Mid 2010 Mac mini EASY SSD + 16GB Ram Upgrade - Cheapest Mac you can buy in 2020
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2024
- This is probably the cheapest way to get into the Apple ecosystem in 2020, with a viable machine. Putting this one together to do basic real estate work (and share docs across iPad, iPhone, MacBook).
SSD Recommendation: amzn.to/39LN1uU
Ram (PC3-8500, 1.5v, 1066mhz sodimms): amzn.to/2QA50x0
Music by Bensound.com
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I've same one since new (it came with 2GB RAM!), and I upgraded replacing the CD with 2TB HDD and the storage drive with 240GB SSD. I keep the RAM in 8GB.
Awesome!
I don’t know much about PCs. But why do you keep the ram at 8 gbs?
Great job !!! You video gave me the confidence. I did mine in less than a hour.
Nice!!
Done the ssd upgrade from nearly 3 minutes boot to 35 seconds worth it and it’s very easy to do
Glad it could help!
Great stuff mate. Looking forward to doing this myself. 🙂🙂
I'm considering doing this too my already has 8 GB of ram so I'm not going to upgrade that.
What about the OS how to get that back?
This was great..the one thing that should be pointed out is that the Heat sensor cable is an adhesive connection not a physical one...so it just gets glued to the ssd body...took me bloody ages looking for a connection on my Samsung EVO....obvious when you know.....but completely baffling if you dont....Thanks for your help...SSD now up and running...just time to install the OSX now....
Glad it could help and thanks for the tips!
I just did the upgrade of SSD. The SSD installation is not very hard. The biggest problem is putting everything back together because of the tight space within the mac mini.
At first, I worried more about the OS installation by internet. It turned out to be a breeze. I just restarted the mac with cmd+option+R. Apple prompted me to format the SSD to APFS. After that, there was menu choice to install High Sierra on the SSD.
I just use this mac for music and AV server, not any serious computing work. The addition of the SSD makes the system a little more responsive.
Great comment, thank you!
The truth with the upgrade it move a little faster for loading into the home screen but the processor on these 2010 Mac Minis is very slow in today standards.. I would recommend y'all to save your money and buy a new Mac Mini
Nice one! Did it in just 5 minutes!
Glad it could help! You must have set a record
Never remove connectors by pulling on cables. !!!!!
Good call
Great video. Excuse my ignorance. The information I am getting from this is that I don't have to buy a new Mac Mini 2022? I have one of those Mac Mini, and I genuinely need a desktop to do my Doctoral Degree work. How fast would it be with this configuration shown in the video?
I have the same system, but upgraded to 8GB RAM instead of 16GB and replaced the HDD with an SSD a few years ago. It's a good system, but not sure if going to 16GB instead of using 8GB will show any performance gain. It's a Core 2 Duo, good for low processor tasks today. I retired mine a couple of years ago. I periodically fire it up for old times' sake. Good video though.
Thanks! Yeah I'd probably say going from 8gb to 16gb is not worth it in these machines, but if you are lower than that a jump to 16gb is more cost effective.
@@GarageMaxedOut16GB is SO worth it .. in 2020 .. open more than 10 tabs in chrome and watch the thing start swapping .. grinds to a halt .. 16GB keeps things snappy
With Mac mini processor it’s not worth
@@MiguelDevOps16GB is probably worth it when running virtual machines that keep data in memory and do less CPU work . I am planning to he that done very soon . Sadly, my first attempt broke the fan connector because older instructions didn't clarify it was an up/down not in/out connector (unlike the fan connectors in PCs) .
Thanks, I was already about to remove the main board as-well as I saw your video showing it's not necessary . So my dev server finally got his SSD installed which is on the shelf now for months, if not years 😂
Awesome!
I've Just Done this very Mod, with the help of this video. Thanks Guys, it worked perfectly
Glad I could help
Can you make a vid about how its working after the upgrade? Maybe test it out with photoshop. Adobe progs. Garageband. Imovie etc.
Can you make a video how to remove the disc drive on a Mac mini? Because I’m trying to fix my dish that keeps on ejecting the disk.
Would have been more informative if zoomed in to show all the details of this jigsaw puzle .
Sorry, next time
7:45 that's what she said
I'm so sorry
Lol
The only issue with my Mac Mini Mid 2010 server is the graphics I guess. I upgraded to 8GB and SSD running High Sierra 10.13.6 but iMovie and UA-cam is lagging dealing with 1080p/60f.
