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Installing a Second Hard Drive in Your 2011 Mac Mini

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Users can install a second hard drive in non-Server models of the new Mac Mini, according to MacRumors forum member Slyseekr. iFixit's teardown of the new Mac Mini released last month revealed enough room -- and an extra SATA port -- for a second hard drive to be installed, assuming one found the proper cable.

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Slyseekr found that cable for $49 shipped, disassembled his Mac Mini, and installed a second hard drive, saving himself hundreds of dollars off the Server model. Step-by-step instructions are available on the MacRumors Forums.

The standard disclaimers apply of course: this is not an Apple-approved upgrade and may void your warranty, but a number of our readers have reported successful upgrades.

Article Link: Installing a Second Hard Drive in Your 2011 Mac Mini
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2011/08/01/installing-a-second-hard-drive-in-your-2011-mac-mini/
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Yeah this and 1000+ dollar RAM upgrade! Woot.
 
Better yet:
Buy 2010 chassis. Buy cable. Gut your 2011 Mac Mini and reassemble it using the 2010 chassis. Install optical drive the same way. PROFIT.
 
If only these new Mini's were Quad Core, I might consider going this route with a thunderbolt Display; instead of a Solid State iMac with all the goodies. The iMac is just too good to pass up.
 
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Prodo123 said:
Better yet:
Buy 2010 chassis. Buy cable. Gut your 2011 Mac Mini and reassemble it using the 2010 chassis. Install optical drive the same way. PROFIT.
Click to expand...

****! would that work?
 
iScott428 said:
If only these new Mini's were Quad Core, I might consider going this route with a thunderbolt Display; instead of a Solid State iMac with all the goodies. The iMac is just too good to pass up.
Click to expand...
You can get a quad-core mini, just that is bundled with a second 500 GB HDD, a 4 GB RAM upgrade and the $50 Lion Server package.

If you configure the quad-core version and the 2.5 GHz version with the same drive set, they both cost the same. Essentially you trade quad-core + server add-on vs. higher CPU speed + better graphic card.

(You also trade quad-core vs. cheaper way to add memory and drives yourself.)
 
manu chao said:
You can get a quad-core mini, just that is bundled with a second 500 GB HDD, a 4 GB RAM upgrade and the $50 Lion Server package.

If you configure the quad-core version and the 2.5 GHz version with the same drive set, they both cost the same. Essentially you trade quad-core + server add-on vs. higher CPU speed + better graphic card.

(You also trade quad-core vs. cheaper way to add memory and drives yourself.)
Click to expand...

A lot of people would probably go for the quad-core server model as a high-end mini if it didn't have such a terrible graphics card. I want to see someone retrofit the quad-core server with the better graphics card in the old mini enclosure since it would have more room to fit it all! Or maybe even the standard enclosure but with only one hard drive plus the graphics card. Now is that possible?
 
macduke said:
A lot of people would probably go for the quad-core server model as a high-end mini if it didn't have such a terrible graphics card. I want to see someone retrofit the quad-core server with the better graphics card in the old mini enclosure since it would have more room to fit it all! Or maybe even the standard enclosure but with only one hard drive plus the graphics card. Now is that possible?
Click to expand...

Well, we may have something soon that may fix that:

https://www.macrumors.com/2011/08/0...pci-expansion-chassis-and-hub-in-development/
 
I agree. I was really looking at a mac mini to replace my aging macbook pro. But you HAVE TO BUY the server model to get the quad core (you can upgrade the other models to i7 dual core only).

But the AMD Radeon card ISN'T AVAILABLE for the quad core, just the intel graphics. Blah.

Pretty crappy. But it is because Apple wants to force us into there higher end/more profitable machines.

macduke said:
A lot of people would probably go for the quad-core server model as a high-end mini if it didn't have such a terrible graphics card. I want to see someone retrofit the quad-core server with the better graphics card in the old mini enclosure since it would have more room to fit it all! Or maybe even the standard enclosure but with only one hard drive plus the graphics card. Now is that possible?
Click to expand...
 
nostaws said:
Pretty crappy. But it is because Apple wants to force us into there higher end/more profitable machines.
Click to expand...

yet if apple doesn't upgrade, you complain about how out of date the computer is. Apple updates their computers typically when there have been significant upgrades in the technology.

I think its a fine business model. I mean if you really wanted you could still find the old models lingering around at some stores, or discounted used.
 
Just upgraded mine to a second hard drive after ordering a server and taking the second hard drive from that one.

Works great though you need the cable and the screws as well
 
Prodo123 said:
Better yet:
Buy 2010 chassis. Buy cable. Gut your 2011 Mac Mini and reassemble it using the 2010 chassis. Install optical drive the same way. PROFIT.
Click to expand...

Lol like anyone would want that. What a waste of time, money, and effort for a stupid optical drive.

How about, buy a $79 accessory and use it once every few months like everyone else.
 
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