How To: Mac Mini RAM Upgrade

[smee]

This tutorial will teach you how to upgrade your Memory (aka, RAM) in your Intel Mac Mini.
Note: If some of the images do not show up, try refreshing your browser.

Update:
I found out that Upgrading your RAM in your Mac Mini will not Void your Warranty unless you break something yourself. (Thanks to some of the guys hear on AI!)


Items need for upgrade:
*A putty knife (or two, if you feel you need it)
*Medium sized philips screw driver
*And a small flat head screw driver

This upgrade tutorial is for the Intel Core Solo, Core Duo and Core 2 Duo Mac Mini.
The Intel Mac Mini uses PC2-5300 200-Pin DDR2 SODIMM memory running at 667Mhz.
You can buy this type of memory on Newegg.com in the Memory section and other various sites.

In this case I am upgrading a Core 2 Duo Mac Mini 1.83Ghz which only has 1GB of RAM in it.
I will be upgrading it to 2GB of RAM from Corsair.


____________
First, lay your Mac Mini upside down.
Get your putty knife and carefully squeeze it in between the aluminum and plastic around the outer rim on the bottom of the Mini. Then bend the putty knife outward (away from the mini) until the Mini pops out a little, do this around all three sides until it looks like this:

____________
Carefully take the Mini out:

____________
Look! There's the inside of the Mini! All carefully crammed together...
So take out the screws in each corner using your Medium sized philips screw driver:

____________
Here's screw #2:

____________
Screw #3:

____________
Screw #4 is hidden under the Airport Antenna. To take that off, squeeze the two plastic pieces under it using your thumb and index finger:

____________
It should pop off, revealing the screw you can now take out:

____________
Next, in the front of the Mini, under the Optical drive and to the right of the Battery, there's a little black wire you need to unplug.
Do so by prying it up with your Small flat head screw driver:

____________
It should be out like this:


Continued in Next Post

[smee]

Part Two:

Now, being very careful, slowly pull the top half of the mini Up then over and lean it on the Back Ports:

__________
Now, you have two options:
1. You can finish the upgrade without doing the next two steps or...
2. Continue by unhooking the orange ribbon cable that connects the Optical drive and Hard drive to the Motherboard:

__________
This can be done by taking out the brown plastic piece which is wedged between the orange ribbon and the white slot.
You can use your finger nails or the Small flat head screw driver to do this.

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Look! There's RAM! It's really small...
You can read what kind of memory it is on the label:

__________
Now of course, let's take them out!
Using to fingers or your thumbs push down and out on the two silver metal brackets which hold the RAM in. This will make the first memory stick pop up, now carefully pull it "out" not up. Do this to both sticks.

__________
Next, put in your new Memory, making sure they are secured in each RAM slot:

__________
Now, reassemble your Mac Mini, simply follow the directions in reverse order.

Once it's all packed together again turn it on and check it out:


If you have any questions please post them! I'll be glad to help
Hope this helped you upgrade!
Thanks!
Parker

[sequitur]

Originally Posted by smee

__________
Next, put in your new Memory, making sure they are secured in each RAM slot:

Many thanks.

[smee]

Sure.
Let me know how it goes for you

[sequitur]

4.0GB (2GB + 2GB Module Set) Upgrade kit with Micron devices for all Apple 'Core 2 Duo' 2.2GHz, 2.4GHz, Core ... more
Brand: Other World Computing
OWC Item # OWC53IM2DDR4GBK $103.99

With 4GB hovering around $100, I thought of putting 4GB in a Mac Mini. What would happen? Would it create problems or ......?

[smee]

Check out this article.
It shouldn't create any problems.

[sequitur]

Originally Posted by smee

Check out this article.
It shouldn't create any problems.

This may just make up my mind come January. UNLESS Steve comes up with something else to attract my attention.

[UbiquitousGeek]

That was a very good How To. I'm watching out the window for the UPS truck carrying my 2GB upgrade at this very moment. Hopefully I won't screw anything up. This will be my first time cracking open a Mac. I can't wait to see how well this machine runs with 2GB of RAM. I have the first generation 1.66GHz Core Duo with 512MB of RAM running Leopard 10.5.1. So far, Leopard runs great, but it uses all of the available RAM with just Safari, Mail and Adium. I hope to see a dramatic improvement in World of Warcraft, which runs pretty well as it is, just a little laggy in spots.

