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2007 Mac Mini - upgraded to 4GB - Incredible

A

applehappy

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 22, 2007
238
14
Just wanted to share, after reading how cheap memory had gotten at Other World Computing, I decided to upgrade my 2007 Core 2 Duo's memory. I had just 1GB in it and it was slowing down often with the spinning ball of death. Got the memory and used online tutorials, including the one at other world computing, and no kidding it was a breeze.
Granted, these models max out at recognizing 3GB, but I put two 2GB sticks in so that it can run at full speed.
The difference is night and day. UNREAL. I got so happy, I went out and max'd out my screen resolution with a 23" Samsung HD monitor on sale at COSTCO. Even with the upgrades, I'm sitting at a great desktop setup that I've spent just over $1K on. Mini Core 2 duo with superdrive, 802.11n, and 4GB ram, with 23" Samsung HDTV monitor, Apple BT keyboard and mighty mouse, a USB hub, a 500GB and 250GB external drive, along with some Sony speakers I had from my long ago life using PC's. I also have an Airport Extreme (802.11n) base station and Apple TV on my network. It is a truly awesome setup that meets ALL of my needs, now with no spinning beach balls of death, ever...
Moral of the story: mini users....upgrade your memory to the max baby.
 
iLog.Genius

iLog.Genius

macrumors 601
Feb 24, 2009
4,903
451
Toronto, Ontario
Yup. I think most people underestimate what the Mac Mini can really do. Those are the computers we use at work and we run a ton of crap on it but everyday, it runs flawlessly.
 
R

robindahlia789

macrumors regular
Dec 28, 2008
183
0
i'd like to pick up one of the refurb mac minis that are on the apple site every now and then for about 400 too 500. maybe it really would be worth it:cool:
 
A

applehappy

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 22, 2007
238
14
robindahlia789 said:
i'd like to pick up one of the refurb mac minis that are on the apple site every now and then for about 400 too 500. maybe it really would be worth it:cool:
Click to expand...

Definately worth it and I think the best deal out there on used intel macs. When I bought my current mini I sold my old one (a two and a half-year-old G4) on ebay for so much that I only paid $200 for the new one. Best upgrade deal I ever had!
 
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bstreiff

macrumors regular
Feb 14, 2008
215
2
reebzor said:
hate to burst your bubble but the 2007 mini's do not have 802.11n.
Click to expand...

You can add it, though; it's just a matter of swapping out the mini-pcie card.

That said, for more bubble-bursting: '4GB' on the 2007 Mac mini isn't really 4GB, it's 3GB. (it's reported as '4GB' in several places, but if you add up 'Free', 'Wired', 'Active' and 'Inactive' in Activity Monitor, you'll end up with 3GB)
 
A

applehappy

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 22, 2007
238
14
bstreiff said:
You can add it, though; it's just a matter of swapping out the mini-pcie card.

That said, for more bubble-bursting: '4GB' on the 2007 Mac mini isn't really 4GB, it's 3GB. (it's reported as '4GB' in several places, but if you add up 'Free', 'Wired', 'Active' and 'Inactive' in Activity Monitor, you'll end up with 3GB)
Click to expand...

Uh, read my post, I mentioned the 3GB max. Still worth it to put in a matching pair if you are replacing 2x512MB like I was.
 
A

applehappy

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 22, 2007
238
14
bstreiff said:
You can add it, though; it's just a matter of swapping out the mini-pcie card.

That said, for more bubble-bursting: '4GB' on the 2007 Mac mini isn't really 4GB, it's 3GB. (it's reported as '4GB' in several places, but if you add up 'Free', 'Wired', 'Active' and 'Inactive' in Activity Monitor, you'll end up with 3GB)
Click to expand...

Where could I find a mini-pcie card? I'd do it!
 
B

bstreiff

macrumors regular
Feb 14, 2008
215
2
A

applehappy

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 22, 2007
238
14
steve2112

steve2112

macrumors 68040
Feb 20, 2009
3,023
6
East of Lyra, Northwest of Pegasus
Here is a question to the Mini community. Has anyone gone from 2GB to 3/4GB in their Mini? I have a 1.83C2D Mini that I bought used. Thankfully, the previous owner pretty much maxed it out with a Superdrive and 2GB of RAM. In most computers, the biggest boost in performance will be from 1GB to 2GB, and maybe from 2-4GB.

Basically, I'm wondering if it is worth the hassle to crack open the case and bump it to 3/4GB. Has anyone else made this jump, and if so, what kind of boost did you see?
 
nuckinfutz

nuckinfutz

macrumors 603
Jul 3, 2002
5,539
399
Middle Earth
steve2112 said:
Here is a question to the Mini community. Has anyone gone from 2GB to 3/4GB in their Mini? I have a 1.83C2D Mini that I bought used. Thankfully, the previous owner pretty much maxed it out with a Superdrive and 2GB of RAM. In most computers, the biggest boost in performance will be from 1GB to 2GB, and maybe from 2-4GB.

