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If you're not sure which Aluminum Mac mini model you have, the optical drive equipped "Mid-2010" models and current "Late 2018" "Space Gray" models should be easy to spot (at least for now), but many models in between these lines are more of a challenge.
Ssd Hdd For Mac Mini
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All Aluminum Mac mini models can be precisely identified by the Model Identifier in software or externally by EMC Number, and more details about specific identifiers are provided in EveryMac.com's extensive Mac Identification section.
To locate the model identifier in software, select "About This Mac" under the Apple Menu on your computer and click the "More Info..." button. If the Mac mini is running OS X 10.7 "Lion" or later, you will need to click the "System Report" button after clicking "More Info..." as well.
For the pre-Late 2014 Mac mini models, the EMC number is visible upon removing the bottom "spin off" panel to the right of the memory slots (when the ports are facing you). It is on the bottom of the "Late 2014" and "Late 2018" models toward the ports.
Regular "Mid-2010" Aluminum "Unibody" Mac mini models, which have optical drives, support a single 2.5-inch, 9.5 mm tall, 3 Gb/s Serial ATA (SATA Revision 2.0) hard drive or SSD (or two storage drives if you remove the optical drive). The oddball Mac mini "Core 2 Duo" 2.66 Server (Mid-2010) supports two storage drives of the same type (and no optical drive).
A user from the MacRumors forums first determined that the needed part is referred to as the "Bottom Hard Drive Flex Cable" (Apple Part Number 922-9560) and successfully installed a second drive. More recently, site sponsor Other World Computing began offering a "Data Doubler" upgrade kit for the Aluminum Mac mini models that includes everything needed to perform this upgrade -- the cable, drive bracket, precisely sized screwdrivers and screws -- in one convenient package.
To upgrade the memory in the Aluminum "Unibody" Mac mini models released before and after the Late 2014 models, Apple has made it straightforward. Replacing the hard drive or hard drives is a more complicated procedure and Apple does not support users performing this upgrade themselves.
As Apple does not consider the hard drive to be a "customer installable part," EveryMac.com cannot recommend that users perform the upgrade themselves. Most likely should instead add a quick and easy external hard drive or alternately hire a professional. Given the small and densely packed nature of the Aluminum Mac mini models this certainly is not a good system to upgrade yourself without substantial experience upgrading the hard drive in similar systems.
In theory, just about any hard drive or SSD that meets the minimum requirements should work in the Mac mini. However, it always is best to buy from a trusted company with Mac knowledge for the most trouble-free experience.
In the UK and Ireland, site sponsor Flexx sells Mac mini compatible SSDs with free shipping. The company provides flat rate shipping to France, Germany, and Switzerland and inexpensive shipping for all of Europe, too.
In New Zealand, site sponsor Upgradeable New Zealand sells Mac mini hard drives and SSDs with fast delivery to all corners of the country, precise compatibility, a lifetime warranty, and a money-back guarantee.
Apple has been using slow hard drives in Mac mini for years, so replacing them with an SSD is very worthwhile. If you have a current Mac mini without Fusion Drive, at home, the lame hard drive should be replaced by an SSD. The speed increase is enormous. In contrast to a conventional hard disk, an SSD (solid-state drive) does not have magnetic disks with a mechanical read head, but stores the data on chips. Therefore, data can be accessed almost without delay.
Unfortunately, Apple has left no room for a second 2.5-inch drive in Mac mini (built in 2014) and protects the contents with TR security screws with a security pin. However, screwdrivers are now available everywhere and thanks to detailed video instructions, the conversion can be carried out by anyone who does not have two left hands. It is only important to take your time for the installation and to proceed carefully.
Before the built-in hard disk of Mac mini can be replaced by an SSD, we have to think about the available data and the operating system. The data and settings should of course be saved. There are two different procedures.
Once all the backups have been completed, we can proceed with the next step. Before that, however, we shut down the Mac mini, unplug the power plug and other cables and place the Mac Mini on a soft surface (e.g. towel) with the top facing down.
For the upgrade, suitable Torx screwdrivers and an Logic Board Removal Tool are required. I bought the following linked mini screwdriver set. So I have all screwdrivers, incl. TR6 SafetyTorx and plastic-spudger, ready.
