2 mac mini questions

[metsjetsfan]

Have a couple of random mac mini questions.

1) is the intel HD 4000 graphics card better than the 6630 amd card in the 2011 mac mini?
2) does the BTO SSD + hard drive option show up as 1 drive in finder? If so how do you manage the data bW the two. I heard apps default to SSD but what if you want other data in there. Is there anything new in mountain lion to manage this?

Thanks

 

[monokitty]

1.) No.
2.) No - if you choose the SSD+HDD combo from factory, the OS will ship pre-installed on the SSD and you can save whatever data you like going forward to either of the drives. Applications will remain on the SSD where the the rest of the operating system files are. (And future applications will also install into the Applications folder, where they belong, and where you would want them to take advantage of the SSD speeds.)

 

[Mojo1]

Have a couple of random mac mini questions.

1) is the intel HD 4000 graphics card better than the 6630 amd card in the 2011 mac mini?

No, but for some tasks it's pretty darn close, while for others the 6630 is almost twice as fast. This Anandtech comparison provides a lot of info that is useful even if the GPUs aren't in Macs: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5772/mobile-ivy-bridge-and-asus-n56vm-preview/6.

I wouldn't be surprised if the refreshed Mac Mini has an upgraded discrete card as well as the HD 4000 depending on the model.

The HD4000 may be fine depending on what you do on your Mac Mini.

 

[jaesun]

sorry to resurrect this thread.

No, but for some tasks it's pretty darn close, while for others the 6630 is almost twice as fast.

How well would it handle as a HTPC and HD movies? Thinking about getting the Mac Mini ($799 version) to use as my HTPC/Plex. Read that the 2011 version was good for HTPC uses. So looking at the 2012, thought it would be better but I saw the HD4000 as being the only video card in the 2012 with no option to upgrade to something like the 6630. Would it still be able to handle its duties as a HTPC?

 

[oldtime]

sorry to resurrect this thread.



How well would it handle as a HTPC and HD movies? Thinking about getting the Mac Mini ($799 version) to use as my HTPC/Plex. Read that the 2011 version was good for HTPC uses. So looking at the 2012, thought it would be better but I saw the HD4000 as being the only video card in the 2012 with no option to upgrade to something like the 6630. Would it still be able to handle its duties as a HTPC?

Should be fine. Plenty of people use minis with that card as an HTPC w/o any problems.

 

[StevenT42]

2) does the BTO SSD + hard drive option show up as 1 drive in finder? If so how do you manage the data bW the two. I heard apps default to SSD but what if you want other data in there. Is there anything new in mountain lion to manage this?

If you are speaking of the Fusion Drive, yes, they show up as one drive in the Finder, but two drives in disk status utilities like iStat Menu. (I know this because I have one.) The OS manages the data between the two.

 

[hfg]

If you are speaking of the Fusion Drive, yes, they show up as one drive in the Finder, but two drives in disk status utilities like iStat Menu. (I know this because I have one.) The OS manages the data between the two.

Since you have a Fusion drive ... could you look in Disk Utility and see of the Fusion array is listed under the RAID tab? Also, what is your OS X version as shipped?

Thanks

 

[kdoug]

Since you have a Fusion drive ... could you look in Disk Utility and see of the Fusion array is listed under the RAID tab? Also, what is your OS X version as shipped?

Thanks

Iowa City here!

 

[Cave Man]

sorry to resurrect this thread.



How well would it handle as a HTPC and HD movies? Thinking about getting the Mac Mini ($799 version) to use as my HTPC/Plex. Read that the 2011 version was good for HTPC uses. So looking at the 2012, thought it would be better but I saw the HD4000 as being the only video card in the 2012 with no option to upgrade to something like the 6630. Would it still be able to handle its duties as a HTPC?

The gpu has almost nothing to do with video playback and shouldn't be a factor in your decision.

----------

If you are speaking of the Fusion Drive, yes, they show up as one drive in the Finder, but two drives in disk status utilities like iStat Menu. (I know this because I have one.) The OS manages the data between the two.

That post was from June.

 

[StevenT42]

Since you have a Fusion drive ... could you look in Disk Utility and see of the Fusion array is listed under the RAID tab? Also, what is your OS X version as shipped?

Thanks

There is no RAID tab.

OS X 10.8.2 (12C2034)