A1283 Mac Mini second HDD performance poor?

Hi,
I'm using a A1283 Mac Mini (the last type before the unibody model) to play audio in a theatre show. I've replaced the internal optical drive with a 500GB 7200RPM SATA drive on which all the audio files are located. I'm hearing audio breakup which suggests that audio is not being provided from disk fast enough, although there are no console errors to suggest problems. At most of there are around 14 stereo audio files (24bit, 44.1k) in use; not a particularly heavy load.
Is there a difference in performance between the 'upper' (ex-optical drive bay) and 'lower' (factory HDD) drive bays in the Mac Mini? Do I need to make any OS changes to make full performance use of the second HDD?
Some additional details: 8GB RAM, OS X 10.6.2. The audio app is QLab v2.3.5, and audio is routed through an RME FireFace800 (firmware v2.77) using v2.9.3 driver.
Many thanks,
Matt

Hi dschnepp,
Thanks for the pointer. I looked at the negotiated link speed on System Profiler. However even allowing for slow interface speeds I'm still confused:
SATA I rates at 1.5Gbit/s, which is (very) roughly 187MByte/s transfer rate. I'm playing a maximum of 14 audio files which are all stereo 24bit 44.1k. I calculate that to need about 3.7MByte/s transfer, ie a factor of 50 less than SATA I's transfer rate!
Matt

Similar Messages

  • Mac mini second hdd question

    I want to add a second hdd in my 2012 Mac mini and use it as my primary system hdd. I want to keep the current drive in it and use it as additional storage. Can I install the new drive and restore from TM to the new drive and then reformat old hdd after the restore? That would mean I would have two identical drives both with OSX installed at one point. Does anyone know if that will work? Is there another step I should do? Or is it not possible at all. Trying to open up the Mac only once.
    Thanks! Any help is appreciated.

    So install the new drive, clone the old drive to the new drive, restart and boot from new drive, the  reformat old drive. Correct? I don't know how to boot from a specific drive but I'm sure I can figure it out. Then it will always boot from that drive?
    Thanks for the response!

  • 2010 Mac Mini Second HDD

    Hi, i know in the new 2011 Mac Mini you can fit 2 Small HDD in can you do the same with the mid 2010 model

    Yes.  This store sells that capability with their Optibay.  Be sure to select the "To be installed into*:" for the correct model.  If you desire to have an optical drive with that machine, it will have to be external.

  • Mac Mini 2009 - HDD instead of Optical Drive

    Hi,
    I have a Mac Mini 2009 (MC239LL/A). I want to remove the optical drive and replace it with a second hard drive. Basically, build the server model. From the parts diagram it seems like the HDD carrier and Interconnect Board would be the two things I need. The only other parts that are different are the IR Board / Cable and Bottom Housing (by part numbers). I know you can just buy the Optibay, but I'd rather do things the proper way. If I only have to replace the two parts first mentioned it will still be less than a used server model. Has anyone attempted this?

    Thanks, I am well aware of the kit from OWC.
    I confirmed the bottom housing doesn't matter (probably different by part number due to the different MC*** imprint). All that's left is the IR Board / Cable which is clearly different.
    Non-server version:
    http://www.applecomponents.com/media/parts/922-8805.gif
    Server version:
    http://www.applecomponents.com/media/parts/922-9113.gif
    If I can determine that the difference there doesn't matter, then it's just the IC Board & HDD Carrier, which is $58 total done the "right" way IMO versus the $50 for the OWC kit. At that point, with the correct IC Board it would Plug n Play with no extra wires and as an added bonus it would mount clean with HDD carrier.

  • Mac Mini Server HDD is corrupt and ...

