Recommended SSD for Mini?

[titangears]

I am thinking of replacing the 500 GB Apple HDD that came with my 2011 Mac Mini with a 500 GB SSD. I will be doing a fresh installation of High Sierra, and so I want one that will be recognized by High Sierra without having to purchase Trim Enabler.

Which one do you recommend?

 

[Maxx Power]

You can enable trim without third party software now, since a few years ago.

See http://osxdaily.com/2015/10/29/use-trimforce-trim-ssd-mac-os-x/

Check out MX500 series from Crucial. Excellent SSDs.

 

[KrisLord]

Apple let you enable trim now yourself without using a 3rd party option.

I’d just get whatever is a good price on the day. The limitations of SATA connections mean the lower priced SSDs have caught up in performance over the years and there’s not much real world difference now.

I’ve had Samsung and Sandisk SSDs in my mini (2012) and both worked fine.

 

[titangears]

Would you guys pay extra for the Pro versions that use MLC NAND instead of the cheaper SSDs that use TLC NAND, or does it really matter all that much?

 

[KrisLord]

Would you guys pay extra for the Pro versions that use MLC NAND instead of the cheaper SSDs that use TLC NAND, or does it really matter all that much?

Good question.

No I wouldn’t these days. When TLC came out, perhaps it was worth it as it as the performance of TLC wasn’t known.

Also, the larger the drive the more opportunity there is for the drive to optimise the writes so that the life is extended.

I recently sold a SanDisk 960GB SSD which Anandtech estimated had a potential life of 52 years!

I’d had it 2 years and the SanDisk software rated it at 98.7%.

 

[sublunar]

Something like a Samsung EVO would be fine. No need to go for the Pro products for a Mini of that age in my opinion

 

[titangears]

Of course, as you might expect things have changed a lot in the last couple of years. I just ordered a Samsung 850 EVO as it seems everyone here likes them and so do all the reviews I read below. Thanks for the help.

https://www.anandtech.com/show/9799/best-ssds

http://www.pcgamer.com/the-best-ssd-for-gaming/

http://www.techradar.com/news/best-solid-state-drives-ssds

https://www.pcworld.com/article/3234838/storage/best-ssds.html

 

[Ubele]

In March 2017, I upgraded both my wife’s and my late 2012 Mac minis with Crucial SSDs to create Fusion drives. They’ve been great.

 

[Populus]

I've decided to change the HDD for an SSD to my late 2014 Mac mini.

Any idea about the tools I will need?
Thank you

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I've decided to change the HDD for an SSD to my late 2014 Mac mini.

Any idea about the tools I will need?
Thank you

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Mac+mini+Late+2014+Hard+Drive+Replacement/32815 shows the tools & steps

 

[Populus]

Thank you man, I've purchased from Amazon a double sided T6H and T8H security torx screwdrivers.

Remember guys, they have to be security torx, the ones with a hole in the middle, otherwise you may not insert them.

 

[G4DPII]

The iFixit tutorial is brilliant, I used it a few weeks ago to upgrade my 2014 to SSD. The trickiest bit was re-attatching the blooming Wi-Fi attena at the end.

 

[Populus]

The iFixit tutorial is brilliant, I used it a few weeks ago to upgrade my 2014 to SSD. The trickiest bit was re-attatching the blooming Wi-Fi attena at the end.

I am going to replace the thermal paste as well, once it is open.
But I'm sure those extra steps are pretty easy.