Swapping a Core Solo CPU by Ted Silveira Introduction What's Required Overview of CPU swap Benchmark Tests Heat Conclusions Phase 2... Introduction The Mac Mini Core Solo was one of the rst Intel Macs, and the only one that has shipped with an unusual "single core" CPU. This Mini, along with its Core Duo big brother, generated a lot of interest when it rst came out, and we bought one to use for testing as soon as they became available. Times have changed, though, and quickly. While the Core Solo Mini provided a nice speed boost over the G4 Mini, it looks a bit forlorn now that all Macs have at least a Core Duo and the newest ones sport the even faster Core 2 Duo. Rather than relegate the Mini to some respectable but unglamorous background task, we decided to try something different: a brain transplant. In short, we decided to put a new Core 2 Duo chip into the formerly Core Solo Mini to see what would happen. We knew ahead of time that the swap was possible: A few adventurous souls had already reported successful swaps on the web. And we also knew that the technical skill required wouldn't be too great: The Core Solo, Core Duo, and Core 2 Duo processors are pin for pin compatible, and unlike many previous Macs, which have their processors soldered directly to the motherboard, the Mini's processor is socketed (as are those in the Intel iMac and the Mac Pro). The questions we wanted to answer were Just how difcult is the CPU swap going to be? Will the performance gain be worth the time and money required? Will the new processor cause the Mini to run too hot and interfere with its normally quiet operation? What's required An Intel-based Mac Mini: The transplant process is the same for both the Core Solo and Core Duo Minis, but of course the benet will be the greatest for the Core Solo. A Core 2 Duo processor: We used the 1.83 GHz Core 2 Duo T5600 (Merom) chip with the 667 MHz front side bus speed (which matches the Mini's FSB speed). The cost at the time of purchase was $250. Intel makes faster versions of this chip (2.0, 2.16, and 2.33 GHz), but those were universally out of stock (and considerably more expensive) at the time. Thermal paste to ensure good heat transfer between the CPU and its heatsink. (We used Arctic Silver.) Some basic tools: Phillips and Torx screwdrivers, a at blade (like a putty knife) for opening the Mini case, an anti-static wrist strap. A safe workspace: You need good lighting and a at, static-free work surface with plenty of room. Pick a spot where you can safely leave the disassembled computer and its parts out if you stop due to nerves or interruptions. The kitchen table is probably not a good choice. Neither is any room accessible to free-range pets. (That hamster will pouch the screws while you're not looking.) Some technical aptitude: The swap doesn't require much in the way of technical knowledge, but it does require some basic physical skill and deftness, plus a knowledge of what not to mess with inside a computer. This project is not one to tackle if you've never had your hands inside a computer before. The primary risk -- and it's a real one -- is that you may break something. (We mean actually, physically break something, as in snap it off or crack it.) If you do, you will end up with a non-functional pile of Mini parts instead of a working computer. Overview of CPU Swap This section provides an overview of the CPU swap process. It is only intended to give you a general idea of the process and of the difculties involved; it is not meant to give explicit step-by-step directions. Unfortunately, the folks at iFixit.com have not yet produced one of their excellent take-apart guides for the Intel Minis, but you can nd illustrated guides to this chip swap at these locations: Meromac Mini: Detailed pictures of the whole process but few words Mac Mini Intel Core Duo Upgrade Guide: Skips the opening steps of the disassembly but covers the critical parts with excellent pictures and good explanations. (This swap uses the Core Duo, but the process is identical for the Core 2 Duo.) My Upgrade to 1.83GHz Core Duo: Also uses the Core Duo instead of Core 2 Duo. Not as detailed as the two sites above but includes worthwhile cautions about possible trouble spots. Note: A digital camera is a great aid in disassembly projects like these. Take photos of each step as you go in case you forget which cable goes where or how to orient the parts. An overview of the basic steps: 1. Remove the Mini's top case. 2. Unmount the Airport antenna, remove four screws, and disconnect two cables to free the black plastic drive frame, and then lift the frame out with the hard drive and optical drive still in place. The RAM slots and the CPU (covered by a large heatsink) are now clearly visible on the motherboard. Unfortunately, you need access to the underside of the motherboard to disengage the posts holding the heatsink in place. 