Yay! My Intel Mini is finished. It has been fully upgraded (DVD burner arrived yesterday). I took a basic $599 Mini Core Solo and added the following parts:
1. 2ghz Core Duo processor, $320
2. 2gb G.Skill ram, $150
3. 100gb 7200rpm Seagate 2.5" SATA hard drive, $150
4. Pioneer DVR-K06, $75
Total price for the upgrades was about $700 (the price on the above parts varies, so you may end up spending between $650 and $750 depending on where/when you buy the parts). I also got some Arctic Silver 5, which is a special thermal cooling paste for the processor (runs about $10 online). Installation was not overly difficult. OWC has a good installation video for the ram, hard drive, and DVD burner. I'm working on a short processor installation tutorial, I've been lazy and haven't finished it yet lol. All you really need is some patience and a screwdriver (well, a few more tools than that, but you get the idea).
The Mini itself is running wonderfully. It is a
very quiet machine. The loudest part in it is the DVD burner, which makes noise when CDs spin up (no surprise there). The hard drive is inaudible (Seagate is usually the quietest brand). The processor runs much cooler and quieter than I anticipated. The highest I've been able to get it to is 84C, which is well within the range of normal temperatures. My MacBook gets much higher than that.
There is the question of "is it really worth it?". The answer is that it simply depends on what you want. The total cost for this project was about $1,300. There are a number of other good computer options available for around that price. The 17" iMac Core Duo starts at $1,300 and includes a 17" LCD, a 1.83ghz Core Duo processor, a DVD burner, a 128mb x1600 graphics card, and a 160gb 7200rpm full-sized hard drive. The 1.83ghz processor isn't too far behind the 2ghz Core Duo processor performance-wise, plus you get the enhanced graphics for gaming and heavy 2D/3D apps, not to mention an integrated monitor. The new education 17" iMac goes for just $899 and is roughly equivalent to the Mini except it includes a 17" LCD built in. The mid-range white 2ghz MacBook also starts at $1,300, so if you need a portable machine it's a good route to go. You can add the hard drive and ram above for $300 total to make it match the modded Mini. You even get an iSight with the MacBook, like the iMacs.
So why bother getting a Mini at all if there are more powerful and more portable options at the same price? The first reason I see is upgradability. You can easily add a more powerful processor, a faster DVD burner, a larger hard drive, etc., down the road. If you're on a budget, you may want to upgrade over the course of a year or two. Dropping $1,300 on a new computer can be hard if you're a student making $7 an hour or have a family. You can gradually add new parts as your budget allows. Another reason is for flexibility. I like iMacs, but I'm not a huge fan of them. My wife has one and loves it, but I'd rather have the flexibility to add my own display. Included in flexibility is the ability to upgrade. Adding a new hard drive to an iMac is much more difficult than adding one to a Mini. The "cool" factor is definately a good reason. Everyone who sees my setup asks "where's the computer?" The Mini looks like a small external DVD burner. People are amazed when they see how small it is (and how quiet and powerful!). There's also the space consideration - it has a very low footprint on my desk. Also, it's quieter than an iMac. My wife's iMac has a low grind from either the hard drive or the fan sometimes, while my Mini is mostly silent. When the fan does spin up, it is not annoying at all - just a soothing whir. If you'd rather piecemeal it, the Mini is a great way to go. Throw in an $800 24" Dell LCD and Parallels or Boot Camp for Windows and you've got a beast on your hands. There are tons of accessories for the Mini as well, including skins, painting services, external hard drives that fit underneath the Mini, stands and mounts, and so on. You have a lot of ways you can go with a Mini.
All in all, I'm glad I upgraded this machine. It was a fun project and I'm looking forward to Phase 2 - adding a full-sized hard drive and DVD burner in a tower case
