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scoobyrox
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Joined: 30 Jan 2008
Posts: 48
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 Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 5:23 pm Post subject: upgrade 2011 mac mini i5 cpu to i7 |
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| Can someone tell me if it is possible to upgrade the mid-grade i5 mac mini with a i7 cpu? It is dumb to have i7 only on the server with no dedicated graphic card. I understand a server does not need a higher grade graphic card but they should at least offer i7 as BTO on the mid-grade mac mini. Anyone knows? I can't find any online article on this possible/impossible upgrade. |
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ez061111
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Joined: 29 Mar 2009
Posts: 888
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 6:07 pm Post subject: |
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sorry, no, not possible.
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2.0 GHz i7 Mini 8 GB RAM, OWC Merc Extreme SSD & Samsung Spinpoint
2.6 GHz i7 Mini 16 GB RAM, Samsung 830 & Hitachi
15" 2.3 GHz i7 MBP 16 GB RAM, OWC Extreme Pro 6G SSD & WD Black |
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philiparcario
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Joined: 19 Jun 2006
Posts: 4567
Location: Howell NJ USA
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 7:10 pm Post subject: Re: upgrade 2011 mac mini i5 cpu to i7 |
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| scoobyrox wrote: | | Can someone tell me if it is possible to upgrade the mid-grade i5 mac mini with a i7 cpu? It is dumb to have i7 only on the server with no dedicated graphic card. I understand a server does not need a higher grade graphic card but they should at least offer i7 as BTO on the mid-grade mac mini. Anyone knows? I can't find any online article on this possible/impossible upgrade. |
even if apple wanted to have a quad i7 and a discrete gpu in a mini it can not be done due to an inadaquate power supply. the internal psu is 85 watts the cpu and the gpu would use 55 to 60 watts. each usb jack can use 5 watts that is 20 more or 75 to 80 watts. the fw800 uses 9 watts that is 84 to 89 watts. so the current PSU just can do it. an external brick like the 2009 mini has 110 watts but apple chose to dump the brick
(is that a potty joke or what?) LOL . so this year you can buy a quad server and hope that an external gpu is developed. via t-bolt.
or you can buy a high end HP laptop and a base mac mini.
a quad hp laptop would cost about 1 k with current sale.
_________________
2010 Mm 2.4 C2D oem 320gb hdd 8gb ram
2012Mm base 2.5 with 16gb ram diy fusion drive
2012Mm quad with 8gb ram oem 1tb hdd
promise pegasus r6 3x 3tb + 3x 4tb =21tb hdds
lacie little big disk 2x 512gb ssds
synology 2tb disk station |
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scoobyrox
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Joined: 30 Jan 2008
Posts: 48
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| Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 3:48 pm Post subject: next gen intel cpu |
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| Intel just announced new i7 cpu that will only use 35W, instead of 45W on the current sandy bridge cpu. So, does that mean it is possible eventually? Based on your wattage tally, the new total would be 79W. Btw, thanks for your reply on my question. It makes a lot of sense. It's too bad they dumped the brick. I personally do not mind the brick psu. I still have the old core 2 duo mac mini. |
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Am Yisrael Chai!
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Joined: 22 Jul 2011
Posts: 121
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| Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 6:03 pm Post subject: |
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Think of the Mac Mini as a self contained CPU unit of a modular computer system. If you want a Mini with a better CPU the best thing to do is sell you old one and purchase a new Mini. I would wait a while before you did that. Think about it when the next round of processor bumps come out.
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Proud Cube owner. Oh, I also own a 2011 2.7ghz i7 Mac Mini. |
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Smithcraft
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Joined: 09 Nov 2008
Posts: 3012
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 1:04 am Post subject: |
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Eventually, everything is possible. How long one might be willing to wait is really the question.
Since the current CPUs will be discontinued by Intel at some point, as just about every CPU Apple has used, the CPU will have to replaced by something that has just come out.
SC
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Grumpy old man of computing.
[Desktop] G4 mini - 1.5Ghz 1GB 80GB HDD - Newer miniStack v2 500GB - 10.5.8
[Media System] Intel i5 mini - 2.33Ghz 8GB 500GB HDD - 4 x Hitachi 2TB HDD in a qBOX-SF - 10.7.5 (Thanks Phil!)
Make sure it has pins! |
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MJL
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Joined: 28 Jun 2011
Posts: 38
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| Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 12:22 am Post subject: |
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IMHO the 2011 Mac mini is having an inadequate cooling system.
The cooling system (fan) is mainly for the CPU/GPU only - the PSU needs to get rid of its heat by convential methods: the enclosure will heat up. A bright aluminium enclosure does not radiate heat very well.
If you look at the powerconsumption then it soon adds up which means the PSU develops more heat.
A HDD takes 500mA - 1A which is another 2.5 - 5 Watts or double that if you've got two.
The i5 is 35 watt and the GPU is somewhere between 10 and 15 watt. The quad i7 is 45 watts.
COmpare this with the 2010 model:
The 2010 mac mini had a CPU that is having an 18 Watt dissipation and the GPU is 13 Watts. It has a DVD player and when using that for burning then the whole lot heats up a lot and you get errors with reading/writing on less than prime DVD's.
Looking at the above figures will make sense of why there is no DVD player in the 2011 Mac mini or why there is no GPU in the quad.
