Using a Standard M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD in the 2014 Mini

[G4DPII]

The drive being used is the one that Apple would use if you ordered a mini with a Fusion drive - not just the mechanical HDD. Whilst it is not blazing in speed, it is still 3 - 4 times faster than using the built in Mechanical Drive that was shipped with the machine.

I have a NVMe connected to that connector and an SATA SSD instead of the original HD.

In theory is could provide speeds of upto 800mb/s although with Black Magic i've managed to get 760mb/s compared to less than 200mb/s with the factory original mechanical HDD.

 

[architect1337]

I could be mistaken here, but I think SATA will only give you about 500MB/sec (like the 2012 Mini) however the 2014 Mini is capable of about 800MB/sec with the right SSD.

SATA3 is rated at 6Gbps. If you use 8bits to a byte, this equates to 750MB/s. NVMe (native). PCI Gen 3 based NVMe is rated at 3500MB/s (approx). So even though you are using an NVMe drive, it won't go faster than the SATA3 interface it's plugged into.

 

[G4DPII]

SATA3 is rated at 6Gbps. If you use 8bits to a byte, this equates to 750MB/s. NVMe (native). PCI Gen 3 based NVMe is rated at 3500MB/s (approx). So even though you are using an NVMe drive, it won't go faster than the SATA3 interface it's plugged into.

You are missing the point completely. Changingthe main drive to a SATA SSD or adding an NVMe via the additional connector provides a massive speed increase in how the machine runs.

No one who makes this change is expecting to get PCI-E 3 speeds.

 

[AdamJohnG]

You are missing the point completely. Changingthe main drive to a SATA SSD or adding an NVMe via the additional connector provides a massive speed increase in how the machine runs.

No one who makes this change is expecting to get PCI-E 3 speeds.

Exactly. Most of us who have done this mod knew that we would never get near the max speed of the NVMe interface. But a very significant speed increase over the original mechanical HDD, making this machine still usable for many basic uses.

Going the NVMe route, as opposed to the SATA route has the advantage to buying into the future, and today NVMe sticks are generally cheaper or same price as the more difficult to source SATA M.2 sticks.

 

[GreenwichPaul]

Thanks all for the super-helpful comments. I installed aNVMe PM981 SSD Module, which i think is a rebadged 970 Evo. It all fits fine with an eBay adapter, initialised and mounted all ok.

But my idea was to keep this as a Big Sur drive and use the man HDD for High SIerra. HOwever, althouth I installed Big Sur from the App store directly onto the SSD I can't seem to select it as the start up disk. I think I'm doing something wrng as I tried this before with an external SSD and that couldn't be selected as the start up disk either .

If you're installing a fresh system on a fresh disk, what's the best way to do it?

 

[EugW]

Has the 2014 Mac mini ever shipped with just a 128 GB SSD, not part of a 1 TB Fusion drive (eg. edu or enterprise)? Someone locally selling a 2014 supposedly with an original 128 GB SSD, but with no mention of an HD.

Also, how slow is that OEM Apple 128 GB SSD? I didn't see that one benchmarked in this thread (but I did see a 256 GB model).

There are a few options around here if I were to get a 2014, including getting it with the OEM 128 GB SSD or else getting one with a HD and doing the upgrade myself.

BTW, there are a lot of dirt cheap 2014 models around... but unfortunately those cheap ones are just 4 GB RAM.

 

[Boyd01]

I split the 128gb SSD from the fusion drive in my 2014/2.8ghz i5/8gb Mini. I use it as an iTunes server with all my media on a 4tb external SSD. I boot from the 128gb SSD, which is practically empty, just has a basic install of Mojave since it's a server. This is what I get ,which is similar to the 512gb original SSD on my 2013 MacBook Air

No idea if Apple had the option to purchase a 2014 Mini with only a 128gb SSD, seems like it would have been 256gb (like my 2012 Mini which only has a 256 internal SSD).

 

[EugW]

I split the 128gb SSD from the fusion drive in my 2014/2.8ghz i5/8gb Mini. I use it as an iTunes server with all my media on a 4tb external SSD. I boot from the 128gb SSD, which is practically empty, just has a basic install of Mojave since it's a server. This is what I get ,which is similar to the 512gb original SSD on my 2013 MacBook Air

View attachment 1906695

No idea if Apple had the option to purchase a 2014 Mini with only a 128gb SSD, seems like it would have been 256gb (like my 2012 Mini which only has a 256 internal SSD).

Thanks for the benches. That's decent, at least for sequential.

I did some further Googling and it turns out you can even get a current M1 Mac mini with just a 128 GB SSD if you're an institutional buyer, so I suspect there indeed were SSD-only 2014 Mac minis out there with 128 GB. That makes me wonder though if it comes with the HD bracket (not that it really matters for me).