I have a better PC graphics card which I may try connecting to my Mac Mini 2010. SSD mod is already done, thinking of doing a RAID 0 SSD for next mod. 16 Gb RAM is done and running Catalina. You could try the same if you have a better GPU lying around. Just need an adapter which converts the big Pcie to mini Pcie and plugs it into where your Wi-Fi card was. Then get a cheap usb Wi-Fi dongle to replace the missing Wi-Fi card.
Yeah, there are some trade offs with the older machines
I have not been able to get external graphics to work with these 2010's.
id just rip everything off ...i dont have that kind of patience lol!
hahah
Then it wouldn’t Work LOL………
Excelent video! master!
Thank you!
Thanks for taking the time to do this! I was given one of these by a client for me to get into the mac ecosystem. I’m hoping to streamline some podcast editing with it. What keyboard, mouse, and monitor would you recommend? If you put links in the description, I’m happy to click through there so you get the referral credit. Thanks again!
I use this one on my home mac mini- amzn.to/2IeY9Ef and my garage one uses this- amzn.to/2Thi7nX. For mice, I actually have two connected, a G602 - amzn.to/2TkkYwE and a magic trackpad (but you don't need a trackpad, I just use it for two finger scanning during video editing). My garage mac uses a Logitech M317- amzn.to/2vzB1NR. Monitors are more variable, it depends on your needs and budget. For a great all-arounder at a low price, I recommend this one to friends and family- amzn.to/38kJBNQ. If you want to step up to a 4k monitor, I have had really good experiences with Sceptre monitors as long as you fully test everything when you get it- amzn.to/3amsgWa. Let me know if you have any questions, and THANK YOU!!
I would of never of upgraded from windows to Mac, getting used to Mac (supposing your using final cut) is easy and so good, but in a few years time this thing will get old and outdated. And you don’t want to spend $2000 on a new one. Just saying if your used to Windows I wouldn’t upgrade :/
Glossy Girl well, you can get decent Mac hardware for a few hundred bucks now, and iMovie is better than any of the free Windows editors I could find. In general, I’d agree though- just depends on your use case
Garage Maxed Out I use The Final Cut Pro trial on Apples website, there’s a bit of code you can put in to the Terminal that resets the 30 day free trial. So yes much better than windows but still..... Apple gets there fair share of cash
Thanks helped me
Glad it helped
I was wondering when you upgraded to 16GB, what make of ram did you use as i am just in the process of getting mine to 16GB. The PC3 8500 you mentioned seems from my searches to go upto 4GB only, unless im searching something wrong.
Is it worth spending £150 on a 2010 Mac mini with 8gb ram and 320gb hdd?
Surely as the SSD has no moving parts, it doesn't generate heat and the heat sensor is redundant?
They do generate heat (similar to how a cpu has no moving parts but generates heat).
still dont understand how to reattached temperature sensor on ssd? Because I could not manage it than I use it stinky thinks to attach it on ssd.
I have the 2012 model I really wish I had the 2010 one though with that dvd drive. But oh well I really want to upgrade this to a ssd I did just recently downgrade it to mac os x sierra since it was so slow on catalina.
The SSD will help significantly on these older units
Great video
Thank you!
i just got Apple Mac Mini A1347 2010 4,1 Core 2 Duo today i upgrade my ram from 2gb to 6 gb later i want put in ssd i need buy another ssd my other 2 in my gaming system and my laptop
Bonjour très bien votre vidéo ça a l'air relativement simple j'avais une question est-il possible de remplacer le super drive par un caddie avec 1 ssd sur ce Mac mini?
Hello very well your video it looks relatively simple... I had a question is it possible to replace the superdrive with a shopping cart with 1 SSD on this Mac mini?
you mentioned adhesive what is a good adhesive if it doesnt stick properly?
You use 2 x 8GB memory cards on 2010 Mac Mini?? Does it work?
It does work
I currently have this Mac mini 2010 with 128ssd and 8gb of ram; I was thinking of upgrading the ram to 16 and wait till next year for Apple's armed processors. what do you think?
Is a 2010 mac mini still worth? With good specs ofc
paraneuf I just bumped up my memory to 16gb ; mines still holding strong for everyday task basic browsing google chrome etc.. but don’t expect high video editing machine. Love mines just waiting the Armed Apple Processors to buy new Mac in 2021. My Mac mini hold me down for 2 years and I got it on Facebook marketplace for $180.
how much were all the parts the 2010 mac mini to see if its worth doing that for me im considering buy a 2018 mac mini
but their still expensive 2018
I wouldn't waste money and time on this. By time you upgrade it you could have bought 2014 version that is still supported and much better hardware even base model.
