The hard drives in the new 2018 Mac mini are PCIe which means they are very fast, but also expensive. Unlike previous models, you cannot upgrade the internal hard drive. It is soldered in. But thanks to the USB-C interface on the new Mac Mini, an external SSD drive is now a good option. What are needed during Mac SSD upgrade? A SATA-to-USB cable or dock; A small screwdriver used to open Mac cover; A Torx head screwdriver used to disassemble the old hard drive; Step 3: format the SSD. Connect the new SSD to your Mac via the cable or dock you prepared. Open Disk Utility the way you like. Choose View and Show All Devices in order. The Mac Mini can be broadly divided into four different generations. The first Mac Mini with a solid-state drive appeared in mid-2011 during the third generation, after Apple switched to an all-aluminum unibody design. These Mac Mini models have an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, Bluetooth 4.0, and Thunderbolt ports. Installed Samsung 840 Pro in 2011 mac mini I just upgraded my 2011 base model (with 8Gb ram) mac mini with an 128gb Samsung 840 pro SSD, but the hard disk write speed is only 260 (using Novabench)? This seems to be a bit slow vs what others are getting in these forums, anybody have any ideas?
Aluminum 'Unibody' Mac mini Q&A
Update Published November 21, 2018
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How do you upgrade the storage in the Aluminum 'Unibody' Mac mini models? What type of hard drive(s) or SSD(s) do they each support?
Ssd For Mac Mini 2018
There are five different lines of Aluminum 'Unibody' Mac mini systems -- the 'Mid-2010,' 'Mid-2011,' 'Late 2012', 'Late 2014' and 'Late 2018' -- with notable differences in supported storage.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (Non-Server Mid-2010 - Left, Mid-2011 & Late 2012 - Right)
Identification Help
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.
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.
As always, EveryMac.com has hand documented the model identifiers and EMC numbers unique to each model, which are most easily visualized as a chart:
EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Lookup feature -- as well as the EveryMac app -- also can identify these models by their Serial Numbers.
Storage Types, Dimensions & Requirements
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).
All 'Mid-2011' and 'Late 2012' models hold two 2.5-inch storage drives with the same 9.5 mm height restriction, but have faster 6 Gb/s Serial ATA (SATA Revision 3.0) support.
The non-server 'Mid-2011' and 'Late 2012' models, which only ship with one hard drive by default, a second hard drive or SSD is supported, but one has to purchase the cable needed to attach the drive to the board before installation is possible.
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.
The 'Late 2014' models have a 6 Gb/s Serial ATA (SATA Revision 3.0) connector for a 2.5-Inch hard drive or SSD in addition to a proprietary PCIe connector for a 'blade' SSD. As first noted by site sponsor OWC, the cable to connect this SSD to the PCIe connector is not present unless the system is configured with a 'Fusion Drive' at the time of initial purchase. However, it is possible to buy this cable later. This 'PCIe SSD Cable Connector' is part number 821-00010-A.
The current 'Late 2018' models have onboard storage and it cannot be upgraded at all after the initial system purchase.
These details can be helpfully summarized accordingly:
* By default, one SATA 2.0 connector in these models is occupied by an optical drive.
â These models have onboard PCIe-based storage that cannot be upgraded after the initial system purchase.
Hard Drive Upgrade Official Disclaimer & Cautions
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.
In the User Guide, Apple formally states the following:
Except for memory, do not attempt to replace or repair any components inside your Mac mini. If your Mac mini needs service, consult the service and support information that came with your Mac mini for information about how to contact an Apple Authorized Service Provider or Apple for service. If you install items other than memory, you risk damaging your equipment, and such damage isn't covered by the limited warranty on your Mac mini.
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.
Hard Drive Upgrade Instructions
However, for highly experienced users, upgrading the hard drive or hard drives -- or swapping in one or more SSDs -- is difficult, but feasible nevertheless.
These videos from OWC cover the procedure for the optical-drive equipped 'Mid-2010' models and the optical drive-less 'Mid-2010' Server, 'Mid-2011,' and 'Late 2012' models, in a step-by-step fashion:
'Mid-2010' Mac mini (One Hard Drive, One Optical Drive)
'Mid-2010' Mac mini Server (Dual Hard Drives, No Optical Drive)
'Mid-2011' & 'Late 2012' Mac mini (Dual Hard Drives, No Optical Drive)
It is hoped that by watching the videos you should be able to determine whether or not you feel comfortable performing the upgrade yourself or if you would rather hire a professional.
Mac mini Hard Drive or SSD Purchase Options
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 addition to the convenient storage upgrade kit for applicable Aluminum Mac mini models, Other World Computing sells compatible hard drives and SSDs and offers an installation service, as well.
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.
