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System Name | "Icy Resurrection" |
---|---|
Processor | 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900KS Special Edition |
Motherboard | ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z790 APEX ENCORE |
Cooling | Noctua NH-D15S upgraded with 2x NF-F12 iPPC-3000 fans and Honeywell PTM7950 TIM |
Memory | 32 GB G.SKILL Trident Z5 RGB F5-6800J3445G16GX2-TZ5RK @ 7600 MT/s 36-44-44-52-96 1.4V |
Video Card(s) | ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX™ 4080 16GB GDDR6X White OC Edition |
Storage | 500 GB WD Black SN750 SE NVMe SSD + 4 TB WD Red Plus WD40EFPX HDD |
Display(s) | 55-inch LG G3 OLED |
Case | Pichau Mancer CV500 White Edition |
Power Supply | EVGA 1300 G2 1.3kW 80+ Gold |
Mouse | Microsoft Classic Intellimouse |
Keyboard | Generic PS/2 |
Software | Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 24H2 |
Benchmark Scores | I pulled a Qiqi~ |
The mid-2010 Mac mini is a very affordable system nowadays, with a compact form factor, both HDMI and DisplayPort with analog video out compatibility, versatile I/O and powerful enough to run RetroArch, MAME and retro console emulators, but it does have its quirks. In this thread, I'm sharing my findings after about a month with this machine.
My particular unit has an Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 mobile processor (2.4 GHz Penryn), GeForce 320M integrated graphics and 8 GB of RAM on a 160 GB SSD, currently dual-booting Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.8 and Windows 8.1 64-bit. It is identical to this model in the EveryMac database:
1. MacOS compatibility
The maximum officially supported OS for this machine is MacOS High Sierra 10.13.6. This is now considered to be a legacy version and browsers have already dropped support for it. If you want to keep the Apple operating system in a partition, it can be upgraded to a newer unsupported version such as Monterey by use of the OpenCore legacy patcher:
The default OS for this machine is Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.4 and this is the version that comes in the software restoration DVDs. The ability to run Snow Leopard may prove useful as it is the last version of Mac OS that supports PowerPC Rosetta, meaning you can run Power Mac applications on it.
If you don't have access to this media, the Mac can download High Sierra directly from Apple by pressing command + option + R after you power it on.
2. Windows compatibility
Officially, this machine supports up to Windows 7 64-bit, but it is possible to install Windows 8.1 and 10 on it. This Mac is supported by Boot Camp 4:
Upon installing Boot Camp on Windows 8 and newer the operating system will say that the software is known to have compatibility issues. It is safe to ignore these warnings, run the installer in Windows 7 compatibility mode and proceed to upgrade the graphics drivers as outlined in (3).
The NVIDIA nForce chipset drivers will need to be updated to work correctly as the SATA driver is either omitted from the Boot Camp package or will not install. After installing Boot Camp, you must update them manually. I have found a compatible driver installer from Dell, which you can download here:
There is also an update available for the Broadcom NetXtreme ethernet adapter:
After following this step, your Mac should be fully setup, with Bluetooth, networking and everything else working correctly.
3. GeForce 320M/MCP89 GPU issues
The newest drivers for the Tesla microarchitecture will exhibit corruption issues that would normally look like a dying GPU in some applications, with scrambled graphics and frequent TDRs. I have run into this problem with RetroArch, Kega Fusion and the BGB emulators, as well as some applications' windows, oddly including Wagnard's Display Driver Uninstaller tool under Windows 8.1. It is not a hardware defect but a software compatibility problem and it can be solved by rolling back to an earlier driver branch. The following link in another forum has a documented case of this issue on Windows 10:
To solve this problem, install the last driver that supports the Curie microarchitecture, version 309.08:
Windows 64-bit:
Windows 32-bit:
This is the newest r304 branch driver available and the same one you would use on an old GeForce 7000 series GPU. I have tested the r337 and r340 branch drivers (up to 342.01) and all of them cause the graphics scrambling problem, reverting to the r304 branch restores support for the temperature sensors regarding chipset and memory temperature that do not seem to be working on the later drivers.
4. HDD replacement warning
If you choose to upgrade your Mac to an SSD or install a higher capacity HDD, BE EXCEPTIONALLY CAREFUL WHEN REMOVING THE ORIGINAL HDD. There is a pair of very fragile thermal probe cables that attach to each end of the HDD that have a very high likelihood to snap off the motherboard and potentially break the connector. If this occurs, the Mac's SMC will cause the fan to run at full blast (5500 RPM) at all times.
Step by step guide on iFixit:
5. Fan control issues and temperature sensors
You can use Macs Fan Control to manually control the Mac's fan speed or change the temperature source. It can be used to remedy the situation caused by (4.) if you haven't been careful. This application is available on both Mac OS (Snow Leopard and newer) and Windows:
6. ThrottleStop
I've found that despite temperatures being in check, the Mac may get stuck in a perpetual state of PROCHOT: this will cause the processor and GPU to run at the minimum performance level at all times, on my P8600, this meant a 33% reduction in clock speed (going from 9 to 6 multiplier) and it's a very noticeable hit. You can check if this is happening to you if Task Manager says that your CPU clock is around 1.6 GHz. Download it here from TechPowerUp, and its developer is also very active here on the forum should you have any questions for him.
Open ThrottleStop and untick the checkbox that says BD PROCHOT: this should restore the Mac's full CPU and graphics speed:
If you have any questions - feel free to ask! I will also regularly update this thread with my findings and reports on this machine's limitations as I play more with it over time.
