Yes you can. As long as your Mini has the 9400 GPU
http://blog.fosketts.net/2009/10/22/mac-mini-8gb-ram/
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Mac mini 8GB RAM
- Thread starter cherry su
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Yes you can. As long as your Mini has the 9400 GPU
http://blog.fosketts.net/2009/10/22/mac-mini-8gb-ram/
I am guessing the new macmini (i don't have it yet) has 2 slots.
2 X 4G is still a expensive thing, OWC lists the price as $475, ouch that's a little expensive.
Like 2GB modules, it will come down in price very quickly once R&D and tooling costs have been recovered.
Especially when manufacturers jump to the next step of 6gb or 8gb strips.
I'm not that old, but even I can remember the days when 64MB PC100 strips were going for $200 each.
Especially when manufacturers jump to the next step of 6gb or 8gb strips.
I'm not that old, but even I can remember the days when 64MB PC100 strips were going for $200 each.
This is good news. 4GB can get a bit tight when running a few CS4 apps together.
Yes, I know the Mini isn't designed for that kind of thing, but I only run CS4 occasionally, most of the time it's just web browsing and watching videos.
Yes, I know the Mini isn't designed for that kind of thing, but I only run CS4 occasionally, most of the time it's just web browsing and watching videos.
Wait....
I wouldnt jump the gun here. Just because some vendor is selling an 8 gig kit does NOT mean that this is a real upgrade. If it was, why wouldnt APPLE themselves be offering it as an option???
Something doesnt smell right here.......
I wouldnt jump the gun here. Just because some vendor is selling an 8 gig kit does NOT mean that this is a real upgrade. If it was, why wouldnt APPLE themselves be offering it as an option???
Something doesnt smell right here.......
It's UNOFFICIAL that 8GB of RAM is recognized and utilized by the 2009 Mac Minis. Many owners and OWC tested it out. Although, 8GB of RAM will only be fully utilized in Snow Leopard. Apple doesn't have it as an option because they want you to buy an iMac. BTW, I just farted, that's why something doesn't smell right.
As far as I know 4GB is not supported, though it might still work if you can fit the RAM in there... How many slots does your Mini have?
4GB is supported by Apple. My Mac Mini has 2 slots, so you can put two 4GB sticks in each for 8GB.
i think the answer is quiet simple , why would anybody buy a mac pro? if you could upgrade the mini to the same level or beyond as a mac pro with basic setup , the mini was intended to be a entry level mac for basic computing , and for that purpose 4 gb are more then enough , the other thing is how long would you be satisfied with a 8 gb ram option ...
i just dont get this ram race who has the most ram inside his computer , cant you lot not wait a couple minutes ,
the thing is once program developers know people usually have 8gb in their computer they wont build programs who use ram efficient ,like they did in the old days when 256mb ram had been a powerful computer
dont you guys get it ? i work with photoshop cs ,cubase se,dreamweaver mx ,freehand 10,illustrator cs,poser 5 and vue 7 just to name few programs and they work fine on my "iMac G3 "(spec see signature) ok at work i have also some more powerful macs to work on , but for me its somehow satisfying to see what you can do with less , everybody can work with 32gb ram or so
thats no big deal
but by asking for more ram all the time you will dig your own graves as you wont find programs soon which work with less then 4 gb at all , neither you may find a operating system that works with less then 4 gb at all , if that trend continous you need a 20000 dollar computer to write a email
i just dont get this ram race who has the most ram inside his computer , cant you lot not wait a couple minutes ,
the thing is once program developers know people usually have 8gb in their computer they wont build programs who use ram efficient ,like they did in the old days when 256mb ram had been a powerful computer
dont you guys get it ? i work with photoshop cs ,cubase se,dreamweaver mx ,freehand 10,illustrator cs,poser 5 and vue 7 just to name few programs and they work fine on my "iMac G3 "(spec see signature) ok at work i have also some more powerful macs to work on , but for me its somehow satisfying to see what you can do with less , everybody can work with 32gb ram or so
thats no big deal
but by asking for more ram all the time you will dig your own graves as you wont find programs soon which work with less then 4 gb at all , neither you may find a operating system that works with less then 4 gb at all , if that trend continous you need a 20000 dollar computer to write a email
As to the support, Apple usually lists supports XYZ. Sometimes you will get the BONUS FEATURE of the device supporting more than the specs.
Apple did NOT limit memory usage with Core Duo.
It's a MOBO limitation that applies to all computers of the same class, either Mac or PC.
However Windows do limit your accessible RAM. OS X does not if the hardware supports it.