External Ssd For Mac Mini
In Australia, site sponsor RamCity sells Mac mini compatible SSDs, in addition to memory, with fast, flat-rate shipping Australia-wide.
In Southeast Asia, site sponsor SimplyMac.sg sells Mac mini compatible storage, as well as memory, with free delivery -- and optional upgrade service -- in Singapore and flat rate shipping to Brunei, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Also see:
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The hard drives in the new 2018 Mac mini are PCIe which means they are very fast, but also expensive. Unlike previous models, you cannot upgrade the internal hard drive. It is soldered in. But thanks to the USB-C interface on the new Mac Mini, an external SSD drive is now a good option. I chose to buy the smaller (and cheaper) 250GB Mac Mini and supplement it with a 500GB external SSD drive.
USB-C Gen 2 can handle the speeds of most (but not all) SSD drives. So unless you want a very high-end solution, youâll be fine using an external SSD over USB. An external SSD drive plugged in via USB-C will only be 1/5 the speed of the new internal PCIe drives, but itâs still fast. The external SSD drive on my new mac mini is faster than the internal non-PCIe SSD drive on my previous mac mini.
1. Buying a drive.
My first purchase was a Samsung S5. Itâs fast, itâs USB-C Gen 2, and itâs cheap. But it caused a 30-second delay each time my mac booted up. Apparently, this is a common problem nnd Apple support
The drive I ended up using was the Seagate Fast SSD. Itâs fast and works well. I purchased the 500GB version. Iâve already filled it up so end hindsight I publish should have gone for the 1 TB version but I was trying to save soem money.
2. What to put on it.
Now that youâve connected your drive you need to choose which data to store on it. I used to recommend using your new SSD as the boot drive, but given that the internal SSD drive is now faster, you are better off booting off your internal drive and just putting some files on the external drive.
I kept OSX and my applications on my internal boot drive, as well as my users home folder. So my internal SSD drive looks like this:
I moved most the large folders from inside my Users folder onto my external SSD. I did not change my home folder to be the external SSD. I copied the files out of my home folder. I did al this when I was migrating the data accross
Hereâs what I moved to my new external SSD Drive:
When you move your Music, Pictures and MainStage files you need to tell iTunes, Apple Photos and Mainstage the new location.
For iTunes, firstly copy all your music files across to the new SSD. (users/yourname/music/iTunes) Then go to Preferences, Advanced, and find âiTunes Media folder locationâ. Click âChangeâ and select the new folder.
For Photos you need to copy the folder called âPhotoâs Libraryâ across, then restart the Photos App while holding the Option key. This gives you the option to select your new Photo library from the external SSD.
Photos should open the newly copied library and you should be able to see your photos. If that is the case then go to preferences and select âuse as System Photo Libraryâ to make this change permanent.
There are some applications that will still want to use files from within your home folder on your internal SSD. Thatâs okay. I allow them to do that.
I find it helpful in my own mind to know which files are where so I have my documents, my music and my photos on my external SSD and I have everything else on my internal one.
But you can arrange them how you like.
Related posts:How to speed up your mac with a Solid State SSD DriveWhatâs the best SSD drive for a Mac and how do I install it?Does my mac need more memory?How to get the most out of your ipod and laptop batteryAdding Network Storage (NAS) to your MacRoss Smithsays:June 30, 2019 at 7:56 am
Hello Wayne â This article answered a question Iâve had about buying a Mac mini and its small amount of internal storage. I chatted with Apple support yesterday. They only spoke in generalities, so I said goodbye once that became obvious. Instead of needing to go into an Apple store, I have the answer in your article!
I am not sure I need the speed of an external SSD, however, I will price them now. We use a 2011 iMac for using the internet, viewing photos and also watching TV. Its display is going, its internal HD is failing, and I cannot find a good repair shop. Everything about the mini seems to fit EXCEPT it wasnât obvious about the external drive.
I found your website through a link to your comment on a monitor for the mini. That was interesting, but this article gave me what I really needed to know. Thank you.
ReplyWaynesays:June 30, 2019 at 11:42 pm
Yes it will depend on what you want to store on it. If itâs just pictures or audio files or a time machine backup then a standard HD will be fine, if you are using it to store applications, or application data, or movies, or stuff that you access a lot, an SSD will be much faster.
ReplyGregsays:September 19, 2019 at 11:22 am
Ssd For Mac Mini 2011
Thank you for the clear description in this article! Iâm in the situation of using a combination Mac Mini and external SSD.
Ssd For Mac Mini 2012
Would you have suggestions for back-up configuration and software? Of course, Iâd like to back up both devices, but will I have to do it to two separate back-up drives or can I combine them in one ⦠?
ReplyWaynesays:September 20, 2019 at 4:13 am
Yes grab a 2TB or 4TB drive and you can time-machine both drives to it, or split it in 2 partitions and use CCC to back up each drive to it.
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