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ZipZilla

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 7, 2003
435
553
Guy commenting in the comments on the front page says the Apple Store assured him the RAM was user-upgradeable. He makes the good point that perhaps only the $499 model is soldered, like the low-end iMac.

Thoughts?
 

Fishrrman

macrumors Penryn
Feb 20, 2009
28,346
12,461
Only definitive answer will come when:
1. Someone buys one and reports,
or
2. ifixit.com does a "teardown" and posts the results.

'Til then, "rumors" are worth nothing...
 

Meister

Suspended
Oct 10, 2013
5,456
4,310
The 2014 mac mini is the exact design as the 2012 one. All of them are user servicable.
 

deaglecat

macrumors 6502a
Mar 9, 2012
593
687
The 2014 mac mini is the exact design as the 2012 one. All of them are user servicable.

No... I dont think so. The ports on the back are different which implies a new logic board - not just a processor upgrade.
 

Zellio

macrumors 65816
Feb 7, 2012
1,165
474
Great, please open it up and lets us know about the epic memory fail.

----------

No... I dont think so. The ports on the back are different which implies a new logic board - not just a processor upgrade.

It still would be user serviceable, unless Apple is just being Apple.
 

Crosscreek

macrumors 68030
Nov 19, 2013
2,892
5,793
Margarittaville
I am going to best buy try to get one today.

Open the bottom up at the store and take a look. Then you'll know. If the server farm guy is right from Macminicolo the RAM is not upgradeable.

I think IFixit will have a teardown on Monday so we can see the logic board.
 
Last edited:

Meister

Suspended
Oct 10, 2013
5,456
4,310
Open the bottom up at the store and take a look. Then you'll know. If the server farm guy is right from Macminicolo the RAM is not upgradeable.
I just looked at what he wrote. I am not as concerned about the memory, but the ssd upgrade possibility.
 

hipnetic

macrumors 65816
Oct 5, 2010
1,266
562
Doh. I was just at the Apple store yesterday. I should have checked to see if they had any on display. Seems like the first thing to check is if the bottom still screws off easily.
 

Meister

Suspended
Oct 10, 2013
5,456
4,310
Please specify the aspects of the 2014 design that you claim are shared with the 2012 version. :confused:
The bottom plate and overall design seemed to be almost the same. It also makes no sense to soder ram and make harddrives unreplacable in a mac mini. But i might be wrong on this one. :apple: just seems to want to push people away from the mini. Sad :(
 

Crosscreek

macrumors 68030
Nov 19, 2013
2,892
5,793
Margarittaville
The bottom plate and overall design seemed to be almost the same. It also makes no sense to soder ram and make harddrives unreplacable in a mac mini. But i might be wrong on this one. :apple: just seems to want to push people away from the mini. Sad :(

Yeh, with tamperproof screws on the foot now might mean if you try to open it it will void the warranty and that is sad.
 

ZipZilla

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 7, 2003
435
553
Here's the question:

This guy is enjoying all of the hits on his blog. Where are the pictures of the bottom of the Mini? Show us the tamper-proof screws. Show us the soldered RAM. I'm starting to not believe the guy.
 

Celerondon

macrumors 6502a
Oct 17, 2013
683
125
Southern Cal
Uh-Oh, at first I hoped that screw update was a joke

Many of us were wrong Meister.

Brian Stuki said that the bottom plate has tamper-proof screws. He is the guy who identified the soldered RAM. Brian has probably opened a fair number of minis.

Macminicolo is not a den of trolls...

He also had good things to say about the 2014 mini.
 

potatis

macrumors 6502a
Dec 9, 2006
839
291
Hm...he now says the new Mini offers a good CPU/graphics boost. Does that mean the downgrade in CPU is made up for by the upgraded graphics?
 

philipma1957

macrumors 603
Apr 13, 2010
6,367
251
Howell, New Jersey
Hm...he now says the new Mini offers a good CPU/graphics boost. Does that mean the downgrade in CPU is made up for by the upgraded graphics?

no it means an i7 dual core cpu is faster then any older mac mini cpu. if you don't use multi core software. and the 5100 gpu is better then the 4000 gpu.

While I like the 5100 gpu it may not do 4k tv's as well as I like.

I also run vm so I need more then a dual core.
 

NT1440

macrumors G5
May 18, 2008
14,670
21,071
The 2014 mac mini is the exact design as the 2012 one. All of them are user servicable.

GSX access here. I've seen the step by step take apart guide. It is NOT the same logic board...because the RAM is soldered on.
 

aajeevlin

macrumors 65816
Mar 25, 2010
1,427
715
Looking at the price, I suppose the SSD upgrade is okay +$200 for 256GB. That's pretty much what most SSD of the same storage is priced at from Newegg. However, +$300 for the memory, that's a bit much, almost double of what it would cost.

Besides that I suppose it's not "that bad". As long as the i5 2014 is somewhat comparable to the quad core i7 from 2012.

What do you guys think if one was to get the base model with max RAM and fusion drive. Do you guy think that is sufficient to do computational work like Matlab, Python, etc?
 

deaglecat

macrumors 6502a
Mar 9, 2012
593
687
"GSX access here. I've seen the step by step take apart guide. It is NOT the same logic board...because the RAM is soldered on."

that makes sense... and is it also true that the hdd cannot be easily replaced ?
 

hallux

macrumors 68040
Apr 25, 2012
3,437
1,005
GSX access here. I've seen the step by step take apart guide. It is NOT the same logic board...because the RAM is soldered on.

I also have GSX access. I'll expand upon this comment.

Removing the bottom of the new Mini requires a suction cup, it does not twist-off like the 2012's did. I wouldn't say they're tamper-proof screws like a previous poster did, they're just blind screws with grommets in the bottom cover that "snap" over the screws.

Unlike what another poster commented about the high-end having replaceable RAM, the high-end model DOES have soldered RAM, I saw part numbers for i5 and i7 CPU logic boards.

Drives could be upgradeable, except they removed one of the SATA connections to replace it with the PCIE connection for the SSD, the SSD also occupies the "lower" drive location if the build diagram is to be believed. So, you only have one available SATA connection, and that would be used with the upper drive bay.

How much more definitive information than that from Apple's service site do you need to have in order to understand the setup? (I posted VERY similar info in another topic the other day)
 

hallux

macrumors 68040
Apr 25, 2012
3,437
1,005
None. Thanks.

I wasn't directing that at you, I was directing it at the people that need to create 40 topics (yes, I'm exaggerating) on the user-upgradeability of the new Mini when the answers are already in the forum.
 
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