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upgrade time

S

ShUpAC

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 22, 2010
31
8
Hey everyone,

I have been using my late-2009 mac mini (my first ever mac) for a couple of weeks now, and am loving the simplicity of it, and how everything just comes together. :D

but i've come to the conclusion that i need to upgrade the ram, and need more HDD space.

will these work if i go out either tomorrow or saturday to buy them:

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6280185&CatId=2458

and

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4417207&CatId=2500

good choice? if not, any local canadians (toronto or GTA) know where else i can get a better deal?

thanks in advance
 
S

swirlybee

macrumors member
Oct 24, 2007
52
3
ShUpAC said:
Hey everyone,

I have been using my late-2009 mac mini (my first ever mac) for a couple of weeks now, and am loving the simplicity of it, and how everything just comes together. :D

but i've come to the conclusion that i need to upgrade the ram, and need more HDD space.

will these work if i go out either tomorrow or saturday to buy them:

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6280185&CatId=2458

and

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4417207&CatId=2500

good choice? if not, any local canadians (toronto or GTA) know where else i can get a better deal?

thanks in advance
Click to expand...

i don't know about cheaper/better deals, but those are good upgrades. :thumbup:
 
S

ShUpAC

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 22, 2010
31
8
Not sure if anyone even cares, but I thought I'd update you guys.

I went out today and bought that 500GB hybrid SSD by seagate, and 8GB of ram by kingston. The installation itself went pretty smoothly, but only after i put everything back together had i noticed that the fan was running full speed. A quick google search revealed the cause, so i went back in and reconnected the thermal sensor cable. I must have connected it the wrong way somehow.

Anyways, here we are now.. The mini feels much more responsive now. I can run more programs all at once now, they also boot up faster.

I think it was worth it. We shall see.
 
S

ShUpAC

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 22, 2010
31
8
i'm not sure if i'm overreacting but this hard drive is noticeably louder. it's so bad for me that i actually had to prop up the mac mini. i put a little piece of card board underneath so the mini isn't touching the desk.

do i have a faulty HDD, or am i just being picky?
 
R

redkamel

macrumors 6502
Aug 29, 2006
437
34
Unless its making scary grinding noises, its probably just the drive. The original drives are slow, but they also run cool and are picked by Apple for the machine specifically. I imagine you put in a higher RPM drive. That means more heat, more power, and possibly more noise and vibration. Unless a lot of mini users who use the exact same drive are getting different results, its likely just the drive. Changing the "silent and cool" factor is a risk when you upgrade parts on macs, unfortunately.
 
Baby Mac

Baby Mac

macrumors regular
Jul 28, 2010
178
0
Kentucky
Look for some reviews of that drive or end-user comments. Try RMA-ing it for another drive, depending on where you purchased it. I never had a 7200RPM drive in my mini to give any further advice, but I have heard that HDDs these days are much quieter than a few years back. The vibration would definitely annoy me. The stock 5400RPM drive in the new mini was barely, barely noticeable on my desk. The SSD is unnoticeable, and my mini is free from noise, vibration or heat.
 
Yebubbleman

Yebubbleman

macrumors 603
May 20, 2010
5,785
2,377
Los Angeles, CA
ShUpAC said:
Hey everyone,

I have been using my late-2009 mac mini (my first ever mac) for a couple of weeks now, and am loving the simplicity of it, and how everything just comes together. :D

but i've come to the conclusion that i need to upgrade the ram, and need more HDD space.

will these work if i go out either tomorrow or saturday to buy them:

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6280185&CatId=2458

and

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4417207&CatId=2500

good choice? if not, any local canadians (toronto or GTA) know where else i can get a better deal?

thanks in advance
Click to expand...

They should. Though I'd go with Crucial's RAM instead. Kingston's has been unreliable as of late.
 
S

surroundfan

macrumors 6502
Nov 22, 2005
345
36
Melbourne, Australia
It's not just you on the noise front. The 750GB 7200RPM Seagate HDD I put in my Mac mini makes a noticeable hissing noise compared to the silent 320GB drive I had before. It'll do for now though, at least until I can get a 200GB+ SSD at $1/GB...
 
Yebubbleman

Yebubbleman

macrumors 603
May 20, 2010
5,785
2,377
Los Angeles, CA
walterwhite said:
On some of the HD's that are in a mini... there was a thin piece of foam that goes under the HD, between it and the plate it sits on...

Just a thought
Click to expand...

I think some of them have thermal sensors for the hard drive temperatures.

To the OP, just be careful when you do the installation. It can be tricky if you're new to those minis.
 
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