Mac Mini (Late 2012) Suggestions for final config please.

[Tesla1856]

"I am curious, I have read that some Mac mini 2012 users keep their Mac mini 2012 on "Low" Sierra.
Why? What makes "Low" Sierra the better option than anything beyond it like High Sierra or Mojave?"

Low Sierra is the last Mac OS that has HFS+ as the "native file system".

Yes, I was initially worried about APFS myself, as it seemed like a major change. My main-drive is a SSD, so it got converted to APFS. My Time-Machine HDD and BootCamp partition were un-affected.

Seemed to work fine then and since. So, it turned out to be a non-issue for me.

 

[Che Castro]

Mac mini 2012 i5, 16gb ram , SSD

I’m staying on high Sierra only due to iMessages/text sync with iCloud coming with high Sierra

 

[Ungibbed]

2012 Mini i5, 250GB SSD, 16GB.

I don’t do much with my Mac anymore aside from music management, photos, and internet. Of course the boring things like MS Office.

Still I do put it through it’s paces running a Windows 10 VM in Parallels, thus making the jump to 16GB. On other level, Complete Anatomy ‘21. (the app just hammers the poor HD4000, My second generation iPP runs smoother)

 

[Tesla1856]

Well, I finally took my Mac-Mini (Late 2012)
SSD (SATA-3/600), Intel i5 Dual-Core (4 Threaded), 4gb ram
from Mojave, up to Catalina.

It was working fine on Mojave (I even had X-Code running on it a while back). It's now pretty laggy just using the desktop. I know I only have 4gb ram, but it says I'm only using 2.5gb (so I still have 1.5gb free without heavy swapping).

It looks like maybe Catalina is just too much for the dual-core processor. It really feels like an Apple machine running it's "last OS" and extended a bit too far. I think I might have to clean-install back to Mojave. I just hate to be that far behind, macOS-wise. Since I just Upgraded, I'm hoping that maybe it's just indexing or something (and will speed-up a bit later).

 

[Tesla1856]

OK, after letting these Processes below run for a while and then rebooting, it is doing much better.
For some reason, it was going crazy Spotlight Indexing my files and analyzing my Photos (I guess from my iCloud Photo Library) .

These were the high CPU % ones:
VTDecoderXPCService
Photos
photoanalysisd
mediaanalysisd
mdworker
mds

I guess the Spotlight indexing is normal, and I like the little "Pet Friends 2021" slide-shows is builds for me, but I think it's supposed to do that while I'm not trying to use the computer for other things.

What a relief. I'll keep an eye on it.

 

[AlixSPQR]

I'd advise anyone to max out on RAM and certainly to swap the old spinning HDD for an SSD in this mini. Otherwise, the experience won't be optimal.

 

[weckart]

I guess the Spotlight indexing is normal, and I like the little "Pet Friends 2021" slide-shows is builds for me, but I think it's supposed to do that while I'm not trying to use the computer for other things.

What a relief. I'll keep an eye on it.

I just block Spotlight on all my installs now. Can't stand how mdworker etc ramp up the temps and writing all those tiny little files constantly isn't going to do SSDs any good.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

4gb of RAM is simply not enough for late-model releases of the Mac OS.
You need more.

Simple, cost-effective solution:
Buy ONE 8gb DIMM.
Take the bottom cover off and replace the "topmost" DIMM (with the Mini upside-down).
This will give you 10gb of installed RAM, which should be fine.

A good source I use (in the US):

Mac Mini Memory Upgrades

DMS offers Apple Memory Upgrades for all Mac Mini Intel Core and G4 Models. Use our Apple Memory Finder to find the right RAM for your model Mac Mini.

www.datamemorysystems.com

 

[Tesla1856]

OP:

4gb of RAM is simply not enough for late-model releases of the Mac OS.
You need more.

Thanks, I think so also.

It's just that I thought 4gb of RAM was enough when just running Catalina and small/baby Apple-included programs ... just to see if Catalina would run acceptably on my little i5-dually (without dropping-back to Mojave).

