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Mac mini 2014 base model

S

Sherpa_man

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 16, 2016
9
1
Hi,

I'm sorry if this has been asked but I'm getting a lot of difference answears to my question.

I have had macs for years now from mac book to retina iMac.

I have just bought a Mac mini, only the base model and the performance is so slow.

I know it's not a high end mac but just loading up iTunes or photos takes an age.
I have only installed the apps last night so it's still doing its thing but after reading a lot of posts, people are saying it's the hard drive that's the problem. Is this true? Will I do a big performance jump with a ssd installed?

As I say I'm only using it for iTunes and photos.

Many thanks for your help in advance.
 
Sherpa_man said:
Hi,

I'm sorry if this has been asked but I'm getting a lot of difference answears to my question.

I have had macs for years now from mac book to retina iMac.

I have just bought a Mac mini, only the base model and the performance is so slow.

I know it's not a high end mac but just loading up iTunes or photos takes an age.
I have only installed the apps last night so it's still doing its thing but after reading a lot of posts, people are saying it's the hard drive that's the problem. Is this true? Will I do a big performance jump with a ssd installed?

As I say I'm only using it for iTunes and photos.

Many thanks for your help in advance.
Click to expand...


As a fellow Mini owner: My advice:

Just pick an SSD of your choice (size and brand) - take the time to install, don't bother
question any further and enjoy your awesome (and fast) "new" machine!

PS: Make sure that your model allows for swapping HDDs/SSDs- I believe there were some issues with internal connectors with the 2014 version
 
Thanks for the advice!

Do you know how I can tell if I can on mine? Also will it make a big difference?
 
First you should increase your RAM (it's easy too). It only comes with 4GB and this causes disk swapping when loading several apps.
 
I got one of these myself a couple months ago to replace a base 2012 mini iTunes server that I needed for something else. I agree, the base 2014 model is surprisingly slow. This really doesn't matter for my application as an iTunes server (just sits in a cabinet running iTUnes 24/7). But I would not find it acceptable for general use. I suppose you could try to put a SSD inside, but evidently that isn't so easy on the 2014 model. Do you really want to void your warranty and risk damaging a brand new computer?

You could get an external USB3 SSD I suppose. I'm sure it would help, but it might also be spending good money after bad. Personally, I'd give serious consideration to returning it, then getting another machine that is a better match for your needs.
 
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I have just swapped out my iMac for a gaming pc and I wanted a small mac solution for iTunes and my photos.
 
For less than 100 $ you can add a 120GB SSD externally and boot from there, making a very capable and fast machine. Still the cheapest way to get a Mac.
 
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OP:

You need to understand that "digging into" a Mini to install a SATA SSD is not for the feint-of-heart, with considerable possibilities of "breaking something" during the process. Just go into it "eyes wide open".

Having said that, it's very easy to plug in an external USB3 SSD and get a -HUGE- boost in overall performance.

Something like this would do the trick:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00ZTRY532?tag=delt-20

If you're going to return the Mini, you could get one with either the 1tb "fusion" drive OR a "straight SSD". The fusion drive (in my opinion) would do great for your intended tasks.

Opinion follows:
Here's one more post from someone who bought a Mini with an HDD inside, and then reports "that it's too slow".
Which is why I advise that (if buying a Mini) one should buy ONLY configurations with a fusion drive or an SSD...
 
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I haven't attempted any real "analysis", but my base 2014 mini is noticeably slower than the base 2012 model it replaced. Both machines have the stock 500gb hard drive, and the Blackmagic Disk Test reports about 100MB/sec for both machines. Both machines have the stock 4gb RAM. And when I say "slow", I am not comparing photoshop or games or anything. Just talking about everyday stuff like opening System Preferences for example.

Perhaps it has something to do with El Capitan on the 2014 vs Mavericks on my 2012? I'm sure the external SSD will help, but this just seems to be a slow computer in general.

Sherpa_man said:
I can't understand why this was launched.
Click to expand...

You certainly aren't alone there! :D
 
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I"ll be getting a Mac Mini for basic recording in garageband, just a guitar through an interface & drum tracks (either the built in drums or other plugins)

Would this be feasible on the base 2014 model? I don't mind if things take a while to open etc as long as it would record clean tracks. Thanks for any insight.
 
ActionableMango said:
To have a high quality but low end computer for people who don't need to do much other than browse the web and run a simple app or two.
Click to expand...

That is a noble enough goal, but IMO, the 2012 model that it replaced was much better, in addition to being user-upgradeable. Geekbench scores are a little better on the 2012 model. Apple made a big deal of dropping the price to $500 from $600 for the base 2012 model. But at the point when the 2014 Mini was introduced, the street price of the 2012 Mini was $550. So for a $50 savings you got a slower machine that was less upgradeable.

Now I will admit, it's not all bad. The 2014 model has 802.11ac wifi which is much faster than the 2012. That probably won't be noticeable unless you are using shared disks on a local network and have a compatible router though. And the 2014 has a better graphics system. But I think it's fair to say the 2014 was a disappointment to many people.

At the high end of the Mini line, it's even worse IMO. I just got a used 2012 top spec quad core Mini. It is 50% faster than the current top of the line 2014 Mini….
 
it's easiest to go with an external SSD as others have pointed out. But, you can swap the internal on the 2014 if you won't mind losing your warranty ;).

It's not for the faint of heart however as it means taking the entire thing apart. Here are a couple videos. The first one is a PCIe.


If you can still return it or trade it for one with an Apple fusion drive (better than just a spinner) that's another route to take. I'm thinking about picking up a used 2012 myself as I don't need the upgraded WiFi, Thunderbolt 2 or graphics.
 
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