Intel Mac Mini is Upgradable
Today was the day that just about everyone that ordered a mini on the 28th received it via FedEx. Tons of pictures of the Intel Mac Mini’s internals flooded the internet this morning. Shots of the double-layered DDR2 200pin SO-DIMMs slots, the IR port next to the optical drive responsible for the Front Row remote control feature, the new Serial-ATA hard drive interface and more surfaced. However, one thing that caught my attention was the use of a socket for the CPU rather than a soldered-on, unreplaceable processor. The big connotation with this is that you can buy a cheaper Mac Mini such as the 1.5GHz Core Solo (assuming the motherboard and software is identical between Core Solo and Core Duo versions) and upgrade it to something like, say a 2.0GHz Core Duo. I still have to sift through some whitepapers and find exact heat specifications for the 1.83, 2.0 and 2.16GHz Core Duos to see if the Mac Mini’s heat sink and fan combination would be up to the task.
Similar to the overclocking craze with the old Mac Mini, of which I became victim, I think that we will start to see a hardcore modding scene revolve around putting aftermarket processors in their cheap minis and adapting various cooling solutions to fit them. I already have plans to create a copper cooler, with the help of a friend with access to a CNC, for a new mini which I hope to purchase soon.
The older PPC-powered Mac Mini was known to be a based around weak chip. The Core Duo platform, utilizing Socket 479 (different pin-outs than your garden-variety P4), is a proven benchmarking and overclocking machine. For example, in PC’s, a Core Duo 2.0GHz can easily reach 2.5-2.6GHz on air. Apple’s decision to incorporate a socket, as they did in the Intel iMac as well, was a great move. Not only can they presumably use the same motherboard and slap on different CPUs as demand requires, but they now have caught the attention of the fast-paced modding community. Maybe we will start to see some modding switchers. I will tell you one thing though. If someone ever vapor phase change cools the new Mac Mini, it might be me as my roommate builds those things for fun.
should be very interesting whether or not both logic boards support various yonah processors and their thermic requirements. btw, isnt it a 479pin socket?
I had assumed it was 479 as most mobiles are, but the Newegg page says 478. O_o
How much of a leap are these mac minis really? What sort of difference should the everyday user expect? I want to get a mac and the mini seems like the thing to get, but will it be a suitable PC for everyday use?
Let me put this way, I currently have the older Mac Mini which is apparently 2-3x slower than the lowest model new Intel Mac Mini and I use it as my main computer. I made this entire site on it.. heavy Photoshop, etc.
I’m still not 100% sold that even though you may be able to physically replace the processor, that the Mac will actually recognize it. Apple’s TPM chip could be doing more than just trying to prevent OS X from infiltrating beige boxes. It could contain the CPU id, locking the Mac down to that CPU. However, if something like this is the case, I’m sure the modding community would just disable TPM, like the OSx86 hackers have done to run OS X on any computer.
You’ve been dugg (again)!
http://www.digg.com/apple/Intel_Mac_mini_processor_upgradable_
I ordered mine next day and it hasn’t shipped yet :( It was ’cause I upgraded the memory, which changed the ship time from “under 24 hours” to “1-3 days”. Sigh, I really hope 1-3 does’t mean 3…
My database server has been in and out for some reason… but (mt)’s on it.
Limeprint, huh?
To beat digg.
Yeah, too many people had “reported” my website and it ludicrously locked me out of digg essentially.
I WANTS ME A MAC MINI YO! :P
But Paul, what about Ubuntu, did you install it on a partition on your mini? I’m currently downloading it (dial up :( ) and want to install it…somewhere…
evan, ive been using the 1.42 mini for some time now. I admit it has become my primary machine; ive got a p4 workstation, a pentium-m thinkpad and the mini. its just fun using it .)
Well I’m doing Computer Science in high school and my only knowledge of Macs was some old black and white one we had ages ago. I’m what I’d safely call an advanced computer user, but that’s when it comes to windows. I’m trying out some Linux Live CDs and I think it is high time to get into Macs. The mini seems like a go, so whichever one of you would be so kind as to send me one, just let me know when. (Birthday at the end of the month you know :) )
heh, why dont you send me the new mactel version and ill get you the ppc. its even more exciting than these boring cisc boxes doing odd little tasks, lol^^
Hmm, judging by the prices on NewEgg:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?N=2010340343+50001157+1050719930&Submit=ENE&Manufactory=1157&SubCategory=343
Wouldn’t it be more cost effective to just buy the higher end Mac Mini? It’s $200 and it also gets you a bigger hard drive, super drive, etc.. Am I missing something here?
