Installing an SSD while keeping Applecare

[macman05]

Originally Posted by mentaluproar

I would love to do it myself, but if I screw over my applecare and ever need it...

OWC has a Mac Mini installation service. It costs $99. Check it out.

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/MINIINSTALLOWC/

[86nji]

Refit the oem HD before you claim the apple care?

[DisMyMac]

Originally Posted by macman05

OWC has a Mac Mini installation service. It costs $99. Check it out.

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/MINIINSTALLOWC/

I don't think they offer BTO processors. I couldn't find a 2.6GHz on their website, or I would have bought from them.

[Yebubbleman]

Originally Posted by mentaluproar

I bought applecare and still have plenty of time left on it, but this stupid platter drive in my mini is infuriating me. I'm considering upgrading to an SSD but I want to keep my applecare. If I were to take it to a genius bar, could I pay them to upgrade to an apple-sanctioned SSD so I could keep the warrantee?

Also, I read that OSX defragments files as they are accessed (if they could benefit from it). Defragmenting an SSD is a no-no. Does OSX still defrag on the Apple SSDs or not?

First off, Apple will not install an SSD into your machine aftermarket. Not even if it's their own drive. They don't do this. They REALLY should, but they don't.

Secondly, forget what you know about disk defragmentation; you either want a drive that either has built-in "TRIM" or you want to download the TRIM enabler, that will allow you to not have to worry about garbage collection on your drive.

Originally Posted by mentaluproar

OSX defrags things by itself, as they are accessed, I know. Does it still do this when a SSD is installed?

And can I have apple upgrade the drive, thereby keeping my applecare?

No, this cannot happen.

Originally Posted by mentaluproar

If they would be willing to upgrade the drive, they can order one themselves. They get replacement parts somehow.

They can only order replacement parts for machines that originally had those parts in them. They can't just order an SSD for a machine that didn't come with one.


My advice to you is to sell your Mac mini (you can still make back most of the money you spent on it) and buy a newer one that has either a Fusion Drive or an SSD installed. The only way in which I might not do that is if you had the higher-end 2011 Mac mini with the AMD Radeon HD 6630 as that is still superior to the Intel HD 4000 graphics that are standard on the 2012 minis.

[niteflyr]

Originally Posted by mentaluproar

I would love to do it myself, but if I screw over my applecare and ever need it...

According to OWC:

"Does upgrading my machine with a new hard drive (HD) or solid state drive (SSD) void the original manufacturer warranty?

Answer
The short answer is, No, not in the United States and not for products sold by a US Manufacturer. The US Federal Trade Commission has very specific consumer protection laws, as outlined by the FTC's Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975.

This act outlines several key points, including the basic consumer protection that a manufacturers cannot void the warranty on components that are not directly effected by the placement of after-market upgrade components, i.e. if you upgrade your HD with another HD or SSD and 3 months later your screen fritzes out, they cannot refuse to honor the warranty on the screen, if within the warranty period and originally covered by the warranty.

Reasonably speaking, if you install the proper HD or SSD upgrade (easily found by using the My OWC Upgrade Center here: http://eshop.macsales.com/MyOWC/) and you follow OWC's very simple installation video (any type of HS or SSD upgrade can be found here: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/inter...drives_and_SSD), nothing being performed should void your warranty entirely. "


http://eshop.macsales.com/Search/dis...ils.cfm?ID=657

[tomjleeds]

Originally Posted by Yebubbleman

Secondly, forget what you know about disk defragmentation; you either want a drive that either has built-in "TRIM" or you want to download the TRIM enabler, that will allow you to not have to worry about garbage collection on your drive.

TRIM/garbage collection is a completely separate issue from fragmentation.

Secondly, you need a disk which supports TRIM in order to use the TRIM enabler, all the enabler does is allow it to work on non-Apple-installed disks. A disk without TRIM will not be helped by the TRIM enabler.

[macman05]

Originally Posted by DisMyMac

I don't think they offer BTO processors. I couldn't find a 2.6GHz on their website, or I would have bought from them.

No. They don't sell BTO Mac Mini's.

[dasx]

A friend of mine had this same dilemma. His case was a MBP though.
He finally brought it to an official retailer (not an Apple Store) and got them put an SSD into it.

His line of thinking was: If they f-ck up they'll cover the expenses as I'm covered by the law. If they don't f-ck up then I'll have my SSD installed and working and if I never need to use my Applecare I'll bring it back to the retailer in order to put original drive back in.

That being said, I'd do it myself though. Apple can't know you opened the machine if you leave everything as it was.

[mentaluproar]

I won't mess up a simple drive installation. I'm just being cautious.

What drives do you guys like best? I'm still gunshy of the sandforce drives because of the stability issues many people have experienced.

[53x12]

Originally Posted by Fishrrman

"I would love to do it myself, but if I screw over my applecare and ever need it..."

The solution is easy, though most in this forum would refuse to see it or accept it.

That is…

Just buy the SSD you want, and [until your AppleCare runs out] connect and run it EXTERNALLY, using either a USB3/SATA dock, a USB3 enclosure, or perhaps even a Thunderbolt adapter (like those from Seagate).

The new USB3 "5g" enclosures/docks may not be the exact equivalent of connecting via the Mini's internal SATA connector, but they are fast enough so that [shy of a few seconds while booting] it may be impossible to perceive the difference during normal running or loading of applications, files, etc.

A few 'net articles to browse through to investigate this further:

http://www.barefeats.com/hard161.html

http://fortysomethinggeek.blogspot.c...st-usb-30.html

Not going to work for OP:

Originally Posted by mentaluproar

I have a mid 2011 mac mini. No USB3, but I do have thunderbolt and firewire 800. I'm using FW800 on an external drive, but I can always chain them together.

USB 3 enclosures seem the best bang for buck from cost perspective as TB enclosures are still pricey.