It remains Apple's last properly upgradeable Mac Mini, and even in 2020 can be a pretty handy little computer with the right bits inside. GeForce GTX 1080 Xtreme Gaming WATERFORCE.The 2012 Mac Mini held a special place in many hearts thanks to how easy it was to upgrade. This Intel Quick Reference Guide, under the 'Display and Audio Features Comparison' section, lists the Intel Iris 5100 (the graphics chip in the Mini) in the second column.Cross referencing this with 'Maximum Display Resolution' in the first row, you see that the H-series CPUs combined with Please note that the Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 only is compatible with the Mid-2010 and Mid-2012 Mac Pro models. The CPU in the Mac Mini late 2014 is not capable of driving a display at 4K at 60Hz.It has a simple style that's meant to look nice in office setups, and it has a fantastic stand that comes with a bunch of ergonomic adjustments, like tilt, swivel, and height adjustments. It's a great all-around monitor with a focus on photo and video editing. Products used in this guideThe best monitor for Mac Mini that we've tested is the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV.Blowing cobwebs: Canned air ($11 at Newegg) More memory: Crucial 16GB RAM kit ($90 at Amazon) I'm not so sure your PC allows you to run 60Hz4k anyway due to the aforementioned issue. So I recommend to either upgrade your Mac Mini to the latest model or get a 1440p screen.
4K Monitor Mini Late 2012 Series CPUs CombinedSet aside a couple of hours, and you'll be able to bring your old Mac back to life.Better than using your fingers, this pry tool kit is worth having in your tool kit for those hard to remove and tiny parts.One of the best upgrades to make is to swap out the old mechanical hard drive for an SSD. On more recent models, users have been able to upgrade some bits, such as the RAM in the 2018 release, but in the 2012 model, you can go ahead and get really crazy.You can upgrade the RAM to a maximum of 16GB you can swap out the internal hard drive for an SSD, and even add a second drive for even more storage.None of these parts are particularly expensive, and none of the work is particularly complicated or time-consuming. Magic cable: Mac Mini second drive kit ($15 at Amazon)The 2012 model remains to this day Apple's last, properly upgradeable Mac Mini. Right tools: ORIA Magnetic Screwdriver set ($18 at Amazon) A second hard drive: Seagate Firecuda 1TB ($63 at Amazon) Detach the Torx T8 screws from the existing hard drive.Attach those same screws to the left-hand side of your new SSD. Carefully detach the SATA cable for the hard drive from the logic board.Pull the existing hard drive clear of the Mac Mini. Slide a business card or something similar beneath the existing hard drive and prize it up slightly. Pull away the black shroud and set it aside.Carefully pull the fan away from the logic board. Move the shroud to one side carefully, making sure you don't snap the cable.Remove the two screws on the fan and the single screw on the black shroud. The base should simply pull away, but may need prying with a plastic tool or even a credit card.Remove the screws on the wireless shroud. You'll be surprised at how clean the inside of a computer this old is, but it never hurts to clear it out while you're inside. Line the markings on the base up with the corresponding markings on the Mac Mini.One additional thing to do throughout this process is to use some canned air to blast out any dust. Reassemble the Mac Mini reversing the steps above, first installing the black shroud, then the fan, then the wireless shroud. Reconnect the ribbon cable to the logic board. Turn the SSD over so it's upside down and the screws from step 15 are facing the edge of the Mac Mini.Using a business card again for support, slide the new SSD into place until the screws lock into place on the bracket inside the Mac Mini. Connect the same ribbon cable to the new SSD's SATA connectors. Attach the rubber grommets from the install kit to the holes on the drive bracket.Attach the ribbon cable from the install kit to the new drive. Pull the power supply away and slide it out of the back of the case. Slide out the retaining clip from the power supply.Turn the power socket 90-degrees anti-clockwise. Pull the logic board out of the rear of the case.Remove the two Torx T6 screws that hold the drive bracket and power supply in place. Disconnect the power supply cable from the logic board. Mac brushes cleanerFollow steps 18-23 from the section above to insert the new main SSD and reassemble what remains of the Mac Mini.Once everything is back in place, and the Mac Mini is closed up, it's time to do a fresh install of macOS. Reverse the steps above to reinsert the logic board, all fixings, and connectors, including the new hard drive ribbon cable. Re-attach both by screwing the T6 screws back into the case. Slide the power supply back into the case until it locks into the place. Place the hard drive bracket back into the case and line up the fixing holes. Push down gently until they lock into place.To verify all is well, boot up the Mac Mini and check out the About This Mac information. Line up the new RAM sticks and push gently into the slots. Pry apart the metal brackets around the current RAM sticks. Place your thumbs in the circular divots and twist the base clockwise. So the best you can do is grab a 16GB kit made up of a pair of 8GB sticks. Pair it with a good monitorA new Mac is an expensive thing there's no denying that. If this is the case, the system won't post, so it's easy to spot. Remove one, reboot, and check About This Mac again to verify.By doing it a stick at a time, you can easily identify if you have any bad RAM. If not, you'll need to go back in and troubleshoot your installation one stick at a time. Our top equipment picksYou can pick and choose which of the upgrades you want to do, but here's a handy list of all our picks for the bits that went into our Mac Mini upgrade, along with the tools and accessories you need to install them. Don't overpay, though, for one that someone else has upgraded, when you can likely do the work yourself for less.Whether you buy or already have an old Mac Mini sat around doing nothing, with not a lot of money and a couple of hours of your time, you can turn it into a fantastic little computer to use in the present day. Still, if you're looking for a really expensive way to get into Mac computing, or want a solid secondary machine, you can do a lot worse than picking up a used 2012 Mac Mini and upgrading it.Where do you find one, though? That depends where you live, but the usual places like eBay and Craigslist are a great place to start.
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