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Getting the new mini :)

I

iamsen47

macrumors regular
Original poster
Too much whining, needs some balancing.

I've been holding off on this purchase since August and I'm glad.

Getting the mid as is.
Putting in my own RAM and SSD.

Usage: web design and development.
 
iamsen47 said:
Too much whining, needs some balancing.

I've been holding off on this purchase since August and I'm glad.

Getting the mid as is.
Putting in my own RAM and SSD.

Usage: web design and development.
Click to expand...

I'm doing the same things. Just ordered the base model and adding a Vertex 4 SSD and 8GB RAM.
 
Are you confident putting the SSD in there? I kinda fear I'd break the whole thing before even using it ...
 
Poki said:
Sure, but for that kind of money you almost can get the internal 256 GB SSD from Apple.
Click to expand...
I would like to see philipma's opinion here. I replaced the HD of my 2010 Mini and had some problems with the antenna when I reassembled the machine. I decided to use a T-bolt enclosure for the SSD of my 2011 Mini after philipma recommended it in a different thread.
 
Bunyak said:
I would like to see philipma's opinion here. I replaced the HD of my 2010 Mini and had some problems with the antenna when I reassembled the machine. I decided to use a T-bolt enclosure for the SSD of my 2011 Mini after philipma recommended it in a different thread.
Click to expand...

What did you pay for the exclosure + SSD?
 
I thought hard about getting the mid-level with the FusionDrive [+$225], but at the end of the day, I don't really need the quad core performance. So I would essentially be paying $425 just for the fusion drive, which, while not totally crazy, is more than I want to pay for a hard drive. So I opted for the entry level and will probably upgrade to a standard SSD if I feel it's not fast enough (I already have 8GB of 1600Mhz RAM waiting to pop in).
 
Poki said:
What did you pay for the exclosure + SSD?
Click to expand...
The T-bolt cable was $49, the Seagate STAE122 enclosure was $180 and the 256GB Samsung 830 SSD was $200. It boots in about 17 seconds.

A top-tier SSD should be a lot cheaper by now. The benefit of the STAE122 is that it can daisy-chain a second monitor. I use the internal HD for Windows 7 in Boot Camp.
 
thoughts on swapping the hdd for and ssd and using an external for storage of media? i was planning on going with the server but with the mid level now the same performance sans 2 hdds, id like to put an extra in on my own, but is it even worth it if i can use usb 3.0?
 
Bunyak said:
The T-bolt cable was $49, the Seagate STAE122 enclosure was $180 and the 256GB Samsung 830 SSD was $200. It boots in about 17 seconds.

A top-tier SSD should be a lot cheaper by now. The benefit of the STAE122 is that it can daisy-chain a second monitor. I use the internal HD for Windows 7 in Boot Camp.
Click to expand...

Still more expensive than Apple's quite expensive solution ...
 
iamsen47 said:
Famous last words: How hard can it be?
Click to expand...

Watch this! Hold my beer!

Congrats to those who aren't being little babies...

Windows gaming systems (good ones) cost a lot. Apple will not be any different. If they added an upgraded card to the mac mini, that would jack up the price. By then, I'd rather get the the (r)MBP or an iMac to play games.

I will most likely go with the mid mac mini and upgrade my own ram and SSD drive (that I already have). Then again, a 2010 mac mini (server) would suit my needs fine for home use. Might go with the cheaper 2011 mac mini.

Either way, quit being babies; gamers.
 
I'm happy too. I was only going to purchase the base model mini regardless, so the CPU bump is good enough for me. Ive ordered one with a new magic mouse and wireless keyboard to act as a HTPC.
 
blanka said:
In the 2011 model it is no picknick. You need a big set of iFixit tools for it and a special cable and bracket.
Click to expand...

Yup. I put a 750gb Momentus in mine a little while ago (think Fusion drive, but w/out an Apple logo)...turned the (slow) stock drive into a Time Machine, bootcamped the Momentus (250gb Win7 partition to boot straight into Steam Big Picture), hooked up an external 2tb WD Passport as a Media drive, HDMI to a 60" HDTV, and called it a day...but it was a long, stressful, nerve-wracking day 😱

You literally have to *gut* your Mini to get a 2nd drive in, or to swap out the stock one. Plenty of support (vids, walkthroughs, etc) on iFixit, but you're gonna hafta pick up a $75 kit if you go dual drive.

