Mac Mini

The Mac Mini is a perfect computer if you want both small and powerful in the same package. Barebone without display, keyboard or mouse. I'm replacing an old PowerMac G4 400 Mhz with a new Mac Mini Core2Duo 2.0 GHz.

Specifications

Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0 GHz T7200 processor
- 4 MB L2 cache
- 667 MHz frontside bus
- Socket 479
Crucial 1 GB (2x 512 MB) 667 MHz DDR2 SO-DIMM PC2-5300 memory
Harddrive 120 GB 5400 RPM SATA
SuperDrive slot-loading CD/DVD writer
Intel GMA 950 on-board graphics processor with 64 MB DDR2 SDRAM shared with system memory
- DVI video output
- VGA video output via included adapter
Network 10/100/1000 Mbit ethernet
Wireless Airport Extreme 54 Mbps network
Bluetooth 2.0 and Enhanced Data Rate
Built-in speaker, optical/audio input, and optical/headphone output
Software:
- Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger
- iLife 08
- Front Row
Size and weight:
- Height: 5.98 cm
- Width: 16.51 cm
- Depth: 16.51 cm
- Weight: 1.31 Kg

Upgrades

Corsair 2 GB (2x 1 GB) 667 MHz DDR2 SO-DIMM PC2-5300 memory
Seagate Momentus 120 GB 7200 RPM 8 MB Cache SATA harddrive - Yet to be upgraded

Monitors

Samsung 215T
NEC 20WGX2 Pro
Eizo S2110W [1] [2] - Bought
Eizo S2411W [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Upgrading Memory

The Mac mini is not supposed to be a user upgradable machine. To open the casing, there are flaps and clips around the edges holding the two halfs together.

I used two spackle knife used to spread surface compound to fill holes and repair damaged walls, one on each side 90 degree apart. By carefully sliding the knife back and forth I could tell where the clips where located.

Once the clips one 3 sides are loosened, the top half should come off easily.

The machine is build with small margins and packs a lot of components in a compact form factor. Starting from the top, the DVD writer almost dominates the entire surface, sharing the corners with the Bluetooth and wlan antennas.

The DVD writer, hard drive, wireless antennas, and radial fan is fitted on a internal cartridge. The the DVD writer, hard drive, and audio connections is connected to the motherboard on a special riser-card. The antennas have their own direct cable.

Underneath the DVD write is the fan, air flow conduct, and the S-ATA hard drive. The empty space in the air flow conduct is where the air from the fan flows through the processor heat sink fins.

The T-shaped foam over the hard drive helps to seperate and maximize the air flow over the memory modules and the chipset heat sink.