My particular unit has an Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 mobile processor (2.4 GHz Penryn), GeForce 320M integrated graphics and 8 GB of RAM on a 160 GB SSD, currently dual-booting Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.8 and Windows 8.1 64-bit. It is identical to this model in the EveryMac database:
Mac mini "Core 2 Duo" 2.4 (Mid-2010) Specs (Mid-2010, MC270LL/A, Macmini4,1, A1347, 2364): EveryMac.com
Technical specifications for the Mac mini "Core 2 Duo" 2.4 (Mid-2010). Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.
everymac.com
1. MacOS compatibility
The maximum officially supported OS for this machine is MacOS High Sierra 10.13.6. This is now considered to be a legacy version and browsers have already dropped support for it. If you want to keep the Apple operating system in a partition, it can be upgraded to a newer unsupported version such as Monterey by use of the OpenCore legacy patcher:
The default OS for this machine is Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.4 and this is the version that comes in the software restoration DVDs. The ability to run Snow Leopard may prove useful as it is the last version of Mac OS that supports PowerPC Rosetta, meaning you can run Power Mac applications on it.
If you don't have access to this media, the Mac can download High Sierra directly from Apple by pressing command + option + R after you power it on.
2. Windows compatibility
Officially, this machine supports up to Windows 7 64-bit, but it is possible to install Windows 8.1 and 10 on it. This Mac is supported by Boot Camp 4:
Boot Camp Support Software 4.0.4033 - Apple Support
This download contains the Windows Support Software (Windows Drivers) you will need to support Windows 7 on your Mac.
support.apple.com
Upon installing Boot Camp on Windows 8 and newer the operating system will say that the software is known to have compatibility issues. It is safe to ignore these warnings, run the installer in Windows 7 compatibility mode and proceed to upgrade the graphics drivers as outlined in (3).
The NVIDIA nForce chipset drivers will need to be updated to work correctly as the SATA driver is either omitted from the Boot Camp package or will not install. After installing Boot Camp, you must update them manually. I have found a compatible driver installer from Dell, which you can download here:
There is also an update available for the Broadcom NetXtreme ethernet adapter:
Download Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet Driver 20.6.0.5 for Windows 10
Download Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet Driver 20.6.0.5 for Windows 10 Anniversary Update - Network Card
drivers.softpedia.com
After following this step, your Mac should be fully setup, with Bluetooth, networking and everything else working correctly.
3. GeForce 320M/MCP89 GPU issues
The newest drivers for the Tesla microarchitecture will exhibit corruption issues that would normally look like a dying GPU in some applications, with scrambled graphics and frequent TDRs. I have run into this problem with RetroArch, Kega Fusion and the BGB emulators, as well as some applications' windows, oddly including Wagnard's Display Driver Uninstaller tool under Windows 8.1. It is not a hardware defect but a software compatibility problem and it can be solved by rolling back to an earlier driver branch. The following link in another forum has a documented case of this issue on Windows 10:
Graphics problems on an old Mac Mini running Windows 10
Core Machine (Operating system/System info/Roon build number) 2008 Mac Pro / MacOS 10.13.6 / Roon 1.6 build 416 Network Details (Including networking gear model/manufacturer and if on WiFi/Ethernet) Wired Gigabit Ethernet, Netgear GS116 and GS105 Audio Devices (Specify what device you’re...
community.roonlabs.com
To solve this problem, install the last driver that supports the Curie microarchitecture, version 309.08:
Windows 64-bit:
Windows 32-bit:
This is the newest r304 branch driver available and the same one you would use on an old GeForce 7000 series GPU. I have tested the r337 and r340 branch drivers (up to 342.01) and all of them cause the graphics scrambling problem, reverting to the r304 branch restores support for the temperature sensors regarding chipset and memory temperature that do not seem to be working on the later drivers.
4. HDD replacement warning
If you choose to upgrade your Mac to an SSD or install a higher capacity HDD, BE EXCEPTIONALLY CAREFUL WHEN REMOVING THE ORIGINAL HDD. There is a pair of very fragile thermal probe cables that attach to each end of the HDD that have a very high likelihood to snap off the motherboard and potentially break the connector. If this occurs, the Mac's SMC will cause the fan to run at full blast (5500 RPM) at all times.
Step by step guide on iFixit:
Mac mini Mid 2010 Hard Drive Replacement
Use this guide to completely replace your mini's hard drive. Completing this guide requires rubber cement to stick the old thermal sensors to your...
www.ifixit.com
5. Fan control issues and temperature sensors
You can use Macs Fan Control to manually control the Mac's fan speed or change the temperature source. It can be used to remedy the situation caused by (4.) if you haven't been careful. This application is available on both Mac OS (Snow Leopard and newer) and Windows:
Macs Fan Control - control fans on Apple computers, also on Windows via Boot Camp
Control fans on Apple computers, also on Windows via Boot Camp. Monitoring of fan speed and temperature sensors. Solve fan noise and overheating problems, iMac HDD replacement
crystalidea.com
6. ThrottleStop
I've found that despite temperatures being in check, the Mac may get stuck in a perpetual state of PROCHOT: this will cause the processor and GPU to run at the minimum performance level at all times, on my P8600, this meant a 33% reduction in clock speed (going from 9 to 6 multiplier) and it's a very noticeable hit. You can check if this is happening to you if Task Manager says that your CPU clock is around 1.6 GHz. Download it here from TechPowerUp, and its developer is also very active here on the forum should you have any questions for him.
ThrottleStop 9.6 Download
ThrottleStop is a small application designed to monitor for and correct the three main types of CPU throttling that are being used on many lapto
www.techpowerup.com
Open ThrottleStop and untick the checkbox that says BD PROCHOT: this should restore the Mac's full CPU and graphics speed:
If you have any questions - feel free to ask! I will also regularly update this thread with my findings and reports on this machine's limitations as I play more with it over time.
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