macOS 10.13 on a Mac mini 2012?

[Heat_Fan89]

Has anyone here installed it on a 2012 mini? If so, how's the performance? My 2012 mini has 8GB of ram and the original spindle drive. I'm currently running macOS 10.12 and the performance seems to be decent.

Does the new AFS support spindle drives or is it just SSD's?

 

[maverick808]

I've tried it on a 2012 Mac mini but with an SSD. Performance is really just the same as Sierra as far as I can tell... not really any worse or any better.

APFS does not support spindle drive boot volumes yet. However, you can still install High Sierra, it will just use HFS when installing on your HDD and will run fine.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I've tried it on a 2012 Mac mini but with an SSD. Performance is really just the same as Sierra as far as I can tell... not really any worse or any better.

APFS does not support spindle drive boot volumes yet. However, you can still install High Sierra, it will just use HFS when installing on your HDD and will run fine.

Thanks for the quick reply !

 

[Sausage.Biscuit]

I just upgraded from 10.11. My Mini has a SSD in it, 4 GB's of RAM. Seems to be running just as well. I encourage you to install a SSD in your Mini! Makes a world of difference from the stock 5400 RPM HDD.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I just upgraded from 10.11. My Mini has a SSD in it, 4 GB's of RAM. Seems to be running just as well. I encourage you to install a SSD in your Mini! Makes a world of difference from the stock 5400 RPM HDD.

I'm still waiting for Apple to get off it's ass and release another Mac mini. I'd rather put that money towards a new mini.

 

[MAlexB]

Has anyone here installed it on a 2012 mini? If so, how's the performance? My 2012 mini has 8GB of ram and the original spindle drive. I'm currently running macOS 10.12 and the performance seems to be decent.

Does the new AFS support spindle drives or is it just SSD's?

Installed HS on my 2012 mini w/ 16GB RAM and a Samsung SSD and did see a notable speed increase (not only the recurring 'Safari feels snappier' ;-) ) - could highly recommend it!

APFS supports spindles, my 2nd internal drive one of them, runs fine; right now, APFS is only optimised(!) for SSD and shouldn't be used (yet!) with Fusion drives (this will come with a future dot-update). - I'm satisfied with it right now.

 

[dogslobber]

Has anyone here installed it on a 2012 mini? If so, how's the performance? My 2012 mini has 8GB of ram and the original spindle drive. I'm currently running macOS 10.12 and the performance seems to be decent.

Does the new AFS support spindle drives or is it just SSD's?

I admire your patience with a spinner and Sierra. It would be an exercise is frustration for me myself. I’d recommend even running an SSD from USB. The difference in speed will make you cry.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

First off, why are you still suffering through the 5400rpm internal drive after 4+ years?

Get a USB3 SSD, plug it in, and set it up to be your "external booter".

You'll be amazed.... no, AMAZED at the performance increase!

I wouldn't run ANY version of the OS after the release of Mavericks without an SSD.

I suggest you do the above BEFORE even considering a move to High Sierra.
The quantum leap of performance you'll see from Sierra on an SSD may just persuade you to stay with it for a while longer...

 

[Heat_Fan89]

OP:

First off, why are you still suffering through the 5400rpm internal drive after 4+ years?

Get a USB3 SSD, plug it in, and set it up to be your "external booter".

You'll be amazed.... no, AMAZED at the performance increase!

I wouldn't run ANY version of the OS after the release of Mavericks without an SSD.

I suggest you do the above BEFORE even considering a move to High Sierra.
The quantum leap of performance you'll see from Sierra on an SSD may just persuade you to stay with it for a while longer...

I'm currently running HS and have no issues although i'm using the extended journaled FS. The reason i've held off going SSD is i'm waiting to see if Apple updates the Mac Mini or what the price of the redesigned Mac Pro will be. I'd rather put the money towards a new system.

 

[danmart]

I admire your patience with a spinner and Sierra. It would be an exercise is frustration for me myself. I’d recommend even running an SSD from USB. The difference in speed will make you cry.

I haven’t heard of doing this before - interesting! What size USB would I need to be a workable boot drive, please? I’m using a Mid-2011 Mini, currently on Sierra if that might make a difference.

 

[nilk]

I'm currently running HS and have no issues although i'm using the extended journaled FS. The reason i've held off going SSD is i'm waiting to see if Apple updates the Mac Mini or what the price of the redesigned Mac Pro will be. I'd rather put the money towards a new system.

If you had an external SSD, you could of course use with your new system. Though I understand if you're just trying to save as much money as you can for the next system. But, spending around $100 for an external 240+ GB SSD will make a world of a difference, even if you can only fit your boot drive and apps on it (with your home directory on the internal HDD).

My guess with the Mac Pro and Mac Mini updates is that we won't see any for at least a year. But I don't have any additional info besides what Apple has said, so it's just a guess. I'm not sure the Mac Mini will continue to exist, but that could be a good thing if we get a mid-range "Mac" to accompany the high-end "Mac Pro" to mirror the iMac / iMac Pro. Mac Mini could still exist as the low-end option in this arrangement, though, but I could see Apple just continuing to sell the 2014 Mac Mini as the low-end option in that case.

I haven’t heard of doing this before - interesting! What size USB would I need to be a workable boot drive, please? I’m using a Mid-2011 Mini, currently on Sierra if that might make a difference.

240GB would be plenty for boot and apps, though you might be able to fit into 128GB depending on what you install. I use music production apps such as Ableton Live and Logic, and wanted to keep the assets for that on the SSD and 240GB was enough for that, though those assets could have been stored on HDD of course.

 

[danmart]

@nilk Thanks for the reply. I primarily use my Mini as a media server for my iTunes content so I’ d primarily just have the core apps on the boot drive, I guess.

The Mini does look like an unloved option from Apple, which is a real shame. I like having my purchased media available locally and it is a good fit for that use-case, in combination with ATVs and AirPlay end points. I recognised ‘all-streaming, all-the-time’ is most content provider’s views of the future but i’m not quite ready for that (and my internet connection isn’t, either).

 

[Martyimac]

My mini is a 2011 and I put a SSD from OWC in it and have been running the HS GM and now running the Beta 2 for 10.13.1 and is running just fine. As others have said, time for an SSD.

 

[Cougarcat]

“The Mini remains a product in our lineup.”—Phil Schiller

Yeah, don’t expect a Mini update anytime soon.

 

[dogslobber]

I haven’t heard of doing this before - interesting! What size USB would I need to be a workable boot drive, please? I’m using a Mid-2011 Mini, currently on Sierra if that might make a difference.

128GB is big enough for me.