[smee]

Thanks!
Lol, I like looking out the window waiting for a UPS I love there speedy service too...

Hope all works out for you, let me know how it goes!
Parker

[Marvin]

Good guide but I wouldn't unhook the optical drive - I didn't feel it necessary to do that when upgrading the Mini Ram - I just left the top part sitting against the machine. I would recommend two putty knives though so that you can hold one side open while prizing open the other side.

It's good that you explained about pinching the bit below the airport card. The guide I used online didn't explain this.

[UbiquitousGeek]

Originally Posted by smee

Thanks!
Lol, I like looking out the window waiting for a UPS I love there speedy service too...

Hope all works out for you, let me know how it goes!
Parker

Whoops! Instead of hitting reply, I accidentally hit report. I don't know why the hell I did that or why I didn't notice it as I was typing away. I don't want to retype all of that... In short, the upgrade when well. Leopard is much snappier now. Like the other guy said, I didn't feel the need to unhook the drives, I just flopped them out of the way. Thanks for the guide, it was much more detailed than the others.

[lundy]

LOL - here's the rest of your post that got sent to me as a "Report"

I had a bit of frustration getting the screws back on. All in all, it was a little more challenging than upgrading a typical PC, but well worth it. I ended up having to do the process twice because I didn't get the top chip seated correctly. It wouldn't go all the way into the slot unless it was at an angle. Anyways, thanks for the guide, it was very useful.

For anyone interested in upgrading their mini's RAM, I will tell you want to expect performance-wise. Expect Spotlight to provide results instantly instead of lagging for a few seconds. Expect menus to pop up faster. Cover Flow will improve dramatically, as will Stacks. I haven't gotten into too much depth with it yet, but I expect GarageBand and iMovie to work much better. Hopefully it will solve some latency issues with GarageBand. iPhoto indexing seems much quicker. All in all, it's been completely worth the $55. Crucial.com has great prices.

[smee]

Lol, thats funny

I'm glad it went well for you!

Last night I took my mini completely apart (the motherboard, hd, optical drive and everything was out of the case), I wanted to see what kind of hard drive was in there. I know I could have gone to system profiler, but I wanted it hands on
I did this because I'm thinking of upgrading the CPU, Optical Drive, Hard Drive and RAM (to 4GB).
I'm also looking into switching out the graphics chip to the GMA X1300, not sure if its possible though... Any ideas?

I want to see how fast I can get this mini to go

[Messiah]

Wow I didn't realise that the Mac mini would recognise 4GB? I thought the memory controllers only recognised 2GB?

4GB is great news!

[Messiah]

Okay, upon further investigation, it seems as though the Mac mini CANNOT support 4GB
- it can only support 3GB.

If you install two 2GB sticks however, it will see the first 1.5GB of each stick, and allow dual channel access, which offers some speed improvements over a single 2GB and single 1GB combo.

But regardless of what you install, the maximum that you will ever be able to use is 3GB.

[sequitur]

Originally Posted by Messiah

Okay, upon further investigation, it seems as though the Mac mini CANNOT support 4GB
- it can only support 3GB.

If you install two 2GB sticks however, it will see the first 1.5GB of each stick, and allow dual channel access, which offers some speed improvements over a single 2GB and single 1GB combo.

But regardless of what you install, the maximum that you will ever be able to use is 3GB.

What's the source of your info?

[smee]

Sorry, I thought I already posted about this on AI.
Guess not

You can put in 4GB (2 x 2GB) in the mini, but it will not recognize the whole 4GB, it will recognize 3GB. But it's still faster to get 4GB rather than 2GB + 1GB.

Sorry for the confusment....

[Richard_H]

SMEE, thanks a ton for posting this how-to! Without it, I would have paid for Apple's RAM upgrade, and I'd be running with 2GB instead of 4GB (3.xGB, really), and paid more for it.

Being a total Mac newbie, here are some notes from having just done this to my new 1.83GHz Mini...

