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alfredo
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Need for more Speed. An upgrade Question.

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I want to squeeze out some more life of my mac mini 1.83Ghz.

I am running snow leopard with 4GB Ram and 500gb HD. (Can't remember the HD but it is a faster one)

I am afraid Lion will slow it down even more. I want to make it faster. What to do? Ssd? Cpu change?

Or does it make more sense to buy latest 2011 model?

Thanks in advance for you input.

Update

I broke down and upgraded.

I got a ssd drive. It seemed easier then replacing the CPU.

I might still consider CPU upgrade if I can find one cheap enough.

I got a Corsair Force 3 @ Newegg. It had good specs. I got the 120gb version but regret that I didn't get the bigger one.

For a comparison I did a xbench before and after.

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xbench with 7200rpm WDC HD was (Disk test)64.43.

xbench with ssd was (Disk test)243.85.

sequential w/HD 101.94

sequential w/ssd 148.85

random w/HD 47.10

random w/ssd 673.98

Night and Day the difference.

Edited by: alfredo ( )

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mayer
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I installed a 2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU into a 1.83 GHz Core Duo 17" xbench on the original was 117.88, CPU 78.21 New configuration is 154.06, 154.06 CPU. This compares to the 2.66 GHz '08 & '09 machines.

Edited by: mayer ( )

I only worry about heat with changing from a C2D 1.83Ghz to the blazing fast 2.16Ghz C2D. Did you notice any problems with heat?

alfredo,

No heat problems at all. I used a T7400, just remember to replace the thermal paste.

mayer,

You should be able to get the processor on eBay for $100

mayer,

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Majesty
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I would opt for a complete upgrade to a newer Mini. You have a core solo machine and it's only going to bottleneck the systems performance even with an SSD and max RAM. Don't get me wrong, a good SSD will greatly improve the performance for your machine, but I would opt for a newer Mini, then place an SSD in place of the HD, and you'll be a happy camper for a few years to come. That's just my opinion though. ;)

My 1.83Ghz machine is already a C2D and MAX out at 4Gb of Ram. I am considering a new machine but if I spent the $$ on a newer machine I would not be able to do upgrades, like ssd. I just double checked and my machine has a Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor T5600 (2M Cache, 1.83 GHz, 667 MHz FSB)

alfredo,

Oh ok. Your model identifier says it is a core solo on the top of the page. Core 2 duo is pretty fast. Place a good SSD in there and your 4 GB of RAM are plenty unless your doing photo or video editing. I wouldn't upgrade to Lion if you can only go up to 4GB of RAM.

Majesty,

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alfredo
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If I change the CPU and add a ssd then it will max out this machine.

The total cost for both is around $500-$600.

It is so close to a new machine cost that I am starting to lean towards buying a new one.

Edited by: alfredo ( )

I agree. macs have a high resale value. You can always sell your old machine and use the money for a newer machine. I was able to sell a Early 2009 Macbook for $500 with no problem. Save the upgrade money and sell your machine and just get a new one. That's my opinion.

Majesty,

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