It all depends on what you have available.
Thanks for the video! Planning on buying this 2010 Mac Mini but is it usable still in 2020?
I have it, I use it for browsing, social networks. Music and full hd videos. Maybe office basic.
Yup, still working for basic computing!
Hey guys question about this upgrade.. Are you able to install the latest MacOS once the install is complete or are you still stuck with the old OS you were running before the upgrade?
Thanks. The computer boots up and wants to install Lion on my machine. But there is some problems with two-factor-authentication. I get a notification on my phone with a 6 digit number, but there is no where to punch in those numbers in the installation part of Lion. Can some one help me, please? :-)
i have the same model but it says it can only hold up to 8gb.. can you really go 16gb?
Yes, the mid 2010 can go to 16gb. Get this ram- amzn.to/2QA50x0
I viewed your video because I too have a mid 2010 mac mini that is EXTREMELY slow on which I'm contemplating having done what you performed in this video. I'm going to 500SSD and 8GB ram. My concern is I have installations such as Microsoft word and iphoto that I don't want to loose through the upgrade. When all is said and done, will these programs transfer from the HHD to the SSD? Thank you for your time and consideration and I am very interested in your response and just maybe attempting this myself.
You will have to clone the HD to the SSD. Though an external ssd reader plugged into your Mac mini. Videos on it on UA-cam. Did mine couple days ago!
Very good video!!! I'm going to buy a 2010 car with 256 GB ssd and 8MB of RAM at 250 euros, do you think it's a good deal?
It depends on your local market. Here in the US, I got the mini for ~$100 and then added $40 for an SSD and $45 for 16gb ram. That said, if yours comes with warranty or other software, it may be worth it for you.
@@GarageMaxedOut Unfortunately here in Italy the Mac market is very expensive ... anyway thanks for your advice
Help!!! Now my Mac mini has no video output. When I press the power button there is chime but no display coming out! Whats going on??
Remove the ram and reseat it
Hey there! Can I use Xcode on this mac but with 8GB RAM?
Yes, but 16gb is better
can the old spinner drive be used as external hard drive in an enclosure.
is that a vaccum or a blower? is it safe to vaccum it
Yes you can use the old drive in one of these to make it an external drive- amzn.to/3eSr9zx. I would not vacuum as it causes static- use a blower instead. This is the one I have. amzn.to/2OLBjHg
Should I buy 50€ mac mini for saving old footage of videocamera with firewire? Do you think it is fine for that? I never had a mac before
If you are just saving files, I would opt for an external hard drive instead. amzn.to/36SNvit
Once you have the new SSD installed will it auto format itself, and I take it that you just need to reinstall the OS back into it. The other thing is, can the processor be upgraded to a newer faster one, or is this not a possibility.
You can't upgrade the cpu unfortunately
Yup, best way is an internet recovery
The only problem is my Mac mini, which is also a 2010, can't boot up with 16GB, but some people say it can run 16GB, but it will only let me boot to 8 or 10GB. My RAM is 1333MHz, it did work fine with 1 module. Can anyone help on this, I tried updating the EFI but it has the latest installed, but it still won't let me run 16GB. Can someone reply for an answer? If so, thanks!
You could be limited by your OSX version. Catalina supports 16 Gb and can be run on a 2010 Mac mini (I have it installed with a patcher).
Does the single 8gb stick work in one slot by itself, and then the other slot by itself?
@@GarageMaxedOut i used 2x8 gb so each slot can support 8gb
@@GarageMaxedOut I don't see why 1 stick can't stand on its own - I was planning to do this myself. While I know peeps don't recommend mismatching RAM, I was going to try 8+2GB and piecemeal the upgrade (worse case, I stick w the "official" 8GB in one slot)
After some advice ...will this memory work with Mac Mini i5 Late 2012? SNPN2M64C/8G - Dell 1x 8GB DDR3-1600 SODIMM PC3L-12800S It has the same spec as the mac mini ram but not sure...
Yes it will
Thanks for the skinny on RAM module type. I bought 2X 8GB, PC3-8500 (DDR3-1066-SODIMM) and my Mac Mini Server mid 2010, won't boot. first it recycled boot over several times like I was zapping the PRAM. I took them out and re inserted and now it finds the OS then rejects it and gives me a crossed-out logo and just goes ding ding ding. Any insight..? appreciated. I have 2x4GB (1067) that work fine.