I didn't want to (finally, after all these years) upgrade the memory if it would not really help. Especially if retiring the old Mac-Mini was being considered.

I need to read-closer, but these seem to be saying the same thing. I thought if Memory-Pressure was staying Green, the 4gb of memory wasn't really affecting performance:

Check if your Mac needs more RAM in Activity Monitor

Use Activity Monitor on your Mac to see if memory is being used efficiently and if you need more memory (RAM).

support.apple.com

and

Slow Mac? Here’s How to Figure Out If You Need More RAM — GeekHampton

Is your Mac slowing down when you have a lot of apps and documents open? It may be running out of memory—learn why and what you can do about it.

www.geekhampton.com

 

[Tesla1856]

Spotlight finished Indexing.
Photos finished re-building local-library of iCloud Photo Library (or whatever it's called).
So, all those Programs and related Processes eventually finished (and stopped monopolizing my CPU).

I also tracked down and corrected the "deleted" Process as well.
- Fix 1 = It's your "About this Mac" window. Keep this closed when not using it.
- Fix 2 = Sys-Prefs/Users & Groups , Login Items, delete Simple Hub and iTunesHelper (both were removed and had error-triangles on them anyway). Rebooted.

Seems fine now.
I can even use machine while the TimeMachine backup is running.

I'll probably still upgrade the memory, but I did notice I can have Photos, Notes, Safari, Word 2021, Excel 2021 (and Activity Monitor) all running and my Memory Pressure stays Green (with just 4gb ram). Also "Swap Used" stays at 0 (or low, in MB).

Since Mavericks in 2012, each OSX/macOS has been upgraded/overlaid . At first, I was wondering if a clean-install might speed it up a bit, but now, I'm not so sure (as it is running good now).

Hey, Kingston SATA-3/600 SSD speed is read=482/267=write. Does that sound right ?

 

[MacCheetah3]

Hey, Kingston SATA-3/600 SSD speed is read=482/267=write. Does that sound right ?

Yes.

 

[Tesla1856]

Yes.

Kingston SATA-3/600 SSD speed is read=482/267=write.

You know, I think Writes have always been kinda low. Is that because SATA is "cpu bound" and I just have the little i5-Dual-Core ?

 

[Tesla1856]

OP:

4gb of RAM is simply not enough for late-model releases of the Mac OS.
You need more.

Simple, cost-effective solution:
Buy ONE 8gb DIMM.
Take the bottom cover off and replace the "topmost" DIMM (with the Mini upside-down).
This will give you 10gb of installed RAM, which should be fine.

I thought the memory-system was capable of "Dual-Channel Mode" ... so two matching DIMMs was important?

Or, is falling-back to Single-Channel not that big a performance-hit, and you were just trying to save me some bucks?

 

[gericb]

Just wondering what config yall are running your Mac-Minis in now-days.

I booted it up the other day and it offered me a few updates for Mojave (so I installed them). I'm trying to decide if I should just keep it on Mojave, or try to upgrade to Catalina (as it is also being offered). I've done all OS upgrades since Mavericks (but this choice seems different). I don't want to be "left behind" but not sure I want to go through the hassle or expense of getting rid of any 32-bit Apps. Since the future is Apple-CPU, seems we are at the end regardless. This is a secondary system for me (main is Windows machines). What did yall decide to do?

It seems to run fine on 4gb ram all these years (but I think macOS and Apps are gradually getting bigger). Should I go ahead and visit OWC and upgrade to 8gb ram? One last upgrade for the trusty old Mac-Mini? How much ram do yall run in yours now-days?

OpenCore Legacy Patcher

Experience macOS just like before

dortania.github.io

I am running a Late 2012 Mac Mini with 16GB and 2 x Samsung 500GB SSD, macOS Monterrey 12.2.1 with NO PROBLEMS!

 

[Tesla1856]

OpenCore Legacy Patcher

Experience macOS just like before

dortania.github.io

I am running a Late 2012 Mac Mini with 16GB and 2 x Samsung 500GB SSD, macOS Monterrey 12.2.1 with NO PROBLEMS!

