How many DIMMs in stock Mac mini

[legacyb4]

Looking at getting a refurb 1GB early 2009 Mac mini.

I'm assuming it's like the MacBooks that ship with 2 x 512MB rather than 1 x 1GB DIMMs; is this the case?

Thanks.

 

[Bennieboy©]

Yes, the mac mini has 2 dimm slots 😉

 

[zmttoxics]

Yes, the mac mini has 2 dimm slots 😉

Yes, 2 slots, doesn't mean it comes with 2x512 though. My girlfriends 2009 mini came with 1x1gb (which was lame, single channel memory mode).

 

[legacyb4]

Thanks. Think I might opt for the 2GB RAM/320GBHD model instead to save myself the hassle of stripping apart the mini.

Of course, then that's starting to edge in on the current 2.26Ghz model at 2GB RAM/160GB HD... (sigh)

I'm putting together an HTPC replacement for an older PC-based unit I had built a few years back so I guess the total Ghz in the unit isn't really that big of an issue; I'd probably get better bang for buck spending the $100 on a 1 TB hard drive instead.

 

[jzuena]

Thanks. Think I might opt for the 2GB RAM/320GBHD model instead to save myself the hassle of stripping apart the mini.

Of course, then that's starting to edge in on the current 2.26Ghz model at 2GB RAM/160GB HD... (sigh)

I'm putting together an HTPC replacement for an older PC-based unit I had built a few years back so I guess the total Ghz in the unit isn't really that big of an issue; I'd probably get better bang for buck spending the $100 on a 1 TB hard drive instead.

The new minis are not hard to open up at all. I'd just get the base model and upgrade the hard drive. If the refurb only has 1GB of memory, I'd bump that up too while the system is open. While it may be possible to get one with a single 1GB memory module, especially in a refurb, it will likely have 2 matching memory modules. Mine came with 2x 512MB which I replaced with 2x 2GB.

My old 2006 mini worked fine as an HTPC until I gave it to my mom. It ran Plex and Mythfrontend and played everything I threw at it. I didn't have any 1080p content to test, though.

 

[legacyb4]

Crikey, that'll teach me to fall asleep at the wheel.

In the course of writing this thread, the 2 minis I had my eye on are gone.

Back to square one...

 

[savoirfaire]

Crikey, that'll teach me to fall asleep at the wheel.

In the course of writing this thread, the 2 minis I had my eye on are gone.

Back to square one...

Keep watching, they pop in and out very quickly. FWIW, I got a refurb 2.0 ghz 2009 Mac Mini and it came with a single 1gb SODIMM, so I'm not sure if there is any way to predict what you will end up with!

 

[legacyb4]

Thanks for the tip.

I did read afterwards from http://lowendmac.com/musings/09mm/2009-mac-mini-value.html that

For the first time ever, Apple is selling an Intel-based Mac mini that needn't use matching memory modules. If you buy the top-end model, it has two 1 GB modules, but the low-end model uses a single 1 GB module. That means you can expand memory a stick at a time, and at the low-end it also means you don't have to remove a module to add another one. That's value.

It really sounds like this year's models are starting to be worthy for consideration (dual monitor support, FW 800, etc.)

Keep watching, they pop in and out very quickly. FWIW, I got a refurb 2.0 ghz 2009 Mac Mini and it came with a single 1gb SODIMM, so I'm not sure if there is any way to predict what you will end up with!