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Today's project- CPU swap - Printable Version

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Today's project- CPU swap - Black - 04-30-2025

Current mac: 2012 i7 2.6 Mini running High Sierra
New mac: 2014 i7 3.0 Mini
(persistent USB problems are my main reason for giving up on the 2012--- still married to some 32 bit apps so not interested in anything that can't run HS/Mojave)

I externally boot the 2012 and use the internal as a backup drive.

The 2014 has Catalina installed by the seller.

Currently connected: Ethernet, old CD burner via firewire, one monitor via HDMI, one via VGA (or maybe DVI) to Firewire adapter, 3 7-port USB hubs and one USB boot drive, audio.

Going to lose the CDR obviously, but otherwise, will it be as simple as connecting all the cables and starting up from the external?

Running through all my redundant backups first....

Re: Today's project- CPU swap - Robert M - 04-30-2025

Black,

The preinstalled OS on the 2014 Mac Mini was macOS 10.14 Mojave. I'm not sure it'll boot/run off a drive that has macOS 10.13 High Sierra. Since the 2014 models shipped with Mojave as their original OS, I'd be inclined to use it with a Mojave boot drive. This ensures full compatibility from the start.

If I was in your position, I'd clone your existing configuration to a different external SSD. Boot off it on the 2012 machine. Upgrade it to Mojave. Confirm all work well. Then move it to the 2014 machine as its boot drive. The 2014 machine should have no trouble booting off it.

Robert

Re: Today's project- CPU swap - special - 04-30-2025

Oh, I thought you were literally talking about CPU swap, like take an older Intel CPU out, apply new thermal paste and install a newer Intel CPU.

Re: Today's project- CPU swap - Black - 04-30-2025

Robert M wrote:
Black,

The preinstalled OS on the 2014 Mac Mini was macOS 10.14 Mojave. I'm not sure it'll boot/run off a drive that has macOS 10.13 High Sierra. Since the 2014 models shipped with Mojave as their original OS, I'd be inclined to use it with a Mojave boot drive. This ensures full compatibility from the start.

If I was in your position, I'd clone your existing configuration to a different external SSD. Boot off it on the 2012 machine. Upgrade it to Mojave. Confirm all work well. Then move it to the 2014 machine as its boot drive. The 2014 machine should have no trouble booting off it.

Robert

Scared me for a minute. I did research this thoroughly; all the info I can find is that it shipped with 10.10 Yosemite. Mojave was released concurrent to the 2018 Mini and the discontinuation of the 2014.

Re: Today's project- CPU swap - Robert M - 04-30-2025

Black,

My apologies! When I looked at everymac.com, I clicked what I thought was the correct model and passed on the info I found on the resulting page. Clearly I clicked on the incorrect link. Just did it again and this time it shows the 2014 model shipping with Yosemite.



I'm gonna blaming it on early 50s senility!

Again, my mistake and definitely a potentially scary one. Sorry about that.

At my office, I'm in the same situation as you for one of my critical machines. I have a couple of 32-bit apps that I can't replace and one set I'm unwilling to replace. It's nice being able to run the Adobe apps _without_ a subscription. They might be old versions (CS 5.5) but they get the job done and has saved me significant bucks over the years. That alone means even when it's time to move to a new machine, I'll keep at least two Mojave capable models on hand and operational.

I'd still consider cloning the drive and move the clone to the new machine. That way, if something goes wrong, you can immediately move back to the old Mini and use it until you squash the issue with the new one.

Robert

Re: Today's project- CPU swap - Black - 04-30-2025

Robert M wrote:
Black,

My apologies! When I looked at everymac.com, I clicked what I thought was the correct model and passed on the info I found on the resulting page. Clearly I clicked on the incorrect link. Just did it again and this time it shows the 2014 model shipping with Yosemite.



I'm gonna blaming it on early 50s senility!

Again, my mistake and definitely a potentially scary one. Sorry about that.

At my office, I'm in the same situation as you for one of my critical machines. I have a couple of 32-bit apps that I can't replace and one set I'm unwilling to replace. It's nice being able to run the Adobe apps _without_ a subscription. They might be old versions (CS 5.5) but they get the job done and has saved me significant bucks over the years. That alone means even when it's time to move to a new machine, I'll keep at least two Mojave capable models on hand and operational.

I'd still consider cloning the drive and move the clone to the new machine. That way, if something goes wrong, you can immediately move back to the old Mini and use it until you squash the issue with the new one.

Robert
Yes, good call.

Re: Today's project- CPU swap - gabester - 04-30-2025

special wrote:
Oh, I thought you were literally talking about CPU swap, like take an older Intel CPU out, apply new thermal paste and install a newer Intel CPU.

Technically what you performed was a computer swap. Like special, I too got all excited reading the subject that someone was actually popping a new CPU into their machine a la the PowerMac [7-9][5-6]00 series.

Re: Today's project- CPU swap - Black - 04-30-2025

gabester wrote:
[quote=special]
Oh, I thought you were literally talking about CPU swap, like take an older Intel CPU out, apply new thermal paste and install a newer Intel CPU.

Technically what you performed was a computer swap. Like special, I too got all excited reading the subject that someone was actually popping a new CPU into their machine a la the PowerMac [7-9][5-6]00 series. I guess you're right. There's so much connected to it though, and it's so hard to access... it does feel like I'm surgically removing and replacing one small organ of a large beast.

Re: Today's project- CPU swap - Black - 05-01-2025

11 PM and still working through all my backups. I probably shouldn't attempt this tonight but that doesn't mean I won't.

Re: Today's project- CPU swap - Black - 05-01-2025

Reasonably seamless. Specs are as advertised. SSD health is reasonable- 85% wear leveling, everything else 99 or 100%.
It boots into some kind of open firmware type thing, not sure why (maybe Opencore Legacy Patcher? But my i7 MBA running Sequoia doesn't do this...)
Gives a message at startup that disk can't be read (presumably referring to the internal when booted from High Sierra) and the internal shows up on desktop as 2 volumes titles MacOS-Data and Update.
No USB weirdness, no trouble seeing or starting from the external, no dual monitor weirdness, some initial trouble recongnizing KB and Logitech pane won't load, registration for Boom is nuked, apparently should have unregistered on 2012 first, not setting it up again just for that.