Me too, but why ??😢
Doesnt the machine heat up when installed with 16gb RAM?
Me too, how can i fix it?
Nice video, would be cool if you did a follow-up video showing some practical use case scenarios for this build. I'm wondering if the CPU/GPU config is a major bottleneck for things like multimedia web browsing. I have this same model and am wondering if it would be worth the effort to put an SSD in there and find some RAM lol.
Thanks for the idea! For reference, this type of machine is fine for web browsing. It is currently used as the main desktop for real estate- so lots of pictures/etc.
Ok. So I've been debating investing to upgrade the RAM in my mid-2010 Mac-Mini or just put the money towards something newer eventually. It works well enough for basic youtube usage and browsing, etc. but now that i'm getting into some filming and light editing, I've noticed it can't handle 1080p 60fps+ (super laggy/choppy), or when trying to watch a steam and vid chat on the side at the same time on Discord. Was wondering if this is purely the video card letting me down, the RAM, the processor, or everything. I'd think the video card should be capable of 60fps? Will upgrading the RAM to 8GB or 16GB solve my problems? Here's the specs of the machine.
MAC MINI (mid 2010)
Processor: 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory: 2 GB 1067 MHz DDR3
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 320M 256 MB
Quick fix is 8GB memory. But I suspect that still will not allow you to do the computing intensive work.
Upgrade it like in the video and you will get some more use out of it.
I have the same machine and i was thinking about buying a 480gb ssd and 8gb of ram. Do you think is this worth it for music production, especially mixing and mastering in 2020?
It depends on how reliant you are on it- if it is a secondary machine or for hobby work, yes I would do it.
@@GarageMaxedOut yeah, I mean it’s not my full time work, it’s my own home recording studio. Thanks btw and happy new year
Thank you for sharing this information with us. I am all new to this, I really don't know where to start to make it run faster. what exactly should I replace, What is an SSD? so, should i replace the SSD, RAM, BLUETOOTH AND maybe the CPU?
SSD and RAM upgrades, sure. No point even trying to "upgrade" the Bluetooth as it's the same as anything else you'd find. And you can't upgrade the CPU.
Hi, can you do this for me with an extra card graphics¿ How much it will cost to me if you help me¿
Sorry, this is DIY only :-)
Look in this world of diminishing resources and rare elements it pays to rehab previously good systems and items . Just wish Apple would give up this attitude of blocking program content to pre High Sierra MACOS Apps .
Yeah, agreed we would be a lot better off if we all tried to "reuse" more
would 4gb of ram be enough to make the Mac mini faster
I generally recommend a minimum of 8gb nowadays. If your unit has 2gb, then 4gb will be a big improvement but if you are opening the unit anyway I would go ahead with at least this kit- amzn.to/3m0TUzu
Does it matter what SSD you use? Like Samsung or SanDisk or another brand?
The SPs are a great value- amzn.to/39qDR7l
Thanks for your vídeo. I have done the same process to my Mac Mini mid 2011... got the SSD and the 16GB of ram. But, the Mac OS is recognizing the 16GB, only 8 GB... could you give me any idea of what's going on? Thank you.
Yes, one of the sticks is likely not seated all the way. Pull both sticks out, put one stick in the bottom slot and test boot. When confirmed good, add the second stick and you should now have your 16gb!
@@GarageMaxedOut You were right... fix it. Thanks a lot.
hello. if I insert the 2 new 8g cards, do I need to change the HD as well or is that optional?
It is optional
Would this allow the computer to be updated to Catalina?
Nope, unfortunately not
Can the 2010 Mac mini handle 16GB with no problem?
Yes, this ram- amzn.to/3z7WTeU
Great video. Can I use a egpu on this for smoother graphics?
Hmm, I am not sure. When egpus first came out, the functionality was pretty limited given the lack of bandwidth across older style USB ports. That said, I know they did make enclosures that would support USB 3.0 interfaces, so there is a chance. I did a quick search to see what I could find, and there was not much out on the web readily available. If you are just looking for graphics playback- ensure you are fully updated and there are no background processes running. This one I have here play video with no hiccups.
Ok thanks
it says it only supports 8gb not 16gb on Apple's Website. Can anyone clarify?
yeah I've been researching this. he claims the Timetec Hynix RAM off Amazon works on the mid-2010 mac mini. OWC RAM is more expensive and does come w more testing: blog.macsales.com/16302-some-2010-mac-owners-can-get-more-ram-than-they-thought/ - I'll prolly try the Amazon 8GB stick first.
