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Upgrading the 2018 Mac mini to 64GB Memory
More about the 2018 Mac mini including the in-depth MPG review of the 2018 Mac mini.
The 2018 Mac mini has an excellent 6-core CPU that with adequate memory can deliver excellent performance for a wide range of tasks. The 6-core Intel Core i7 CPU is especially competitive with the 2017 iMac 5K, but the 6-core Intel Core i5 CPU is very good also.
A few months ago I (Lloyd) purchased an entry level 2018 Mac mini with 8GB memory and the 6-core 3 GHz Intel Core i5 refurbished for about $899. Specifically, the 2018 Mac mini 3.0 GHz 6-core / 8GB / 256GB. B&H Photo has been discounting the 2018 Mac Mini, so keep an eye on prices by bookmarking my Top Deals pages.
The Mac mini is/was not a primary machine, so I just wanted something solid, and it is so solid that I could use it to get my regular work done, excepting the slow GPU when used for Adobe Camera Raw Enhance Details.
With only 8GB, its uses were quite limited, so I ordered 64GB OWC memory for the 2018 Mac mini (a big savings over Apple pricing, less than half the price!), and today I installed it. The OWC install video is very helpful, but be sure to order the toolkit if you don’t have a Torx 6s and Torx 5 and Torx 10 screwdriver.
The actual physical install is straightforward, consisting mainly of screwdriver work. Working slowly, it took me all of 20 minutes. The main issue for me is needing closeup glasses due to presbyopia (hard to see close-up). Booting up the Mac mini, it worked flawlessly, and everything is nice and snappy since 8GB was really tight before.
