Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Will apple store install SSD in 2014 mini?
- Thread starter EightyTwenty
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
It's really not a hard installation. I followed the excellent guide here and it was a piece of cake:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C-a71PSPgs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C-a71PSPgs
The 2014 Mac Mini can be custom configured with a SSD; 256 GB for the mid range model, and 256 GB, 512 GGB or 1 TB for the top of the range
That would be favourite if you are ordering a new Mac Mini.
Apple store workshops would for sure be able to replace the HDD or Fusion drives that come on the standard models. They would likely be able to replace them with a suitable SSD, officially supported or not, I don't know.
The local Apple agent where I am at would do it in their workshop if asked, I'm sure.
That would be favourite if you are ordering a new Mac Mini.
Apple store workshops would for sure be able to replace the HDD or Fusion drives that come on the standard models. They would likely be able to replace them with a suitable SSD, officially supported or not, I don't know.
The local Apple agent where I am at would do it in their workshop if asked, I'm sure.
I wouldn't want to mess around with it and potentially snap a cord and ruin the machine.
It looks way too complicated compared to the 2012 model.
No chance. It's a much, much easier installation than the 2012 model - it just takes LONGER to do it. The 2012 was much trickier to do, and the cables were much more easily stripped from the logic board. The 2014 was a piece of cake, and I've upgraded numerous 2012s to be able to compare.
No Chance?
Ahh, this one is complex. When WilliamG read the OPs posts he focused on that comparison to the 2012 model. Perhaps he missed the gist of EightyTwenty's posts. But I have never opened up a 2014 mini. Perhaps instead this new Mac mini is vastly different from the prior models.
The OP first asked if Apple would install an SSD. Then the OP expressed fear that to "mess around with it might snap a cord and ruin the machine." Finally EightyTwenty commented about how complicated the mini looked.
Next it seemed as if WilliamG guaranteed that nothing bad could happen during an SSD installation on a 2014 mini.
I hope that WilliamG is right. It would be nice if the steady trickle of busted connectors and dead logic boards that we see on these forums ended with the 2014 mini. If not, this particular March 2015 MacRumors Newbie could be in for some real excitement.
No chance. It's a much, much easier installation than the 2012 model - it just takes LONGER to do it. The 2012 was much trickier to do, and the cables were much more easily stripped from the logic board. The 2014 was a piece of cake, and I've upgraded numerous 2012s to be able to compare.
Ahh, this one is complex. When WilliamG read the OPs posts he focused on that comparison to the 2012 model. Perhaps he missed the gist of EightyTwenty's posts. But I have never opened up a 2014 mini. Perhaps instead this new Mac mini is vastly different from the prior models.
The OP first asked if Apple would install an SSD. Then the OP expressed fear that to "mess around with it might snap a cord and ruin the machine." Finally EightyTwenty commented about how complicated the mini looked.
Next it seemed as if WilliamG guaranteed that nothing bad could happen during an SSD installation on a 2014 mini.
I hope that WilliamG is right. It would be nice if the steady trickle of busted connectors and dead logic boards that we see on these forums ended with the 2014 mini. If not, this particular March 2015 MacRumors Newbie could be in for some real excitement.
Back in this post:
https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/20562190/
.... scoobdriver described how to buy the PCIe drive adapter, use a heat gun to remove only the PCIe cable, and then install that (and a PCIe drive) into a 2014 Mini (that already had a 1tb HDD installed) WITHOUT having to disassemble the machine.
Of course, this leaves the existing HDD "in place", but, so what?
Looks to be very easy, with FAR FEWER chances of damaging anything internally.
I see this as the preferred way to upgrade a Mini.
However, it would probably cost no more to just pay the extra $$$ up front and buy a new Mini with the 1tb fusion setup factory-installed...
https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/20562190/
.... scoobdriver described how to buy the PCIe drive adapter, use a heat gun to remove only the PCIe cable, and then install that (and a PCIe drive) into a 2014 Mini (that already had a 1tb HDD installed) WITHOUT having to disassemble the machine.
Of course, this leaves the existing HDD "in place", but, so what?
Looks to be very easy, with FAR FEWER chances of damaging anything internally.
I see this as the preferred way to upgrade a Mini.
However, it would probably cost no more to just pay the extra $$$ up front and buy a new Mini with the 1tb fusion setup factory-installed...
