Pimpin’ the Mini on a Budget

I decided it was time to upgrade my Mac Mini as it’s always been a little sluggish with the factory installed 512 MB of memory.

Picked up a couple Kingston 1 GB modules (KVR667D2S5/1G) from the local Memory Express ($99.95 each). I was a little hesitant to use the Kingston ValueRAM as opposed to the system specific Kingston kit (KTA-MB667K2/2G) but the cheapskate in me opted for the ValueRAM for approximately $70 less.

As for the tools, I ran to Canadian Tire to pick-up a handy Mastercraft putty knife ($6.29) and some sandpaper ($2.49). Two hours of struggling and $208.68 later, the Mini is now equipped with a whopping 2 GB of RAM.

Special thanks goes out to the wife for having more patience then I did in getting those last two screws in place while reassembling the unit.

So far the machine seems stable and the performance difference in the machine is pretty dramatic. At $239.32 dollars less than WestWorld quoted upgrade price of $448, the whole exercise seems to have been a success.

4 Responses to “Pimpin’ the Mini on a Budget”

  1. Denis Lemire Says:

    What a difference 8 months makes! D’Oh! The same memory (KVR667D2S5/1G) from the same vendor is now only $32.95. Basically only a third of the cost… $134 difference in price on the project eight months later… Remember folks, the price is always better on electronics shortly after I buy. 🙂

  2. Andre Mendonca Says:

    Hi Denis.
    I just bought the exact same memory for my Mini (hasn’t arrived in the mail yet, though) . Does it work OK?

  3. Denis Lemire Says:

    I’m still using the same Mini with the same modules described in this post. No issues whatsoever.

  4. Andre Mendonca Says:

    Wow, that was fast!
    Thanks a lot for the quick answer, Denis.

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