Apple did NOT limit memory usage with Core Duo.
It's a MOBO limitation that applies to all computers of the same class, either Mac or PC.
However Windows do limit your accessible RAM. OS X does not if the hardware supports it.
Well the Mac Mini is kind of like the desktop version of the Macbook Pro, just without the screen, keyboard, etc.
Are you suggesting that the GMA950 Core Solo/Core Duo Minis used a different chipset than the Core 2 Duo Mini?
Photoshop will use high RAM (over 4 gb) as a scratch disk. That alone would make 8 gb worthwhile to many people.
Well, duh. Core Solo/Duo use the Intel chipset, the Core2 uses the nVidia 9400M chipset (which is a 1-piece chipset which includes the graphics controller, northbridge and southbridge in one chip).
Yes they did. The chipset those machines used had a limitation of 2 GB of memory. The chipset used in the early Core 2 Duo minis could do 4 GB on paper but due to a bug was limited to 3,25 GB. Apple limited all the Macs using this chipset (mini, MacBook, MacBook Pro) to 3 GB. For the Core Duo/Solo minis and the early Core 2 Duo minis Apple officially supported a max of 2 GB of memory.
The newer minis (early and late 2009) both use the Nvidia 9400m chipset that officially supports up to 8 GB of memory. Apple uses this chipset on other Macs like the MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. Every MacBook Pro officially supports up to 8 GB of memory. Apple limited both the MacBook and Mac mini to 4 GB for a very obvious reason: more differentiation between their products (with 8 GB...why would one still buy the more expensive options?). The MacBook Air is a bit different as it has soldered on memory chips. I think they are limited to space on the circuit board as well as the cost of the memory chips which made them limit the amount to 2 GB of memory (I'm speculating). Apple has provided early 2009 Mac mini users with a new EFI version that has better support for some memory kits. It appeared that this new firmware version also made it possible to use 8 GB of memory without slowing down or crashing (that happened before the update). The late 2009 models already come with that version apparently.
Not just Photoshop, there are other things that benefit from more mem. A lot of people use virtualisation and with 8 GB of memory you can run more vm's side by side and/or give a vm more memory (Windows vm's will love it). Not everyone is a developer needing more memory for his software so whoever used that argument should take a better look at reality.
Mini Me
So the question now becomes:
If you own a GMA950 Core Solo/Core Duo Mini, can you do a firmware upgrade (and can one even GET this firmware) and install 8 gigs of ram in it?
So the question now becomes:
If you own a GMA950 Core Solo/Core Duo Mini, can you do a firmware upgrade (and can one even GET this firmware) and install 8 gigs of ram in it?
The 2nd gen Mini used the Intel Calistoga chipset with Core Solo or Core Duo chipsets. The 3rd gen Minis also used the Intel Calistoga chipset (with a memory controller revision), but the cpus were upgraded to the Core 2 Duo processors. It was not until the 4th gen Mini that the NVidia 9400m chipset was used. The Core Solo/Duo Calistoga Minis won't even boot if you have more than 2 gb of RAM in them, but the Core 2 Duo Calistoga Minis can take 2x2 gb SO-DIMMs for just over 3 gb of addressable RAM.
No. It is a hardware limitation of the Calistoga chipset.
well...
Well, that answers that!!
Not really a big deal. I was only thinking of buying the "middle" Mini for 799 and that HAS the good chip set and the 4 gigs or RAM.
Well, that answers that!!
Not really a big deal. I was only thinking of buying the "middle" Mini for 799 and that HAS the good chip set and the 4 gigs or RAM.
8 GB work very well!
I cannot understand the cynical comments concerning RAM given by some. Am working w/ 8 GB in my new mac mini since about 10 days and are very happy w/ it. I work w/ quite large photos / raw-files, and there is a marked improvement in performance. My question is not, wether the new mini works w/ 8 GB , but wether it is possible to trick the older Model ( first one with Nvidia 9400M) to work w/ 8 GB as well. If anyone knows the answer, tell me. If not, I'll try it in about 2-3 weeks, will inform U about the results.
I cannot understand the cynical comments concerning RAM given by some. Am working w/ 8 GB in my new mac mini since about 10 days and are very happy w/ it. I work w/ quite large photos / raw-files, and there is a marked improvement in performance. My question is not, wether the new mini works w/ 8 GB , but wether it is possible to trick the older Model ( first one with Nvidia 9400M) to work w/ 8 GB as well. If anyone knows the answer, tell me. If not, I'll try it in about 2-3 weeks, will inform U about the results.