Ok to use internal HDD on 2011 Mac Mini?

[deaddog]

I'm building a dedicated music server with a new mac mini. My current music collection will fit easily on the 500GB internal hard drive. Is there any benefit to using an external HD instead of the internal? Seems a waste of 500GB but you never know.

 

Will be running usb out to v-link to dac.

 

Thansk

 

[johsti]

No. IMHO, stick with the internal hard drive. You can always replace the internal drive with an SSD, but if you are using a player that can load the song into memory first(audirvana is one free example), then the cost outweighs the benefits in my experience. Especially if you can fit your library on the internal drive as it is. I would put your money towards more ram first if you haven't already.

 

 

[wgscott]

I have a 2010 mini with the stock HDD, reverted to 10.6.8, and no problems.

 

I bought two 2011 minis running 10.7.2 with stock HDDs for my grad students, who are complaining about how sluggish i/o is. So we are going to retrofit them with good SSDs.

 

I used to advise people not to bother, but I think the circumstances are different now with the 2011 mini running 10.7.2. I would also get 8 gig of memory. That is the most critical. It is quite inexpensive from OWC.

 

[fjmcsu]

I took a rather different approach than take apart my 2011 mini; i decided to use an external OWC SSD as my boot drive using the Firewire 800 connection and I use the internal HDD as a backup boot drive and backup document drive, et al. I have seen NO issues regarding speed , quirks, clicks etc. I have done this now for the better part of a year. I use Amarra mini, as well as occasionally Pure Music & Fidelia. I have bluetooth enabled for a wireless keyboard too. I did upgrade to 8GB ram and run Lion. System runs flawlessly.

 

[Jay192]

I have a 2100 Mac Mini with 750GB almost entirely used. I have a Weiss DAC202 (connected via FW).

 

I will need to get an external HD, and am thinking that a Thunderbolt + Firewire one is best. Thunderbolt to connect it to MAc Mini for regular use. And the FW is for when I need to connect that drive to my 2010 iMac (to shuffle my music around).

 

(I don't want a (sole) FW external HD as I want port use separation on the MMini).

 

So I am waiting for such a product to come with enough storage space. Sensible plan?

 

 

 

[audiojim]

But Pure Music, for example, recommends using a HDD. I have a new Mac Mini and Pure Music definetely recommends using a HDD.

 

I don't see why memory mode (which Pure Music has, as to part of the track not the entire track, as I understand it) because, even if you are in memory mode the computer is still reading "ahead" while you listen to the memory portion.

 

I'm surprised that no one chimed on in this thread to talk about computer noise or whatever as a reason to insist on external hdd.