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+--- Thread: Boot Disk for Mini? (/showthread.php?tid=55869)
Boot Disk for Mini? - Numo - 06-01-2008
I am setting up my new 1.83 GHz Mini and was wondering if I should configure it to boot from the internal HD or from an external Firewire HD. The internal drive is a 5400 RPM SATA. It seems to me that I once heard that booting from an external Firewire would speed up performance. Still true? I would still leave a copy of the system on the internal drive as an emergency boot disk.
Re: Boot Disk for Mini? - crispy - 06-01-2008
Easy to do. Get a 1394 case and plug it in and fire off the installer (after a reboot) and point the target to the 1394 drive.
Re: Boot Disk for Mini? - Panopticon - 06-01-2008
My 1.83GHz C2D boots via FW from a MiniStack v2 w/ 250GB 7200rpm HD. The original HD in the Mini is a complete 10.5 install kept updated but nothing else. Running from the external is quite a bit snappier.
Also have a FW LaCie Mini 320GB which holds a bootable 10.4 partition.
quick pix from BT phone:
Re: Boot Disk for Mini? - Jimmypoo - 06-01-2008
I can't speak for your 1.83, but I have a G4 1.42 with a 4200 in it.
I went to an external FW that was 7200 with 8MB of cash (originally), and it
was much faster on the boot time (assuming that 30 seconds kills us... even with the
MacBook, accidentally clicking on a pic that triggers Photoshop, which takes 6 seconds
to launch has become an irritant!)
I have since replaced that drive with a 250GB, 16MB of cache - and while I'm certain it would fly compared to my ORIGINAL drive, how poorly can your SATA drive be performing
compared to what it is my MacBook?
Interesting how FW 400 STILL beats most situations for boot time, despite USB2, FW 800, USB3 on the way and FW3200 supposedly on the way soon......
I'm waiting for new drives - from Southern Digital (they counts on them red mud encrusted dirty fingers).
Re: Boot Disk for Mini? - sekker - 06-02-2008
I concur with Jimmypoo - you may not get THAT much of a speed boost going to a fast external via FW compared to a decent 5400 internal on that mactel mini.
What are you doing with this machine? Boot time is irrelevant to me - I keep my machines clean, and put most to sleep when not in use. I pretty much only reboot after software updates. If you are forcing photoshop to do a lot of disk caching, etc., then it's probably worth considering this kind of relatively minor update. If you haven't maxed out the RAM, that would seem to be a better use of your $$.
Re: Boot Disk for Mini? - Bill in NC - 06-03-2008
Cut a notch in the case, disconnect the internal drive, and run a cable to the eSata port on the external drive for best performance.