    I was using Disc Utility Repair/Verify on Server HDD to fix issues with the drive and it gave me the following:
                             Volume Server HDD found corrupt and needs to be repaired.  Reformat disc and restore back up files.
    This is a Mac Mini model A1347.  Every time I start the machine, it opens with the Disc Utility page with the options to use:
    Disc Utility
    Access the Internet for Help
    Download a new version of the OSX
    Restore from Time Machine
    I have tried all of these options and when I try the suggested fix, it always results in an error preventing the fix.  I have most of the files from the Server HDD saved, so if I have to reformat it, it isn't a big deal.
    What is my best option?
    Thanks
    -Mike

    IIIaass, I'm sure you are right, and it is something I need to keep an eye on. 
    I'm hopeful that it is up and running again, but skeptical about it at the same time because it seemed to come around after enough tries. 
    Though as a novice Mac user, it could be that I finally did everything right instead of haphazardly trying things?
    In any event, I'll keep backing up my work and if I start to see anything crazy start up again, I'll know for sure.  What should I be looking for prior to the Utilities window cycling over and over?
    Thanks again.

  • Mac Mini Server HDD raid failure help

    My server has been running for years, perfectly, most of the time. It is set up as a mirrored raid set.
    I noted today that the second HDD is displaying a "failed" red flag in disk utility. I attempted to Rebuild and that failed.
    In the FIRsT aid tab Verify returns errors. "This disk needs to be repaired using the Recovery HD..restart control r....etc."
    There's my problem. No monitor or keyboard. I'm using screen sharing from an imac.
    Is there a way to run the server reboot remotely?
    Is it time to purchase a new server or simply replace the faulty drive?
    Cheers
    Gaz

    Hi Chaz,
    Is it time to purchase a new server or simply replace the faulty drive?
    I think replace the faulty drive is thw answer.

  • Mac Mini HDD to SDD?

    Hey folks,
    New to the forum... used the search feature and found this: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1957930&start=60&tstart=45
    Applies to MBAs, but can it apply to Mac Mini?
    I am planning to buy a Mac Mini with HDD and will soon migrate to SSD when the price decreases. So, can I change from HDD to SSD with Mac Mini?
    Let me know!

    As long as you are using the same kind of drive (PATA or SATA) that the mini came with, you should have no major issues. The problem with using a SSD is that it has a more limited read/write lifespan compared to a regular rotating media hard drive. There are ways to avoid this, first and foremost by having enough memory (RAM) to not require a bunch of page-ins and psge-outs. I think there may be other differences in how Mac OS X is installed with an SSD, but I'm not sure if that is something automated once the installer sees what kind of drive it's being installed to. Other applications which normally use disk cache, like browsers, can be configured not to in many cases. This will also save drive lifespan.

  • NEW Mac Mini i7 SUPER SLOW

    I have been surfing the discussions for a while, and can not find a reason why. I have been using mac for about 10 years now, and I can not figure out why my new mac mini with the i7 chip is running deadly slow. I dont download anything that isnt on the iTunes library or the App store. It has loads of storage left.
    Here are my specs:
    OSx v 10.9.4
    Proc: 2.3 GHz Intel Core i7
    Mem: 4GB 1600 MHz DDR3
    I have 600GB left of storage
    When I boot the computer it boots really slow. Like 4 or 5 minutes from the time i press the power button until I can log in.
    After logging in, if I click to open a program I can literally sit 4 or 5 minutes before its open.
    It has done this since I opened the box and fired it up for the first time.
    Are mac mini's normally this poor of performance? It drives us nuts as our old iMac was WAY faster than this and it was nowhere near as "powerful" of a computer.
    If someone out there can explain what I can do I would sure appreciate any help.

