Confirmed: Adding a 2nd Hard Drive to Non-Server Minis

[MarekCyzio]

Many thanks to slyseekr - yesterday I replaced the original 500 GB disc with 750GB 7200 RPM WD Scorpio Black + added a 120 GB Corsair Force SATA 3 second drive and now my Mac Mini runs much faster. I used slyseekr post + iFixit info on how to open the Mini, purchased the cable on eBay and SSD from NewEgg. Instead of the "Mac Mini main board removal tool" I used two toothpicks. It worked. The whole task is a bit challenging, but it can be done as long as you have proper torx screwdrivers + some toothpicks. I also enabled TRIM + wiped out empty space on the SSD. Total time - 2 hours. Total investment - $150 (including a set of screwdrivers).

[Akarin]

Heh, happy to post in this thread as well:

I just finished adding a 2nd HD to my mini, using the guide and the tools from iFixit. Took me about 1 hour for the whole operation.

[YinZhouWang]

A few things to clarify.

I previously wrote, I had a Mac Mini 5,3 in a single-drive-SSD configuration. Upon opening the device I found no second cable.

I managed to get hands on the 821-1004-A part. That's the Bottom Drive Flex Cable from the Mac Mini Server 2010.
Now I was wondering, whether this part is SATA-3 compatible or not. Is it?
I could of course put it in and try it out. But in case it isn't, I have to perform this procedure all over again.

Does anyone know for sure?

[YinZhouWang]

I gave it a shot. I took the Bottom Drive Flex Cable from the 2010 MMS and installed it in my MMS 2011. Systeminfo says port speed is 6Gbit/s, i.e. SATA-3. It worked!

I now run two OWC Mercury EXTREME Pro 6G in a RAID 0 config. AJA speed test peaks at 910MB/s read and 870MB/s write. Average (bigger files) is at 500-600MB/s! - A M A Z I N G!

However, I find it odd that the app 'DiskSpeed Test' from the AppStore "only" measures about a third (350MB/s) of the reading speed it's supposed to have.
Are there known issues with this test?

[ascender]

Nearly good to do. Screws and grommets from Maplin have arrived. I've gone for a 1TB HDD with a 120GB OCZ SDD for boot.

Unfortunately there's still no sign of the hard drive cable VIS and I can't seem to find one anywhere else. Has anyone in the UK had luck with asking an Apple repair agent to order one in for them?

[shortcut3d]

Originally Posted by YinZhouWang

I gave it a shot. I took the Bottom Drive Flex Cable from the 2010 MMS and installed it in my MMS 2011. Systeminfo says port speed is 6Gbit/s, i.e. SATA-3. It worked!

I now run two OWC Mercury EXTREME Pro 6G in a RAID 0 config. AJA speed test peaks at 910MB/s read and 870MB/s write. Average (bigger files) is at 500-600MB/s! - A M A Z I N G!

However, I find it odd that the app 'DiskSpeed Test' from the AppStore "only" measures about a third (350MB/s) of the reading speed it's supposed to have.
Are there known issues with this test?

DiskSpeed Test uses incompressible data for the test.

[ascender]

Thanks again to all the posters in this thread for an invaluable guide to the process. For anyone waiting for a cable guide from VIS, your local Apple repair agent should be able to get you the hard drive cable next day if you give them the serial number of your Mini.

One question about the process, is it recommended to enable Trim on the SSD? In my case its a 120GB OCZ Vertex 3 drive.

[shortcut3d]

Originally Posted by ascender

Thanks again to all the posters in this thread for an invaluable guide to the process. For anyone waiting for a cable guide from VIS, your local Apple repair agent should be able to get you the hard drive cable next day if you give them the serial number of your Mini.

One question about the process, is it recommended to enable Trim on the SSD? In my case its a 120GB OCZ Vertex 3 drive.

OWC does not recommend enabling Trim on their Sandforce controller based SSDs. Therefore, the same would extend to OCZ. The garbage collection is very good on Sandforce drives. Google Anandtech and DigLloyd for endurance, reliability test on the latest Sandforce SSDs.

[ascender]

Originally Posted by shortcut3d

OWC does not recommend enabling Trim on their Sandforce controller based SSDs. Therefore, the same would extend to OCZ. The garbage collection is very on Sandforce drives. Google Anandtech and DigLloyd for endurance, reliability test on the latest Sandforce SSDs.

Thanks very much for the quick reply!

[shortcut3d]

Originally Posted by ascender

Thanks very much for the quick reply!

You may also want to consider upgrading the firmware. However, I do not recommend upgrading until you come across a stability problem.

Try this ISO: https://rapidshare.com/files/2762032..._ocz_fwupd.zip

You will also need to get the enable AHCI script from the OCZ Forums and use it on a USB drive:

http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/fo...ing-a-Linux-CD

[ascender]

Stability seems fine so far, but thanks for the link. My data drive has just disappeared this morning and I suspect before even opening the case that the hard drive cable has popped out from the logic board. I remember wondering if that would happen after installing it as the cable routes under the drive and then pops out by the connector with very little slack in it.

