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Intel Mac mini Upgraded to 2.16GHz Core Duo
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Other upgrade options for Mini
The CPU upgrade is great.
I have a nice big screen and would rather spend the money on a decent headless mac than get an iMac
This is what I would like to do, however...buy the base model and upgrade the hardrive to 7200rpm and upgrade the memory to faster timing. The hard drive can be small (I have 1.2 TBytes of external storage).
I know older macs were very picky about their timing, but given the Intel chipset used, one _should_ be able to crank up the timing.
I think you would get a BIG boost to real world performance. You would also boost the GPU performance if you crank up the memory speed.
The CPU upgrade could be done IF necessary in 6 months when the chips are cheaper
How fast can the memory go with that chipset?
Cheers
Adam
The CPU upgrade is great.
I have a nice big screen and would rather spend the money on a decent headless mac than get an iMac
This is what I would like to do, however...buy the base model and upgrade the hardrive to 7200rpm and upgrade the memory to faster timing. The hard drive can be small (I have 1.2 TBytes of external storage).
I know older macs were very picky about their timing, but given the Intel chipset used, one _should_ be able to crank up the timing.
I think you would get a BIG boost to real world performance. You would also boost the GPU performance if you crank up the memory speed.
The CPU upgrade could be done IF necessary in 6 months when the chips are cheaper
How fast can the memory go with that chipset?
Cheers
Adam
Re CPU upgrad and memory timing
I too gathered that the memory speed co8uldn't be adjusted. I was referring to timing settings (eg CAS 2) as these can make a BIG difference. I was of the impression that optimal timing values were loaded to the chipset from the RAM itself (as _I think_ happens on PCs when memory timing is set to "autodetect"). Apologies if that wasn't clear and if I'm completely wrong about timing.
Adam
I too gathered that the memory speed co8uldn't be adjusted. I was referring to timing settings (eg CAS 2) as these can make a BIG difference. I was of the impression that optimal timing values were loaded to the chipset from the RAM itself (as _I think_ happens on PCs when memory timing is set to "autodetect"). Apologies if that wasn't clear and if I'm completely wrong about timing.
Adam
Could have sworn the Intel chipset the mini uses supports SATA 300... can anybody comment on this?
MacSA said:
There's no traditional BIOS on the Intel Macs.This is the PC equivalent of Open Firmware on PPC macs. BIOS has existed like the coelocanth in a bizarre state of retarded evolution due to M$'s commitment to backward compatibility. Intel has had the tools on the shelf to build machines with a better formware solution for some time but Apple was the first to exploit it. As a result there's no ready body of developpers out there well versed enough in:
1: Apple's Firmware development history and philosophy.
2: Intel's new Firmware solution (Which is designed specifically for security-minded manufacturers who want the flexibility of Intel component interoperability while retaining unique implementations)
3: Intel and Apple's negotiation of ASICs and board-level lockouts.
You'd need an Intel CoreDuo specific programming kit to even begin on the thing and then you'd have to start with reverse-engineering the custom-implemented firmware which trumps both Open Firmware and traditional BIOS structure. Without knowing the protocols of that firmware the port is so close to impossible as makes no odds without cumbersome emulation layers or building your own firmware to replace it from the ground up and then reverse engineering an Apple-style PRAM update package to install it.
Thus, we'll subvert the hardcore PC geeks from within. Now that they can do to Macs what they do to their Acura Integras they'll get to know Mac OS and Apple design-elegance through sheer curiosity.
so in short what you mean is that Apple uses EFI and though there are Linux distros that have worked with EFI for some time, the hobbyists who have been working on the 'running Windows on a mac' problem have found that though it looks possible it would be very non-trival to adapt Windows from BIOS to EFI.... not that I would label myself an expert on the dozens of articles on this of course.
wow i got that out without using a dollar sign in microsoft
wow i got that out without using a dollar sign in microsoft
Choppaface said:
Precisely.
Though I'd glossed over Linux developpers as they are both a fairly small market and populated by some of the most extreme wireheads to date.