So, same Mac-Mini 6,1 I see, nice. What Intel processor are you running in yours?

Looks promising. Especially the part about being able to get macOS Monterrey updates, and everything not breaking.

I'll take a closer look, but really ... are any macOS or Apple ecosystem features missing from your setup?

Reading closer now ... I see it says ... "This means we're able to get near-native experience on many unsupported Macs with Metal GPUs".
But then it says: Supported Models / MacMini 6,1 / Comment: Everything is supported

... but we don't have a Metal-GPU in ours.

 

[MacCheetah3]

Kingston SATA-3/600 SSD speed is read=482/267=write.

You know, I think Writes have always been kinda low. Is that because SATA is "cpu bound" and I just have the little i5-Dual-Core ?

All storage drives have an unequal read and write performance. For example, the Samsung 980 Pro has up to 7,000 MB/s read and 5,000 MB/s write. Admittedly, I do not know the specifics as to why it’s more difficult/tedious for a drive to write data.

 

[for this]

Kingston SATA-3/600 SSD speed is read=482/267=write.

You know, I think Writes have always been kinda low. Is that because SATA is "cpu bound" and I just have the little i5-Dual-Core ?

Some models of SSD have significantly slower write speed than read speed, some are about equal, check your SSD specs.

I use the same model of Mac mini as yours but with 16GB RAM. My Samsung 860EVO 250GB reads 519 and writes 458 in the first round of Blackmagic Disk Speed Test. Write will get slower and slower as you continue the test because there is less free space left and the processor in the SSD is working hard to reset the used blocks (that contain no longer needed data) to regain free space. The write speed will be back to normal after you let it idle for a short while.

 

[Andrea Filippini]

Just wondering what config yall are running your Mac-Minis in now-days.

I booted it up the other day and it offered me a few updates for Mojave (so I installed them). I'm trying to decide if I should just keep it on Mojave, or try to upgrade to Catalina (as it is also being offered). I've done all OS upgrades since Mavericks (but this choice seems different). I don't want to be "left behind" but not sure I want to go through the hassle or expense of getting rid of any 32-bit Apps. Since the future is Apple-CPU, seems we are at the end regardless. This is a secondary system for me (main is Windows machines). What did yall decide to do?

It seems to run fine on 4gb ram all these years (but I think macOS and Apps are gradually getting bigger). Should I go ahead and visit OWC and upgrade to 8gb ram? One last upgrade for the trusty old Mac-Mini? How much ram do yall run in yours now-days?

Upgrade memory to 16 GB. Crucial or Corsair. It's cheap nowadays.
Upgrade storage to a good SATA SSD: performance can vary due to technologies and brands. Samsung 860 EVO can be a good choice.
Catalina doesn't support 32-bit apps, so Mojave is a better choice in my opinion (a dual-core i5 CPU can suffering on Catalina).
I have attached the screenshots regarding the Samsung 860 EVO 1 TB performance on my Mac Mini late 2012 i7 2.3 GHz.
Boot up in 16 seconds.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:
"Or, is falling-back to Single-Channel not that big a performance-hit, and you were just trying to save me some bucks?"

Yes on both counts.

 

[Tesla1856]

I use the same model of Mac mini as yours but with 16GB RAM.

My Samsung 860EVO 250GB reads 519 and writes 458 in the first round of Blackmagic Disk Speed Test.

Yeah you and Andrea have same SSD and similar speeds. I guess I have to remember my old Kingston SSD is based on 10-year old technology. Back then, we were just happy to even have SSDs (as they were much faster than spinning drives). Booting and loading programs is "mostly reads" anyway I suppose.

Thanks for the responses.

 

[loby]

Yeah you and Andrea have same SSD and similar speeds. I guess I have to remember my old Kingston SSD is based on 10-year old technology. Back then, we were just happy to even have SSDs (as they were much faster than spinning drives). Booting and loading programs is "mostly reads" anyway I suppose.

Thanks for the responses.

I think sometimes the speed of drives is sometimes a bit overrated and helps drive the consumer more so to purchase or upgrade then a major impact on performance. Yes, the faster the hard drive or SSD the better, but it does not mean because you have a "slower" drive it is the end of the world. A half a millisecond delay on a click of the mouse is not a big deal.

