Just upgraded new Mac Mini to 4GB. Video memory pictures, description etc...

So, I just received my Crucial 4GB DDR3 set from Newegg. Total cost to my door being $52.99. Thanks Newegg!

Taking the Mini apart is very easy. Slide the putty knife, as others describe, into either side of the Mini, and just bend outward. That process takes under 30 seconds, and don't be afraid to make little scratches on the white plastic underneath. It WILL happen a little bit, but it's so minor that nobody will notice, and... well.... it's underneath! So who cares?

Here was my $599 model Mini with 1GB, out of the box, with only 128MB Geforce 9400m available.




Taking it apart is VERY easy. Just remove the lid as described above, remove the 3 antennas from their clips (NOT from the motherboard). That takes about 5 seconds. Then unscrew the 4 screws in the corners of the system, taking special note of their original location! Then all you need to do is prop up the DVD drive and get your hand in there and remove the single DIMM. I was pleasantly surprised to see a 1GB DIMM in there already, not 2x 512MB, so for those wanting to upgrade to 2GB and not 4GB DDR3, you just need one stick of 1GB! Nice one, Apple! (I, of course, assume that ALL 1GB Minis come like this...).

Then, just slot your new RAM in there, plop the DVD drive back down, 4 screws back in, antennas clipped back in, replace top of Mini, and voila!

As you can see, this 100% increases the video memory to 256MB available . When it's THIS easy to upgrade the system, why bother with the $799 model? If you've never done it before, consider it a lesson on how to work with a computer, and with all the tutorials on the Internet, if my description isn't enough, theirs will be, and it really is a doddle.






And here's the link at Newegg:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148191

 

nice guide William!

BTW,how do you like your new mini?

 

Go download skitch.

I can't believe how much DDR3 has droped in price since I bought mine in December.

 

with the total awesomeness that is the new apple monitors, i'd almost get a mini and a 24"er instead of an imac. Sure, the imac is more powerful, but I find a mini + monitor looks ultimately more sweet.

my own random pointless $.02

I'm VERY glad to see that the ram isn't too difficult to install after market AND I'm also relieved to find as you mentioned it's one dim instead of 2. Smooth one Apple.

 

Nice guide WilliamG! I am thinking of getting a either an iMac or a Mini sometime late this year, so it looks like the Mini. BTW, how are you liking it?

 

Awesome guide! +1 Rep

Side-note: can you reduce the size of the images you have here? Some of us netbookers don't have the screen real-estate traditional laptop people enjoy .

 

I really like it. I had the old 1.83Ghz C2D Mini, but decided the new GPU and faster firewire/ displayport capabilities enticed me too much!

Yeah prices have dropped. I had just set the Mini up, so it was easier to just snap an image with my little camera, rather than set up e-mail etc etc.

Yes, if you don't need quite as much power as the iMac (i.e. if you don't game), I'd highly recommend the Mac Mini + 24" LED Cinema Display. No question. I spend 100% of the time in front of my computer, looking at my display. There's no doubt that the display is the most important part, right? And the LED Display destroys the iMac 24" display, quality-wise.

Yep, still loving it.

 

You've gotta be kidding. I can only accommodate so much... What happens when the NanoBook comes out, and then we all have 400x272 resolution, or something even more ridiculous?

But....I am not without a heart... pictures are now resized.