• About Security Update 2010-005
• Security Update 2010-005 (Snow Leopard - Client)
• Security Update 2010-005 (Snow Leopard - Server)
• Security Update 2010-005 (Leopard-Client)
• Security Update 2010-005 (Leopard-Server)

"Hi, I've read your site for more than 10 years and it helped me a lot upgrading my old beloved 7500. But in late 2007 I finally switched to a new mac mini and upgraded RAM and HD. Now I want to report about removing my Airport card (which I don't need) and replacing it with a mini PCI-e SATA card, since this is not very common.
(FYI: Of course you lose your Airport card with this mod, but if you must have wireless, there's USB Wireless options or better yet (IMO) an Ethernet to 802.11n (and g/b) Wireless bridge. Rather than the usual single ethernet port models, I'd be more interested in a Buffalo model with 4 Ethernet ports./I>)

The switch is no more difficult than installing memory and HD. To move out the cables it was necesarry to remove a small peace of the case. (I.E. for the eSATA card cable pass-thru. I asked if he could send a pix of that - he said he would over the weekend.) You should not try the switch if you are not used to this kind of work.
I used the following card: Commell MPX-3132, Modul, Mini-PCIe, 2x SATA-II (Silicon Image 3132 chip based)
drivers for the card can be found at SI's 3132 drivers page.
(FYI: Gunter later noted he used the RAID driver and some others said only the RAID driver version worked for this mini-PCIe card. However 1 report from a user with a different card/setup (using a MiniPCIe to PCIe card adapter) said he used the non-RAID drivers OK.
That reminded me of some past mails on 3132 drivers in general, where some had problems with the SI site driver installs working where I didn't (ever - I installed at least 3 different versions over the last year from the SI site (used with 10.5.x and 10.6.x - all worked OK), yet some have had problems with them. For those that did the recommendation in the past was to use the Sonnet driver installer (their 3132 expresscard/PCIe card drivers - which as I've mentioned many times in the past appear to the very same ref SI driver extension in their installer package as is in the SI site non-RAID driver download although the SI site has had a later version/update).
Regardless, if you do see a problem with one version of the SI driver, try the other to see if that helps.)

(Is this the card you used?
and did it come with cables? (they show this cable pix))
Yes, that is this card. I bought it here in Germany (product page no longer online)
It came with two cables. One side fits in the connector of the card, the other on the sata port of an internal HD. To connect to an e-sata port of an external drive you need an additional adapter (sata->e-sata).

I have:

• 1.83 GHz Core2duo Mini w/2.5GB RAM (667MHz),
• OS X 10.5.8 and (bootcamp) Win XP SP3
• Int. HD: WD WD3200BEVT (320 Gig, 2.5") Partition 1 Mac extended, 200GB, Partition 2 NTFS, 120GB
• Ext. HD: Seagate ST350041-8AS (500GB, 3.5") Partition 1 Mac extended, 250GB, Partition 2 NTFS, 250GB

The bad thing about the SATA card is that I can not boot from it. (If anyone knows of a natively supported card (i.e. JMB 36x, etc) send a note to see if we can test one.). I think it is a problem with the firmware of the mini that it does not recognize the mini pci-e port as something to boot from. (Generally cards that require 3rd party drivers to work (no rom/efi support) are not bootable either) If someone knows better please let me know.
When selecting the boot device on the mac os the drive can be selected but it does not boot from the drive. The drive can be dismounted in the finder and after power down and power up again the drive remounts. Under XP the drive behaves like an internal drive. I have not set up any raid system for maximum speed.

Here some real world copy tests:
(I asked if he'd run tests duplicating the folder/files also. That rules out the effect of other drives.)

Copy Tests w/OS X: 1 folder w/20 files (11.94 GB) using either the eSATA port or an external USB port
• Internal HD -> Ext. USB HD: 495s
• USB Ext. HD -> Int. HD: 435s
• SATA Internal HD -> eSATA HD: 239s
• eSATA HD -> Internal HD: 253s
  
  Copy using Win XP: 1 folder w/1366 files (total 2.76 GB:
• Internal HD -> eSATA HD: 137s
• USB Ext. HD -> Internal HD: 138s
• Internal HD -> eSATA HD: 124s
• eSATA HD -> Internal HD: 105s

And Benchmarks with HD Tune 2.55 under Win XP:

• Internal HD: Min 18.8 GB/s, Max 63.9 GB/s, AVG 49.4 GB/s
    Access: 17.0ms, Burst 38.2 GB/s, CPU 2.8%
• Ext USB HD: Min 23.6 GB/s, Max 28.0 GB/s. AVG 27.3 GB/s
    Access: 14.8ms, Burst 20.6 GB/s, CPU 21.1%
• eSATA HD: Min 68.6 GB/s, Max 109.8 GB/s, AVG 100.6 GB/s
    Access: 14.5ms, Burst 79.0 GB/s, CPU 3.8%
  (Could be limited by the drive, not the card)

Unfortunately the card does not allow me to set up a multiboot system. The speed gain in copying large files is worth the appx $30 for the card, at least for me. (Plus access to much larger HDs, at a lower cost per GB than 2.5in HDs)
For one to get most out of the mini, you can replace the int. SATA drive with a solid state drive as boot system and use this card to have access to large data sets.
I hope this report is helpful to someone.
best wishes, Gunter"

"Just wanted to let you know that the new CUDA drivers came out today. The latest version is 3.1.14.
-TH"

He also sent a screenshot of his CUDA Preferences showing the new version. (Here's the download page for CUDA 3.1.14 for OS X.)

"Just wanted to add I (FINALLY) upgraded my 2006 MacPro from Dual 2.0Ghz (5130) Xeons to Dual 3.0Ghz Xeons (5160) [Dual-cores] for $125 ($62.50/CPU from geeks.com). These were server pulls and tested.

I had picked up a long 3mm hex tool (from All-spec), along with some Artic Silver 5. Cores are running very cool under load (transferring files, Photoshop...).
Installation was so-so as you have to watch is the memory cage hexnuts don't spin. (FYI - links to how-to guides/video included in earlier reports) Plus someone at Apple (thank you for the engineering changes after 2006 Mac Pros /sarcasm) used an Aluminum headed screw that will likely strip (philips/x-point). Oh well, even us "techs" experience unfriendly designs firsthand...they even have a special tool (flat wrench) to hold the hex posts.

BTW - I just back-ordered a Velociraptor 600GB (10KRPM) as the startup drive to speed things up. As much as I would like to get an SSD from OWC, until prices are inline with HDDs, not worth the expense.
As much stated, unless really really cheap to replace CPUs, it would be worthwhile to consider later models (used/refurb, etc) ... for my next upgrade ;)
-Ed"

• Apple Patent Filing Shows Touch-Enabled iMac, MacBook (pcworld)
• Apple exec stashed $150,000 in shoe boxes (reuters)
• Apple can't stop ongoing iTunes charge scam (reuters)
• iTunes Scam: How to Protect Yourself (pcworld)

• About Security Update 2010-005
• Mac Pro RAID Card and Xserve RAID Card: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
• Boot Camp is not included with Mac OS X Server
• Boot Camp is not supported with Mac OS X Server
• Compatibility of SAN clients with Xsan and StorNext controllers
• Resetting PowerBook and iBook Power Management Unit (PMU)