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KoderKev
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Joined: 02 Aug 2009
Posts: 95
Location: Independence, MO USA
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 Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 3:43 am Post subject: What a difference more memory makes |
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I just sold my 2009 Mac Mini Core 2 Duo with 8 GB memory and 120 GB SSD drive. I turned around and poured the proceeds into a 2011 i5 Mac Mini. I guess I had gotten spoiled by having the SSD drive and lots of memory, because when I got my new Mac Mini home I was very disappointed in its performance. The next day I went out and bought 8 GB memory to upgrade the RAM, and that made all the difference. While the drive is still slower than my SSD drive, the 4 CPU's make it much faster at things that don't depend on drive speed. I'll get a new SSD after this month, but I'm a lot happier with my new Mini now that I've upgraded the RAM.
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"Nothing unreal exists." - Spock
2.3 ghz 2011 mini w/ 500gb HD & 8 gb RAM
2 tb ext. Time Machine HD "Superman"
1 tb ext. media HD "Batman"
16gb iPhone 4 |
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Cypher
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Joined: 24 Jan 2007
Posts: 2909
Location: North West - UK
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| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 5:02 am Post subject: |
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I think Lion really does need 8GB of Ram. I have a 2.53GHz C2D mini with 4GB Ram running Lion and a 2.0Ghz iMac also with 4GB of ram running Snow Leopard. The iMac wipes the floor with the mini, its just so much faster at everything. Lion to me is just bloatware like vista was to windows 
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Phil
Mac Mini 2.53GHz - iMac 2.0Ghz - Macbook Pro 2.4GHz - iPad 1 32GB 3G
6TB Netgear Ready NAS NV+ - 6TB Drobo S |
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KoderKev
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Joined: 02 Aug 2009
Posts: 95
Location: Independence, MO USA
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| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 1:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Cypher wrote: | | I think Lion really does need 8GB of Ram. I have a 2.53GHz C2D mini with 4GB Ram running Lion and a 2.0Ghz iMac also with 4GB of ram running Snow Leopard. The iMac wipes the floor with the mini, its just so much faster at everything. Lion to me is just bloatware like vista was to windows |
What processor does the iMac have? I'm finding my 2.3ghz i5 to be blazingly faster than my 2.0ghz C2D.
_________________
"Nothing unreal exists." - Spock
2.3 ghz 2011 mini w/ 500gb HD & 8 gb RAM
2 tb ext. Time Machine HD "Superman"
1 tb ext. media HD "Batman"
16gb iPhone 4 |
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Cypher
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Joined: 24 Jan 2007
Posts: 2909
Location: North West - UK
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| Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 12:12 pm Post subject: |
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both of mine are Core2Duo.
the 2.0GHz iMac should be slower than the Mac Mini but it blows it our of the water speed wise.
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Phil
Mac Mini 2.53GHz - iMac 2.0Ghz - Macbook Pro 2.4GHz - iPad 1 32GB 3G
6TB Netgear Ready NAS NV+ - 6TB Drobo S |
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macmanmacman
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Joined: 25 Oct 2007
Posts: 1681
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 4:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Just wait mountain lion fixes a lot of those issues |
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thedeske
New Member
Joined: 06 Apr 2012
Posts: 13
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Y-Guy
Senior Member
Joined: 06 Feb 2010
Posts: 452
Location: Tri-Cities, WA
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 11:02 am Post subject: |
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| macmanmacman wrote: | | Just wait mountain lion fixes a lot of those issues |
Hope that is from a voice with experience. 
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iMac 24" 2.4 GHz 4GB | Logitech S530 | Z-2300 speakers | NewerTech Guardian MAXimus RAID
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thedeske
New Member
Joined: 06 Apr 2012
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 9:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Y-Guy wrote: | | macmanmacman wrote: | | Just wait mountain lion fixes a lot of those issues |
Hope that is from a voice with experience. |
Whatever the case, I get a very strong impression Apple is dead set on everyone upgrading machines and going big on Ram just to keep performance to mid sys 10 levels. Case in point - the Macbook Pro Retina. Better get 16 G ram or forget running Adobe or any pro apps with any overhead, like Logic.
There's still a chance they'll bump the Mini and iMac one more time before they strip down to SSD only and on board memory (as in THEIR memory only) so hang out with your old system cause the hardware requirements are getting shorter and shorter with each system rev.
