Broke New Mac Mini changing RAM?

[kirkbross]

SOLVED: I opened it up again and reseated the RAM.

I just got my Mac Mini and before powering it on I carefully swapped out the stock 8gb RAM for 32GB of OWC RAM -- a task not for the faint of heart compared to other models.

I consider myself handy - I build gaming PCs and am experienced with this kind of stuff, yet... when I powered it on for the very first time it made zero sound and my monitor got no signal.

However, I have an OWC Thunderbay connected and it powers on when I power on the Mac Mini so something is getting to the Thunderbolt ports when the power button is pressed, but I would expect some sound... the fan or some electric tick. It's literally dead silent except for the Thunderbay coming on.

It's possible I botched the RAM swap, or the RAM itself is bad, but I hesitate to rip it apart again and do exploratory surgery.

Should it make any sound when powering on? I'd expect the famous Apple boot chime.

Thoughts?

Ugh...

 

[F-Train]

I'd expect the famous Apple boot chime.

The mini doesn't do the Apple boot chime. Indeed, it's silent

 

[kirkbross]

The mini doesn't do the Apple boot chime. Indeed, it's silent

Good to know but it's still not generating video and I've tried HDMI and DP and Thunderbolt with two different monitors.

And the power indicator light doesn't come on.

 

[F-Train]

Sounds like you didn't run the computer before you changed out the RAM. One option is to reinstall the 8GB to confirm that the mini works.

Next option is to reinstall the 32GB. You may not have seated it properly.

At least if the RAM came from OWC, it should be the right RAM.

Did you watch OWC's video before you did this? If not, you should watch it. It's very good, easily the best of the videos out there.

 

[kirkbross]

SOLVED: I ended up opening it up and reseating the RAM and that did the trick.

It was a pain in the A... but I'm so glad it's working now.

 

[madrag]

SOLVED: I ended up opening it up and reseating the RAM and that did the trick.

It was a pain in the A... but I'm so glad it's working now.

Nice one!
Opening two times must have been a nightmare, but it ended up ok.

 

[Ploki]

The mini doesn't do the Apple boot chime. Indeed, it's silent

what? Why does it have a speaker then.

I feel duped, I'm returning mine when i get it

nah just kidding

 

[F-Train]

what? Why does it have a speaker then.

I feel duped, I'm returning mine when i get it

nah just kidding

I figure that the absence of the chime is one of the mini’s more endearing features.

Besides, the less I hear from the internal speakers, the better. Not exactly stellar sound

 

[madrag]

Yesterday I placed my 32GB RAM from Crucial, and had exactly the same problem, the led at the front of the Mini wouldn't turn on (I already knew it wouldn't have the startup chime), but the external drive that I have attached had light, which meant the Mini was indeed "on".

I lost some years of life with that scare, and since I read this topic (exactly this one), I re-opened it (this time it was really quick, compared to the first time) and found out that the RAM needs to "click" when inserting, which, as the OP said, was his problem also, the RAM was not seated properly.

I didn't know the RAM not well inserted would make the Mac behave like this.

I think the missing startup chime is what is needed here, before, when something was wrong with the hardware, the Mac would chime three times (if I remember correctly).

So, for the next person that might place the RAM by him/herself, make sure it is completey inserted down (it will either make a click, or at least, make sure the little groove at the middle is all the way down until it reaches the plastic at the RAM insertion).

Placing RAM on this Mac is not an easy job, but after the first time opening it, it is fairly easy, but not comparable to the way it was done on the MM2012. Mind you that I prefer having it hard to repalce than not being possible at all to replace!

 

[Bartjes]

It happened to me also. I messed things up twice : RAM not well seated, fan not properly reconnected. You have to keep it "cool calm and collected", use the wright tools and study the videos. And things may go wrong after all.

 

[Altis]

I've had strange intermittent problems due to RAM terminals not being cleaned before installed. Must have gotten some finger oil on the terminal strip or something because cleaning the terminals on the RAM and motherboard slots cleared it up.

Was tricky to figure out.

 

[Ploki]

nah it didn't chime, it made an unholy noise.

I've had strange intermittent problems due to RAM terminals not being cleaned before installed. Must have gotten some finger oil on the terminal strip or something because cleaning the terminals on the RAM and motherboard slots cleared it up.

Was tricky to figure out.

Doesn't the ifixit guide say with a red exclamation mark "DO NOT TOUCH THE TERMINALS" ?

 

[Altis]

nah it didn't chime, it made an unholy noise.

Doesn't the ifixit guide say with a red exclamation mark "DO NOT TOUCH THE TERMINALS" ?

I've never followed an iFixit guide, but probably. This was for a desktop PC.

I don't recall having touched them but must have, or they touched something I touched. It ran fine most of the time but would have the odd freeze under heavy load. I had assumed that dirty RAM terminals would cause it to fail much more dramatically or not at all, with not much in between.

 

[Ploki]

I've never followed an iFixit guide, but probably. This was for a desktop PC.

I don't recall having touched them but must have, or they touched something I touched. It ran fine most of the time but would have the odd freeze under heavy load. I had assumed that dirty RAM terminals would cause it to fail much more dramatically or not at all, with not much in between.

I keep some isopropanol at home for cases like that

 

[elasticmedia]

Y'all who did the RAM surgery and were sweating it: how long did this operation take and were you cursing that you didn't pay some business to do the job?