Is it possible to upgrade the CPU on the Mac mini?
Unfortunately the CPUs on MacMinis starting in 2010 are soldered directly to the board so it’s not swappable / upgradable.
Hi there,
Is 256 ssd the largest amount supported for the 2010 Mac mini or ?
Desiree Smith you can pretty much use any size of ssd you want. Usually ram is the limited thing.
No- you can put any size as @Christian Wilken mentioned. We added a 1TB to this one later. Here is the exact drive I used- amzn.to/3cmnKrK
Does it run faster when you upgrade the ram and SSD?
al _ b15 Yes- it feels like a completely different machine!
@@GarageMaxedOut would you say the SSD upgrade is the bigger difference? I suspect for simple tasks, a SSD w 4GB will be more noticeable a change than the stock 7200rpm HDD (server) & 8 or 16GB?
Have a video running OS?
Nope, no videos running the OS itself but you will be able to run up to High Sierra.
Hey, does it run the Mac OS Catalina?
Aniket Patil nope, 2012+ needed for Catalina
Officially no. But it can
I kno I sound like a moron but does this mean I'd be able to upgrade to latest GarageBand? and OS?
Which system do you have? The latest OS you can run on a mid 2010 is High Sierra
there are some workarounds so you can install Monterey. mr. macintosh has a method. no guarantees...
What Mac OS are you running on this?
High Sierra, 10.13
Is 10.13 the best OS for the 2010? Thanks
@garage maxed out- ^^^^Bumping Pablo's question here. Working on upgrading my ram and switching out for an SSD now- Just curious what OS to load onto it after I'm through.
Pablo Gabs yup, that’s the highest you can run officially on this model
Austin TeNgaio yup, do an Internet Recovery boot and then load the latest update- you’ll get High Sierra
Can you just use 1 16GB stick?
I have not tested it, however in some of my reading on this exact model I saw users having issues with high density 8gb sticks (vs the low density ones I linked). With that said, I would venture to guess it would not work. Theoretically, the C2D would support a single 16gb stick, so it may be a limitation of other Mac hardware. Try it and let us know!
I had an issue replacing it with 2x8GB stick. It recognized only one stick. It only works on the bottom slot. I’ve checked both sticks to make sure both sticks work. I don’t know what’s wrong with the top slot. If I have the 2 sticks it beeps. Any advice?
Derrick Garcia beeping generally means ram not seated properly. Have you tried both sticks in the top slot, one at a time, with the bottom slot empty?
@@derrickgarcia303 The wattage might not be right, but it will still support 1 stick. I have experienced this situation before, I just change the ram for lower wattage it solves the problem
Jason Chen: what wattage are you using? Thanks!
The clever ass that designed that case must be still laughing in his grave.
Yup, agreed
Nice video. For future reference, the background music is unnecessary and distracting.
洋人毛真多。
Thanks for watching
I have a 2011 Mac Mini, with additional Memory, will one be able to install Catalina?
Yesterday I followed the instructions in ua-cam.com/video/wxFzZWqoCng/v-deo.html and managed to get Catalina installed on my 2010 Mac Mini.
You can install Catalina on any mac device using patch updater. I have tried it for my 2010 mac mini and it does work. But it is very slow despite having 240GB SSD and 8 gigs of RAM. Its better to go for the latest version supported by your system
I just upgraded SHDD (hybrid) drive to SSD but Catalina still runs like a dog on my mac mini 2010 - I think I'll stick with High Sierra and test Mojave - I'm wondering whether the bottle neck is the CPU or graphics or the SATA II interface (or APFS on SATA II)
Can mac mini late 2012 use NVMe SSDs?
No it cannot use NVMe SSDs, however, there are SATA to M.2 adapter (There are no SATA to NVMe adapters as far as I know) which can allow you to put M.2 into a non-M.2 slot in a computer, I would also advise to put a Sabrent 2.5 Inch Enclosure so the thing stay safe, and also, if you do use M.2, then the speed will be downscaled to SATA III speeds due to it being a SATA port. I would advise you to use a regular SATA drive as M.2 in Mac Mini Late 2012 is pointless unless if you want to have M.2 Drive in your Mac Mini.
@@-PS5IsCool- Thanks for the heads-up on the matter.
@@DoryanTheCritic You're welcome