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User profile for user: hh5680
hh5680 Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

mac mini 2011 SSD.

Hi, long time since i have been here in this forum!.


Anyway , i have some question!.


I am doing music on my mac mini.

Composing and playing music using

Cubase element 7.

Every things working.

Since i invested / bought lot of

expensive vst plugin, which require

a powerfull pc or mac with a fast hdd for streaming, i am conidering

buying a SSD for mac mini, either a internal or external SSD via Thunderbolt!.


But i am in doubt, i mean what should i do, regarding buying SSD.


Let me explain, but first of all, here is my Mac mini spec below:


Mac mini midt ( june?) 2011.


Core i5 2.3ghz


16 gb ram 1333 ghz.


Intel HD 3000 graphics card.


internal 500gb 5400 rpm hdd.


1 firewire 800 port.


4. usb 2.0


1. Thunderbolt port.


1. HDMI out.


OSX Lion.


Superdrive dvd burner.


Soundcard: external semi pro

firewire Impact Twin with dsp.



These spec should be enough for cubase and virtual instrument, execpt the slow HDD.


I even tried to edit video in HDD, no

glitches or problems!.


But the internal HDD is properly to slow for virtual instrument?.


I am thinking about installing a internal Samsung evo 512gb SSD, which is fairly cheap in Denmark.

But i have seen lots of complain about Samsung evo performance being slow. due to the fact that the

Mac mini 2011 Sata controller can only provide max up to 3gb, because the mac mini 2012 dosent have Sata3?.


I have even seen people complaining

about mac mini 2011 only have sata2 with 1.5 gb transfer rate?.


Is that true ??.


the mac mini should have 6gb sata?!.


Even my "old" selfbuild pc has both

3gb and 6gb sata!.


Allso Some user on some forum said

that installing a normal internal 7200 rpm would'nt gain any performance over a 5400 rpm internal hdd?, i found that hard to believe!.


If i have to replace the internal hdd,

i have to do a clean install Lion, which i have to buy on appstore ( its still is available on appstore).


Maybe i can buy a external Lacie 256gb SSD thunderbolt instead?. ( 500gb version is very expensive!).


Here is my list of vst plugin i bought!.


Halion 5

East West hollywood string

East West complete composet collection 2, containing following -


East west symphonic orchestra

Goliath

Solo violin

storm drum 2

Syngery ivory grand piano 2.

omnisphere.

voice of passion


many more plugins, all bought version!.


all my vst instrument take up aprox.

350gb disk size!.


Henrik.

Mac mini, Mac OS X (10.7.4)

Posted on May 1, 2014 7:16 AM

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9 replies
User profile for user: keg55
keg55
User level: Level 6
11,743 points

May 1, 2014 7:58 AM in response to hh5680

If 512GB is enough for you then you might want to also consider the Crucial M500 480GB drive or their newer M550 512GB drive. I have an M500 240GB in my 2012 Mac Mini and it's working great.


Also, I don't know where you heard the 2012 model doesn't have SATA 3. They do. I have a Negotiated Link and Link Speed of 6GBps with the Crucial drive. Your 2011 model also has a SATA 3 controller and you'll get 6GBps with an SSD.

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User profile for user: hh5680
hh5680 Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

May 1, 2014 8:59 AM in response to keg55

I am not saying any thing really, i just

lot of "this and that" rubish from forums,

which made me confuse like ****, now

i have to sort out the fact about mac mini

related to SSD etc...

And since you're helping me, i am

beginning to get a clear understanding

related to mac mini sata.


I did ask my local mac shop, how much

they charge for an SSD, they charge double

price, i simply refuse to pay much, since

i can go to a pc shop to buy a Kingston or

Samsung 512gb SSD for a fair price.

The mac shop i went to, is charging

like **** to put in a SSD!.

I think i will do it myself.


When i decided to replace the 2gb ram

which came with my mac mini, i did

go to a pc store to buy a mac compatible

ram, i bought 16gb ram really cheap and

installed it, wow my mac mini now , is

fast like ****!.

