Every time Apple releases a new Mac mini, you may wonder if your current Mac mini is still up to snuff. If you're trying to decide between buying a new Mac mini, or just upgrading your current mini to gain performance without spending too much money, then you've come to the right place. Intel Mac mini In this upgrade guide, we look at the Intel-based Mac minis that have been available since the first Intel Macs were introduced in early 2006. If you have one of the earlier PowerMac-based minis, you'll probably want to purchase a newer model. Even so, this upgrade guide can be of help by revealing what the upgrade options are for each Intel model. DIY? Maybe, Maybe Not Depending on the specific model of mini, both the RAM and the hard drive or SSD can be upgraded. It’s not always the easiest DIY upgrade, however. Once again, depending on the specific model, some upgrades may be as easy as removing a few screws and popping in some RAM. In other cases, a great deal of disassembly may be required, including using some tools not commonly found in most DIY toolkits. But you don’t really have to worry about the special tools; they're inexpensive, and readily available from the various retailers who sell Mac mini upgrade components. If you're having problems finding the needed tools I can suggest: iFixit selection of repair and upgrade tools. Other World Computing collection of toolkits and accessories. Multipurpose 41-piece toolkit for Apple products that is available from Amazon. If you're concerned about your DIY skills, you may wish to have an Apple specialist perform the upgrade for you. Most dealers offer this type of service. If you're a bit adventurous, you can perform these upgrades yourself, and save a bit of cash. Just be careful, and take it slow. If you do decide to tackle it yourself, I recommend performing both a RAM and a hard drive upgrade at the same time. You don't want to be taking your Mac mini apart on a regular basis, so doing everything at once is the best course of action. Find Your Mac mini's Model Number The first thing you need is your Mac mini's model number. Here's how to find it: From the Apple menu, select About This Mac. In the About This Mac window that opens, click the More Info button or the System Report button, depending on the version of OS X you're using. The System Profiler window will open, listing your mini's configuration. Make sure the Hardware category is selected in the left-hand pane. The right-hand pane will display the Hardware category overview. Make a note of the Model Identifier entry. You can then quit the System Profiler. RAM Upgrades All of the Intel Mac minis have two RAM slots. I recommend upgrading your Mac mini's memory to the largest configuration supported by your specific model. Because the upgrades are a bit difficult to perform, you don't want to have to go back and upgrade the RAM again at some future date. Be sure to check the information for your specific Mac mini model, below, for the correct type of RAM to use. Internal Hard Drive or SSD Upgrades Like the RAM upgrade, the hard drive upgrade is best suited to individuals who have a bit of computer DIY experience under their belts. Whether you're experienced or just adventurous, this is something you probably don't want to do more than once, so install the largest hard drive you can afford when you perform this upgrade. Mac mini Models The early Intel-based Mac minis predominantly used Intel Core 2 Duo processors of various speeds. The exceptions were the 2006 models with the Mac mini 1,1 identifier. These models used the Intel Core Duo processors, the first generation of the Core Duo line. The Core Duo processors use a 32-bit architecture instead of the 64-bit architecture seen in the Core 2 Duo models. Because of the lack of support for the 64-bit architecture, I don’t recommend investing any money in upgrading the original Mac mini 1,1.
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