* I concur with the other poster about not removing the brown ribbon cable for the optical drive. I'm normally leery of messing with this type of connector, and you can do the job without removing the brown cable.

* The gap in the case is pretty tight between the white base and the silver shell. I had to use a pretty slim putty knife (it'd been sharpened to a knife edge, actually, for a prior project); the first putty knife was too thick to wedge in the crack without marring the case getting it in. In a pinch, one could slide a flat chef's knife in the gap just to make the crack wide enough to get the putty knife started (don't pry with a knife).

* I used 2 putty knives - the first one to pry the base upward (i.e., outward on the shell, as the OP described), and a second putty knife following behind it, catching notches in the side of the base to keep it from dropping back down. A flat screwdriver would work for this 2nd tool too.

* On mine, screw #2 is an oddball with a wider head. The other 3 look interchangeable. You really need a small Philips head with these screws, and the screwdriver needs to be fairly skinny and long (a la pocket screwdriver style).

* I put in a pair of Patriot 2GB SO-DIMMs that Frys.com is selling for $38 apiece (about $90 for 4GB with 2-day shipping). At the moment, it's $7 cheaper to buy separate 2GB sticks instead of the 4GB kit from the same manufacturer. I got part #5200767 - if somebody sees a reason this SO-DIMM module isn't correct, please let me know. So far, my Mac's still working.

* Seating the memory DIMMs is a tight fit - while at a slight angle, they need to be pressed into the slot until the top edge of the gold contacts are barely visible; this can take a pretty firm hand. Once inserted, latch it down. If you haven't done this before, take note of how far inserted the old DIMMs are before you remove them.

* Check the Airport antenna connector before re-assembling - it'll try to come loose from the board (seen in the background of the OP's pic with the brown ribbon connector).

* There's a pair of wires near the mounting post by the power jack - take note of how it's routed before you disassemble. They like to get in the way during re-assembly.

* Putting the optical drive back in is pretty snug fit. Mine had to be jostled the last little bit before the mounting posts were flush. Don't forget the little connector you unplugged.

* Screw #1 was a challenge to get started back in the hole - I needed a magnet on the screwdriver to keep the screw attached to it. Hole #1 is an open bracket but this isn't obvious from the shadows (at least at my kitchen table, er... anti-static workbench); just dropping the screw in the "hole" won't work like it does on #3 and #4.

* Check that the Bluetooth antenna wire is back in the clips along the side of the drive, between screws 1 and 2.

* The case is a tight fit to close. My fit wasn't completely flush on the back near the power switch, but re-opening / checking / re-closing it doesn't look like anything's in the way, and it's fully clipped closed. I'm not sure if that's how it was from the factory. Anybody know?

I hope these extra tips help the next newbie brave the upgrade too!

Cheers,
Richard

[snott]

I followed the instructions (core 2 duo 1.8ghz mac mini) but now it won't boot at all, no monitor activity, no beep, but the power light comes on and lots of fan (or is it drive?) noise. I tried replacing the original memory, same thing. Lose connector? How do I troubleshoot this?

Thanks...

[MissKitty]

In a pinch, one could slide a flat chef's knife in the gap just to make the crack wide enough to get the putty knife started (don't pry with a knife).

Oh how I wish I had read this guide before I did that and killed my mini.

[adriano]

thanks for this through step-by-step

My mac mini memory upgrade went really smooth having first read this article.

Didn't unplug the ribbon cable as I found there was enough room to work on the memory modules area without the need of taking completely off the upper portion of the components.

- Adriano

[Stinkz]

does it work for the dual core intel 1.66ghz?
help plz

[zanne101]

Okay, it's obvious that I'm technically challenged, but I would like to buy the least expensive Mac Mini and do the upgrades myself. Is this logical?

If so, what is the most basic Mini I should buy? I hate optioning all the upgrades at inflated prices at time of purchase.

So, buying guidelines, please! 1.83GHz or 2.00? Should I get the least RAM available and then put in 2GB(2X1) or 4GB(2X2)?

Anything else I need to consider?

I want to keep the initial purchase low so I can get a router and wireless keyboard etc. Times are tough, even for Apple fans
By the way, I'm now on an old Dell CPU and running Win XP. UGH!!!! It was given to me, so I can't complain too loudly, but I'm sure looking forward to getting back to Apple.