Reply
User profile for user: keg55
keg55
User level: Level 6
11,743 points

May 1, 2014 9:17 AM in response to hh5680

Keep one thing in mind. If you're going to replace the 500GB HDD that's in your Mini now with an SSD, make sure you install it in the lower bay (bay closest to the bottom of the unit). *Some* SSD brands do not like using a 3rd party SATA cable. Samsung is one of those. They like to be hooked up to the Apple SATA cable (at least with my experience) which is the lower bay. Intel doesn't matter and I don't know about Crucial as I replaced a Samsung 840 Pro 128GB (lower bay) with a Crucial M500 240GB. I kept my 500GB HDD, moved it to the upper bay (closest to the top of the unit) and use it for storage. You can view the different drive bay orientations from this OWC PDF guide. The upper bay has to have all the "guts" taken out to get to the drive bracket.


I used the dual drive kit from iFixit.com which includes a SATA cable to use in the upper bay. They have excellent guides on how to add an SSD and their kits come with a nice tool kit. OWC (Macsales.com) also has excellent video guides along with dual drive kits.


You will see a HUGH performance increase with an SSD drive. The larger the drive storage capacity, the faster. My Crucial 240GB SSD is much faster than the Samsung 840 Pro 128GB. Boot times are cut in half or more and apps load quickly.

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User profile for user: hh5680
hh5680 Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

May 1, 2014 9:37 AM in response to keg55

forget about Samsung, i just thought

Samsung SSD was the best for mac, since

Apple did put Samsung ram inside the

mac mini!.

If Crucial SSD is more compatible

then thats the one i would like to

have.


May i ask how much you paid for

your SSD ?.


I found one mac dealer in copenhagen

(denmark), which charge a small amount

to install a SSD)!.

I just have to bring my mac mini and

they will put in a new SSD (which i allso

will bring with me!).


I just have to find the perfect SSD that

is compatible for mac mini 2011.


Crucial M500 500gb should be fine?!.

Hope it's not exstremly expensive ?.

I dont think i can afford 1tb SSD!.

Reply
User profile for user: keg55
keg55
User level: Level 6
11,743 points

May 1, 2014 9:52 AM in response to hh5680

hh5680 wrote:


If Crucial SSD is more compatible

then thats the one i would like to

have.

Intel, Samsung, OWC, Crucial are all compatible. I chose to upgrade to Crucial because of cost, not compatibility.


May i ask how much you paid for

your SSD ?.

I paid $116 (US- after shipping cost) for the M500 240GB directly from Crucial.com. I think they're now $119 before shipping. Their new line of M550s are higher priced compared to their current stock of M500s.


Just go to Crucial.com to get an idea of cost. Remember, the M550s are a bit more in cost since they're the new line of SSDs. And the M550 is 512GB, but the M500 is 480GB. I think the M500 is over provisioned for performance. The Crucial SSDs are not the fastest race horse as far as SSDs go. I wasn't concerned about speed compared to cost. An SSD is WAY faster than an HDD, period.


You can always keep your HDD and just add the SSD which is what I did. I use my 500GB HDD for storage. And with OS X 10.8 and above, you can have a Fusion Drive out of the SSD and HDD. Which will still give you better speed compared to an HDD. Lots of options!

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User profile for user: hh5680
hh5680 Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

May 1, 2014 9:52 AM in response to keg55

wow, just found a cheap crucial 480gb

ssd for 1600kr or aprox 300$.


The Crucial M500 - 2.5″ SATA-600 960GB

cost in denmark aprox 600$.

Thats ok but rather expensive!.


Do you think i can put / install

a Crucial M500 - 2.5″ SATA-600 960GB

inside my mac mini 2011?, i mean will it work

?.


I think i will ask my other mac dealer/ shop

to do the installing of the SSD in my

mac mini.

Reply

mac mini 2011 SSD.

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