Planning to upgrade my Mac Mini G4 1.42 (advice requested)

[vap1485]

I'd like to add the largest SSD drive possible, and I'd like to upgrade to a DVDRW (is a Blueray drive possible?)
I'm using OS 9.22 on it so I know there are limitations.
Is there a list of what I would need? I have the tools and I am comfortable with opening it up. Thanks everyone 

[aBc]

You might review this thread:
http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,5955.msg44360.html#msg44360

Have used / tested 500 GB and up to 1 TB (multi-partitioned) with certain adapters.
But most recently, tested some sled-like enclosures with mSATA too.
(As the prices have come down.)

http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,5955.msg52638.html#msg52638

So it’s really a matter of personal choice and $$$.

As far as the Blu-Ray… I’m unaware of any that might actually fit.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t any.

The 1.5 GHz G4 minis came with the 8X DVD/CD-RW "Combo" Drives
(*OR with the 1.42 GHz mini… the 4X DVD/CD-RW "SuperDrive" / optional before July 26, 2005).

[IIO]

SSD limit for OS9 is 2TB (but i also only tested 1 by myself.) BD will require OSX 10.1+ & toast 6.1+

i´d suggest at least 2 partitions, maybe you want to add another OS later.

if you use an external optical drive you can attach a second SSD.

an USB and firewire hub is a great addition to a mini, and eventually a new fan.

[aBc]

AND while you’re at it… and have the mini open.
Clean and renew HEATSINK THERMAL PASTE!

http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?topic=6875.0

Also… if you remove (to clean or replace) your fan…
re-install it so that it is blowing the correct direction.
There’s a 50/50 chance of screwing this up.

*Reports of this happening more than once.
  And the result… not good. 

[vap1485]

THANK YOU. For this info. This is exactly what I was looking for. So I'll buy thermal paste, possibly 2 SSD drives and a slim external that I can also use with my other PC. I assume there wont be any problem booting from the external drive, right? I'm really looking forward to opening and cleaning this thing. It's like 20som years old so who knows whats in there!

Is there any way that I can maintenance/upgrade the graphics card? I'm debating upgrading the 1g ram to 1.5. We'll see.

Any other pointers or suggestions are more than welcome


I'm thinking to get something like: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CJ4BSK8/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?pd_rd_i=B07CJ4BSK8&pd_rd_w=roqcd&content-id=amzn1.sym.0d1092dc-81bb-493f-8769-d5c802257e94&pf_rd_p=0d1092dc-81bb-493f-8769-d5c802257e94&pf_rd_r=VB29TPX32T9G95YX4CQW&pd_rd_wg=Ow7lN&pd_rd_r=b63e59d6-6e7d-4f7b-bcbc-9ea18c542cd9&s=pc&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWwy&th=1
Maybe two 512 or two 1tb, IDK. I want to say that I dont need all that in my mac mini, but I'm making the mac of my teenage dreams, so might as well go big, right?


https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-MX-4-Compound-Micro-particles-Durability/dp/B0795DP124/ref=sr_1_5?crid=24YH1594RQEWL&keywords=thermal+paste&qid=1707351579&s=electronics&sprefix=thermal+pas%2Celectronics%2C353&sr=1-5
This thermal paste for the PPC maintenance. I'll probably do it for my other PC's too

As for external DVD-RW, I'm open to suggestions

[Jubadub]

BD will require OSX 10.1+ & toast 6.1+

For reading BDs, OS 9 works perfectly. (Which is nothing short of amazing -- early OS X doesn't seem to be able to do even that, from what I tested, and I only know of Toast OS X BD plug-ins for 10.4 Tiger and 10.5 Leopard, but no earlier).

The only gotcha, though, is that when you boot OS 9, the BD media must not be already inside. Once the desktop finishes loading, though, then you can use it normally. I got about 1TB worth of HFS+ BD-R backups, and all of it successfully and correctly gets read or copied from within OS 9.

Too bad that now I only have a USB-based drive, meaning USB 1.1 speeds in OS 9, but I used to have a FW400 one as well, which also should work. They are not too hard to find if you really try looking for one. (They use SATA-to-FW adapters internally, if I'm not mistaken.)