 

[Sarpanch]

Y'all who did the RAM surgery and were sweating it: how long did this operation take and were you cursing that you didn't pay some business to do the job?

Upgraded RAM to 32GB last week. Having done dual drive upgrades to 2011-12 Minis, I will rate this upgrade as simple and took me about 25 mins at relaxed pace. The part that took most time was putting the Wi-Fi cable back to the connector. Other than that, fairly straightforward.

For anyone operating on a mini for the 1st time, my only advice is to be careful while removing the connectors. I accidentally pried the IR sensor socket off the motherboard while working on my 1st Mac Mini in 2011. Since then, I have always taken extra precaution while removing the connectors.

 

[opeter]

Y'all who did the RAM surgery and were sweating it: how long did this operation take and were you cursing that you didn't pay some business to do the job?

Well, for me it took about 20 minutes. But I have to admit, I watched a video and also looked at the pictures on iFixit.

 

[KennethS]

Upgraded RAM to 32GB last week. Having done dual drive upgrades to 2011-12 Minis, I will rate this upgrade as simple and took me about 25 mins at relaxed pace. The part that took most time was putting the Wi-Fi cable back to the connector. Other than that, fairly straightforward.

For anyone operating on a mini for the 1st time, my only advice is to be careful while removing the connectors. I accidentally pried the IR sensor socket off the motherboard while working on my 1st Mac Mini in 2011. Since then, I have always taken extra precaution while removing the connectors.

+1

I am not particularly adept at working with small connectors. I took it slow and watched several how-to videos to familiarise myself with the process. It took less than 30 minutes. My advice is make certain you have the correct tools and, in particular, drivers with magnetic tips. Take it slow and work in a location with good lighting. As with Sarpanch, the biggest fiddle for me was reconnecting the Wi-Fi cable. It really is not difficult if you work slowly and with care when dealing with the smaller connectors.

 

[madrag]

Y'all who did the RAM surgery and were sweating it: how long did this operation take and were you cursing that you didn't pay some business to do the job?

Immediatley after my scare, where the Mac wouldn't work, I thought that maybe it would have been best to pay for someone else to do it, but after re-opening it, it made me think that it was not that bad, but note that if it can be user replaceable, I would never pay for an Apple RAM at those costs.

As others have said, take it slow, with the right tools and care, it is easy.

I have to say that it took me about 50 minutes for the first time, but I was really taking it slow. The second time it took me about 10/15 minutes (not counting the time it took me to verify the RAM and assess that the RAM was properly placed!), after you've done it the first time it is simple.

I agree that the wifi connector is the most "difficult" part in the process, but it's all in the position that you leave the grid, I followed the OWC video, but at my second try, I turned the grid to the right (not left, as in the video) and the connector replacement and bolt screwing were easier.

Also the rubber sides of the RAM, took me some work the first time, the second time it was easy.

 

[Jamers99]

I called Apple Tech Support and they told me I would void my Apple Care+ warranty if I upgraded the memory myself. I called the Apple store and they will only install their memory for a price of $400 for 16gb and $80 for 32gb. Crazy prices. Why is everyone on this board saying you won't void your warranty if you do it yourself?

 

[iApplereviews]

I called Apple Tech Support and they told me I would void my Apple Care+ warranty if I upgraded the memory myself. I called the Apple store and they will only install their memory for a price of $400 for 16gb and $80 for 32gb. Crazy prices. Why is everyone on this board saying you won't void your warranty if you do it yourself?

You only void your warranty if you damage something doing it. If you upgrade your RAM and next month the power supply fails that's unrelated. They would have to cover that. Not Apple's decision it's law.

 

[CE3]

You only void your warranty if you damage something doing it. If you upgrade your RAM and next month the power supply fails that's unrelated. They would have to cover that. Not Apple's decision it's law.

It may be the law, but if they have evidence you opened up the Mini and serviced it, they’ll probably find a way to use that evidence to deny a warranty repair regardless. I wouldn’t spend the money on AppleCare+ if I intended to upgrade the RAM myself. I’d spend it on RAM instead The only official statement from Apple regarding RAM upgrades is from the screenshot above, right?

 

[Ploki]

That's why I'm keeping the original 2x4GB sticks in case somethings fails under warranty.

swap back and voila. If you do it clean there's no evidence of you being in there.

Worth 500$? Up to individual to decide.

 

[opeter]

Why is everyone on this board saying you won't void your warranty if you do it yourself?

Well, here we have only 1 year of warranty (and no official AppleCare support), so it doesn't really matter.

 

[F-Train]

It may be the law, but if they have evidence you opened up the Mini and serviced it, they’ll probably find a way to use that evidence to deny a warranty repair regardless. I wouldn’t spend the money on AppleCare+ if I intended to upgrade the RAM myself. I’d spend it on RAM instead The only official statement from Apple regarding RAM upgrades is from the screenshot above, right?

First of all, I have been told by staff at two of the New York stores that they were instructed to say that it will not void the warranty. Secondly, the screenshot does not in fact say that installing RAM oneself will void the warranty. Thirdly, I think that Tim Cook and staff have better things to do than spend their time trying to figure out how to void a warranty, in the process violating Apple’s legal obligations, on a problem that has nothing to do with RAM. That kind of behaviour runs counter to every dealing that I’ve had with Apple staff over a period of ten years. Finally, I have purchased AppleCare+, I am installing RAM myself, and I am not worried about this. If you are, then don’t do it.