    EtreCheck version: 1.9.15 (52)
    Report generated September 4, 2014 at 7:14:06 PM MDT
    Hardware Information: ?
        Mac mini (Late 2012) (Verified)
        Mac mini - model: Macmini6,2
        1 2.3 GHz Intel Core i7 CPU: 4 cores
        4 GB RAM
    Video Information: ?
        Intel HD Graphics 4000 - VRAM: (null)
            ASUS VN247 spdisplays_1080p
    System Software: ?
        OS X 10.9.4 (13E28) - Uptime: 0 days 10:40:2
    Disk Information: ?
        APPLE HDD ST1000LM024 disk0 : (1 TB)
        S.M.A.R.T. Status: Verified
            EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted>: 209.7 MB
            Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / [Startup]: 999.35 GB (595.55 GB free)
            Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted>: 650 MB
    USB Information: ?
        Western Digital My Book 1148 3 TB
            S.M.A.R.T. Status: Verified
            EFI (disk1s1) <not mounted>: 209.7 MB
            My Book for Mac (disk1s2) /Volumes/My Book for Mac: 3 TB (1.61 TB free)
        Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. SCX-3200 Series
        Apple, Inc. IR Receiver
        Apple Inc. BRCM20702 Hub
            Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
    Thunderbolt Information: ?
        Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus
    Gatekeeper: ?
        Mac App Store and identified developers
    Kernel Extensions: ?
        [not loaded]    com.wdc.driver.1394HP (1.0.9) Support
        [not loaded]    com.wdc.driver.USBHP (1.0.11) Support
    Launch Daemons: ?
        [loaded]    com.adobe.fpsaud.plist Support
        [loaded]    com.leapfrog.connect.shell.plist Support
        [loaded]    com.oracle.java.Helper-Tool.plist Support
        [loaded]    com.oracle.java.JavaUpdateHelper.plist Support
    Launch Agents: ?
        [loaded]    com.oracle.java.Java-Updater.plist Support
        [running]    com.sony.WirelessAutoImportLauncher.agent.plist Support
    User Launch Agents: ?
        [loaded]    com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist Support
        [running]    com.akamai.single-user-client.plist Support
        [loaded]    com.google.keystone.agent.plist Support
    User Login Items: ?
        WDDriveUtilityHelper
        WDSecurityHelper
        WDQuickView
    Internet Plug-ins: ?
        DirectorShockwave: Version: 11.5.9r615 Support
        NPVirtools: Version: 4.0 Support
        Google Earth Web Plug-in: Version: 6.1 Support
        Default Browser: Version: 537 - SDK 10.9
        Flip4Mac WMV Plugin: Version: 2.3.4.1 Support
        AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: Version: 11.0.07 - SDK 10.6 Support
        FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 14.0.0.145 - SDK 10.6 Support
        DivXBrowserPlugin: Version: 1.4 Support
        Silverlight: Version: 5.1.10411.0 - SDK 10.6 Support
        Flash Player: Version: 14.0.0.145 - SDK 10.6 Outdated! Update
        iPhotoPhotocast: Version: 7.0
        QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3
        AdobePDFViewer: Version: 11.0.07 - SDK 10.6 Support
        JavaAppletPlugin: Version: Java 7 Update 67 Check version
    Safari Extensions: ?
        OpenIE
    Audio Plug-ins: ?
        BluetoothAudioPlugIn: Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.9
        AirPlay: Version: 2.0 - SDK 10.9
        AppleAVBAudio: Version: 203.2 - SDK 10.9
        iSightAudio: Version: 7.7.3 - SDK 10.9
    iTunes Plug-ins: ?
        Quartz Composer Visualizer: Version: 1.4 - SDK 10.9
    User Internet Plug-ins ?
        fbplugin_1_0_3: Version: (null) Support
        Move_Media_Player: Version: npmnqmp 071801000001 Support
        CitrixOnlineWebDeploymentPlugin: Version: 1.0.94 Support
        Unity Web Player: Version: UnityPlayer version 2.5.5f1 Support
    3rd Party Preference Panes: ?
        Akamai NetSession Preferences  Support
        DivX  Support
        Flash Player  Support
        Flip4Mac WMV  Support
        Java  Support
        MenuMeters  Support
    Time Machine: ?
        Skip System Files: NO
        Mobile backups: OFF
        Auto backup: YES
        Volumes being backed up:
            Macintosh HD: Disk size: 930.71 GB Disk used: 376.07 GB
        Destinations:
            My Book for Mac [Local] (Last used)
            Total size: 3 TB
            Total number of backups: 68
            Oldest backup: 2013-11-30 15:06:48 +0000
            Last backup: 2014-09-05 00:14:26 +0000
            Size of backup disk: Excellent
                Backup size 3 TB > (Disk size 930.71 GB X 3)
        Time Machine details may not be accurate.
        All volumes being backed up may not be listed.
    Top Processes by CPU: ?
             3%    WindowServer
             1%    Adobe Reader Updater Helper
             1%    SystemUIServer
             0%    fontd
             0%    notifyd
    Top Processes by Memory: ?
        397 MB    firefox
        188 MB    com.apple.WebKit.WebContent
        147 MB    mds_stores
        147 MB    com.apple.IconServicesAgent
        139 MB    softwareupdated
    Virtual Memory Information: ?
        972 MB    Free RAM
        1.67 GB    Active RAM
        720 MB    Inactive RAM
        684 MB    Wired RAM
        818 MB    Page-ins
        0 B    Page-outs