 

[Boyd01]

Well, the 128gb was the original entry level M1 Mini which Apple discontinued later. Haven't looked recently, but up until a few months ago you could still get the 128gb M1 Mini at the Apple Refurb Store. But I haven't ever seen a 2012 or 2014 Mini with that option. See this, for example. You could also look at others on everymac

Mac mini "Core i5" 2.8 (Late 2014) Specs (Late 2014, MGEQ2LL/A, Macmini7,1, A1347, 2840): EveryMac.com

Technical specifications for the Mac mini "Core i5" 2.8 (Late 2014). Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.

everymac.com

"By default, this model was configured with a 1 TB "Fusion Drive" (which combines a 1 TB hard drive and a 128 GB SSD). This model also could be originally configured at the time of purchase with a 256 GB SSD (instead of the 1 TB "Fusion Drive") at no extra charge, a 512 GB SSD for an extra US$300, or a 1 TB SSD for an extra US$800.

Starting January 13, 2015, Apple also added a 2 TB "Fusion Drive" as an option for an extra US$100. On October 27, 2016, Apple cut the price of the 512 GB SSD and 1 TB SSD upgrade prices to an extra US$200 and US$600, respectively"

 

[pzanias]

Hello, i need to upgrade my mac mini 2014 and i have bought a crucial ssd 1tb mx500 m.2 type 2280. it will work with an adapter m.2 to Sata or something else? Thanks!

 

[EugW]

Well, the 128gb was the original entry level M1 Mini which Apple discontinued later. Haven't looked recently, but up until a few months ago you could still get the 128gb M1 Mini at the Apple Refurb Store. But I haven't ever seen a 2012 or 2014 Mini with that option. See this, for example. You could also look at others on everymac

Mac mini "Core i5" 2.8 (Late 2014) Specs (Late 2014, MGEQ2LL/A, Macmini7,1, A1347, 2840): EveryMac.com

Technical specifications for the Mac mini "Core i5" 2.8 (Late 2014). Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.

everymac.com

"By default, this model was configured with a 1 TB "Fusion Drive" (which combines a 1 TB hard drive and a 128 GB SSD). This model also could be originally configured at the time of purchase with a 256 GB SSD (instead of the 1 TB "Fusion Drive") at no extra charge, a 512 GB SSD for an extra US$300, or a 1 TB SSD for an extra US$800.

Starting January 13, 2015, Apple also added a 2 TB "Fusion Drive" as an option for an extra US$100. On October 27, 2016, Apple cut the price of the 512 GB SSD and 1 TB SSD upgrade prices to an extra US$200 and US$600, respectively"

Ah OK. Thanks for the info. Anyhow I went with a 2014 model with no SSD at all, and will do my own SSD upgrade when the Mac mini arrives.

Hello, i need to upgrade my mac mini 2014 and i have bought a crucial ssd 1tb mx500 m.2 type 2280. it will work with an adapter m.2 to Sata or something else? Thanks!

Check the first post of this thread. The information is summarized there.

 

[EugW]

That Sintech adapter seems to be the most popular on Amazon Canada, but it turns out there are many different-but-not-different ones on Amazon Canada too. One was mentioned in this thread early on, but I didn't see that one up here, but I did see a whole bunch of others including a couple fulfilled-by-Amazon at considerably cheaper prices than the Sintech, so I ordered one.

I haven't opened the package yet but looking through the plastic (and on the Amazon listing), it looks exactly the same as all the other ones, and says Version 3.0 like the other ones do too, although the pix for the Sintech say version 1.0.

I don't see the brand on the card, so that "brand" seems like it is probably just some random reseller's name. It comes with Philips and Torx screwdrivers, but I don't know how useful they'd be because they aren't security Torx, just regular Torx. It also came with two screws... which reminds me... It seems a lot of people are relying on just the adhesive strip to keep the adapter card in place. Has that worked out well? It seems the card is built to have another screw holding it down so I wonder why people aren't using it.

So now I have the adapter, and the WD SN550 500 GB SSD (lowest price in its history at Amazon), but no Mac mini yet. The good news is that for Xmas, Amazon is accepting returns on the adapter and drive until the end of Jan. in case something goes awry with the Mac mini order.

 

[EugW]

That Sintech adapter seems to be the most popular on Amazon Canada, but it turns out there are many different-but-not-different ones on Amazon Canada too. One was mentioned in this thread early on, but I didn't see that one up here, but I did see a whole bunch of others including a couple fulfilled-by-Amazon at considerably cheaper prices than the Sintech, so I ordered one.

I haven't opened the package yet but looking through the plastic (and on the Amazon listing), it looks exactly the same as all the other ones, and says Version 3.0 like the other ones do too, although the pix for the Sintech say version 1.0.

