User profile for user: jablonczay
jablonczay Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Mac Mini (Late 2014) SSD upgrade

Hello,


I have a Mac Mini (Late 2014) with macOS 12 Monterey installed on it's 1 TB of HDD and now i would like to put a 1 TB Crucial SSD into it (with PCIe adaptor) and move the contents of the HDD to the SSD and use that as system disk and use the HDD as data disk.


However, i heard, that for that i'd need to upgrade the OS, to install a firmware for the SSD. Question is how can i do that? Which firmware is needed and where can i get it?

Also, which tool do i need for moving the system disk's contents as they are to the SSD? How can i make the machine boot from the SSD automatically?


Thank you in advance.

Posted on Mar 12, 2022 4:56 AM

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User profile for user: samtenor
samtenor
User level: Level 4
2,074 points

Posted on Mar 12, 2022 2:15 PM

  1. Since you have installed Monterey in the 2014 Mac Mini - you have already updated the firmware.
  2. You can use clone software (Carbon Copy or SuperDuper) to migrate the system to the new drive.
  3. In "System Preferences" - go to "Start Disk" to choose the default Boot Drive. From here, you can also switch back and forth between the 2 drives as you wish.


Here is the sticky part:

The use of "M.2 --> Apple propriety NVME adater" can be hit or miss. I would suggest to go for OWC's SSDs - the form factor is compatible with 2014 Mac Mini.


Now, this is the critical part: If your Mac Mini (2014) is the base model (1.4Ghz), it might not have the connector for the PCI-e cable. However, since you indicated you already have 1T drive, I "assume" you have the 2.6Ghz model, which did carry the connector.


By searching the web, you can find a few "how to" for this project. By the way, you will need a special screw driver (T6 security) to open this Mini.


Good luck

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User profile for user: samtenor
samtenor
User level: Level 4
2,074 points

Mar 12, 2022 2:15 PM in response to jablonczay

  1. Since you have installed Monterey in the 2014 Mac Mini - you have already updated the firmware.
  2. You can use clone software (Carbon Copy or SuperDuper) to migrate the system to the new drive.
  3. In "System Preferences" - go to "Start Disk" to choose the default Boot Drive. From here, you can also switch back and forth between the 2 drives as you wish.


Here is the sticky part:

The use of "M.2 --> Apple propriety NVME adater" can be hit or miss. I would suggest to go for OWC's SSDs - the form factor is compatible with 2014 Mac Mini.


Now, this is the critical part: If your Mac Mini (2014) is the base model (1.4Ghz), it might not have the connector for the PCI-e cable. However, since you indicated you already have 1T drive, I "assume" you have the 2.6Ghz model, which did carry the connector.


By searching the web, you can find a few "how to" for this project. By the way, you will need a special screw driver (T6 security) to open this Mini.


Good luck

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Mac Mini (Late 2014) SSD upgrade

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