Comments on: The Mac Mini external SATA hack http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/the-mac-mini-external-sata-hack/ Chaotic solutions and random thoughts from the restless mind of a notorious problem solver (TM), by Andre Beckedorf Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:23:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: asdf http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/the-mac-mini-external-sata-hack/comment-page-1/#comment-22756 asdf Fri, 26 Dec 2008 07:26:53 +0000 http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/the-mac-mini-external-sata-hack/#comment-22756 Macbook? And lose all portability? If you don't mind that, sure it should work. Macbook? And lose all portability? If you don’t mind that, sure it should work.

]]> By: Uccio http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/the-mac-mini-external-sata-hack/comment-page-1/#comment-22747 Uccio Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:22:31 +0000 http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/the-mac-mini-external-sata-hack/#comment-22747 do you think is it possible to realize this hack for a MacBook? do you think is it possible to realize this hack for a MacBook?

]]> By: asdf http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/the-mac-mini-external-sata-hack/comment-page-1/#comment-22745 asdf Mon, 03 Nov 2008 05:27:46 +0000 http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/the-mac-mini-external-sata-hack/#comment-22745 Now who is going to try a Velociraptor on their Mini? (I've got one coming soon so I'll report back when its installed.) Probably won't make much difference though from the 10k Raptor I'm now using. Now who is going to try a Velociraptor on their Mini? (I’ve got one coming soon so I’ll report back when its installed.) Probably won’t make much difference though from the 10k Raptor I’m now using.

]]> By: asdf http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/the-mac-mini-external-sata-hack/comment-page-1/#comment-22744 asdf Mon, 03 Nov 2008 05:25:56 +0000 http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/the-mac-mini-external-sata-hack/#comment-22744 No port replication on a Mini. That would be too smart for Apple. Give too much power to the customer. And take away some of the Mac Pro's sales. The PCI-E idea is great. Can you imagine the potential of that silly Mini if they had a few PCI-E slots in there? Video enhancements, eSata, etc. Basically its like swimming up a river with Apple. They are going to try to stop the tinkering as much as they can. Better to get a simple PC, run OSX86 and XP, each on its own hard drive, and have the best of both worlds for almost no expense. Total freedom with hard drives, video, etc. Back to the real world of computing freedom. No port replication on a Mini. That would be too smart for Apple. Give too much power to the customer. And take away some of the Mac Pro’s sales.

The PCI-E idea is great. Can you imagine the potential of that silly Mini if they had a few PCI-E slots in there? Video enhancements, eSata, etc.

Basically its like swimming up a river with Apple. They are going to try to stop the tinkering as much as they can. Better to get a simple PC, run OSX86 and XP, each on its own hard drive, and have the best of both worlds for almost no expense. Total freedom with hard drives, video, etc. Back to the real world of computing freedom.

]]> By: greg http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/the-mac-mini-external-sata-hack/comment-page-1/#comment-22742 greg Thu, 16 Oct 2008 06:09:45 +0000 http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/the-mac-mini-external-sata-hack/#comment-22742 Couple of thoughts, questions... etc. I have the impression that the internal sata port controller doesn't support port multiplication. Can someone verify this? I'd love to hook up a drive array to a mini. For that matter would an external sata hub alleviate the problem? Or would it stuff be botched by the internal controller? And lastly / most extremely. Since as an early poster noted the PCI-e wireless card might be sacrificed... could it be possible to sub in a modded PCI-e sata card (firmtek or sonnet) that supports port multiplication? I'm trying to figure out a nice little file server option for my home office. I have a GSpeed hooked up to my main mac, but I'd like to put the drives in a closet (less noise for me) and use gigabit ethernet for my workstations to grab/share files. The 6ft max cable for the eSata is limiting my ability to shove it in a closet as is. Also, I just got married and I'd like to create a dope little media center for the new wife, videos and music anywhere in the house, you know. This mini sata thread got me thinking... I'm going to need to get my hands on a mini now, either way. Refurbs here I come! -greg Couple of thoughts, questions… etc.

I have the impression that the internal sata port controller doesn’t support port multiplication. Can someone verify this? I’d love to hook up a drive array to a mini.

For that matter would an external sata hub alleviate the problem? Or would it stuff be botched by the internal controller?

And lastly / most extremely.

Since as an early poster noted the PCI-e wireless card might be sacrificed… could it be possible to sub in a modded PCI-e sata card (firmtek or sonnet) that supports port multiplication?

I’m trying to figure out a nice little file server option for my home office. I have a GSpeed hooked up to my main mac, but I’d like to put the drives in a closet (less noise for me) and use gigabit ethernet for my workstations to grab/share files. The 6ft max cable for the eSata is limiting my ability to shove it in a closet as is.

Also, I just got married and I’d like to create a dope little media center for the new wife, videos and music anywhere in the house, you know.