View attachment 1909400

I don't see the brand on the card, so that "brand" seems like it is probably just some random reseller's name. It comes with Philips and Torx screwdrivers, but I don't know how useful they'd be because they aren't security Torx, just regular Torx. It also came with two screws... which reminds me... It seems a lot of people are relying on just the adhesive strip to keep the adapter card in place. Has that worked out well? It seems the card is built to have another screw holding it down so I wonder why people aren't using it.

So now I have the adapter, and the WD SN550 500 GB SSD (lowest price in its history at Amazon), but no Mac mini yet. The good news is that for Xmas, Amazon is accepting returns on the adapter and drive until the end of Jan. in case something goes awry with the Mac mini order.

My eBay Mac mini arrived today, and to my surprise, inside of it it was absolutely pristine. It looks like the seller must have cleaned it before sending it.

I had already ordered the PUSOKEI branded NVME adapter from Amazon Canada, simply because it was cheaper than the Sintek. Like half the price actually. It looks just like the picture, and it works beautifully. The Torx screwdriver that came in the package was useless, because it is regular Torx, not security Torx. Luckily I have security Torx in my handy iFixit toolkit. Overall, this is by far the easiest SSD upgrade I’ve ever done in any computer. Even easier than the cheese grater Mac Pro because it doesn't weigh so damn much. Despite having never before opened a Mac mini, I was done start to finish in 5 minutes. It was sooo simple to do.

I did try screwing down the adapter to the existing SSD screw mount, and while the extra hole on the adapter board does line up, screwing it down bends the board. It needs a spacer (and longer screw) if you want to keep it straight. So, like the others here, I just rely on the adhesive to keep the drive adapter in place. Anyone know where we can get a spacer for this? A small plastic spacer would be ideal. I don’t know the length required though.

My Core i5-4278U 2014 model came with Catalina pre-installed, but even with 8 GB RAM and no data on the drive, the hard drive was basically unusable with more than one application active. It literally took minutes to launch the Monterey installer (partially because the built-in anti-malware daemon in macOS was scanning it, presumably since I had downloaded my archived .dmg of the installer from my local storage as opposed to from Apple directly). It was just painful. In contrast, Monterey runs great on the WD 500 GB SN550 SSD, even with this old dual-core CPU. I’m very pleased.

A lot of people like to criticize the 2014 for its lack of quad-core CPU options, but from my perspective in 2021 and 2022 for my business application type usage, the performance is fine, and the fact that it can run Monterey and the fact the SSD upgrade is so simple are major plusses in my book.

BTW, for those 2014 units that came with only SSD, do they also include the hard drive bracket and cable? I wasn't sure, which is why I specifically sought out a used HD version. I'd keep the HD (with its bracket) in for now, potentially for a 2.5" SSD swap in the future if the HD dies, but in the meantime I just needed 5 minutes for a faster NVMe SSD install.

 

[Populus]

As a 2014 mini owner, yes, it’s performance is still very good in 2021, with an SSD of course. With the original HDD it was a pain to use it (beachballs everywhere). But with a new SSD -I put a SATA SSD in- this machine flies unless you want to do CPU or GPU intensive tasks, such as rendering video and such.

C’mon Eug, show us the speeds of your new machine with the NVMe!

 

[EugW]

C’mon Eug, show us the speeds of your new machine with the NVMe!

OK, here you go. HD vs SSD:

HD:

SSD:

Note that this Western Digital SN550 is a DRAM-less SSD, so I don't know how long it'd be able to keep up its performance with extended writes, but that isn't really a concern for my usage.

And of course, the HD speeds measured by this bench don't provide the big picture, since it doesn't show the high latency with random reads and writes.

 

[EugW]

HD speeds measured by this bench don't provide the big picture, since it doesn't show the high latency with random reads and writes.

Apple/Hitachi OEM 1 TB hard drive:

WD SN550 500 GB SSD:

 

[csonni]

So. I got all my stuff to do the job. If I install the adapter and NVMe, and then boot from my HDD, I should initialize from there, or, should I skip booting from the HDD altogether and boot off my bootable Monterey flash drive and use Disk Utility on the flash drive to initialize and install Monterey? Hope I made those 2 options clear.

 

[EugW]

So. I got all my stuff to do the job. If I install the adapter and NVMe, and then boot from my HDD, I should initialize from there, or, should I skip booting from the HDD altogether and boot off my bootable Monterey flash drive and use Disk Utility on the flash drive to initialize and install Monterey? Hope I made those 2 options clear.

Either should work.

 

[csonni]

I'm thinking it might be speedier altogether if I booted from the flash drive. Never booted a Mac mini from a flash drive. Since it's a bluetooth keyboard, will the Option key still bring up the boot options?