Edit: Scratch that. Looks OK and it might actually be a HDD failure of the data drive.

If I connect up the HDD in an external chassis the Mini and a MBA won't boot. Plug it in after booting and disk utility sees the physical drive but is unable to verify it or do anything with it. So I think its goosed.

Problem is, I was still setting up my Mini, so can't log in to it now because the home drive was on the data drive and I hadn't created an admin account with a home drive on the system volume. Time to reinstall I guess...

[shortcut3d]

Originally Posted by ascender

Stability seems fine so far, but thanks for the link. My data drive has just disappeared this morning and I suspect before even opening the case that the hard drive cable has popped out from the logic board. I remember wondering if that would happen after installing it as the cable routes under the drive and then pops out by the connector with very little slack in it.

Edit: Scratch that. Looks OK and it might actually be a HDD failure of the data drive.

If I connect up the HDD in an external chassis the Mini and a MBA won't boot. Plug it in after booting and disk utility sees the physical drive but is unable to verify it or do anything with it. So I think its goosed.

Problem is, I was still setting up my Mini, so can't log in to it now because the home drive was on the data drive and I hadn't created an admin account with a home drive on the system volume. Time to reinstall I guess...

Sorry to hear your HDD failed. The major hard drive manufacturers are shortening their warranties to 1 year while SSD manufacturers are increasing theirs to as much as 5 years. My OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G and WD Scorpio Black are the only 5 year warranty drives I own. Possibly, the only 5 year warranty on anything I own other than autos.

[ascender]

To be honest its the first HDD failure I've had in about 10 years, so I can't complain. Got an RMA and have asked for a refund.

It was just annoying that OS X won't let you login without a valid home directory being found so it meant a clean install to get sorted as single user mode wasn't much help. I've now left the user home directories on the SSD, just moving iPhoto to the data drive and have made sure to have an extra admin account on there too.

One thing I did have trouble with while putting this back together was with the two screws which go through the mesh antenna cover in to the hard drive chassis. I just could not get these to purchase so in the end have removed them.

[whirldy]

Originally Posted by slyseekr

The corresponding screws for the 2010 model is 922-9585, though the screws on these pages would likely work: 922-7978, 922-7941.

howdy!

...does 922-9585 come with the grommets?

what size are the holes?


thank you!

__

[Daniel97]

Can somebody please confirm whether or not i need 2 x 9.5 1TB drives or whether 2 x 12.5 1TB drives will fit?

Thanks!

[FrankHahn]

Yes, 2 x 12.5 1TB drives will fit!
Today, I put two 500 GB HDDs of 12.5 mm into a mini.

[Daniel97]

Do I need more screws and the lower HD cable?

Is that it?

Don't need a 2nd enclosed like pictured above?

[macmunch]

hey guys ...

I can't find these SATA cable for the machine ... Can anyone help me ? give a ebay link or something ?

thank you

[nkawal]

Originally Posted by macmunch

hey guys ...

I can't find these SATA cable for the machine ... Can anyone help me ? give a ebay link or something ?

thank you

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...All-Categories

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Second-SSD-H...item53eb59ad0f

[scratchHTT]

I just ordered this for under $30:

http://www.impactcomputers.com/076-1391.html

They also have the same part with different part number for the 2010 model.


I will be installing an 80GB SSD as a primary drive for OS and Apps and installing the 500GB back in as a data drive. Got my mini recently so I don't mind doing a fresh install on the SSD and then wiping the 500GB.

Can someone direct me a good tutorial on how to make a OS recovery backup USB?

[Dxlnt1]

I am looking to add 2nd drive to Mac mini with WD 2tb black drives. Are there any issues that would prevent this install? Reason is I am unhappy with my NAS performance and could accomplish same with mini

[jackiecanev2]

Mini takes 2.5" laptop-sized drives; black/2TB are 3.5".....

Originally Posted by Dxlnt1

I am looking to add 2nd drive to Mac mini with WD 2tb black drives. Are there any issues that would prevent this install? Reason is I am unhappy with my NAS performance and could accomplish same with mini

[sleepyyellow]

I'm pretty slow, so i don't quite get it with the drives. SSD is the top one(when its upside-down)? and the normal HDD is the bottom one?

and so most people just mounted the top one and left the bottom one loose?

last question, hows the temperate, the drives are not overheating or anything?

cheers,

[a4suited]

BUMP

Can someone help me with my issue? I did an upgrade like this but my LED light is no longer working.

I posted about it here. I may have accidentally pulled the IR cable out and had to put the cables pin heads back into the connector.

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthre...3#post14429143

thank you so much.

[DaLurker]

Originally Posted by scratchHTT

I just ordered this for under $30:

http://www.impactcomputers.com/076-1391.html

I ordered this cable as well and also bought these screws: http://www.impactcomputers.com/922-9585.html and some 1/4" rubber grommets from Home Depot. Install went very smoothly