I'm guessing it would depend on your experience with stuff like that.
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Upgrade 2014 Mini to SSD?
- Thread starter urbanmacUser
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Also I set up my new mini tonight. Just using it with the spinning drive doesn't seem too bad. It's not extremely fast or anything but it doesn't seen so slow where it would be a problem.
I've spent my fair share of time in each year of the unibody Mac Mini's but the 2014 caught me off guard when I removed the bottom black plastic cover and saw the large antenna plate covering access to the internals. Once I purchased and received my TR6 (not a regular T6) Torx Screwdriver it was all fairly straight forward again. This was a new tool that I never needed in the older models.
Also different in the 2014 are that you have to almost disassemble the entire machine to remove the stock HDD whereas with the previous models, you could gain access to the HDD after removing the antenna plate and fan.
That's why it's easier to just get an Apple PCIe blade and the PCIe cable.
It's a far easier job to install the PCIe cable (once you separate it from the carrier it comes attached to), and drop the PCIe flash drive onto the existing carrier already installed in the Mini. Using a 2.5" SATA SSD instead is even more major surgery than this.
I installed a Samsung SSD to 2014 mac mini a few days ago. Fixit tutorial not enough. Youtube videos need to add. IR cable particularly delicate. Power supply cable not the most comfortable to unplug. Preparation, patience, and care required. Many hours work.
You most probably wouldn't have to do all of that if you'd gotten a PCIe cable and an Apple PCIe blade SSD instead.
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Mac+Mini+Late+2014+PCIe+SSD+Cable+Replacement/32652
Sure there are different ways to go about doing this but installing a 2.5" SSD is not difficult.
Once you have the tool, you can then go to BestBuy pick up a $50 120GB SSD and a Mac Mini and have it installed in less than an hour for 1st timers.
I've done (3) 2014 SSD swaps and purchasing a PCIe cable + PCIe Apple blade SSD would make it much more expensive. I can also pickup a Mac Mini and any 2.5" SSD locally and have the workstation ready within 1-2 hours.
I can duplicate this workstation very quickly if I happen to need a replacement machine ASAP.
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PCIe flex cable (iFixit has the part) and an Apple PCIe blade (SM0256F, SM0512F or SM1024F).
Hi, to everyone! I have mac mini with 500 GB hard drive (2014). Now i decided to change it to ssd. I saw on YouTube on tutorial how to change it, and there is only Samsung 850 EVO, but i've read a lot of bad reviews for this SSD.
Can you give me an advice which one is better.
1) Samsung 850 EVO
2) Plextor M6Pro
3) Crucial MX100
4) Kingston HyperX 3K
5) Or something another
All of them are compatible to mac mini 2014?
Thanks
Can you give me an advice which one is better.
1) Samsung 850 EVO
2) Plextor M6Pro
3) Crucial MX100
4) Kingston HyperX 3K
5) Or something another
All of them are compatible to mac mini 2014?
Thanks
The 850 Evo is actually pretty good. It was the 840 Evo that was plagued by read issues.
I'd stay away from Kingston, they were caught red handed in a bait-switching (look at the Kingston V300).
I'd recommend either Samsung or Crucial - these two are lovely.
I can't find that PCIe flex cable part at iFixit, do you have a reference for that?
I didn't know iFixit had that cable either.
From the "Apple PCIe flex cable part number for Mac mini 2014" thread, this is the part you want from applecomponents.com.
The blade SSD's you're going to have to find on eBay.
From the "Apple PCIe flex cable part number for Mac mini 2014" thread, this is the part you want from applecomponents.com.
The blade SSD's you're going to have to find on eBay.
When I got my 2014 mini I thought about doing the internal SSD upgrade on the entry/mid level model. I've done the upgrade before on 2012 minis, but didn't really feel like taking apart the entire machine. So I just got the top specced (in store) mini with the fusion drive, and it works flawlessly. Feels like I'm only using an SSD 99% of the time but with 1TB of storage. If I ever feel the need for a bigger SSD I can always add in a new one sometime down the road. Sure, the top spec model is more expensive, but the hassle of getting a 2.5 SSD and putting it into a 2014 mini just wasn't worth the extra money for me. If money isn't a big issue I'd personally recommend the fusion model.
Acronyc wrote:
"Sure, the top spec model is more expensive, but the hassle of getting a 2.5 SSD and putting it into a 2014 mini just wasn't worth the extra money for me. If money isn't a big issue I'd personally recommend the fusion model."
With the 2014 Mini, the "best option" -- and the most economical as well -- is to "pay the extra money up front" and get one with a factory-installed fusion drive. It might possibly cost -more- to upgrade it (using the PCIe cable and an "ebay bought" blade SSD) later on.
If one is absolutely-positively opposed to the notion of having a "fused drive" inside, just use the terminal to "break apart" the PCIe SSD from the HDD, and use the drives separately...
"Sure, the top spec model is more expensive, but the hassle of getting a 2.5 SSD and putting it into a 2014 mini just wasn't worth the extra money for me. If money isn't a big issue I'd personally recommend the fusion model."
With the 2014 Mini, the "best option" -- and the most economical as well -- is to "pay the extra money up front" and get one with a factory-installed fusion drive. It might possibly cost -more- to upgrade it (using the PCIe cable and an "ebay bought" blade SSD) later on.
If one is absolutely-positively opposed to the notion of having a "fused drive" inside, just use the terminal to "break apart" the PCIe SSD from the HDD, and use the drives separately...