I have purchased my Mac Mini end of 2011. Was a pretty good deal ~550 Euro for the 2.3 GHz Mac Mini has an old Intel HD3000 graphic adapter that by default shares 288Mb of RAM with the system I love have my Mac Mini mid-2011 with 512MB or RAM running Yosemite outputting 4k at 30Hz to my. Also after logging in it takes quite some time before the the system gets responsive. My personal experience is that with every new version of macOS it gets slower on older hardware.

Advertisement Despite iFixit scoring the recent Retina MacBook Pro models for repairability, the new Mac Mini managed an. This tiny-but-powerful computer has always offered a way to make future upgrades possible, housed in an easy-to-access case, with upgradable parts that aren’t permanently soldered into the system. While Apple provides a convenience when you choose to upgrade specs through them before you even get your Mac Mini, you’ll be paying heavily for that convenience. If you’d like to save some money and are willing to put in a bit of effort, it’s actually a good idea to go with lower specs and then upgrade yourself. If you’ve just picked up a Mac Mini, here are some tips on what to upgrade and how to do it.

How Can You Upgrade? First off, a Mac Mini is similar in concept to a laptop. It has an access panel so that you can get to the upgradable parts, but it isn’t as flexible as a full PC desktop. Long story short, this means that there are only two parts you can easily upgrade: the RAM (memory) and the hard drive. Some users have had success and, but these are complex operations that we won’t be covering today (both are considered “difficult” by iFixit standards).

What RAM Should You Get? The easiest way to determine what RAM you need is by clicking the Apple in the top left corner of your screen, choosing About This Mac, and then clicking on More Info. Finally, click on the Memory tab. This will show you how much memory is currently installed, how many slots your Mac has (filled and empty), and the type of RAM that it takes (most likely 1333 or 1600 MHz).

Since the Mid-2010 model, the Mac Mini supports up to 16GB of RAM instead of the previous 8GB, so you can divide that number by the amount of slots to find out how big each individual RAM stick can be at most. When shopping for RAM, brand is something to consider just like you would for a PC system – some are known for their quality, others aren’t. Two brands that I’ve heard the most good things about are Crucial and Corsair, so I’d recommend to go for either of those if you aren’t sure.

Getting RAM for your Mac Mini is pretty easy. Most online retailers such as specifically for RAM compatible with Macs, just make sure to read the item descriptions for known compatibility. Most manufacturers also have websites for helping you choose the right RAM for your Mac, like.

You could also get the RAM directly from Apple, but that will cost you a lot of money – 16GB from Apple costs $400! On the other hand, getting 16GB of RAM from Crucial via NewEgg will cost you just $162. Getting second-hand RAM for Macs is also possible on websites like eBay, but you won’t be completely assured that there’s nothing wrong with the product you’re buying. Upgrading the RAM If you have a mid-2010 model or newer of the Mac Mini, upgrading the RAM is very simple.

In fact, on how to do this yourself rather than directing you to an Apple Authorized Service Provider, as it does for all models prior to the mid-2010 model. If you’re using an older model of the Mac Mini, you’re going to have a much harder time. You could just go to a Service Provider and have them do it for you, but that’ll cost money. You could also do it yourself, but not only will it be much harder to do, but it’ll also void your warranty which won’t happen if you go to the Service Provider. That being said, the process of getting into those Mac Minis is tricky, so it’s best explained by this video. Choosing A Hard Drive There are a few things you need to keep in mind when shopping for a hard drive for your Mac Mini.