Today's update is decent for anyone who doesn't have one currently, but I don't see a huge reason to upgrade just yet. I'll wait for the next revision.

Note 1: no discrete graphics card option on the new models...not sure how the Intel 4000 benches against my current one, but I doubt it's a night/day difference.

Note 2: 2011 models can also run with 16gb of RAM, so that can be crossed off the "new features" list.

Note 3: regardless of whatever I've written above, upgrading still occasionally crosses my mind... 😉
 
This sounds about right. There's a clear line in the sand between the mini line and iMac line - yeah, Mini users will always WISH for top of the line gear, but it just isn't going to happen from a business standpoint.

This does open up some interest opportunities though - for someone who wants a little more graphics bump might be better off going with the 2.7ghz dual core AMD refurb which dropped in price lower than the mid-range.

I mean the HD4000 isn't junk. It's not that great either. It's a nice little office machine.

I am pretty disappointed with the iMacs though in appearance. I do however like that the screen is anti-glare. I might need to sell my mini and opt into that for some extra power.
 
xheathen said:
This sounds about right. There's a clear line in the sand between the mini line and iMac line - yeah, Mini users will always WISH for top of the line gear, but it just isn't going to happen from a business standpoint.

I mean the HD4000 isn't junk. It's not that great either. It's a nice little office machine.
Click to expand...

First, we don't need high-end gear, only the thing they put into the lowest end iMac, the GT 640M.

Second, please don't call it office machine. It has more than enough power for serious work - as long as you don't want to play games. Oh, and the HD4000 is just as fast as a GeForce GT 9600M, which is the card inside my MacBook Pro. So at least it wouldn't be a downgrade.
 
ess5 said:
You literally have to *gut* your Mini to get a 2nd drive in, or to swap out the stock one. Plenty of support (vids, walkthroughs, etc) on iFixit, but you're gonna hafta pick up a $75 kit if you go dual drive.
Click to expand...

Get the one on OWC - $40. That's the one I used and it worked great.

I put an SSD in mine - gutted the whole thing. The whole thing took about 45 minutes and wasn't bad. What was funny is the antenna plate took almost 15 minutes on its own. What a pain!

I'm pretty happy about the upgrade for completely selfish reasons. Having last year's model with a SSD and discrete GPU makes the upgrade not really a huge priority 😛 I may wait until the 21.5" iMac goes on sale as a refurb. That anti-glare screen may be enough to pull the trigger and pair it with my existing monitor.

----------
Poki said:
First, we don't need high-end gear, only the thing they put into the lowest end iMac, the GT 640M.

Second, please don't call it office machine. It has more than enough power for serious work - as long as you don't want to play games. Oh, and the HD4000 is just as fast as a GeForce GT 9600M, which is the card inside my MacBook Pro. So at least it wouldn't be a downgrade.
Click to expand...

Why does office machine imply weak? 🙂 I even play games with my current Mini.
 
xheathen said:
Why does office machine imply weak? 🙂 I even play games with my current Mini.
Click to expand...

When I hear office machine, I always have to think of a old, ugly secretary typing letters with two fingers ... That really doesn't fit a Mac Mini at all. 😱
 
Poki said:
When I hear office machine, I always have to think of a old, ugly secretary typing letters with two fingers ... That really doesn't fit a Mac Mini at all. 😱
Click to expand...

🙄

Folks who work as "secretaries" are usually proficient touch-typists, which means using all ten fingers with a fast-as-heck words-per-minute...
 
Mojo1 said:
🙄

Folks who work as "secretaries" are usually proficient touch-typists, which means using all ten fingers with a fast-as-heck words-per-minute...
Click to expand...

I know, but there's this weird thing called "imagination". 😉
 
Does anyone know if upgrading the 2.3 to 2.6 is worth the $100? I will be using it for more than just web browsing (adobe, final cut, a little autocad).
 
Gman021 said:
Does anyone know if upgrading the 2.3 to 2.6 is worth the $100? I will be using it for more than just web browsing (adobe, final cut, a little autocad).
Click to expand...

Well, it's about a 10% difference. That's also what you can expect at export and render times.
 
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