2014 Mac mini Upgrade - Will this SSD work?

[madsci954]

Instead of waiting on a new Mac, I have decide to replace the slow as BEEP HDD with an SSD. My question is will this drive fit and connect with no problem?

https://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=N82E16820147374

Also, my plan is to use clone software, like CCC, and clone my HDD to the SSD externally before I install, since I've never replaced a Mac HDD before. Is that a good course of action?

 

[keysofanxiety]

Instead of waiting on a new Mac, I have decide to replace the slow as BEEP HDD with an SSD. My question is will this drive fit and connect with no problem?

https://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=N82E16820147374

Also, my plan is to use clone software, like CCC, and clone my HDD to the SSD externally before I install, since I've never replaced a Mac HDD before. Is that a good course of action?

Yep, that'll be grand.

With regards to installing the OS, CCC will work fine. If you have an existing TM backup, you can also restore that directly to the SSD. You can even install the OS by plugging the SSD in externally, holding CMD+R on startup, and selecting 'Reinstall OS X' to the SSD. Then swap over the drives and use Migration Assistant to drop over the apps/data.

Honestly, sky's the limit with installing OS X. The installation process is far more versatile than Windows. If you're happy with the cloning route, CCC's the tool for the job.

 

[Fishrrman]

FWIW, I don't think it's advisable to spend over $300 for an SSD for the Mini.

I'd go with something smaller -- 512 or 525gb or so (such as the new Crucial MX300).
And MUCH cheaper.

ALSO -- I'd install and run the SSD -EXTERNALLY-, leaving the original HDD "in place".
A drive mounted externally using USB3 will run nearly as fast as if it were mounted internally (I'd reckon at least 85% of the speed).

This will give you TWO drives' worth of storage capacity.

I have no problem with external drives on my (physical) desk.
I also don't see any problems with managing more than one drive at a time.

My opinion only.

 

[Boyd01]

A drive mounted externally using USB3 will run nearly as fast as if it were mounted internally (I'd reckon at least 85% of the speed).

I have a 2012 and a 2014 mini, both have the original 500gb drives that clock around 100MB/sec with BlackMagic. I have a bootable clone on a USB 3.0 hard drive that clocks at 180MB/sec, almost twice as fast. Have not done any real testing, but the Mini doesn't "feel" any faster using that external drive, so I wonder how accurate your 85% guess is?

I am pretty experienced at taking things apart and putting them back together, but not sure if I'd risk putting a SSD inside the mini, sounds like there are some pretty fragile parts in there.

 

[Fishrrman]

Boy wrote:
"Have not done any real testing, but the Mini doesn't "feel" any faster using that external drive, so I wonder how accurate your 85% guess is?"

Sumthin' ain't right with your setup.

I have a late-2012 Mac Mini i7 quad-core, with a 1tb HDD inside.
I boot and run it using a Crucial SSD sitting in a plugable.com USB3/SATA dock.

I get write speeds of 430mbps.
I get reads of 260-270mbps.

That is significantly faster.

 

[Boyd01]

Sumthin' ain't right with your setup.

If you read what I wrote, I was using an external HARD DRIVE that clocks at 180gb/sec and not a SSD. I already had the drive and wanted to see if it would speed up the Mini to boot from it, since it's almost twice as fast as the internal drive. The Mini didn't feel any faster. I'm sure I would notice a speed increase with an external SSD, but just wondered if an external is really "85% as fast" as an internal SSD.

Curious as to why you are getting write speeds that are so much faster than read speeds, is that a typo?

 

[!!!]

I wouldn't use an external USB 3 drive to boot. You'd be taking up an extra USB port, and the OS has more control if its internal - SMART Status, TRIM, etc. USB is not made to run an OS on a disk, SATA is.

 

[Fishrrman]

Above post says:
"I wouldn't use an external USB 3 drive to boot."

I've been booting and running my late-2012 Mini from "an external booter" for almost 4 years now.
TRIM means NOTHING on my setup.
It boots and runs as rapidly today, as it did when I first set it up in January of 2013.

Again, in the real world, TRIM means NOTHING.
Aside: in the world of forums, TRIM is a term for dilettantes to argue about...

And where did you EVER get the idea that "USB is not made to run an OS on a disk"?
A Mac will boot and run just fine using any connection method that works -- SCSI, USB, Firewire, thunderbolt, SATA, etc.
Get a drive connected, and it will run.
The faster the connection, the better the overall performance.

My opinion only.
Others will disagree.
Some will disagree vehemently.

 

[Dankman2009]

I agree with what Fishrrman stated. I've used a USB3 USAP enclosure (be sure it is a USAP enclosure not a ordinary USB3 enclosure) with a Samsung Evo 950 500gb drive for about a year, and no issue at all. OS runs perfectly fine on the external drive.

Regarding the loss of a USB port, just buy a reliable USB3 hub for cheap.

For me, it was better than opening the unit and screwing around with it. Didn't have time for it and take the chance of messing something up. And the performance difference between internal and external is negligible at best. The only caveat to this is, I believe the 2014 internal drives offers speeds of 700mb or higher. You will not reach these speeds with a USAP USB3 enclosure, it would have to be some variation of a Thunderbolt enclosure.

 

[madsci954]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I decided to go with my original plan. Got the SSD and all the tools, used iFixit guide, and got the whole thing torn down and swapped the drives in an hour, 2-3 if you add the time to run CCC. My Mac is flying now.