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went and bought the Mac Mini

wfriedwald

wfriedwald

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 1, 2017
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yes! Very excited to be the prospective parent of a new Mac Mini, now winging its way towards me courtesy of Apple's free shipping!

So, I am taking a piece of advice given to me in this very forum, and going to purchase RAM separately. Last time I looked (that was on Oct 30, the day the new Mini was announced), no one seemed to have the correct 64GB RAM chips for sale anywhere. Can someone tell me which specific RAM to get, in both the 32GB and 64GB configurations? (Will probably go with 32GB, but would consider 64GB.)

Also, can someone recommend an apple-certified technician to install? (so as to NOT violate the apple care warranty.)

I currently have a couple of older DVI monitors, will probably use at least one of them. Can someone advise as to the best adapter or cable to connect the Mini to DVI monitors?

Lastly (I hope) I am also going to try and see what kind of a deal I can get on a new monitor, 27" or more - I gather that I should look for one with a thunderbolt and / or displayport input?

Thanks for all the expert advice I have received here. Yes!

w
 
You wont violate the warranty doing it yourself..... only if you break something in the process. Also, you cant buy 64GB RAM separately right now. I did see some 2400 MHz 32GB single chips on eBay a while back but those are long gone.
 
Juggar said:
You wont violate the warranty doing it yourself..... only if you break something in the process. Also, you cant buy 64GB RAM separately right now. I did see some 2400 MHz 32GB single chips on eBay a while back but those are long gone.
Click to expand...

thanks! I watched a few videos on replacing the RAM ... it does look very complicated! I have done that on the old Mac Pro, but this looks super intricate, you have to take apart the whole works.

can anyone advise on the specific RAM to get in either 32GB or 64GB configurations?

Thanks very much!

w
 
wfriedwald said:
thanks! I watched a few videos on replacing the RAM ... it does look very complicated! I have done that on the old Mac Pro, but this looks super intricate, you have to take apart the whole works.

can anyone advise on the specific RAM to get in either 32GB or 64GB configurations?

Thanks very much!

w
Click to expand...

I bought this 32 GB kit and it runs at the rated speed of 2666/2667 MHz.

https://www.adorama.com/ct2k16g4sf82.html
 
OWC/Mac Sales, Crucial, Kingston and perhaps others have set up their web sites so that you can input your computer model (2018 Mac mini) and the site will tell you what RAM you need.

This is a current thread on the availability of 64GB of RAM: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/source-for-2x32gb-ddr4-sodimm-2666mhz.2158484/

Make sure that you watch the OWC/Mac Sales video on replacing the RAM, which is easy to miss because it is hosted by Vimeo, not YouTube. It is embedded here: https://eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/mac-mini-2018/
 
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It's not hard to do if you ever built your own computer before. You're basically just disconnecting everything, sliding the motherboard out of the case so you can remove that damn RAM cage, and pop in the ram as usual. It's just a big pain that Apple could have made easier.

Personally I copped out since I knew I don't typically used more then 13gb in activity monitor and the premium wasn't horrid for 16gb. The savings wasn't worth the hassle and I'd rather let Apple deal with it via Apple care (in general, I don't trust revision A anything). It's worth doing if you need 32-64gb though.
 
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Replacimg the ram on a macmini is the most easiest, twist off bottom cover, remove ram put in new ram twist back, rinse hands
 
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Replacing the RAM on the 2018 Mac mini is MUCH more difficult than replacing the RAM on a standard laptop or desktop computer. If you pull on some of the connections too hard, grab the socket instead of the cable you'll need someone to solder it back on. There's a very good chance that Apple won't touch it and your warranty will go bye bye. This being said I replaced the RAM on my 2018 mini with success. Was I sweating a little bit during the process... Hell yeah! My advice is to watch different YouTube videos on the process because some might leave out details. Watch them several times times before you start and once you find one that you like watch and pause it during the operation. Take one step at a time and double check you didn't skip anything. Also make sure you have the proper tools. Don't do a Verge using a Swiss Army knife and Livestrong bracelet
 
I have always had success with upgrading all my mini's with the steps provided on iFixit. Replacing the second hard drive in the 2011 mini was a bit nerve racking, but I was successful. The process would be equivalent to replacing the RAM on a 2018 mini. My advise, just take it slow and be mindful. It is easier than you might think. Having the right tools also help, this kit from iFixit has been well worth the money. I had an opening tool from work.
 
wfriedwald said:
new Mac Mini (2018)

So, I am taking a piece of advice given to me in this very forum, and going to purchase RAM separately.

Also, can someone recommend an apple-certified technician to install? (so as to NOT violate the apple care warranty.)
Click to expand...

I work on my 2004 Honda Accord-V6, but I DO NOT work on my 2014 Acura MDX ... dealer only (and their trained technicians) for the $45,000 SUV. ;)

In your case, I would have advised you to just order it the way you want for the next couple of years (I think that is 32gb). Once you pay for the new ram and the qualified-technician install ... you are not really saving anything. Pre-Installed would also be 100% compatible and fully Apple warrantied. The new Mac-Mini would be "ready to use" when you open the package.

For local options, I suggest the Apple Store for ram purchase and install (pretty sure they do it there). Most towns also have fairly large companies that specialize in Apple desktop/laptop repair . You can always try BestBuy . A good tech that knows Apple hardware should have no problem working quietly at their bench (hopefully, they watch the iFixIt or OWC videos first).

Yeah, I installed the SSD in my 2012 Mac-Mini when it was new, but it was pretty scary. Not something I would recommend to anyone (unless you are familiar with working inside laptops). Plus, I hate opening and upgrading, brand-new machines.
 
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Tesla1856 said:
I work on my 2004 Honda Accord-V6, but I DO NOT work on my 2014 Acura MDX ... dealer only (and their trained technicians) for the $45,000 SUV. ;)

In your case, you should have just ordered it the way you want for the next couple of years (I think that is 32gb). Once you pay for the new ram and the qualified-technician install ... you are not really saving anything. Pre-Installed would also be 100% compatible and fully Apple warrantied. The new Mac-Mini would be "ready to use" when you open the package.

For local options, I suggest the Apple Store for ram purchase and install (pretty sure they do it there). Most towns also have fairly large companies that specialize in Apple desktop/laptop repair . You can always try BestBuy . A good tech that knows Apple hardware should have no problem working quietly at their bench (hopefully, they watch the iFixIt or OWC videos first).

Yeah, I installed the SSD in my 2012 Mac-Mini when it was new, but it was pretty scary. Not something I would recommend to anyone (unless you are familiar with working inside laptops). Plus, I hate opening and upgrading, brand-new machines.
Click to expand...
I agree that being familiar working on laptops helps or at least makes you more relaxed. I've changed out a few motherboards myself. The one difference I will say between this and working on cars is the videos on this don't leave out critical steps. I found that some auto repair videos are edited or sometimes staged so what they show isn't realistic. The do it yourself books are based on one car and it might not be exactly like yours. If I was going to get RAM from Apple I would go with 16 GB. It's more than enough for most people. The only reason I went with 32 was my time replacing it and I got a good deal. I've never seen memory usage go over 9 GB so far.
 
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