  • With intel (2009) mac mini networked to macbook, can i use the mini to watch movie downloads on mh hdmi tv, with right cables of course

    I have an Intel Mac mini. Main computer is Macbook on ethernet cable. Can I, with the right cables, use the mini to watch downloaded movies on my HDMI tv?

    Use your MacBook Pro because it has FireWire. Use Target Disk Mode on your Mac mini so that the Mac mini will display on the MacBook Pro like a external HDD. You'll need a FireWire 400 cable. You can get one for around $10 if you don't have one. And I recommend getting that sooner than later because you can use that for many things if your computer has issues. Anyway, to put your Mac mini is target disk mode, connect the two computers with the wire. Turn on the Mac mini with the "T" key down after your MacBook Pro has started and ready. You'll see the FireWire logo on your Mac mini. And on your MacBook Pro, you'll see the Mac mini's HDD as an external HDD. Do whatever you need. When you finish, drag the Mac mini drive to the trash to eject it. Few seconds later, turn off your Mac mini to complete the whole process.

  • Alum Mac Mini SLOW after restore from Time Machine backup of 09 Mac Mini

    Hi,
    I bought a 2010 Alum Mac Mini (2.4Ghz/2GB/320GB/OS10.6.4) a couple months ago, and I restored it from a time machine backup from my old '08 Mac Mini (1.83ghz/2GB/OS10.6.4). All data moved successfully, but this machine seems 2x slower than my old Mac Mini.
    Issues I'm encountering include:
    iDisk sync extremely slow
    launching Apps slow
    Trouble handling more than 3 or 4 open apps (Chrome, iTunes, Pages, Numbers)
    Is it possible that this is an issue because of restoring from the backup?
    Thanks in advance!
    PS - I'm a fairly intermediate-advanced user, no programming background, but solid on most other things.

    Welcome to the Apple Discussions!
    If you still have the TM backup, I would suggest erasing the new Mac mini's HDD and doing a fresh install from its Install DVD and then do a migration of the TM backup rather than a clone. There is something in that clone that the new mini does not like.
    You could also, as an alternative, try installing Mac OS X from the Install DVD over the top of the clone and see if it fills in the gap or corrects whatever the new mini does not like. This should not touch your data, just install Mac OS X Snow Leopard over the version already there. But you should always make a backup of anything that is not backed up.
    Dah•veed

  • Newbie question... Will LE 8.0.2 run alright on a new Mac Mini and SL?

    Hello.
    Newbie forum user here, although I have been lurking these forums for a while, and I am pretty good with LE-8.
    I am wondering if there are any Mac Mini/ Snow Leopard/ LE-8.0.2 users here?
    My 2006 iMac has a screen flicker, and the repair is almost as much as a new Mac Mini with Snow Leopard and 4gb ram.
    Does a new Mac Mini w/4gb ram running Snow Leopard have enough computing power and resources to run LE-8 OK?
    I have an external Firewire (400) drive, and a FW interface (Alesis IO-26), but I see the new Mini has only Firewire 800.
    Alesis has a Snow Leopard driver for the IO-26.
    Are there issues using my current Firewire 400 devices, LE-8.0.2, Snow Leopard, on a new Mac Mini?
    Any comments and pointers would be greatly appreciated.
    Thanks.

