Mac mini (PowerPC) Upgrades
Mac Mini Front

This page covers all the upgrades we sell for Mac minis with a PowerPC G4 processor, made in 2005 and 2006. Choose the type of upgrade you are looking for from the tabs below.(Not the right Mac? See here for more Mac minis, or here for all Macs.)

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If you want specific upgrades for your exact model, choose it from the Model ID links below, or enter your serial number here:


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Mac Mini with Display

History

This page refers to the PowerPC G4 based Mac mini computers. It does not cover the newer Intel based models, which are dealt with here.

Announced in January 2005. the Mac mini was Apple's attempt to build on the popularity of the iPod by releasing a lower end consumer machine. Internally the Mac mini is essentially an iBook without an LCD, presented in a fantastically small white perspex case.

The machines were targeted at Windows PC users in an attempt to tempt them to try the Mac platform.

The Mac mini was introduced as a 1.25 and 1.42 GHz configuration. They had USB, FireWire, Ethernet and DVI - they did not ship with Gigabit ethernet or FireWire 800.

Apple's specifications for the Mac mini G4 can be found here.

How to Identify these Machines

The Mac mini form factor is instantly recognisable due to its small size (about the size of two CD jewel cases stacked on top of each other).

This PowerPC Mac mini does look similar to the subsequent Intel based Mac mini, and the easiest way to tell them apart is to use Apple System Profiler and check the CPU type. Also the PowerPC Mac mini has two USB 2.0 ports, whereas the Intel version has four.

Memory Upgrades

The Mac mini can accept up to 1GB of memory. There is only one slot available, so remember when upgrading that you are going to lose your existing chip.

There are none available.

Difficulty 4 /5 - Difficult

Apple recommends professional installation for the RAM - to protect you and your investment. Improperly fitting the RAM or damaging the insides by doing this yourself MAY invalidate your Apple warranty.

We can sell you the RAM but cannot support you through the installation.

CD/DVD/Blu-ray Drive Upgrades

The Mac mini came with either a slot loading Combo or Superdrive optical mechanism. We offer internal upgrades, and we also sell a range of external optical drives for use with the Mac mini.

INSTALL SERVICE - Internal CD/DVD Drive in an iMac, eMac or pre 2009 Mac MiniStock: Available£49.00 + vat (£58.80)
REFURB 8x Internal DVDRW for Al PowerBook, iBook G4, G4 Cube, iMac G5 or Intel, Mac Mini and MacBook ProStock: Available£49.00 + vat (£58.80)
OWC Slim 6x Portable Blu-Ray Burner, Bus-Powered - Blu Ray, DL DVD+/-RW, CD RW/RStock: Available£104.87 + vat (£125.84)1
1Blu-Ray is not fully supported in OSX. Disks can be mounted and read, but movie playback requires third party software.

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

Difficulty 5/5 - Very Hard (internal)

The optical drive on the Mac mini is not classified by Apple as a user installed part. Mac Upgrades can install drives for you, please contact us for details.

You can purchase the drive for installation yourself, but Mac Upgrades cannot provide instructions or support for the install process.

Internal Hard Drive & SSD Upgrades

The Mac mini uses a laptop 2.5" hard drive for its internal storage. This means that they have a much lower capacity, and higher cost, than those for a normal desktop computer.

Professional installation is highly recommended as your warranty may be voided by an incorrect installation.

If you don't want to fit a new hard drive yourself, you can take advantage of the MacUpgrades Installation Service. Add the installation service from the list below to your cart along with your chosen hard drive. We can also clone your existing hard drive onto the new one, simply add the Clone Original Hard Drive service below to your cart.

Once you have booked the service, send your machine to us, we will carry out the work and return it to you. Alternatively, we do offer a Collection Service with our courier, please see here for details.