 

[EugW]

Somebody in the MacBook Pro thread is reporting instability with the Crucial P2. Does anyone here have experience with this drive?

 

[EugW]

My eBay Mac mini arrived today, and to my surprise, inside of it it was absolutely pristine. It looks like the seller must have cleaned it before sending it.

I had already ordered the PUSOKEI branded NVME adapter from Amazon Canada, simply because it was cheaper than the Sintek. Like half the price actually. It looks just like the picture, and it works beautifully. The Torx screwdriver that came in the package was useless, because it is regular Torx, not security Torx. Luckily I have security Torx in my handy iFixit toolkit. Overall, this is by far the easiest SSD upgrade I’ve ever done in any computer. Even easier than the cheese grater Mac Pro because it doesn't weigh so damn much. Despite having never before opened a Mac mini, I was done start to finish in 5 minutes. It was sooo simple to do.

I did try screwing down the adapter to the existing SSD screw mount, and while the extra hole on the adapter board does line up, screwing it down bends the board. It needs a spacer (and longer screw) if you want to keep it straight. So, like the others here, I just rely on the adhesive to keep the drive adapter in place. Anyone know where we can get a spacer for this? A small plastic spacer would be ideal. I don’t know the length required though.

My Core i5-4278U 2014 model came with Catalina pre-installed, but even with 8 GB RAM and no data on the drive, the hard drive was basically unusable with more than one application active. It literally took minutes to launch the Monterey installer (partially because the built-in anti-malware daemon in macOS was scanning it, presumably since I had downloaded my archived .dmg of the installer from my local storage as opposed to from Apple directly). It was just painful. In contrast, Monterey runs great on the WD 500 GB SN550 SSD, even with this old dual-core CPU. I’m very pleased.

View attachment 1914417

In retrospect, knowing what I know now, I might not have purchased this SSD adapter. Instead I would have gotten the flex cable for the Apple OEM drive, and then gotten an NVMe adapter for that.

Why? While my Mac mini + WD SN550 setup works perfectly, that adapter prevents the usage of an OEM drive. I'm going to be upgrading a 2015 MacBook Pro and taking out its original Apple OEM drive, replacing it with a bigger OEM drive. That means I'll have an extra OEM drive left over, but I won't be able to use that drive for anything. It would have been nice to put that drive in the Mac mini (since I don't need much storage space there) and use the SN550 for something else.

Oh well, not a big deal. I'll just keep the OEM SSD as a backup I guess.

BTW, does anyone have a cheap source for the SSD connector retaining cover? Aliexpress sells them but they're ~$20.

 

[csonni]

I’ll be running into the same issue. If only I had known my plans ahead. I’m replacing my MBP 1TB SSD and not sure what to do with it. Can you explain more about that flex cable?

 

[EugW]

I’ll be running into the same issue. If only I had known my plans ahead. I’m replacing my MBP 1TB SSD and not sure what to do with it. Can you explain more about that flex cable?

That's the cable used for Apple OEM drives. It's basically a sticker with an SSD port on it, with a flexible cable connector that plugs into the motherboard. You can see it in the top right of the teardown picture below.

Mac mini Late 2014 Teardown

It's been two years since the Mac mini's last appearance on iFixit's teardown table, but a newly revised version joins Apple's lineup this week. Is...

www.ifixit.com

Note that the pinout is different from third party NVMe drives. To compensate, you can use an adapter to change the pinout from the third party drives to fit the Apple OEM port.

The good news for you though is that the Apple OEM 1 TB SSDs can fetch a fair amount of money on eBay, so if you don't need yours, you can just sell it.

 

[csonni]

I'm wondering if the OEM SSD would be needed for any such flashing for my Samsung (if Apple switches something in Monterey updates) or as a backup in case something goes haywire. Might be worthwhile to hang onto it for awhile.

 

[Kaida]

In retrospect, knowing what I know now, I might not have purchased this SSD adapter. Instead I would have gotten the flex cable for the Apple OEM drive, and then gotten an NVMe adapter for that.

View attachment 1927201

View attachment 1927202

Why? While my Mac mini + WD SN550 setup works perfectly, that adapter prevents the usage of an OEM drive. I'm going to be upgrading a 2015 MacBook Pro and taking out its original Apple OEM drive, replacing it with a bigger OEM drive. That means I'll have an extra OEM drive left over, but I won't be able to use that drive for anything. It would have been nice to put that drive in the Mac mini (since I don't need much storage space there) and use the SN550 for something else.

Oh well, not a big deal. I'll just keep the OEM SSD as a backup I guess.

BTW, does anyone have a cheap source for the SSD connector retaining cover? Aliexpress sells them but they're ~$20.

View attachment 1927207

I got a bunch of them from a supplier but both me and the supplier is in Singapore though..