This drive runs at 6 gigabit but I understand my Mac Mini runs SATA at 3 gigabit.

But when I installed the SSD it only runs at 1.5 gigabit. Is there some incompatibility with the Nvidia SATA driver?

Does anyone know which drives work and run 3 gigabit?

Hi and lucky day! I returned the Samsung EVO 250GB and ordered a Crucial BX100 250GB from a local webshop. It said on their website that this drive is compatible for the 2009 Mac Mini. Of course all 6Gb drives "work" but the negotiating speed is the culprit.

When I installed the BX100 250GB I was disappointed because it also was set to 1.5Gb! I was on a chat with Crucial on their website and they suggested there must be something with "garbage collection" and to fix it I should take out the drive and let it stay connected to power only (no data connection) for at least 8 hours and the drive would fix itself. This sounded like a crazy solution but ok, I will try it. To my my amazement this really worked! Look at the enclosed pics. I get at least twice the speed I had on 1.5Gb. So my conclusion is that Crucial SSD drives work with the NVidia SATA controller in the 2009 Mac Mini. I guess this should work also with other Crucial SSDs.

So for my fix on this you would need an external power cable like an USB to SATA.

• UPDATE ***

I upgraded from Mac OS X 10.9 to 10.10. I then noticed the Crucial SSD again had gone back again to 1.5Gb. Tried different things like resetting pram, upgraded Trim Enabler etc. No luck. So I thought I should try again the suggestion with putting the drive on power-only for some hours. That again did the trick! Amazing (but weird) solution. I am now back where I want with 3Gb speed.

I checked the Crucial compaibility search and it says the BX100 should work. Will report back. http://www.crucial.com/usa/en/compatible...

I also found this useful article on upgrading old Macs with SSD: http://blogs.helsinki.fi/tuylaant/2014/0...

The Mini is back to 1.5Gb :-( I have tried every trick except opening the Mini and doing the "let alone with power and no data" trick. I don't have time for that right now. So that did not last for long. I hate this issue. Sorry.

I came by this discussion that suggested using the Kingston UV400 SSD drives since they have a Marvell controller and do not conflict with the nVidia SATA controller. Would love to hear if anyone has tested this.

⟐ Commented December 29, 2020 at 8:57 MST

⟐ Commented February 16, 2021 at 8:54 MST

However, I did a mistake and broke the thermal sensor connector.

I could not find it anywhere even the whole sensor unit.

Actually I need the connector part excluding sensor part.

I need your help.

⟐ Commented November 29, 2022 at 0:13 MST

⟐ Comment deleted December 06, 2020 at 11:18 MST

⟐ Answered June 21, 2010 at 18:03 MST

I just installed a new Crucial M500 drive into my 2009 2.0 GHz Mac Mini.

I created a bootable USB using Disk Creator and attempted to boot from it so I can load the OS onto the new drive... but I keep seeing the No Entry icon.

Did I need to format the SSD first? I have no idea how to load a fresh OS onto the new drive and could use a pointer in the right direction.

Thanks!

⟐ Answered February 28, 2020 at 8:13 MST

Fan spins randomly, but is usually not on as far as I can tell. When it does spin it makes some bad noises. Tried SMC Fan Control to set the fan speed but it just says 000rpm and does not respond to anything. Watching 1080p YouTube videos does not cause the fan to turn on.

Just wanted to make sure it's likely the fan itself that needs to be replaced, and not something else. I suspect the weird fan noises are a giveaway that it's the fan hardware itself and not some kind of controller. Any input appreciated.

⟐ Answered June 09, 2019 at 10:20 MST

wondering if any 2.5s will work?

even solid state drives?

⟐ Answer accepted August 29, 2015 at 18:36 MST

⟐ Commented March 08, 2023 at 1:08 MST

at first I would like to apologize for my English, because my native language is Czech and I am a bad student =D, but now I would like to have a question.

Yours web is really super and I'm smitten with you. Keep it up.

I have got 2 GHz model of Mac mini and I would like to upgrade it (RAM) and as you can see in the subject I mean definite model of RAM:

- http://www.newegg.com/product/product.as...

- http://www.czechcomputer.cz/product.jsp?... (There I would buy it, Czech)

And Question? Do you think that this memories will get in to my Mac? Because they have got a "external" cooler. And what do you think about thi memory? Have you got any experiences?

Thank you a lot and I wish you a fine day. Yours sincerely, Patric

⟐ Answer accepted July 13, 2010 at 1:08 MST

Any Ideas?

Thanks

Also, it was running Windows XP Professional SP3

And had the FAT Filesystem

⟐ Answer accepted January 28, 2010 at 5:05 MST

I've a problem with my macmini.

Until now it was very noiseless, but by some weeks it's very noisy.

The fan rise is speed to 5500rpm random, without reason.

I've brougt it to the local Apple store but the "Genius" said to me that there are no problem with the hardware, in his opinion it's a software problem.

But after two initializations, the mac is the same.

What can I do?

⟐ Commented September 07, 2017 at 9:06 MST

I got these error when running the diagnostic.

The Mac mini is a late 2009.

This is the new update on the grey dvd that has diagnostics on it. I don’t know what this error is I was wondering if you can help me find out what the error is.

I find out that the code was it the senor cable for the hard drive. I bought this from another person and they took out the hard drive and when they did they accidentally broke the sensor cable to the hard drive. But the problem is finding a replacement senor cable for a late 2009 Mac mini.

Can mid-2010 Mac mini hard drive sensor work to replace my sensor in my late 2009 Mac mini?

What type of temp sensor will work with my late 2009 Mac mini? I tried to look everywhere for one but can’t been seeing a Mac mini 2010 but I don’t if that will work.

⟐ Answer accepted December 21, 2022 at 5:18 MST

I also ran ASD 3S132 and it came up with one failed test:

ERROR -- 72 [Video 2D acceleration test failed.]

Is it possible the new RAM (both chips out of the MBP are DDR3 PC3-10600) is causing problems by being to fast? The recommend memory for this model (Mac Mini 3,1 IC2D 2Ghz) is DDR3 PC3-8500, but that seems nonsensical to me.

I'm hoping someone with better hardware knowledge then me might offer some advice... obviously I mean helpful advice, not "take it to Apple"... for example how further to narrow the problem?

I still have and can put the old 2x1GB PC3-8500 chips back in and rerun ASD I suppose, but obviously opening up Mini's is a little bit of work so I'd like to do all the diagnosing at once.

Probably not terribly significant but it's not my primary computer, I use it principally as HTPC, file server and test/diagnostic platform.

Update: I installed the old RAM and still got a fail in 2D Accel/Fill test... frustrated I decided to try several successive PRAM zaps and ran ASD again.. and violia passed the test... I put the new faster memory back in and tested again... and again passed all tests. For many years I've always zapped the PRAM when I replace memory, but maybe I forgot and didn't the first time... Anyway, I haven't used it extensively but it did pass all tests and if I were to wait a week I probably wouldn't remember to come back and update this thread.

⟐ Answered May 12, 2015 at 17:43 MST

⟐ Answer accepted February 09, 2010 at 10:07 MST

⟐ Answer accepted February 08, 2010 at 23:00 MST

What could be the problem?

⟐ Commented December 01, 2020 at 5:20 MST

is it possible to put 2x 4Gb Ram in this model?

⟐ Answer accepted May 25, 2016 at 5:24 MST

⟐ Answer edited January 03, 2015 at 1:18 MST

What I did wrong?

⟐ Commented August 24, 2011 at 14:45 MST