INSTALL SERVICE - Internal Drive in an eMac or Mac mini or PowerPC iMacStock: Available£29.00 + vat (£34.80)
INSTALL SERVICE - Clone Original Internal DriveStock: Available£25.00 + vat (£30.00)
INSTALL SERVICE - Fit Customer Supplied PartStock: Available£17.50 + vat (£21.00)

Internal SSD Drives to Replace Main Hard Drive

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

Difficulty 4 / 5 - Difficult

Apple recommends professional installation for the hard drive - to protect you and your investment. Improperly fitting the HDD, or damaging the insides, by doing this yourself MAY invalidate your Apple warranty.

We can sell you the HDD but cannot support you through the installation. If you like we can install the drive for you.

Graphics Cards and Displays

The Mac mini has all of its components on one logic board. Consequently it is not possible to upgrade the graphics cards on these machines.

There are no graphics card upgrades available for these Macs

Expansion Card Upgrades

The Mac mini has all of its components on one logic board and has no PCI or PCMCIA sockets. Consequently it is not possible to upgrade the connectivity on these machines.

There are no expansion cards available for these Macs

Keyboards & Mice

The following keyboards and mice are compatible with this Mac.

Trust 3 button USB Optical MouseStock: Available£6.75 + vat (£8.10)
Cherry Strait 3.0 USB Keyboard - UK Mac LayoutStock: Available£40.65 + vat (£48.78)

Power Supplies & Batteries

Listed below are power supplies, batteries and related products we supply for this Mac.

Cables & Tools

Listed below are power cables, tools and related products we supply for this Mac.

Cables & Adaptors

USB 3 to 2.5in SATA Drive Cable (for accessing a 2.5in SATA drive via USB)Stock: Available£6.49 + vat (£7.79)1
FireWire 400 - 800 Adaptor Cable M/M (6pin - 9pin) 6 ftStock: Available£11.00 + vat (£13.20)
DVI-I - VGA M/F Video AdaptorStock: Available£6.50 + vat (£7.80)

Tools

Screwdriver Set - 20mm Phillips #00, #0, #1 - Flat 1.4mm, 1.8mm, 2.4mmStock: Available£5.00 + vat (£6.00)
Anti Static Wrist StrapStock: Available£8.50 + vat (£10.20)
1Cannot be used to boot this Mac.

External Drives & Enclosures

This Mac can use any of the following external hard drives.

3.5" USB Enclosures

Startech USB 3.0 Enclosure for 3.5in SATA DrivesStock: Available£36.57 + vat (£43.88)1

2.5" USB Enclosures

Startech USB 3.0 (USB 2 compatible) Enclosure for 2.5in SATA Drive with UASPStock: Available£19.59 + vat (£23.51)1
1Cannot be used to boot this Mac.

Complete Machines - Refurbished

Any complete machines of this type or similar that we have for sale are listed here. Please note that these are refurbished models with a 3 month warranty, and that delivery is likely to take 3 - 5 working days. These can be purchased online with the standard website courier delivery charge for the mainland UK only. Please contact us for a quote on shipping to other areas.

There are none available.

Repair Services for this Mac

Here are the various repair services we offer for this Mac. You can have us take the machine in for evaluation, or book a fixed-price repair if you already know what the fault is and the service is listed below (for services without parts, please see the relevant tab on this page for compatible parts that we sell). If you know what the fault is, but we don't have a fixed-price repair listed below, please contact us for a quote.

Evaluation Services

Mac Repair - Evaluation ServiceStock: Available£39.00 + vat (£46.80)

Installation Services (parts not included)

Collection ServiceStock: Available£24.68 + vat (£29.62)
INSTALL SERVICE - Internal Drive in an eMac or Mac mini or PowerPC iMacStock: Available£29.00 + vat (£34.80)
INSTALL SERVICE - Clone Original Internal DriveStock: Available£25.00 + vat (£30.00)
INSTALL SERVICE - RAM in a Mac mini (pre 2010)Stock: Available£34.00 + vat (£40.80)
INSTALL SERVICE - Internal CD/DVD Drive in an iMac, eMac or pre 2009 Mac MiniStock: Available£49.00 + vat (£58.80)