At least RAM is cheap. I remember guys back in the days of OS 7 - 8 spending several thousand on Ram alone. Now it's 100 to 200 to max out with chips that are 5X faster. Guess that's the good news  |
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Grasshopper
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Joined: 07 May 2009
Posts: 159
Location: CA
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| Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 10:42 am Post subject: |
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True, RAM makes a huge difference. Do you want to know what else does? Putting a SSD in your 2011 Mac mini. I just bought an 256GB Samsung 830 series SSD from Newegg and it's made even more of a difference. Applications almost open instantly and startup times are insanely fast. The upgrade didn't hit my wallet that hard either. I only paid $189 for the drive after getting $60 off with a promo discount. Which happens to end today, by the way. Get one if you can!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147164
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2011 Mac mini with 8GB of RAM
2012 Mac mini Server with 16GB of RAM
46" Sony TV
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KoderKev
Member
Joined: 02 Aug 2009
Posts: 95
Location: Independence, MO USA
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| Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2012 2:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Grasshopper wrote: | /snipped/
I only paid $189 for the drive after getting $60 off with a promo discount. Which happens to end today, by the way. Get one if you can!
Item=N82E16820147164 |
Sadly, I didn't see your post until today (6/29). Yes, I had an OCZ Agility 3 in my 2009 mini, which I sold to buy the 2011 mini. Believe me, an SSD is on the to-do list!
_________________
"Nothing unreal exists." - Spock
2.3 ghz 2011 mini w/ 500gb HD & 8 gb RAM
2 tb ext. Time Machine HD "Superman"
1 tb ext. media HD "Batman"
16gb iPhone 4 |
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KoderKev
Member
Joined: 02 Aug 2009
Posts: 95
Location: Independence, MO USA
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| Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2012 9:42 pm Post subject: Epilogue |
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As a final postscript to this discussion, I announce that I finally did replace the HD with an SSD. I found a great deal on an OCZ Agility 4 256gb SSD at Microcenter.com. They have a local store here in Kansas City, so I can get online prices without paying shipping. They had the drive on sale for 189.00, which I couldn't pass up.
Stats: Black Magic's Disk Speed Test reports writes in the 170-200mbs range and reads between 3-325. Compared to 75mbs for both read and write using the stock 5400rpm HD. The Agility 4 tops out around 400mbs for both r&w.
Now I've got a MUCH better mini! 
_________________
"Nothing unreal exists." - Spock
2.3 ghz 2011 mini w/ 500gb HD & 8 gb RAM
2 tb ext. Time Machine HD "Superman"
1 tb ext. media HD "Batman"
16gb iPhone 4 |
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marv777
Senior Member
Joined: 13 Jul 2012
Posts: 424
Location: Philippines
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 10:35 pm Post subject: Ram |
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| Cypher wrote: | | I think Lion really does need 8GB of Ram. I have a 2.53GHz C2D mini with 4GB Ram running Lion and a 2.0Ghz iMac also with 4GB of ram running Snow Leopard. The iMac wipes the floor with the mini, its just so much faster at everything. Lion to me is just bloatware like vista was to windows |
I have 2 gigs of ram with Lion and it seems fine to me. |
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marv777
Senior Member
Joined: 13 Jul 2012
Posts: 424
Location: Philippines
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 10:48 pm Post subject: Ram |
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Which is a better Ram to buy Corsair or Cruciable for the 2011 Mac Mini? Thanks Any responses to this?  |
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LeChuck
Junior Member
Joined: 24 May 2012
Posts: 33
Location: California
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| Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 7:19 pm Post subject: Re: Ram |
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| marv777 wrote: | | Which is a better Ram to buy Corsair or Cruciable for the 2011 Mac Mini? Thanks Any responses to this? |
I also would like to know this.
OWC offers up to a 16 GB memory upgrade kit. Does anybody know which brand the memory is? |
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marv777
Senior Member
Joined: 13 Jul 2012
Posts: 424
Location: Philippines
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| Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:22 pm Post subject: Re: Ram |
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| LeChuck wrote: | | marv777 wrote: | | Which is a better Ram to buy Corsair or Cruciable for the 2011 Mac Mini? Thanks Any responses to this? |
I also would like to know this.
OWC offers up to a 16 GB memory upgrade kit. Does anybody know which brand the memory is? |
Won't the company tell you this? Try Googling it perhaps. |
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