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Mac Mini Teardown Reveals User-Upgradable RAM, But Soldered Down CPU and Storage (macrumors.com)
iFixit has released their teardown of the new Mac mini, providing a look inside the portable desktop computer. Some of the notable findings include user-upgradable RAM and soldered CPU and SSD. Mac Rumors reports: While the RAM in the previous-gen Mac mini from 2014 was soldered to the logic board, the new Mac mini has user-upgradeable RAM, as discovered earlier this week. As seen in older iMacs, the RAM is protected by a perforated shield that allows the memory modules to operate at a high frequency of 2666 MHz without interfering with other device functions, according to iFixit. To upgrade the RAM, the shield can be removed by unfastening four Torx screws.
Other silicon on the logic board of this particular Mac mini includes the Apple T2 security chip, a 3.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i3 processor, Intel UHD Graphics 630, 128GB of flash storage from Toshiba, an Intel JHL7540 Thunderbolt 3 controller, and a Gigabit Ethernet controller from Broadcom. Despite the good news about the RAM, the CPU and SSD are soldered to the logic board, as are many ports, so this isn't a truly modular Mac mini. iFixit awarded the new Mac mini a repairability score of 6/10, with 10 being the easiest to repair, topping the latest MacBook Air, MacBook, MacBook Pro, iMac, and iMac Pro, and trailing only the 2013 Mac Pro.
Other silicon on the logic board of this particular Mac mini includes the Apple T2 security chip, a 3.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i3 processor, Intel UHD Graphics 630, 128GB of flash storage from Toshiba, an Intel JHL7540 Thunderbolt 3 controller, and a Gigabit Ethernet controller from Broadcom. Despite the good news about the RAM, the CPU and SSD are soldered to the logic board, as are many ports, so this isn't a truly modular Mac mini. iFixit awarded the new Mac mini a repairability score of 6/10, with 10 being the easiest to repair, topping the latest MacBook Air, MacBook, MacBook Pro, iMac, and iMac Pro, and trailing only the 2013 Mac Pro.
There might be a point to be made regarding the SSD; but aren't we getting a bit ridiculous, expecting a socketed CPU in a computer the size of a ham sandwich?
It's not like SSDs naturally degrade during their service life by sticking their thumb into a high voltage socket every time you press the "erase" button.
And it's not like the mysterious T2 security chip couldn't prevent you from booting into a future macOS from external media if Apple decides the obsolescence message isn't penetrating your thick skull.
Trust, but keep replacement parts close to hand in a desk drawer.
Non-removable storage is a deal killer. I don't know what gets stored on local computers so it MUST to be wiped before it goes off site for repair.
This means I'm not going to be buying any of these. We have been waiting for years to replace some of the older minis and now I have to figure out what I'm going to do for a replacement. For now banning new Apple stuff from the company will be the policy.
Don't you have to comply with any sort of security polices at Apple?
Based on the teardown, and fiddling with Apple's online purchase configuration, it looks like they must have 28 different versions of the 201 Mac Mini mainboard.
Options for components soldered onto the mainboard:
3 different CPUs (i3, i5 and i7)
5, 4 and 5 SSD options (128, 256, 512, 1TB and 2TB) depending on the CPU. i5 can't be equipped with 128GB, but i7 can as CPU upgrade from i3
2 different Ethernet NICs ( Gigabit and 10GB )
So ( 5 + 4 + 5 ) * 2 = 28 different sets of components soldered to the mainboard.
Even for Apple, that's a lot of variations. I'm somewhat surprised they didn't go with docketed storage, which would reduced the Mac Mini to 6 different mainboard configurations.
True, but the space taken up by removable RAM slots take up is considerable for the overall size of the Mini's motherboard. And I wouldn't be surprised if the cooling system wasn't beefed up to cut down on CPU throttling.
Also, m.2 drives take up a bit of space as well which is why you find smaller PC mobos going through extra lengths like putting the m.2 socket on the backside of the board rather than the component side.
I'm not apologizing for Apple's design, just my two bits.. or half a nibble.
Compared to the previous model it seems Apple decided to ditch the 2.5" spinner in an effort to give us removable RAM in the same form factor. Let's face it, Apple was never going to increase the thickness of the Mac Mini to allow for both swappable RAM and storage. They only want to make things smaller and thinner.
Uh, hate to point out the obvious, but the dimensions of the 2018 Mac Mini are exactly the same as the 2012 Mac Mini that held two 2.5" hard drives, and had user-replaceable memory (2 slots).
Quite frankly, I'm shocked to find that the memory can be upgraded, but since they're charging consumers $1400 to max out the memory on this model, that's hardly a concession. 95% of consumers can't even spell RAM let alone know how to replace it, so Apple will continue ripping off consumers for memory upgrades.
