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Mac mini (PowerPC) RAM Replacement

What you need

  1. Mac mini (PowerPC) RAM Replacement, Top Housing: step 1, image 1 of 2 Mac mini (PowerPC) RAM Replacement, Top Housing: step 1, image 2 of 2
    • Power down your Mac mini, disconnect all of the cables, and flip it over.

    • Insert the Jimmy into the crack between the aluminum top housing and the plastic lower housing.

    • The Jimmy should reach a stop about 3/8" down.

  2. Mac mini (PowerPC) RAM Replacement: step 2, image 1 of 3 Mac mini (PowerPC) RAM Replacement: step 2, image 2 of 3 Mac mini (PowerPC) RAM Replacement: step 2, image 3 of 3
    • Gently bend the Jimmy outwards to pry the crack open a little larger and lift the lower housing up a small amount.

    • There are several plastic clips on the lower housing that fit into a channel in the aluminum top housing. Your goal is to use the Jimmy to push these clips inward enough to free them from the channel, while gently pulling up on the lower housing.

  3. Mac mini (PowerPC) RAM Replacement: step 3, image 1 of 2 Mac mini (PowerPC) RAM Replacement: step 3, image 2 of 2
    • Once you have the first side free, rotate the Mac mini and start prying up on the front edge.

    • Use the same prying motion to both bend the clips inward and lift the lower housing up out of the top housing.

  4. Mac mini (PowerPC) RAM Replacement: step 4, image 1 of 2 Mac mini (PowerPC) RAM Replacement: step 4, image 2 of 2
    • You may need to move the Jimmy along the edge to pry up all of the clips. Be patient and do a little bit at a time.

  5. Mac mini (PowerPC) RAM Replacement: step 5, image 1 of 2 Mac mini (PowerPC) RAM Replacement: step 5, image 2 of 2
    • Keep working around the perimeter, freeing the clips along the final edge.

  6. Mac mini (PowerPC) RAM Replacement: step 6, image 1 of 2 Mac mini (PowerPC) RAM Replacement: step 6, image 2 of 2
    • Flip the Mac mini back over and lift the top housing off of the lower housing.

  7. Mac mini (PowerPC) RAM Replacement, Mass Storage Unit: step 7, image 1 of 1
    • If your mini does not have Airport installed, then skip this step.

    • Grasp the Airport antenna board and lift it off of the two plastic posts holding it in place. You may need to push back the black plastic tab jutting through the lower left corner of the board.

  8. Mac mini (PowerPC) RAM Replacement: step 8, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the yellow tape securing the power button cable to the black plastic framework.

  9. Mac mini (PowerPC) RAM Replacement: step 9, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the three black Phillips screws securing the plastic framework to the logic board and lower case.

  10. Mac mini (PowerPC) RAM Replacement: step 10, image 1 of 1
    • Grasp the optical drive and mass storage unit in one hand and lift up enough so that you can see beneath it.

  11. Mac mini (PowerPC) RAM Replacement: step 11, image 1 of 1
    • If your mini has neither an Airport card nor a Bluetooth board, you can simply lift the optical drive up and away. Otherwise, you need to disconnect the Airport and/or Bluetooth antenna cables first.

    • With your free hand, pull the Bluetooth cable up from Bluetooth board and unplug the Airport antenna cable from the right of the Airport card. Caution: both of these connections are very small. When re-assembling unit after repair, you may want to remove the two screws holding the airport card to the assembly and lift the card up and out to re-attach the cables.

  12. Mac mini (PowerPC) RAM Replacement, RAM: step 12, image 1 of 1
    • Pull back the black plastic latches on either end of the RAM chip.

  13. Mac mini (PowerPC) RAM Replacement: step 13, image 1 of 1
    • Grasp the RAM chip at the end opposite of the back ports, and pull directly up.

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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Attached Documents

iRobot

Member since: 09/24/09

1 Reputation

636 Guides authored

2 Comments

Many thanks for giving me the confidence to do this, and the images make it soooo much easier.

My comment is that on my A1103 with Airport (but without the module above the RAM),I didn't even need to remove the HDD/CD assembly, thus cutting down upgrade time considerably. I was pleased to note that RAM replacement did not require the RAM module to be angled forward/backward as on some main boards,

Peter Garner - Reply

Agreed. I didn't need to remove the assembly either. The RAM comes straight up.

Ryan Buckner -

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