able to handle it
.