That is the crucial fact for most of us!
This situation is fundamentally different from adding RAM to a pre-2014 mini. With RAM it was cheaper to purchase with the minimum 4GB configuration and then install aftermarket SO-DIMMs later. In this case, even with scoobdriver's great heat gun technique, it seems better to just purchase the optional Fusion Drive with your original package if possible.
Oh I never said nothing bad can happen. Just that compared to the 2012 model it was much easier for me (I did two 2014 models so far). I've taken apart numerous 2012 minis, and the 2014 is much more modular, much less fiddly, and much better designed (soldered RAM aside..).
Okay, then I misinterpreted your No chance. I hope that Eighty Twenty did not make the same mistake.
Okay, then I misinterpreted your No chance. I hope that Eighty Twenty did not make the same mistake.
I meant "no chance" in reference to it being more complicated than a 2012!
I meant "no chance" in reference to it being more complicated than a 2012!
Ha!
Well you and scoobdriver certainly sold me. If I ever get my hands on a 2014 and the appropriate PCIe SSD then out comes the heat gun and in goes the storage.
Of course I would configure a new one like Fishrrman suggested.
Last edited:
An alternative, with no invasive surgery, is to get the Inatek enclosure ($20), a 128 gig SSD (Crucial's BX100 is on sale for $70) and boot from that.
I did this for a friend who bought the base 2014 and who complained about the speed of the machine. I also fused the external with the internal and he now has a very zippy little Mac mini with 620+ gb in a shared volume. No hassles about what to store where.
I realize this is not exactly the first time this solution has been proposed, but honestly, for ~$90 and a modicum of time and googling, this should be the first recommendation anyone makes for speeding up a slow 2014 mini.
Or a slow 2012 for that matter.
Exactly like a fusion drive because it is a Fusion drive.
I deliberately chose to do that for my friend because he is not very technical and I couldn't see him managing storage.
What's it booting on? The ssd or the internal drive?
I've been reading reviews on Amazon, and have read that many users experienced slower ssd speeds when connected via external enclosures.
The SSD external. If you're not familiar with Fusion drive, here's a good primer. When I fused the drives, I designated the external drive as the primary. That drive is where Core Storage will host all frequently used blocks.
I was seeing the same speeds this forum member posted.
Granted it's not PCIe; but 400MB/s is not bad for an external drive. Roughly 4x's what the internal HDD was providing.
Last edited:
DanGoh wrote above:
[[ I've been reading reviews on Amazon, and have read that many users experienced slower ssd speeds when connected via external enclosures. ]]
That depends.
For the late-2012 Mini, there isn't much difference between booting an SSD internally or externally (via either USB3 or thunderbolt).
For the 2014 Mini, there -is- a difference, because the internal SSD in the 2014 Mini is connected via PCIe, instead of SATA-3. PCIe yields transfer speeds that are around 50% faster.
However -- having said that, a user will STILL get fast boots and rapid running by adding an external SSD to a 2014 Mini. The speeds achieved may not satisfy everyone, but I sense that most will be pleased.
On my late-2012 Mini I get read speeds of 430mbps and writes around 270mbps, using a Crucial SSD in a USB3/SATA docking station.
No, that doesn't achieve the 730+/- read speeds one gets with PCIe, but it still is very good, vastly preferable to booting and running via a platter-based HDD.
[[ I've been reading reviews on Amazon, and have read that many users experienced slower ssd speeds when connected via external enclosures. ]]
That depends.
For the late-2012 Mini, there isn't much difference between booting an SSD internally or externally (via either USB3 or thunderbolt).
For the 2014 Mini, there -is- a difference, because the internal SSD in the 2014 Mini is connected via PCIe, instead of SATA-3. PCIe yields transfer speeds that are around 50% faster.
However -- having said that, a user will STILL get fast boots and rapid running by adding an external SSD to a 2014 Mini. The speeds achieved may not satisfy everyone, but I sense that most will be pleased.
On my late-2012 Mini I get read speeds of 430mbps and writes around 270mbps, using a Crucial SSD in a USB3/SATA docking station.
No, that doesn't achieve the 730+/- read speeds one gets with PCIe, but it still is very good, vastly preferable to booting and running via a platter-based HDD.