Evan, I’ve used a Mac mini as my main computer for a year now. I am a print and web designer. I’ll let you know a year from today how the Core Duo fares. I just bought one.
CyclotronX, I’ll hold you to that. :)
Of all the OEM companies, Mac would be the first I would buy from, and the Mini would be my first choice within Mac. Coming from me, that means a lot considering how much I have hated working with Linux distro’s and OSX, but this new breed of Apples actually have some value to the pricetag. If you are looking for a lowend machine that has some oomph, the mini is a great deal. If I had the 900$ it would cost to buy a Mini and 2gb of DDR2, I’d drop it in a heartbeat and turn that sucker into a powerhouse HTPC. My only problem with the Mini is the onboard graphics, guess there is no way to put a 7800GT in it..=D
Is the Mac Book Pros chip soldered on? I looked at the PbFixit (iFixit) page and I did not see a release handle. Any one can help?
I’m glad to see we have some brave people who will open up a brand new toy like this and void the woranty, Thanks for doing that for us.
I WANT IT!!!!!!!!
Kevin: Yes the Mac Book Pro’s CPU is soldered on!
Are you good at desoldering? ;o)
Great stuff Paul!
Hey does it mean that i can put in my mac mini(intel) all 478 procesors even Intel® Pentium® 4 Extreme Edition with good cooler)????
Iyanic, no you cannot. It is technically a 479 pin with an extra pin solely there so you don’t jam in the wrong processor. The Core Duo runs on 1.2-1.4V where as the P4 starts at 1.55V. There is no way the mini could even power P4 not to mention cool it.
Dude 479 is mobile platform processor the core duo is 478 wtf???
The Duo is a 479p mobile chip!
Sorry I’m wrong
No worries. The desktop equivalent of the Core Duo, named Conroe (I believe), isn’t out yet.
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=23055
Check it out. Time to put my safety glasses on and get some work done.
So it is now mobile…
I just read this whole page and its fascinating to know that there are many people out there supporting Mac. I first started with a G4 Quicksilver and now have significantly upgraded on to the Maci Mini, G5 and now the Mac Pro.
I have carried out recent tests while working (graphics design) on a high spec PC and the G5 (now replaced by my Mac Pro. I have realised that when it comes to utilising pixels shaders and vectors on a specific graphic, the Mac will always be the best, even when playing games on it. PC… lets justs say, my days of having a PC with shi*loads of Microsoft on it have ended.
Mac will take over the market one day… Hopefully!
confused with choosing between a 1.5 ghz mac mini intel core solo and a 1.6 ghz mac mini core duo… i’m a graphic designer however i can’t afford anything better and right now all the stores ive tried only seem to have the core solo and i need a mac urgently. is there a drastic difference between these two models? any suggestions will be greatly appreciated, cheers.
Core 2 Extreme QX6700 possible?
Did anyone try to put one of the quad-core chips in?
Is the cooling and the power-supply up to it?
Can the quad-core be underclocked to run at the clock speeds the MacMini runs at, or does the MB clock get multiplied so it runs at the regular speed?
I’d love to have a small, fast server…
nevermind, didn’t realize they don’t have the same socket… 479 vs. 775. Would have been cool, but not happening…
um, the socket 479 only has 478 pins, its identical to the 478 except it has had the missing pin spots moved around. it is only called the 479 to distinguish it from the original socket 478. anyway, let me know how this mod works, very cool
Hey I enjoyed the post, I guess I found this article a little slower than everyone else! Anyways, I am thinking about buying the new Mac Pro and currently am running a non-intel based G5 and wanted to know the perks to buying the lower end Mac Pro and then switching the chips out. Is this smart ($2200) vs ($2900) + ($1498 - chips on mac website) so basically $2200 vs almost $5000+. Can the new Intel Quad Core extreme be inserted in the place of the chips, or does Mac have stake in the types of intel chips that will work with the Mac Pro? Any advise would be greatly appreciated.
-Scott Haines
Designer / Web
@Scott - while I have not tinkered with a Mac Pro before, generally CPU upgrades will work flawlessly as long as the chips you will be replacing have the same number of pins as the new chips. However, taking apart the HSF/etc on a Mac Pro might be more involved. You’ll have to investigate on your own.