Thanks for any/all suggestions.

[macxpress]

If you could wait...the MacMini should be updated soon. How soon is up in the air but some items suggest it will be updated soon.

If you must buy now...I'd go for the 2 GHz model for the SuperDrive (DVDRW). The cheaper model ships with a DVD/CDRW Combo Drive and it would be foolish to get a cheap MacMini and then update it with a DVDRW. Just get the model with the DVDRW Drive. Typically I'd say not to get the RAM from Apple however if you don't feel like you can get the MacMini open without breaking it to upgrade the RAM it may be a better option. Otherwise you can get RAM from some place like crucial.com, newegg.com, 4allmemory.com

Realize that MacMini's ship with notebook hard drives so you're limited with what you can do there without spending a whole bunch of money.

But I would really wait and see if Apple updates the MacMini...you will be glad you did. You would be getting a much better computer.

[zanne101]

MacXpress

Thanks for the info. I thought I had read something about possible Mini updates, but then the Expo came and went, and no update. But I will wait awhile to see if it occurs (I REALLY want to ditch this Dell).

And as far as the RAM goes, I don't think I will have a problem doing that exchange. I have some great small art tools, thin screwdrivers etc. that should work great. And I'm fearless enough to open up a brand new computer and tinker. I learned "data processing" on machines that were as big as a whole floor of a house. We used to have to rewire the boards with cords to do any functions at all (I just gave away my age). I also bought one of the first Macintosh models and also bought Apple stock when they went public. I was considered slightly nuts then. :-}

Hope the Mini updates soon.

[macxpress]

Originally Posted by zanne101

MacXpress

Thanks for the info. I thought I had read something about possible Mini updates, but then the Expo came and went, and no update. But I will wait awhile to see if it occurs (I REALLY want to ditch this Dell).

And as far as the RAM goes, I don't think I will have a problem doing that exchange. I have some great small art tools, thin screwdrivers etc. that should work great. And I'm fearless enough to open up a brand new computer and tinker. I learned "data processing" on machines that were as big as a whole floor of a house. We used to have to rewire the boards with cords to do any functions at all (I just gave away my age). I also bought one of the first Macintosh models and also bought Apple stock when they went public. I was considered slightly nuts then. :-}

Hope the Mini updates soon.

I wouldn't be surprised if by Feb/March there will be some kind of Apple announcement. Whether or not its a MacMini...dunno.

[acrossthedesert]

Yesterday I finished upgrading my mini with a Kingston HyperX 4GB Kit found on Newegg for ~$45. We bought the mini refurbished from Apple in January 2009. As far as I can tell, they must have changed something (maybe the chipset?), because my mini recognizes all 4GB. The performance improvement is remarkable.

[zanne101]

Originally Posted by acrossthedesert

Yesterday I finished upgrading my mini with a Kingston HyperX 4GB Kit found on Newegg for ~$45. We bought the mini refurbished from Apple in January 2009. As far as I can tell, they must have changed something (maybe the chipset?), because my mini recognizes all 4GB. The performance improvement is remarkable.

Is there any way of finding out if the refurb was different from the typical Mini? I wonder if anyone has found this same situation.

It would be nice to know that if I put in 4G RAM(2X2) that it would all be usable. I like to squeeze out as much as I can from any upgrades Since I don't have an Apple now, what would you find if you hit the "more info" button in the About This Mac screen as shown in your post?

[John.B]

There is a difference between detecting 4GB of RAM and recognizing (using) it.

RAM Benchmarks for Apple Mac minis (macsales.com)

Originally Posted by acrossthedesert

Yesterday I finished upgrading my mini with a Kingston HyperX 4GB Kit found on Newegg for ~$45. We bought the mini refurbished from Apple in January 2009. As far as I can tell, they must have changed something (maybe the chipset?), because my mini recognizes all 4GB. The performance improvement is remarkable.

[zanne101]

Originally Posted by macxpress

If you could wait...the MacMini should be updated soon. How soon is up in the air but some items suggest it will be updated soon.

