Installing a Second Hard Drive in Your 2011 Mac Mini - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Installing a Second Hard Drive in Your 2011 Mac Mini

by

Users can install a second hard drive in non-Server models of the new Mac Mini, according to MacRumors forum member Slyseekr. iFixit's teardown of the new Mac Mini released last month revealed enough room -- and an extra SATA port -- for a second hard drive to be installed, assuming one found the proper cable.

5988687535 2dc49ce541 z
Slyseekr found that cable for $49 shipped, disassembled his Mac Mini, and installed a second hard drive, saving himself hundreds of dollars off the Server model. Step-by-step instructions are available on the MacRumors Forums.

The standard disclaimers apply of course: this is not an Apple-approved upgrade and may void your warranty, but a number of our readers have reported successful upgrades.

Top Rated Comments

WiiDSmoker Avatar
WiiDSmoker
193 months ago
Kind of sad that being able to add a harddrive to your computer is somehow amazing...:confused:
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Prodo123 Avatar
Prodo123
193 months ago
Better yet:
Buy 2010 chassis. Buy cable. Gut your 2011 Mac Mini and reassemble it using the 2010 chassis. Install optical drive the same way. PROFIT.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
N
neech7
193 months ago
Kind of sad that being able to add a harddrive to your computer is somehow amazing...:confused:

Or is it worse that the cable alone cost $50.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
W
winston1236
193 months ago
nice! now lets get to the ram...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
F
flipples
192 months ago
Video for adding 2nd hard drive to mini:
http://www.techdc.com/2011-mac-mini-hard-drive-upgrade-video
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ksgant Avatar
ksgant
193 months ago
A lot of people would probably go for the quad-core server model as a high-end mini if it didn't have such a terrible graphics card. I want to see someone retrofit the quad-core server with the better graphics card in the old mini enclosure since it would have more room to fit it all! Or maybe even the standard enclosure but with only one hard drive plus the graphics card. Now is that possible?

Well, we may have something soon that may fix that:

https://www.macrumors.com/2011/08/01/external-thunderbolt-pci-expansion-chassis-and-hub-in-development/
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

iOS 27 on iPhone 17 1

iOS 27 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Saturday May 2, 2026 8:43 am PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil iOS 27 during its WWDC 2026 keynote on June 8, and there are already many rumored features and changes for iPhones. The first developer beta of iOS 27 will likely be available immediately following the keynote, and a public beta typically follows in July. Following beta testing, the software update should be released to all users with a compatible iPhone in...
Read Full Article • 93 comments
Apple Event Logo

Apple Just Released a New Accessory

Monday May 4, 2026 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today released a new Pride Edition Sport Loop for the Apple Watch. The band features a rainbow design with 11 colors of woven nylon yarns. The new Pride Edition Sport Loop is available to order now on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app in 40mm, 42mm, and 46mm sizes, and it will be available at Apple Store locations starting later this week. In the U.S., the band costs $49. There...
Read Full Article
Apple Announces 2026 Pride Band Watch Face and iPhone Wallpaper Article 2

iOS 26.5 Coming Soon With These New Features

Monday May 4, 2026 8:40 am PDT by
iOS 26.5 is expected to be released next week, following more than a month of beta testing. The update is relatively minor, but there are a couple of new features and changes across the operating system that we have recapped below. iOS 26.5 lays the groundwork for end-to-end encryption for RCS in the Messages app and ads in the Apple Maps app, and it will include a new Pride wallpaper and a...
Read Full Article • 45 comments
Related Apple News: Technology | Lifestyle | Business | Reviews | Iphone