Apple Lisa. Never forget
Also, m.2 drives take up a bit of space as well which is why you find smaller PC mobos going through extra lengths like putting the m.2 socket on the backside of the board rather than the component side.
In a tiny design like this, on the bottom of the board is precisely where you should place the field-replaceable parts like RAM and, normally, storage.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
What about power requirements and cooling? I imagine you cannot put a large CPU air or water cooler in the Mac mini if you decide you want a core i9 9900K or that the power supply of the Mac Mini could power the CPU.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
Who doesn't know about built-in obsolescence? I think if you look you will find classes on best practices for this.
Additionally, my roommate wanted 4TB for his music collection. Sadly, he has to use external storage, now. So much for people using Minis for servers. Idiots!
https://www.youtube.com/c/BrendaEM
Soldered SSD means that that you wont be recovering your files when something dies on the motherboard (one drop of water does it)
Mendacem Memorem Esse Oportet
The CPU isn't much of an issue for me, as the failure rate of these parts has historically been low. Also, you can configure in a pretty performant CPU considering the size of the mini. It'll cost you, but still.
However, soldering in flash storage — I consider that a form of planned obsolescence. Especially as it is such a small bit of storage.
To make this machine last dependably, an external drive will have to be added, and (at least) all OS and application write targets (like logs, your files, etc.) need to be moved there so that the write rate to the flash is reduced as much as possible. Why? Because when that flash storage dies — and it will if you constantly write to it — the storage is useless, and you're right back to adding an external drive anyway. Better yet, outright make the external drive the boot drive and forget the internal drive exists.
Quite aside from the desk wart problem (so much for a nice, compact computer, one of the mini's real claims to fame), this means both extra cost and inconvenience.
Or IOW, Apple borks the mini again.
Unintentional? I don't think so.
I'm still waiting to see if they produce a Mac Pro worth my money. The trashcan certainly wasn't. That thing is just pitiful, design-wise.
On the plus side, EBay's a veritable gold mine of good Mac Pros from the pre-trashcan era, and I have picked up several of those. A 2010-era 12/24-core Mac Pro has a great case, can run 10.12.6 without problems, and can handle very large workloads. A 64 GB, 12-24-core, graphics-card-having, multiple REMOVABLE drive machine tends to land in the $1000-$2000 range, depending on your patience with auction hunting. For most tasks, that'll do ya. Cost you less up front than one of these minis tricked out to be reasonably powerful, too. You want SSD? Just throw one in a drive tray with an adapter, and Robert's your mother's brother. You want a better graphics card, more monitors? Just add (a) graphic(s) cards. You want to change / resize memory? Go ahead. So easy. You want connectivity? The machine has plenty, and there are card slots, too, and nice cards to go in 'em.
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
FTFY.
External GPUs are just more insecure, mechanically-at-risk, wire-nest making desk turds.
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
Oh, you mean the people who are removing audio jacks, putting notches in phones, going without memory card slots on phones and pads, and puking out designs like Apple's trashcan? The ones that want to litter our desks with cords and wall warts and little boxes? The ones that pulled magsafe off of laptops? The ones that obsoleted PPC binaries by dropping the "we'll keep your stuff running PPC-on-Intel engine"? Those people?
Huh.
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
There are more ham sandwich sizes in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
SSD memory, however... that is a point of failure unless it is superseded by an external drive. And this machine has it soldered in.
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
Sure. If you don't write to them. And the smaller the SSD drive (and this machine comes with a small SSD drive), the faster they'll wear out when written to. If you depend on that drive, and actually, you know, do real work with the machine, you're going to be writing quite a bit. Flash is great — as long as you can replace it. With this machine, you can't. Hence, a smart setup will use an external drive, and suffer the inconveniences and risks of external desktop storage.
Hey yourself, you let us all know when you find a better computer case design than the 2010-ish Mac Pros that can legally run OSX/MacOS. RFI-emitting, hard-to-install-stuff-in plasti-hackintosh-cases and desk-turd-having insufficiently-expandable, non-ECC system designs aren't for everyone.
Now you've gone and made me reduce the life of my hyphen key. :)
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
For them Apple products are disposably cheap.
They don't need to upgrade parts because they replace obsolete computers.
They don't need to work on their own hardware.
They get the user experience they desire.
They love their machines or they wouldn't be repeat customers.
It really is that simple.
I've never wanted an Apple machine because my use case does not need that operating system or the severely limited hardware which goes with it. Apple doesn't need my custom and I don't need their hardware.
"This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."