If you must buy now...I'd go for the 2 GHz model for the SuperDrive (DVDRW). The cheaper model ships with a DVD/CDRW Combo Drive and it would be foolish to get a cheap MacMini and then update it with a DVDRW. Just get the model with the DVDRW Drive. Typically I'd say not to get the RAM from Apple however if you don't feel like you can get the MacMini open without breaking it to upgrade the RAM it may be a better option. Otherwise you can get RAM from some place like crucial.com, newegg.com, 4allmemory.com

Realize that MacMini's ship with notebook hard drives so you're limited with what you can do there without spending a whole bunch of money.

But I would really wait and see if Apple updates the MacMini...you will be glad you did. You would be getting a much better computer.

Well, I didn't buy as planned (life got in the way ), but it looks like you were right on the mark. New Mac Minis are supposed to be out this (?) week. Prices look good too. Thanks for the previous input - glad I waited.

[_darwin]

Does anyone know if this changed with the new macmini?

I am looking forward to buy one.

If I buy the 1Gb version, will it come with two 512mb Ram Slots?

[RingeRaja]

Originally Posted by _darwin

Does anyone know if this changed with the new macmini?

I am looking forward to buy one.

If I buy the 1Gb version, will it come with two 512mb Ram Slots?

Changes are minimal, allmost both version are identical and in mini 1 gb version, you will buy, is one 1 gb ddr3 1066 modul. I sugest you to buy 2x2 gb and put in new mini, you'll have better performance.
I'll order my new mini, but in Serbia, where I'm live, you have to be patient because my new mini will came next month. I will change 1 gb to 2x2 gb Crucial and 120 5400 to 320 7200 WD Scorpio Black.
Wish me luck.

[Marvin]

Originally Posted by _darwin

Does anyone know if this changed with the new macmini?

I am looking forward to buy one.

If I buy the 1Gb version, will it come with two 512mb Ram Slots?

What you need is a Mac Mini 2009 upgrade guide:

http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?t=96023

It comes with a single 1GB memory chip.

[nvidia2008]

Combined with Marvin's guide, you two have done a great job. Thanks.

[lozzer17]

Hi,
can anyone help? I thought I'd followed this useful guide to the letter, but having put it back together my mini won't boot. The power light comes on but there's no chime and it just makes whirring noises. Could it be the ram - (Corsair DDR2, 667 MHz 2x 256Mx64 non-ECC 200 SODIMM, Unbuffered, CL4 (VSA4GSDSKIT667C4) - or am I more likely to have have damaged something important?

[sequitur]

Originally Posted by lozzer17

Hi,
can anyone help? I thought I'd followed this useful guide to the letter, but having put it back together my mini won't boot. The power light comes on but there's no chime and it just makes whirring noises. Could it be the ram - (Corsair DDR2, 667 MHz 2x 256Mx64 non-ECC 200 SODIMM, Unbuffered, CL4 (VSA4GSDSKIT667C4) - or am I more likely to have have damaged something important?

Welcome to AI.

Which Mini do you have?
"The mini’s Intel Core 2 Duo processor is now a 2.0GHz Penryn chip with a faster system bus (1,066MHz versus 667MHz) on both models."

[lozzer17]

thanks for the reply,
I can't look at system profiler for obvious reasons, but I believe It's a 1.6 intel

[lozzer17]

update - I put the old ram back in and all's well. So was it bad ram or the wrong kind? (it certainly wasn't the right kind for my unibody macbook, which is what i bought it for in the first place!)

[sequitur]

Originally Posted by lozzer17

update - I put the old ram back in and all's well. So was it bad ram or the wrong kind? (it certainly wasn't the right kind for my unibody macbook, which is what i bought it for in the first place!)

What does the System Profiler indicate regarding the RAM?

[FrankP]

smee, thanks very much for your detailed instuctions and photos. They worked very well and I wouldn't have attempted the memory upgrade without them.

I did have a problem with excessive fan noise after re-assembly - my Mac mini had always been very quiet. After reading all sorts of articles around the web and in Apple's support pages which suggested either cleaning dust out of the fan (there wasn't any) or resetting the smc (which I did to no avail). I finally looked over your disassembly instructions again: I'd forgotten to re-attach the little black wire After opening up the case again and attaching it - hey presto fan noise gone.