This mini sata thread got me thinking…
I’m going to need to get my hands on a mini now, either way. Refurbs here I come!

-greg

]]> By: Ted http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/the-mac-mini-external-sata-hack/comment-page-1/#comment-22727 Ted Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:40:25 +0000 http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/the-mac-mini-external-sata-hack/#comment-22727 Well, the parts arrived yesterday and today, using the 22 Pin Male - Male Serial ATA Data and Power Adapter (http://www.cpustuff.com/22-Pin-Male-Male-Serial-ATA-Data-and-Power-Adapter.-22MALE2-p-339.html), a female SATA to eSATA cable, i was able to complete this hack and have my Mac mini boot from an external SATA drive. I'm pretty sure the 7 Pin Male - Male Serial ATA Data Adapter would have worked also, but it would have been more difficult to secure the adapter and cable to the riser board. The 22 Pin Male - Male Serial ATA Data and Power Adapter, having more surface area was easier to secure. Good luck to everyone else who wants to give this a try. Well, the parts arrived yesterday and today, using the 22 Pin Male - Male Serial ATA Data and Power Adapter (http://www.cpustuff.com/22-Pin-Male-Male-Serial-ATA-Data-and-Power-Adapter.-22MALE2-p-339.html), a female SATA to eSATA cable, i was able to complete this hack and have my Mac mini boot from an external SATA drive.

I’m pretty sure the 7 Pin Male - Male Serial ATA Data Adapter would have worked also, but it would have been more difficult to secure the adapter and cable to the riser board. The 22 Pin Male - Male Serial ATA Data and Power Adapter, having more surface area was easier to secure.

Good luck to everyone else who wants to give this a try.

]]> By: Ted http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/the-mac-mini-external-sata-hack/comment-page-1/#comment-22726 Ted Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:02:22 +0000 http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/the-mac-mini-external-sata-hack/#comment-22726 I found this site that may have the correct parts - http://www.cpustuff.com/Serial-ATA-Adapter-p-1-c-277.html I'm think that these 2 adapters should work work for this mod - http://www.cpustuff.com/7-Pin-Male-Male-Serial-ATA-Data-Adapter.-7MALE2M-p-16190.html http://www.cpustuff.com/22-Pin-Male-Male-Serial-ATA-Data-and-Power-Adapter.-22MALE2-p-339.html Don't know if they do international sales. I'll order them and give it a try and report back here with the results. I found this site that may have the correct parts -
http://www.cpustuff.com/Serial-ATA-Adapter-p-1-c-277.html

I’m think that these 2 adapters should work work for this mod -
http://www.cpustuff.com/7-Pin-Male-Male-Serial-ATA-Data-Adapter.-7MALE2M-p-16190.html
http://www.cpustuff.com/22-Pin-Male-Male-Serial-ATA-Data-and-Power-Adapter.-22MALE2-p-339.html

Don’t know if they do international sales. I’ll order them and give it a try and report back here with the results.

]]> By: Emmanuel http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/the-mac-mini-external-sata-hack/comment-page-1/#comment-22711 Emmanuel Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:02:57 +0000 http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/the-mac-mini-external-sata-hack/#comment-22711 Hello, Thanks for this how to. I try to found the adapter, but I can not. I'm in France and http://www.reichelt.de/?;ACTION=3;LA=4;GROUP=C694;GROUPID=3337;ARTICLE=50855;START=0;SORT=artnr;OFFSET=16;SID=27VpCceawQARsAAAcdH@I7784fc2879a36ee7ad1fb97e7dcd8645 web site is in German http://cooldrives.com/2saintosaexp.html web site do not deliver out of US :( Another one : http://3logic.ru/?A=5&SI=1&I=12434 Somebody can help me ? Thks Hello,
Thanks for this how to.

I try to found the adapter, but I can not.
I’m in France and
http://www.reichelt.de/?;ACTION=3;LA=4;GROUP=C694;GROUPID=3337;ARTICLE=50855;START=0;SORT=artnr;OFFSET=16;SID=27VpCceawQARsAAAcdH@I7784fc2879a36ee7ad1fb97e7dcd8645
web site is in German
http://cooldrives.com/2saintosaexp.html
web site do not deliver out of US :(

Another one : http://3logic.ru/?A=5&SI=1&I=12434

Somebody can help me ?

Thks

]]> By: Emmanuel http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/the-mac-mini-external-sata-hack/comment-page-1/#comment-22710 Emmanuel Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:49:02 +0000 http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/the-mac-mini-external-sata-hack/#comment-22710 Hello, Thanks for this how to. I try to found the adapter, but I can not. I'm in France and http://www.reichelt.de/?;ACTION=3;LA=4;GROUP=C694;GROUPID=3337;ARTICLE=50855;START=0;SORT=artnr;OFFSET=16;SID=27VpCceawQARsAAAcdH@I7784fc2879a36ee7ad1fb97e7dcd8645 web site is in german http://cooldrives.com/2saintosaexp.html web site do not deliver out of US :( Somebody can help me ? Thks Hello,
Thanks for this how to.

