Will I realize a speed boost if I put 2 SSD's as a RAID 0 in my Mac Mini

Question

Will I realize a speed boost if I put 2 SSD's as a RAID 0 in my Mac Mini

I have an early 2009 Mac Mini (3,1). Running Mountain Lion 8.5. The CD ROM drive recently quit working and I purchased the special bracket from OWC to replace it which allows me to install a 2nd HD. I have been advised by OWC not to install a SATA III drive (6.0 GBs) because if I do the Mac Mini will connect it at 1.5 GBs. But if I install a SATA II 3.0 GBs drive it will connect at 3.0 GBs.

I understand that.

My question is. If I take out the existing HD and put in 2 SATA II 3.0 GBs SSD's and set them up in a RAID 0 configuration (Data Striped) will I realize a performance boost? Or will the striped SSD RAID provide more data then the Mac Mini's DATA BUS will be able to handle in which case I won't see the full performance possible realized?

I upgraded the RAM from 4.0 GB to 8.0 GB and the performance boost was actually rather astounding to me!

So I have ordered an SSD to install hoping to get even better performance as I am trying to get another year or two out of this machine before replacing it. I just started wondering if I were to buy a 2nd SSD of the same size and type could I set them up as a RAID 0 and see an even higher performance boost as opposed to just dropping the one SSD in for the system drive? My main concern was whether I would max out the DATA BUS or would there be a bottleneck elsewhere?

Thanks for the time in advance. I appreciate any technical insight which might be helpful in making the decision of whether to add a 2nd SSD or not.

Randy

Mac Mini 2.0, Dual Monitors, 4TB Ext RAID, Mac OS X (10.6)

Posted on Apr 14, 2015 12:38 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Best reply

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Apr 14, 2015 12:46 PM in response to The Digital Man

A single SSD can transfer data faster than a Sata2 bus can transport it, 2 SSD's will operate at the same bus limited speed.

Reply

Answer 2

Apr 14, 2015 12:51 PM in response to Csound1

Thanks Csound1

I was kind of thinking that but wasn't certain. The one sales person I spoke with assured me that the "insides of my computer" could handle whatever data was thrown at it by the SSDs. And while I am certain they said that in complete innocent bliss I wanted to know whether it was going to help me go FASTER. And based on what you are telling me it won't. So I am still going to install the ONE SSD but I won't bother trying to buy a 2nd one to RAID with it.

Thanks again!

Randy

Reply

Answer 3

lllaass

Level 10

210,417 points

Apr 14, 2015 12:53 PM in response to The Digital Man

I installed an OCZ Vortex SATA III/6 GB/s SSD in my late 2009 Mini and got 3 GB/s as indicated in System Report

Reply

Answer 4

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Apr 14, 2015 12:54 PM in response to The Digital Man

You'll get (about) 250Mb/s down a Sata2 line, any modern SSD can more than double that. And do not forget that a Raid 0 is far less reliable than a single drive (about half as reliable). But look at it this way, that's about 5 times faster than you are getting with a rotating disc.

Reply

Answer 5

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Apr 14, 2015 12:56 PM in response to lllaass

I have a Crucial MX200 in a 2009 MBP, I get 3GB/s (Sata2 bus) as it should be. 288Mb/s write (best) 240Mb/s read (best)

Reply

Answer 6

Apr 14, 2015 1:41 PM in response to lllaass

Mine is an early 2009 and for what it's worth I did take an SSD out of my wifes computer because it was too small and put a larger hybrid drive in there for her. So I had this SSD laying around extra and so I stuck it in the mac mini and formatted it. It had a SATA III interface and after I got it formatted the system reported it as having a 6.0 GBs interface and that it had been negotiated at 1.5 GBs just as OWC had warned. So I have ordered an appropriate SSD for it. I'm just trying to breathe enough extra life into it to last me another year or so.

Randy

Reply

Answer 7

lllaass

Level 10

210,417 points

Apr 14, 2015 1:56 PM in response to The Digital Man

Make sure the cable is full seated.

Also reset the SMC and NVRAM

Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)

About NVRAM and PRAM

I initially only got 1.5 on mine.

Reply

Answer 8

lllaass

Level 10

210,417 points

Apr 14, 2015 1:57 PM in response to lllaass

Also see:

Macmini3,1 samsung 840 evo ssd 3 Gigabit 1,5 Gigabit

Reply

Answer 9

Apr 14, 2015 2:19 PM in response to lllaass

That is interesting.

But since 3.0GBs is the max and I'm getting an SSD that has that capability it really won't matter. I would only need to concern myself with it if I left the 6.0 GBs in place and was only getting the 1.50 GBs performance. The max mini won't be able to exceed 3.0 GBs will it? At least a 3,1 one.

Reply