Depending on what you do with your computer you diffidently notice the differences, but if you are doing what is considered "normal" usage now-a-days, many will probably not notice or have a huge impact. Video and audio work definitely needs good speeds, but regular internet or let's say MSOffice work, may be not so much.

I have a ten year old SSD and it is fast enough still for regular usage. My old Mac mini 2009 seems faster sometimes then newer offerings. It may be more so RAM and the OS, then an SSD that has read right speeds of 350 vs. 550. Most will not notice any differences, except when you run a speed check.

Also, my iMac 2012 with a fusion drive actually ran fast and just notice a little delay occasionally, especially when I put 16 GB of RAM into it. Again, I think it depends on what you are using your computer for as it will determine the needs.

 

[Boyd01]

I guess I have to remember my old Kingston SSD is based on 10-year old technology.

FWIW, my 2012 quad-core Mini Server has an original Apple 256gb internal SSD, system report calls it a "SM256e" which I believe would be a Samsung device. This is what I get.

 

[Tesla1856]

FWIW, my 2012 quad-core Mini Server has an original Apple 256gb internal SSD, system report calls it a "SM256e" which I believe would be a Samsung device. This is what I get.

View attachment 1968245

I see you are running an Intel-i7 Quad-Core in your Mac-Mini 6,1 (Late 2012).
Apple SM256e 256gb SSD (possible Samsung controller)
write=449/516=read is good.
It is after all, an Apple SATA/3-600 SSD, likely with a Samsung controller (or at least, it's fully supported by OS-X).

My Mac-Mini 6,1 (Late 2012) is only running an Intel-i5 Dual-Core .. in case SATA CPU-dependency is a performance factor.
Kingston SSDNow V300 SV300S37A 240gb SSD (SandForce controller).
write=267/482=read
Not sure if yall recall, but back then there was talk about OS-X support of Trim, and possible issues with non-Apple SATA-SSDs.
I don't see it in my notes, but there was something about this Kingston SV300 (and particularly its SandForce controller) that led me to believe that it would work properly, and that Trim would not be an issue. Also, back in 2013, SATA-SSD's with SandForce controllers were fairly popular.
Before I installed it in my new Mac-Mini back in 2013, I DID connect it to my Windows machine and verify it had the latest firmware.

I guess that brings us to now, 9 years later.
I not sure if this speed is normal, if Trim is working, how to Optimize it or do the Trash-Collection. However, with all of us here talking about this older Mac-Mini model ... I thought someone might know.

I do see in Catalina > System Information > SATA > Trim Support = NO . I think this is maybe because it's a "non Apple authorized HDD/SSD controller". Pretty sure, back on those 2013-2015 version of OS-X, it said YES to Trim-Support.

 

[Boyd01]

Don't know if it helps, but this is what my 2012 quad Mini server with "real" Apple SSD shows for SATA info, it is running Catalina. This machine is headless fileserver and time machine destination with 20tb of external hard drives. It only has the minimal Catalina install on the internal SSD. As you can see, TRIM is supported.

 

[Tesla1856]

Don't know if it helps, but this is what my 2012 quad Mini server with "real" Apple SSD shows for SATA info, it is running Catalina. This machine is headless fileserver and time machine destination with 20tb of external hard drives. It only has the minimal Catalina install on the internal SSD. As you can see, TRIM is supported.

View attachment 1968347

Yes, this is helpful, thanks.

Yeah, mine says No for Trim-Support. Pretty sure it used to say Yes ( back on those last versions of OS-X ).
However, mine does (properly) say it is using AHCI and since it's a SSD ... it DID get converted to APFS during that relevant macOS upgrade a while back.

I don't use my (native boot and dedicated partition of ) BootCamp Windows-10 much any more, but I think I'm going to boot it up now, and see if there is a firmware upgrade available for this old Kingston SSD. I'll also try verifying it's "Trim Active Status" while in Windows. I might even be able to run a manual Trash-Collection ?