#USB 3 UPGRADE FOR 2009 MAC MINI MAC OS X#
#USB 3 UPGRADE FOR 2009 MAC MINI FULL#
#USB 3 UPGRADE FOR 2009 MAC MINI PRO#
#USB 3 UPGRADE FOR 2009 MAC MINI PLUS#

In short, very respectable given the 4GB memory in the MacMini and the huge 16GB scratch file involved.Ĭanon Digital Photo Professional 3.5.2.0: process 64 Canon CR2 RAW (1Ds Mark III) files into 16-bit TIF using 1, 2 workersĬompare to the 720/564 seconds for 1 & 2 workers with the 2.93GHz MacBook Pro 17': about 75-85% longer. Speed with the 4GB/500GB setup compares to about 293 seconds with the same hard drive on a 2.93GHz MacBook Pro 17' with 8GB memory. Too slow to contemplate running with the 1GB configuration - hours probably. Photoshop benchmark using 16GB scratch file when done, internal drive. The build (compile) is CPU-bound, and 1GB is adequate memory, so performance remains the same. With 4GB (2 X 2GB modules), memory speed ought to be faster, but this test shows how it doesn’t matter for some tasks.īuild DiskTester universal binary (XCode) This is a compute-intensive benchmark with low memory access needs. SHA1 hash, multi-core, MB/sec, faster is better. The test file is a 9000X6000 16-bit TIF at 309MB, but with only 1GB memory and 1.06GB in scratch file size, the performance is terrible at nearly 8X longer, showing just how critical memory is for some tasks.įor comparison, the 2.93GHz MBP17 turned in a time of 55 seconds at 2GHz the MacMini performance scaled to that clock speed could be expected to take 81 seconds, but with a 3MB on-chip cache vs a 6MB on-chip cache and shared video memory, actual performance at 91 seconds is quite respectable. Fast graphics enabled on the unibody model. Photoshop test suite without using the scratch volume. You could buy three more MacMinis for $2000! Time are in seconds. You get what you pay for: spending another $2000 does get you a lot more performance from a 2.93GHz MacBook Pro. The 1GB model is so awfully slow with 1GB on some of the tests that I gave up and tested only with the 4GB upgraded configuration. Inadequate memory is the #1 cause of most performance issues study the memory usage and CPU and disk activity of your own applications using Activity Monitor. Keep in mind that a task that runs fine with 1GB might do so only when there aren’t other applications open competing for the available memory. Some tasks run fine with 1GB, but others are terribly slow.

(1) two 2GB memory modules, (2) Airport antenna, (3) hard drive Performance - base model vs $172 in upgrades PERMALINK Maximum memory of 4GB the iMac can take 8GB (at substantial cost).ĭisassembled.

#USB 3 UPGRADE FOR 2009 MAC MINI FULL#

Extremely low power usage even at full use great for a home server that runs 24X7.

It’s relatively easy to swap the hard drive in the Mac Mini, but virtually impossible without special equipment and care with the iMac: you’re stuck with whatever crappy drive Apple installed inside your iMac (but both machines can use external drives).

If you later replace the Mini with a more capable machine (eg a Mac Pro), the monitor can be swapped between machines. The MacMini offers several differences over an iMac: Apple’s 24' LED display is $899, which costs more than an nicely configured MacMini! So the assumption here is that you’ll buy a used display, or something not quite so spend as the (very nice) Apple display. But if you already have some or all of those items, the MacMini is a great way to get a snappy and capable computer at the lowest cost. If you have none of these to begin with, then it makes sense to also consider the low-end iMac. The MacMini doesn’t come with a keyboard, mouse or monitor. The keyboard, mouse and monitor PERMALINK

#USB 3 UPGRADE FOR 2009 MAC MINI MAC OS X#

Update Oct 25, 2009: OWC reports that 8GB memory now works in the 2009 MacMini with Mac OS X Snow Leopard! Still, for many users it will work quite well with 4GB. It’s a shame that the MacMini cannot accept 8GB of memory, which could have expanded its range of useful tasks considerably. Of course, a display is required to interact with the MacMini (80-200 watts), but it means that the MacMini could be a superb choice for a home server which is left running 24 X 7. more energy efficient: only 13 watts at idle for the base model.

#USB 3 UPGRADE FOR 2009 MAC MINI PLUS#

faster graphics (a dubious claim for everyday use, but a plus nonetheless).

the ability to support up to a 30' monitor (with a Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link adapter).

the addition of a Firewire 800 port (replacing the aging Firewire 400), making much faster disk I/O possible than in prior models.

The revamped March 2009 MacMini, offers several improvements over the prior model which make it more more attractive than the prior model: But can it serve as a workstation for more demanding users, such as photographers shooting large RAW files? We’ll explore that question here. Not everyone needs a Mac Pro, or even an iMac - a well-configured MacMini is just fine for mainstream tasks.

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Usb 3 upgrade for 2009 mac mini