The device is made of lightweight and durable aluminum alloy. The silver casing perfectly matches the finish of the Apple Mac mini. The use of a special mesh ensures optimal ventilation and allows for efficient heat dissipation. The case is designed in such a way that its contact with the computer in no way interferes with the Bluetooth and wi-fi signal. When you place your Mac mini on the Newell Hub USB-C cradle with SATA SSD adapter, the devices will create one extremely functional whole, which will be perfect for the most demanding users.
Since November 2020, Apple debuted its first Macs equipped with M1 chips, notably in the 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac mini, iMac, and iPad Pro models. This silicon chip benefits in performance from the previous Intel-based Mac, but it also means that the steps to erasing each drive differ slightly.
Even if teardowns of the M2 Mac mini reveal the SSD is replaceable, it's likely not an endeavor that the end user can take on. Since some components are linked to the M2 chip, upgrades and repairs aren't as simple as a mere swap. However, third-party options allow users a way to expand their SSD storage without paying an exorbitant fee at the time of purchase.
Once that was all done, I had a single Fusion Drive volume on the Mac mini, on which I installed El Capitan and migrated my server. By the time I went to bed last night, the server was up and running. It probably spent a few hours overnight rebuilding the Spotlight database and running some other backup checks, but by morning all of the housekeeping was done.
The miniStack STX features the same rounded aluminum design dimensions of a current-generation M1 Mac mini and is meant to be a stackable base upon which you can set it on. The device comes in a similar minimalistic appearance as the Mac mini, but with a sleek black finish.
The front of the enclosure features two small lights on the bottom right of the device that are indicators for the two internal drives (SSD and SATA) and a large OWC logo that lights up in Blue when the miniStack STX is powered up. This large illuminated logo shifts to white when the Mac mini is shut down instead of turning off, which I found strange. Why this light stays on at all seems a bit odd to me, but that is a minor design issue when you consider the overall benefits provided by the device as a whole.
While the front and sides of the device are rather minimal, the rear of the enclosure is where you will will find the four USB-C (Thunderbolt) ports for connectivity expansion of the Mac. At a glance, you may also think the device has some USB-A connections as well but alas, that slot is simply for the exhaust. In between the Thunderbolt ports and the exhaust, users will find the 20V DC power connection.
The company claims that users can add a mix of up to five Thunderbolt devices, three USB devices, and two monitors with the miniStack STX depending on the host device. For example with my M1 Mac Mini, I had a XP-Pen Display tablet connected to the HDMI port, a monitor connected to the USB-C on the Mac Mini, a Loupedeck CT and Memory Card reader connected to the USB-A ports, and then through the miniStack STX I had my iPhone, Apple Watch, and Raid storage connected.
The inside of the device is almost as minimalistic as the exterior and features a small motherboard with the SSD, SATA, and port connections. All of this is seated snugly against the cooling fan and exhaust ports. As I mentioned above, the miniStack STX can house a 2.5 inch or 3.5 inch hard drive (up to 18TB in size) as well as an M.2 SSD that can handle up to 8TB.
Through the course my testing, I used the miniStack STX SSD to store and edit about 40 GB worth of photos for a client and set up the 5TB HDD as a Time Machine backup for both the 1TB internal Mac mini SSD, and the 2TB miniStack SSD drives.
If you need expanded and upgradable storage space that is faster than a standard external HDD that is also daisy-chainable and neatly pairs with the Mac mini then, yes, the miniStack STX is absolutely worth every penny.
Step 1: Double-click the VMware Fusion.dmg that you downloaded earlier and double-click the VMware Fusion installer that appears. Click Open, followed by entering your Administrator password to start the install process.
At my office I have a 2017 21.5 inch iMac and stupidly thought I could expand the RAM but I cannot of course without taking it apart. However I needed to speed up the machine just to be useable as the fusion drive slowed right down with Mojave as you saw too. So I got a UASP class USB3 enclosure and put a Samsung EVO 850 512gb drive in there and since I did that in early 2019 it has worked great. I did the same thing with the 2014 mini at Church which has the 5400rpm drive in it and that helped too. Nice to see that others do the same too! My 2012 mini has 16gb and an SSD in it now after buying that off of eBay for $250 back in 2017. 2ff7e9595c
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