    I don't use a Mac mini but it should be fine with Logic 8.0.2 + SL
    Here's an adapter for your firewire connections:
    http://www.sonnettech.com/product/fw_adapter.html
    Does a new Mac Mini w/4gb ram running Snow Leopard have enough computing power and resources to run LE-8 OK?
    Probably - it really depends on how you're planning on using it - are your projects mostly audio tracks, or heavy software instruments? A new Mac Mini has greater performance than your current iMac - look it up in MacTracker
    My 2006 iMac has a screen flicker, and the repair is almost as much as a new Mac Mini with Snow Leopard and 4gb ram.
    Try to get a quote from a component-level repair shop. It sounds like you went to an Apple store, that mostly swaps out major components. It could be a simple fix in the ATI or Intel video circuitry.

  • None mac mini user question

    Hi!!
    I have an ibook and i just wanna know something about the mac mini.
    On what does it go and is it a comp... i know its newb but i just can't figure out how it work. Can we plug it on an ordinary screen?
    thx for answering me

    Yes, Troy is right, it is a full-fledged computer, that now with the Intel processors has become a contender in the more powerful and higher end computing market due to the increased processing speed. Performance wise, a Mac Mini Core Duo performs at/higher than the iMac G5 for Universal Application compatible with the Intel architecture.
    The slogan Apple uses is BYOKDM, Bring Your On Keyboard, Display, and Mouse, which means you can use your existing keyboard, mouse and display on your Mac Mini.
    It is mainly a computer used to draw in the market of iPod users with it's lower price, yet still highly customizable hardware configurations to make the Mac Mini a pretty powerful machine.

  • How to create bootable USB thumb drive from Lion on Mac Mini 2011?

    Hello folks
    Yesterday my new Mac Mini (Core i7 2,7 Ghz, 4 GB RAM, ATI Radeon HD6630M 256 MB) arrived. It replaces my old Mac Mini (Core Duo 1,83 Ghz, 2 GB RAM, Intel GMA950 64 MB). One day I'll replace the 500 GB 5400 RPM HDD in this Mini by an Intel SSD drive (just like I did with my previous Mini). I'll do a fully clean install then (formatting the SSD drive in Disk Utility and then installing Lion on it from a bootable USB thumb drive). The only problem is I can't seem to download Lion for free from the Mac AppStore (MAS) although I have bought a new Mac Mini which came with Lion pre-installed. I know how to create a bootable USB thumb drive with Lion on it when you download it from the MAS. But that's the problem... I can't seem to download Lion from the MAS for free. When I open the MAS while holding down the Option key I can download Lion but it will charge me for it. Is there any way I can download Lion from the MAS without paying for it? Since it already came with my new Mac Mini 2011 this should be possible I guess?
    And will I still be able to download the iLife '11 apps (iPhoto, iMovie and Garageband) for FREE that came with my new Mac Mini when I do a fully clean install as described above? Thanks in advance.
    Greetings
    Jocau

