How upgradeable are Macs?

[Gary King]

How upgradeable are Macs? Such as me being able to add my own components, and is it cheaper to do things myself? I hear that the Mac Mini is pretty tough to install new RAM?

Also, for new hard drives, is it better to get an extra internal drive or a external firewire drive? Such as the Mac Mini?

 

[iGary]

How upgradeable are Macs? Such as me being able to add my own components, and is it cheaper to do things myself? I hear that the Mac Mini is pretty tough to install new RAM?

Also, for new hard drives, is it better to get an extra internal drive or a external firewire drive? Such as the Mac Mini?

You can upgrade just about any Mac you want, including the Mac Mini; it all depends on your technical and mechanical abilities as well as how well you work with small things.

Most anyone can do a RAM install on a mini, if they follow the instructions and take their time. Other upgrades require increasing skill levels.

 

[CanadaRAM]

On the Mini, plan on an external firewire drive. Replacing the 2.5" internal drive is moderately difficult and relatively expensive because it uses a laptop drive.

The RAM is about the only thing you want to be upgradeing inside the Mini.

You will probably want to get a USB2.0 hub, as the Mini has only 2 USB ports.

Thanks
Trevor
CanadaRAM.com

 

[GFLPraxis]

Except the graphics cards. The Mac Mini, iMac, and eMac do NOT have upgradeable graphics cards, only the PowerMac does.

 

[stevey500]

The powermac G3 and G4s have upgradable Processors, Ram, Video, PCI Expansion and overclocking capabilities... The powermac G5s I know the Processors are removable but I don't know about upgradable *-)...

 

[dmw007]

How upgradeable are Macs? Such as me being able to add my own components, and is it cheaper to do things myself? I hear that the Mac Mini is pretty tough to install new RAM?

Also, for new hard drives, is it better to get an extra internal drive or a external firewire drive? Such as the Mac Mini?

on the mini-

-RAM is pretty easy to pop in. (open case, remove old dimm of ram, install new dimm, close case)
-The hard drive and optical drive are a little harder but not impossible.
-Just be very careful when you are upgrading your mini- if you break anything you will have to pay Apple to fix it. Applecare will not cover anything you break inside the mini while you are snooping around.

 

[dotdotdot]

The most upgradable: PowerMac. - Upgrade almost everything
The second most: eMac - The right skills can upgrade this thing from a bad computer with a CRT to a great computer with an LCD... if you know how
The third most: iMac
The hardest: All laptops, mac mini - Only RAM is the easy one, everything else gets tricky.

THE BEST VALUE AND WHAT WONT NEED UPGRADING CURRENTLY: iMac G5