I try to found the adapter, but I can not.
I’m in France and
http://www.reichelt.de/?;ACTION=3;LA=4;GROUP=C694;GROUPID=3337;ARTICLE=50855;START=0;SORT=artnr;OFFSET=16;SID=27VpCceawQARsAAAcdH@I7784fc2879a36ee7ad1fb97e7dcd8645
web site is in german
http://cooldrives.com/2saintosaexp.html
web site do not deliver out of US :(

Somebody can help me ?

Thks

]]> By: Meme http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/the-mac-mini-external-sata-hack/comment-page-1/#comment-22705 Meme Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:25:00 +0000 http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/the-mac-mini-external-sata-hack/#comment-22705 I'm now using the Intel Mini on its side, with one 120mm fan (@ 12 volts) cooling everything. The fan sits on the table in front of the Mini. I removed the plastic housing that held the fan, hard drive, etc. It runs so cool now as the fan now oools the entire board (CPU, chipset, ram, etc)! The system never gets above about 35C and usually the CPU temp is only about 5C above ambient. (Right now its 22C with ambient about 17C). I can't even hear it if I'm a few feet away. And it never ramps up like the 2" fan does when its under load. The same generic ATX power supply that powers the hard drive also powers the fan. You can add another 120mm fan to cool your hard drive as well of course. I don't have my hard drive in the typical cramped external case that most external hard drives are stuffed into so my hard drive temps are low. I'd sure love to be able to run two or four 10k 16mb Sata WD Raptors in Raid 0 on this thing. Guess that's not possible yet though. If Apple had put a eSata jack with port replication on this thing, just imagine the performance and storage possibilities one would have. They could have sold so many external Sata enclosures for it as well. I next tried a 10000rpm Sata Western Digital Raptor hard drive for the OS and Applications/Programs. Wonderful. I leave all my data on a firewire external drive. Its really zippy. You can use a 36gb, 74gb or 150gb. They come in 8mb or 16mb cache versions. All are reasonably priced if you buy them used. They have a long lifetime expectation - so they are very reliable. Highly recommended. Next is replacing the Core Solo 1.5ghz CPU with a Core2Duo CPU. I'd love to overclock the Core2Duo CPU but I haven't read about anyone that had done it yet. It shouldn't be difficult mounting a quality heat pipe designed heat sink (Scythe, Thermalright, Tuniq, etc) on it with some fiddling. With that plastic housing gone (that used to hold the optical drive, hard drive and fan), there is much more room to work. Oh...if you're not using the PCI-E wireless card, remove it. Just one more thing in the way. I’m now using the Intel Mini on its side, with one 120mm fan (@ 12 volts) cooling everything. The fan sits on the table in front of the Mini. I removed the plastic housing that held the fan, hard drive, etc. It runs so cool now as the fan now oools the entire board (CPU, chipset, ram, etc)! The system never gets above about 35C and usually the CPU temp is only about 5C above ambient. (Right now its 22C with ambient about 17C). I can’t even hear it if I’m a few feet away. And it never ramps up like the 2″ fan does when its under load. The same generic ATX power supply that powers the hard drive also powers the fan. You can add another 120mm fan to cool your hard drive as well of course. I don’t have my hard drive in the typical cramped external case that most external hard drives are stuffed into so my hard drive temps are low.

I’d sure love to be able to run two or four 10k 16mb Sata WD Raptors in Raid 0 on this thing. Guess that’s not possible yet though. If Apple had put a eSata jack with port replication on this thing, just imagine the performance and storage possibilities one would have. They could have sold so many external Sata enclosures for it as well.

I next tried a 10000rpm Sata Western Digital Raptor hard drive for the OS and Applications/Programs. Wonderful. I leave all my data on a firewire external drive. Its really zippy. You can use a 36gb, 74gb or 150gb. They come in 8mb or 16mb cache versions. All are reasonably priced if you buy them used. They have a long lifetime expectation - so they are very reliable. Highly recommended.

Next is replacing the Core Solo 1.5ghz CPU with a Core2Duo CPU.

I’d love to overclock the Core2Duo CPU but I haven’t read about anyone that had done it yet. It shouldn’t be difficult mounting a quality heat pipe designed heat sink (Scythe, Thermalright, Tuniq, etc) on it with some fiddling. With that plastic housing gone (that used to hold the optical drive, hard drive and fan), there is much more room to work.

Oh…if you’re not using the PCI-E wireless card, remove it. Just one more thing in the way.

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