3. Remove one Torx screw and disconnect two cables to free the motherboard, and slide it carefully out the front of the chassis. 4. On the underside of the motherboard, free the four posts holding the heatsink in place, and then remove the heatsink from the top of the motherboard to reveal the CPU. 5. Unlock the CPU socket to free the chip and lift it out, noting the orientation of the chip as you do so. 6. Orient the Core 2 Duo chip, set it in the socket, and lock it in place. 7. Clean the old thermal paste from the heatsink, and apply a very thin layer of new thermal paste to replace it. Alert: The following step is the point at which the greatest risk of damage exists, in our opinion. Go slowly and carefully. 8. Orient the heatsink, place it on top of the CPU, and push each of the four spring-loaded posts through the motherboard until they lock into place. This step doesn't sound that difcult. But in reality, you're balancing a big square heatsink on top of a small square chip that you have just coated with grease, and you're trying to keep the heatsink level and properly oriented while you press down on a spring-loaded post at one corner, attempting to push the post through a hole in the motherboard where it doesn't seem to want to go. And in doing all this, you're applying force directly to the CPU and the motherboard -- the most critical parts of your computer. 9. Once the heatsink is in place, put the Mini back together by reversing the steps you used to take it apart. The good news is that with the CPU and heatsink in place, and the Mini reassembled, you have nothing left to do but start it up and gloat. The Core 2 Duo will be recognized by Mac OS X and System Proler without any prompting. Benchmark Tests We ran our usual set of benchmarks on the stock Mini and on the modied Core 2 Duo Mini. The results below show what we hoped they would -- a substantial improvement in performance over the Core Solo in all CPU- affected tests. The little Monster Mini is a zippy machine. Test congurations: Mac Mini, 1.5 GHz Core Solo, 512 MB RAM, 60 GB/5400 RPM hard disk Mac Mini, 1.83 GHz Core 2 Duo, 512 MB RAM, 60 GB/5400 RPM hard disk MacBook, 2.0 GHz Core Duo, 2 GB RAM, 80 GB/7200 RPM hard disk MacBook Pro, 2.16 GHz Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM, 160 GB/5400 RPM Hitachi Travelstar hard disk, 128 MB VRAM Note: We did test both the Core Solo and the Core 2 Duo with 2 GB of RAM and an 80 GB/7200 RPM hard disk, but the benchmark scores were nearly identical to those for the stock RAM and hard disk congurations. That's not to say that the RAM and hard disk upgrades aren't a good thing; they are. Their benets just don't show in these benchmarks. [See our Mac Pro Benchmarks page for more details on the test procedures, as well as comparative data.]
Heat During our benchmark tests and in other use, the Mini showed no signs of excessive heat with the Core 2 Duo installed. Under load (running CineBench, Xbench, and Geekbench simultaneously), the CPU core temperatures briey touched 65 Celsius and the fan reached 4500 RPM, but once the excitement was over, the temperatures and fan speed both dropped quickly. While doing ordinary web browsing in Safari with a 900 MB download running in the background at 155 KBps, the core temperatures ran around 47 to 49 Celsius, and the fan speed dropped to a whisper-quiet 1500 RPM. Conclusions So was the Core 2 Duo swap worth the time and money it took? For the original project Mac, the answer is yes, given that we already had the Core Solo Mini and the skills needed to do the installation on our own. For a total outlay of $250, an afternoon's time, and some nervous moments wrestling with the heatsink, we now have a notably fast Mini that retains the quiet good manners of the original. If the Mini had started life as a Core Duo instead of Core Solo, we'd have a more difcult time justifying the outlay required for the chip. But we'd still be tempted, especially if we could get one of the 2.0 GHz or faster Merom chips. (And the single unit price of Core 2 Duo chips will undoubtedly drop in the coming months.) And if we had had to buy a Mini to start with, well... With the price of a refurbished Core Solo Mini running around $479 at the Apple Store (when it's in stock), and the price of the chip still at $250, we're getting close to the price of a low-end 17" Intel iMac, which includes a screen, keyboard, mouse, and a better performing 3.5" hard drive in its package. We're not done with the Monster Mini yet, though. We subsequently tackled its hard drive system in Phase 2... Comment on this Intel Mini Monster CPU project... Ads E-mail Find Home Resources Sitemap Copyright 2006 by MacInTouch, Inc. All rights reserved.