You will need to detach any remaining items from the logic board at this point, including the wireless shroud and the IR cable.Follow steps 1-17 from the section above to remove the existing drive and prepare your new SSD boot drive.You can use either a hard drive or an SSD, or as we have here, a Seagate Firecuda hybrid drive, not unlike the Fusion Drive Apple uses in some of its machines. You could reuse the existing hard drive, but since it's over six years old, it makes much better sense to use a fresh one.
HOW TO OPEN A MAC MINI 2010 INSTALL
Not everyone will want to do this, but it is possible to install a second drive in the 2012 Mac Mini to maximize its storage potential. 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. One additional thing to do throughout this process is to use some canned air to blast out any dust. Line the markings on the base up with the corresponding markings on the Mac Mini.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.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.
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HOW TO OPEN A MAC MINI 2010 UPGRADE
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. 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. The 2012 model remains to this day Apple's last, properly upgradeable Mac Mini.
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A second hard drive: Seagate Firecuda 1TB ($63 at Amazon).The right cable: AmazonBasics miniDP to DP ($11 at Amazon).Blowing cobwebs: Canned air ($11 at Newegg).More memory: Crucial 16GB RAM kit ($90 at Amazon).New storage: Kingston 480GB SSD ($56 at Amazon).Here we'll walk you through breathing new life into your old Mac for not a lot of money.
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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. The 2012 Mac Mini held a special place in many hearts thanks to how easy it was to upgrade.