mac mini logic board

[hctrumpet]

i have a 2010 mac mini and wanted to know if i could upgrade the logic board with a newer one so i could use thunderbolt. i like my computer. i need the disk drive and snow leopard. so can i install a new logic board. if i do what will the affects be. will i need anything els? help is much appreciated

 

[techiesteve]

The mid 2010 and mid 2011 Mac Mini are of completely different construction, there's no upgrade path.

If you need Thunderbolt your only option is to buy the current model. You can use this with Apple's external Superdrive, but you can't run Snow Leopard on it.

 

[hctrumpet]

sorry for late response. what other differences are there? i thought the only difference was the lack of an optical drive.

 

[pigoo3]

sorry for late response. what other differences are there? i thought the only difference was the lack of an optical drive.

Even if it were possible...where are you going to buy a newer model Mac-Mini logic board at a price that would make this project a better deal that just selling your old Mac-Mini & purchasing a newer Mac-Mini?

Logic board swapping (different models) really just doesn't happen with Macintosh computers. Unlike "Windows computers"...only Apple makes the parts...so the pricing usually does not make sense to make logic board swaps financially a good decision. Plus...Apple is always redesigning things to the point that swapping logic boards (different model Mac's) usually isn't even possible.

- Nick

 

[TechnoMonkey]

It can be done

i have a 2010 mac mini and wanted to know if i could upgrade the logic board with a newer one so i could use thunderbolt. i like my computer. i need the disk drive and snow leopard. so can i install a new logic board. if i do what will the affects be. will i need anything els? help is much appreciated

I have done it. Plug and play.

 

[MacInWin]

And it only took 6 years to do!

Welcome to the forum. You might want to take note of the date of the posts and threads to which you reply, this site doesn't throw away old posts so it's easy to comment into an old thread and resurrect a zombie.