Basically, I'm wondering if it is worth the hassle to crack open the case and bump it to 3/4GB. Has anyone else made this jump, and if so, what kind of boost did you see?
Click to expand...

Probably won't make a huge difference. I upgraded my Core Duo 1.66Ghz to 2GB of RAM and got a big boost but I doubt I could replicate the boost by going from 2 to 3GB.

Your next upgrade should probably be on the storage subsystems. Are minis have HDD that do about 40-50MBps reads. The newest drives from Western Dig (Scorpio Black) and Seagate (Momentus 7200.4) are twice as fast. I'd recommend that as the next upgrade. I'll be placing my order for a Scorpio or Momentus within the next couple of weeks.
 
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BEEFc58

macrumors member
Sep 6, 2007
60
0
I don't want to steal the thread, but I recently did the same thing to my C2D 1.83. I upgraded the RAM to 4GB and upgraded the wireless card (I got mine of ebay for $24 shipped - something like this (I know, kinda sketch... but worth the risk for the price) http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-Airport-E...4|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1308|301:1|293:1|294:50). I installed both, and the machine runs great! Such a boost! It handles so much more!

I run mine as a media center for my home with a 1TB and 500Gb drive. Now I can run all my download and ripping programs flawlessly! The machine also starts so much quicker. Impressed. I will have to look into a superdrive if I ever upgrade to a Macbook Air in the future.

James Cole - RAM will not help with HD playback (I think that you are speaking about video quality), however, I have been able to convert HD movies using handbrake... and they looks awesome! Apple TV notes them as HD, so I know that they are.

All in all, the Mini has been the best purchase that I have ever made. I use it all day, every day. It is the hub of my home and will be for a long while (there will have to be some MAJOR upgrades to make me switch). It is hooked up to my 50 Plasma, plus streams to the Apple TV in my bedroom. What can I say, TV shows, DVD quality movies and HD (both 720p and 1080p) at my fingertips at all times in both rooms!

If anyone has questions about my setup, please PM me, I am more than happy to chat about it.... just amazing!
 
jdryyz

jdryyz

macrumors regular
Jun 12, 2007
226
11
If 2x2GB modules are used, does the full 4GB appear under boot camp if a 64bit version of Windows is installed? Minus the RAM needed for the Intel Graphics, of course.
 
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S

simon.hibbs

macrumors newbie
Aug 29, 2006
29
0
>I decided to upgrade my 2007 Core 2 Duo's memory. I had just 1GB in it and it was slowing down often with the spinning ball of death.

My old machine is a late 2006 iMac with 2GB. I could put in another GB as you did, but never bothered. I don't know how you managed with 1GB for so long though, it must have been painful.

I got a new 1012 mini with fusion drive as a replacement, but it's back in the Apple Store waiting for the firmware fix (I should relay get it back off them) so we're back with the old iMac for a while.

It's still a decent machine. Sure iMovie got just too painful to use when my iPhoto library started filling out but iPhoto itself, web browsing and general desktop apps were fine. I used to even run Windows and Linux in virtual machines (not at the same time!) and they ran OK too.

Still, the new Mini with Fusion Drive was a revelation. Everything just flew. The Windows VM started in just a couple of seconds. Minecraft and Portal were a lot of fun, and totally impossible on the old box.

Still, now we're back on the old iMac for a while it's still doing yeoman work. I've installed XBMC on it and some Chinese plugins so my in-laws can use it to watch Chinese TV in their bedroom. I'll move it up there when the Mini comes back. Not bad for a 6 year old computer.

Simon Hibbs
 
C

cmeisenzahl

macrumors 6502
Oct 7, 2005
332
27
Glad it's working well! It is amazing what a little extra RAM for breathing room can do, especially when starting from 2GB or less.
 
S

simon.hibbs

macrumors newbie
Aug 29, 2006
29
0
cmeisenzahl said:
Glad it's working well! It is amazing what a little extra RAM for breathing room can do, especially when starting from 2GB or less.
Click to expand...

I've seen reports from people with recent machines saying that going from 4GB to 8GB makes a significant difference as well.

When I ordered my Mini I also ordered 16GB RAM from Crucial. Of course that means I won't have a basis for comparison as I'm not going to use it with the 4GB, but the way I see it for £1200 worth of computer (including monitor, webcam, etc), the extra £60 is well worth it and I am looking forward to spending some quality time with iMovie.

Simon Hibbs
 
MultiFinder17

MultiFinder17

macrumors 68030
Jan 8, 2008
2,719
2,037
Tampa, Florida
Three and a half years on, and this thread finds its way back. :)
 

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jdryyz

jdryyz

macrumors regular
Jun 12, 2007
226
11
Concerning the 2007 mini, is 800MHz RAM acceptable or must you stick with 667MHz? I've heard the chipset can be picky about this.
 
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