SSD limit for OS9 is 2TB (but i also only tested 1 by myself.)

True, 2 TB is the limit for partitions and drive size mapping, but technically you can use 4TB+ drives, as well. It's just that, if you do, your 4TB+ drive, formatted preferably within OS 9 itself, will function as if it was a 2TB drive.

This is still technically better than using an actual 2TB drive, however, because you can confortably allot 100% of those 2 TBs into one or more partitions, and actually fully use that space.

Normally, a 2TB drive would preferably be left with 20-ish% of it unused, which is a common practice for SSD longevity and performance when it starts getting full. But since an i.e. 4TB drive would have another 2TB totally blank, this is no longer a concern (its firmware should still be able to see and use all of its cells and memory for all that management even if we allocate only 2TB of it).

Given a same SSD model and type, the higher the capacity, the higher the longevity and speed of the SSD, as well.

When I used to have MDDs (RIP my old home), I used to have a 4TB Samsung 860 PRO installed in one of them, through one of those Marvell SATA-to-PATA adapters. Worked flawlessly.

That being said, going for drives bigger than 2TB is a luxury overkill of an overkill. 2TB is great. 1TB is also pretty damn fine. Less than 1TB, though, then I start to frown.

[FBz]

WARNING: Curmudgeon content follows.

NO.
No easy video upgrade currently available for the 1.42 GHz (or lesser) minis.
@indibil has been working / testing increasing from 32 to 64…
with no success as of yet. [Want 64? Get a 1.5 GHz mini instead.]

1 GB of RAM to 1.5 GB?
One RAM slot in the G4 mini and even if there are 2 GB sticks,
is there a path for the mini to actually address that?

mSATA versus M.2 SSD?
Do your own cost + performance comparisons.
Again, refer to: http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,5955.msg52638.html#msg52638



Arctic MX 4 thermal paste is a-ok.
Heatsink removed, you might encounter a thin, foil pad.
Carefully remove that. Clean the heatsink w/ alcohol and apply paste.



Here’s a particular approach to opening the mini:
http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,4427.msg31396.html#msg31396

NOW, not knowing what the intended primary use of this G4 Mac mini might be
and w/ all due respect to my colleagues IIO and Jubadub… I propose the slow
& steady approach to upgrades. Begin with a 512 GB SSD (w/ adapter bridge)
OR an mSATA w/ enclosure (again 512 GB or 1 TB - if you must). Before the
“throw money”  kitchen sink (sank/sunk) approach including CD SSD caddy
or the BD drive. Can always obtain these added cost accoutrements later.
Especially, once you become much better acquainted w/ the G4 Mac mini.

But, be very careful inside there.

[vap1485]

Thanks for that. Curmudgeonly info is always welcome by me!
I understand what you are saying here and I think its a good idea to start small. Particularly if I replace the HDD first and clean out the MB I probably won't have to go that low one MB again, right?

You clearly addressed my concerns and questions so I'll be getting the 512-1tb msata w/ enclosure.

you mentioned the thin foil pad. Do I put it back after I clean everything?

[aBc]

Nope. Leave the foil “pad” off.
The paste replaces and serves same purpose.

Again. Very carefully remove the foil.
Object being no scratch heatsink mating surface.

As if it isn’t already difficult enough to disassemble
the mini to actually get at the heatsink and safely
remove those four “keepers”… you might then be
confronted with a heatsink “baked” onto the CPU.
Is it really any wonder that so many rather simply
choose not to remove and repaste the heatsinks?

Slow, steady und careful!

Review again: http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,6875.0.html

And do please take pictures along the way.
For your own reference and for those of us here
that do enjoy an occasional Mac mini horror story.

Images below from:
http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,5955.msg52638.html#msg52638





You’ve still yet to reveal what the primary, intended use of your mini might be?

Best of luck!

[vap1485]

Oh I plan to take pics and possibly videos. Thanks for the clarification.

Primary use: Playing old games from my teenagehood, maybe messing about with video editing, light coding?
I mostly bought it because I miss pre X mac os, and want to play around with it.

What does anyone do with these 20 year old computers?