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Best Hard Drive on a new Mac Mini

Timandrews
I need to upgrade the computer I use in my studio shooting area connected to a p45+ on a Sinar view camera, which is dedicated to running C1 with very little else installed. I also have a MacBook Pro with a 27" NEC calibrated display that resides in my office for image editing and location work. Since I have a matching NEC display in the studio that works and calibrates flawlessly, my plan is to replace my current older Mac Mini with a new one.

I know the Mini is not the fastest Mac out there, but for shooting still life product and food, and an occasional model shoot, my older one has always performed well. The previews and live view have a bit of lag, but for thousands of dollars, I can live with that.

I think it's a no brainer to get the fastest processor available, 3.0GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i7, and to max out the ram to 16GB. But I'm not sure which hard drive to get. I read in an older post that C1 does not work best with a fusion drive. If that's the case, would I be better of with a Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm, or a PCIe-based Flash Storage drive?

Advice is appreciated.
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Comments

11 comments

Date Votes
  • Permanently deleted user
    IMHO PCIe Flash would definitely be the fastest you could choose, before an SSD drive, the fusion drive and last the eSATA @5400rpm. I cannot tell you anything about compatibility/issues with CO and the fusion drives.

    PCIe Flash would probably be limiting you in HD size and be the most expensive.

    But, as an idea, you could probably also consider to attach an external Thunderbolt drive to connect to your Mac mini.
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  • paintbox
    I had the Mac Mini sometime ago.
    Definitely get the solid state drive. The difference is huge.
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  • Timandrews
    Jimmy, which one is that?
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  • Christian Gruner
    Also, get the fastest GFX card you can fit in it. That is quite important for CO.

    You cannot get more than dual core on the CPU ? That will slow CO down a bit.
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  • NN635638260313156410UL
    I bought a Samsung 840 Pro SSD 256 GB drive for a Macbook Pro running with CO1. Startup time for Yosemite 10.10.3 with encryption enabled 25 ". Picture download is limited only by the USB port ou WiFi throughput.
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  • Timandrews
    I'm not clear on how to use an external hard drive to maximum potential. How does an external drive increase performance when it is connected to the HD in the Mac Mini? Is CO installed on the external drive? Does the camera connect directly to the external drive?
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  • NN635638260313156410UL
    [quote="Timandrews" wrote:
    I'm not clear on how to use an external hard drive to maximum potential. How does an external drive increase performance when it is connected to the HD in the Mac Mini? Is CO installed on the external drive? Does the camera connect directly to the external drive?


    Sorry my english, you misunderstood me : I replaced the original HD with a (internal) SSD ..
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  • paintbox
    [quote="Timandrews" wrote:
    Jimmy, which one is that?


    That's just another way of saying flash storage.
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  • CAPTURE NIKON D700
    thear is best solution from Apple Direckt !
    Calls FUSION DRIVE Read it pleace and you dont have to care any Moor Wich or were your HD Drive installed
    Apple OSX Manag the Performence automaticly 😉

    i use it with C1 8 and works gread .
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  • meanwhile
    Things have changed a little with the Mac Mini's. The memory is no longer user replaceable. Is the hard drive?

    It was easy to do on a 2012 Mac Mini (have two self-installed SSDs in mine), but not sure about the latest models.
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  • AlvinH
    it's bit difficult to replace macmini harddisk in lastest model,
    my setting is: replace main HD using SSD(Samsung 840 Pro SSD 256 GB) as booting disk and all programs installed there, and provide (Firewire at HD) for data. it's work for me, and it's fast.

    But please note: third party SSD didn't have TRIM support by default, but i enable it using "TRIM enabler" app, and remember to disable the hack before updating the OS X or the system wont boot.

    for fusion HD, it make bit faster, but not fast enough for me.

    best regards
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