Is the new Mac Mini Socketed?

Uh, have you guys BUILT a computer in the last 10 years?

CPUs with pins have gone the way of the slide rule. It is nearly impossible to solder a socket 775 chip to a board.

There's no way this chip is soldered.

-Clive

Clive At Five said:

Uh, have you guys BUILT a computer in the last 10 years?

CPUs with pins have gone the way of the slide rule. It is nearly impossible to solder a socket 775 chip to a board.

There's no way this chip is soldered.

-Clive

Click to expand...

Actually I have built many computers but since you think you know so much explain the MacBook and MacBook Pro. The CPU could very well be soldered just like the Apple laptops. Just because the old Mac Mini CPU was socketed does not mean the new Mac Mini is socketed.

Clive At Five said:

Uh, have you guys BUILT a computer in the last 10 years?

CPUs with pins have gone the way of the slide rule. It is nearly impossible to solder a socket 775 chip to a board.

There's no way this chip is soldered.

-Clive

Click to expand...

Err, the the chip form factor of the LGA 775 CPUs (which Apple doesn't use) is a Flip-chip land grid array, but the chip form factor of the Socket P CPUs (which Apple does use) is a Flip-chip pin grid array.

localoid said:

Err, the the chip form factor of the LGA 775 CPUs (which Apple doesn't use) is a Flip-chip land grid array, but the chip form factor of the Socket P CPUs (which Apple does use) is a Flip-chip pin grid array.

Click to expand...

If it were pin grid array, it'd probably be socketed. But this is a ball grid array (BGA) chip. Same as the chips in the Macbook and Macbook Pro's, it seems.

Not to beat the dead horse, but if you look at the chip listing on Wiki (P7350 and P8400 - sad these are almost a year old...) it states they are socket P. In theory - I would assume - this means the Mini is using a socket setup. Does that not have a bearing on soldering ability?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o....22Penryn-3M.22_.28medium-voltage.2C_45_nm.29

http://download.intel.com/design/mobile/specupdt/320121.pdf

Looks like 3 variants of the P7350. 2 are m-FCPGA, one m-FCBGA.

SLG8E is my bet of the one in this Mac Mini. I don't know of a way to get an sSpec without physically looking at the processor, though.

The type of 'socket' a CPU is doesn't really define the package. They shouldn't be calling it a socket, as it can be soldered directly to the board without a 'socket'. They should call it more like a pinout or a mount.

such a shame, i'd like to put that P8700 in there

I really wish, and don't understand why, they didn't offer the 2.26 "in store". Maybe it's just easier for them to track who really wants it. Yes, I'm sure it's easier for them to pump out all 2.0 units as well. Perhaps in 3-6 months they'll say they received such high demand that they'll "bump" the top end model to 2.26.

NOT SOCKETED. I can confirm as I took off the heatsink.

rw3 said:

NOT SOCKETED. I can confirm as I took the heatsink.

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Thanks.

Now maybe people will stop the dreaming...

lol, no we wont, pictures is what we need!

ifixit has disassembled the new mini
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/First-Look/Mac-Mini-A1283/659/1

Here it is guys

http://forums.mactalk.com.au/12/68195-mac-mini-2009-a.html

Clearly not socketed

damn.... so the MacMini is definitely not for me. Its just too underpowered...

So if we cannot replace the processor in the new mini, how does a fully maxed out old mini compare?

Smacky said:

Here it is guys

http://forums.mactalk.com.au/12/68195-mac-mini-2009-a.html

Clearly not socketed

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very nice picture, lot's of guts too. Now, 2 or 2x0.26 extra... for a lot of extra money...

I just want to watch movies, play an occasonal game on it

admwright said:

So if we cannot replace the processor in the new mini, how does a fully maxed out old mini compare?

Click to expand...

Right, shame on the older GPU tho, in Snow Leo I think the mini with the 9400 will get a big boost. I wonder when the next upgrade will be...

I realize this may be grasping at straws, but can anyone confirm that the 2.26Ghz version is also not socketed?

jarozi said:

I realize this may be grasping at straws, but can anyone confirm that the 2.26Ghz version is also not socketed?

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The 2.26GHz is CTO so I don't think anyone will have one yet.

jarozi said:

I realize this may be grasping at straws, but can anyone confirm that the 2.26Ghz version is also not socketed?

Click to expand...

The saga continous

admwright said:

So if we cannot replace the processor in the new mini, how does a fully maxed out old mini compare?

Click to expand...

You could max the old Mini out at 2.33. The new one 2.26, but you obviously get all of the other advantages.

Believe me now....I'm so good at taking Apple stuff out of the packaging and apart that I took my Mini back today and they said, "You didn't even turn it on." LOL!!!

rw3 said:

Believe me now....I'm so good at taking Apple stuff out of the packaging and apart that I took my Mini back today and they said, "You didn't even turn it on." LOL!!!

Click to expand...

Hah. Well maybe you didn't. You didn't need to turn it on, just strip it naked to expose it's inner secrets.

jarozi said:

I realize this may be grasping at straws, but can anyone confirm that the 2.26Ghz version is also not socketed?

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Seriously, are you kidding me? Why would they socket the 2.26 and not the 2? If anything, the 2 would be socketed so they could have more easily upgraded the CTO's to 2.26. But then they would build batches of 2.26's that don't need sockets as they aren't offering anything higher anyway.

It's over. Mac Mini 2009 is not socketed and will not allow for CPU upgrades.