[X4U] Mac MIni?

Zane H. Healy healyzh at aracnet.com
Tue Apr 1 13:44:32 PDT 2008


> Yes, I do mean an external FW drive...should have mentioned that!
> 
> Takes an otherwise hamstrung computer and puts it more on par with a  
> "pro" machine, and I am here to tell you, it PERFORMS.
> 
> After running X bench about 10 times, I was averaging 55, which is  
> approximately 1/2 the numerical score turned in by Dual-processor  
> 2.5Ghz G5s, which, as we all know, cost much more, take more juice,  
> and are much louder, heavier and bigger.
> 
> Not a bad showing for the single-processor G4 Mini, I'd say...

I just had a thought, it would be interesting to try the 2Ghz Mini with a
10,000RPM SATA drive in a FireWire case.  The only downside I can see is
that you'd be limited to FW400, rather than FW800.  Well, that and you'd
want to build the drive enclosure yourself with plenty of cooling most
likely.  I don't know how hot 10k SATA drives get, but a lot of the 10K SCSI
ones get plenty hot.

The whole external drive bit is the reason the only problem I see with the
Mini is the RAM.  I wonder how well a fully decked out Mini would handle
Aperture or Lightroom.  I know Aperture expects a pretty serious graphics
card.

Zane



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