[burnz]

thought i'd share a little about my recent project to upgrade my Mac Mini 1.66 core duo (late 2006) which i just completed last night. been using it as a HTPC for some time, but noticed that some 1080p media still don't play very smoothly on the Mac Mini so i decided to give my old mini a little boost (though i risked voiding the more than 1yr of Applecare warranty on it).

so off to Ebay i went for the following parts:
- Intel T7400 2.16Ghz merom cpu (US$100)
- Apple Superdrive (US$30), as my mini only came with the combo drive

coupled with a few local purchases from fellow VRZers and SLS ($30 for 2x1Gb SODIMM ram and $120 for a 500Gb 2.5" sata hdd).

researched a few mac mini upgrade guides and tutorials online, got some tools from the local hardware store (putty knives, precision screwdrivers with magnetized tips) and i was all set to go. completed the entire upgrade within 45mins

the mini feels like a whole new different beast now. much more responsive and zippy than before, and most importantly 1080p media plays silky smooth now (using Plex). i also noticed that my idle/load temps on the new T7400 cpu is lower than my previous T2300 1.66Ghz cpu. might also be due to the better thermal paste that i applied (AS5).

total cost of upgrade parts came up to just a little over S$300, but well worth it.

for anyone else keen to give their old minis a new lease of life, here's a list of the tutorials and guides that i found extremely useful in taking the mini apart. if you have decent experience with DIY PCs, swapping in the parts is a breeze once you pry open the mini. hope this is helpful for some of you!

Merom Mac Mini Hack
Mac Mini RAM Upgrade Tutorial
Tutorial: Intel Mac Mini Processor Upgrade - Philippine Macintosh Users Group
Mac Mini Memory (High Quality) Installation Video at OtherWorldComputing.com

[chinesealbumart]

Cool lah !