I am waiting for the 2012 model to see if Intel has gotten its act together on low dissipation (mobile) CPU/GPU's and if Apple has got its act together with the cooling system.
At it stands in its "factory" form the 2010 Mac Mini with DVD is imho a very compact desktop design which will be difficult to improve upon.
If going for a 2011 model then I would be inclined to get some heatsinks and attach those with thermal tape to the sides in order to improve cooling (especially for anything above the base model and more than 1 HDD). |
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philiparcario
Veteran Member
Joined: 19 Jun 2006
Posts: 4567
Location: Howell NJ USA
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| Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 2:24 pm Post subject: |
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| MJL wrote: | IMHO the 2011 Mac mini is having an inadequate cooling system.
The cooling system (fan) is mainly for the CPU/GPU only - the PSU needs to get rid of its heat by convential methods: the enclosure will heat up. A bright aluminium enclosure does not radiate heat very well.
If you look at the powerconsumption then it soon adds up which means the PSU develops more heat.
A HDD takes 500mA - 1A which is another 2.5 - 5 Watts or double that if you've got two.
The i5 is 35 watt and the GPU is somewhere between 10 and 15 watt. The quad i7 is 45 watts.
COmpare this with the 2010 model:
The 2010 mac mini had a CPU that is having an 18 Watt dissipation and the GPU is 13 Watts. It has a DVD player and when using that for burning then the whole lot heats up a lot and you get errors with reading/writing on less than prime DVD's.
Looking at the above figures will make sense of why there is no DVD player in the 2011 Mac mini or why there is no GPU in the quad.
I am waiting for the 2012 model to see if Intel has gotten its act together on low dissipation (mobile) CPU/GPU's and if Apple has got its act together with the cooling system.
At it stands in its "factory" form the 2010 Mac Mini with DVD is imho a very compact desktop design which will be difficult to improve upon.
If going for a 2011 model then I would be inclined to get some heatsinks and attach those with thermal tape to the sides in order to improve cooling (especially for anything above the base model and more than 1 HDD). |
All goes back to a BTO external brick option.
110 watts in an Aluminum case.
Sell an i7 Quad with a good GPU.
Leave the internal psu out of the case .
All problems solved.
While you are at it with the internal psu removed add a Blu Ray player/writer. Not going to be done oh well
_________________
2010 Mm 2.4 C2D oem 320gb hdd 8gb ram
2012Mm base 2.5 with 16gb ram diy fusion drive
2012Mm quad with 8gb ram oem 1tb hdd
promise pegasus r6 3x 3tb + 3x 4tb =21tb hdds
lacie little big disk 2x 512gb ssds
synology 2tb disk station |
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philiparcario
Veteran Member
Joined: 19 Jun 2006
Posts: 4567
Location: Howell NJ USA
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| Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 2:24 pm Post subject: |
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| MJL wrote: | IMHO the 2011 Mac mini is having an inadequate cooling system.
The cooling system (fan) is mainly for the CPU/GPU only - the PSU needs to get rid of its heat by convential methods: the enclosure will heat up. A bright aluminium enclosure does not radiate heat very well.
If you look at the powerconsumption then it soon adds up which means the PSU develops more heat.
A HDD takes 500mA - 1A which is another 2.5 - 5 Watts or double that if you've got two.
The i5 is 35 watt and the GPU is somewhere between 10 and 15 watt. The quad i7 is 45 watts.
COmpare this with the 2010 model:
The 2010 mac mini had a CPU that is having an 18 Watt dissipation and the GPU is 13 Watts. It has a DVD player and when using that for burning then the whole lot heats up a lot and you get errors with reading/writing on less than prime DVD's.
Looking at the above figures will make sense of why there is no DVD player in the 2011 Mac mini or why there is no GPU in the quad.
I am waiting for the 2012 model to see if Intel has gotten its act together on low dissipation (mobile) CPU/GPU's and if Apple has got its act together with the cooling system.
At it stands in its "factory" form the 2010 Mac Mini with DVD is imho a very compact desktop design which will be difficult to improve upon.
If going for a 2011 model then I would be inclined to get some heatsinks and attach those with thermal tape to the sides in order to improve cooling (especially for anything above the base model and more than 1 HDD). |
All goes back to a BTO external brick option.
110 watts in an Aluminum case.
Sell an i7 Quad with a good GPU.
Leave the internal psu out of the case .
All problems solved.
While you are at it with the internal psu removed add a Blu Ray player/writer.
Not going to be done by apple oh well
_________________
2010 Mm 2.4 C2D oem 320gb hdd 8gb ram
2012Mm base 2.5 with 16gb ram diy fusion drive
2012Mm quad with 8gb ram oem 1tb hdd
promise pegasus r6 3x 3tb + 3x 4tb =21tb hdds
lacie little big disk 2x 512gb ssds
synology 2tb disk station |
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MJL
Junior Member
Joined: 28 Jun 2011
Posts: 38
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| Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 4:02 am Post subject: |
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| I just hope that the next iteration of the server will have a lower dissipation quad i7 and if it is then still possible to get a single SSD in there then that is the one that I am likely to upgrade to (can use the extra threads). |
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macmanmacman
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Joined: 25 Oct 2007
Posts: 1682
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| Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 12:21 pm Post subject: |
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| I also heard that intel has a prototype processor that runs on a 3 volt solar panel that is 3 ghz and will be in the next gen cell phones. |
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