    After doing some research, it seems that there are only 2 WAYS to do a complete reinstall of Lion on the Mac Mini 2011 without paying for the Lion download in the Mac AppStore (i.e. recreating every partition, also the Recovery HD partition, from scratch e.g. when installing Lion on a clean HDD/SSD).
    1) COMPLETELY clone the Mac Mini 2011 HDD including all of its partitions to an external drive and restore it when you want to do a complete reinstall.
    2) Use the LION INTERNET RECOVERY feature built-in into new Macs that ship with Lion (this feature is present in new Macs starting from the Mac Mini 2011 and Macbook Air 2011).
    OS X Lion: About Lion Recovery 
    Lion Internet Recovery
    If you happen to encounter a situation in which you cannot start from the Recovery HD, such as your hard drive stopped responding or you installed a new hard drive without Mac OS X installed, new Mac models introduced after public availability of OS X Lion automatically use the Lion Internet Recovery feature if the Recovery HD (Command-R method above) doesn't work. Lion Internet Recovery lets you start your Mac directly from Apple's Servers. The system runs a quick  test of your memory and hard drive to ensure there are no hardware issues.
    Lion Internet Recovery presents a limited interface at first, with only the ability to select your preferred Wi-Fi network and, if needed, enter the WPA passphrase. Next, Lion Internet Recovery will download and start from a Recovery HD image. From there, you are offered all the same utilities and functions described above.
    As with the Recovery HD, reinstallation of OS X Lion from Lion Internet Recovery requires an Internet connection. See "Supported network configurations and protocols" below.
    Restoring iLife applications after Internet Restore of OS X Lion
    If you reinstall Lion on a new Mac that shipped with OS X Lion installed, on an erased or replaced hard drive, you can download iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand from the Mac App Store.
    After installation, start from Lion.
    Double-click the App Store icon in the dock.
    Enter your Apple ID and password.
    Click Purchases.
    If you haven't previously accepted your bundled iLife applications within the Mac App Store, you should see your iLife applications appear in the Accept portion of the screen. Click Accept.
    You may be asked for your Apple ID and password once again. Your iLife applications now move to the Purchased section. These applications are part of the software that came with your Lion based computer. Your account will not be charged for them. Click Install to compete installation of your applications.
    Source: Lion Recovery
    It's a bit sad that these seem to be the only 2 options. Lion Internet Recovery is the preferred one here since my monthly internet traffic limit isn't a problem (but my download speed is). This problem could have been easily solved by Apple by just checking the system specs or serial number when trying to download Lion from the Mac AppStore. By using one of the 2 options in my previous sentence the Mac AppStore could see that I have a new Mac Mini 2011 that ships with Lion which would give me the option to download Lion from the Mac AppStore for free and eventually create a bootable USB thumb drive of it.

  • Mac Mini extensive downloads crashes wifi

    I'm having an issue with my wifi usage on the Mac Mini second generation. I traced the route of my problem to the mac's mega downloads mostly. When I'm downloading a 3GB movie from the store, it shuts down the router service to the iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, xbox, and other devices that are trying to use the same system. But when I cancel the Mac mini download, it resumes all my other devices for wifi usage.
    I'm using a Belkin N play router 5ghz and just recently realized the Mac mini is abusing my router. Any way to resolve like downing the wifi signal to avoid shorting the router out from my iDevices?

    If I was going through all this with my mini I would escalate to Customer Service and tell them the whole story...it is all documented with trips to the Genius Bar.....
    ....at the bottom of every page there is a .......Contact....link

  • ? re: Mac mini boot problem

    Hi. I have a mac mini that has performed flawlessly for 14 months. 2 days ago we had a power interruption and when I restarted it, it seemed to start up fine, but it would not recognize the mouse clicks. I can move the pointer around the screen with the mouse but it dosen't respond to the clicks or any keystrokes for about 10 minutes. After about 10 minutes of sitting idle, what ever app or menu that was clicked on opens and then the computer works fine. Since it doesn't recognize mouse clicks or keystrokes until approx. 10 minutes after boot up, this precludes me from using any startup key combinations such "C" to reinstall the OS. Anyone have any ideas what could be causing this? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    Hi John, tried to follow your instruction but I feel I don't have the confidence to continue. I booked an appointment with the local Apple shop and had the guy at the Genius Bar check it over. He did the checks you recommend and memory and hardware looked Ok. He did find some permissions incorrectly set, he thought these were stopping the boot. These permissions seemed mainly to be printer operating programmes that are pre loaded in the OS for plug and play service.
    These were automatically corrected and the mac rebooted without further work. This took about 30 minutes and there was no charge so all's well that ends well.
    Thank you so much for your assistance
    Neil 

Maybe you are looking for