Chosen Solution

The mac mini 2011 does not fit in the 2010 case. After carefully moving the components to the old case I realized that optical drive bracket did not allow the logic board to slide in smoothly and required some angling to get in in. Then when I was closing up shop I made a second realization that the 2011 logic board simply does not have a place to connect the optical drive to the logic board. I considering doing some soldering but I did not want to risk it. I’m going to just buy an external optical drive and mount it behind my screen. Maybe oneday Apple will include an optical drive again, I mean what kind of desktop does not have an optical drive.

I have done just this very swap. I started with

  • a stock Macmini4,1 (Mid 2010 Mac Mini with P8800 2.66GHz Core2Duo, 320GB HD, SuperDrive) running 10.6 (for Rosetta) and 10.8 on separate partitions
  • a stock Macmini5,2 (Mid 2011 Mac Mini with i7-2620M 2.7GHz i7, 750GB) running 10.9 Following the iFixit disassembly guide, in the process of swapping motherboards, I removed the optical drive tray and made the cuts as described in the thread. Two of the cuts aren’t as necessary, as they can be shaved off a little and still fit with the 2011 motherboard. I also switched the HDs and swapped the SuperDrive for a Blu-Ray rewritable drive. However, I had later found out that the drive would not accept discs in the Mac Mini due to the Manufacturing Diagnostic pin in the optical drive power connector, and needed to be removed. While disassembling it again, instead of removing it, I just bent it in so that there would be no contact with the optical drive. After this process, I ended with:
  • a Mac Mini 2011 with i7-2620M 2.7GHz (and its Radeon HD 6630M), 750GB, UJ-267 Blu-Ray rewriter running 10.9
  • a Mac Mini 2010 with P8800 2.66GHz (and its Geforce 320M), 320GB, no optical drive running 10.6 and upgraded 10.8 to 10.9 and sold it

Well it seems I often end up answering my own questions. I searched obsessively and found that archive.org Waybackmachine had archived the now gone 123macmini.com Forum. It actually has holes in the archive. much is missing but the Thread by OP geeji can still be accessed and on page 5 is the Modification to the Sata Connector Ribbon Pictured. Thank the Internet Gods! https://web.archive.org/web/201509051441… P.S. There is a way to Modify that without cutting removing or otherwise damaging that cable at all. I had some Film like Tape that is more rigid than black tape & cut a mm sliver that I placed in the connector over the pin to be blanked out. Basically Insulating it from making Connection. The Beauty of that is Nothing Invasive is done to any of the parts and can be easily removed if so desired leaving the Factory Sata Optical Cable, Drive, Etc. Unmutilated!

I am interested, does this still work with modern macs 2015 and beyond? Can I fit them in the old 2010 Uni Body case with optical drive and get that running ?

@Miles Raymond Sorry I realize this is an old thread. But there is almost nothing else on this anywhere. I have nearly completed this process with 2012 i5 board. I had to relocate 1 Capacitor onto a pigtail so it would not be in the way and I ordered an inexpensive GS41N 9.5mm but when i try to insert a disc it acts as tho the drive is not receiving power. I’m assuming the diagnostic pin is the culprit. Thats why I am reaching out to you. All the links in this article are dead I cant see what pin #4 is or what to do regarding it. Please respond. p.s. Based on geeji’s post that mentioned… “Up to now, I thought this problem related only to the Mac Mini 2012, since I did not encountered it with my own AD-5960S Superdrive.” I thought about trying to order that drive if that one is not disabled by the diagnostic pin… But would really like to have the Pin Removal info “Option” too! Im long into this project and really cant bring myself to give up now! ty, Scott Weirdly this forum puts some newer posts above vs below… See my post above^

I posted a full tutorial in 2012 on 123macmini.com in, but this site is unfortunately dead. That post was titled Mac Mini 2011 w/ Internal Superdrive : SUCCESS !. I kept a save of this post and could possibly publish it again in iFixit, but reading your post and reading again (I forgot much ! :-) ) my original post, I am not sure it would help you any since I had no issue powering the drive once I fitted everything within the case. All my issues were mechanical. As mentioned above in my 27 nov. 2013 post, I used a Mac Mini mid-2011 motherboard board, not a Mac Mini end-2012 one. BTW, I am still using this modified Mac Mini for Home Theater :-) Update (01/17/2023) I re-posted my old 123Macmini.com post on iFixit into : https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Edit/Mac_M…. I must have done something wrong since the images I inserted did not display ?. May be somebody can help ? In the meanwhile, I can send my original post through email, and I did it. Hope this helps.

If you still have that information I desperately need it I have spent too much time and effort to give up at this point. I am at most a step or two away from finishing this. But its so frustrating that site with your information is gone. Please repost that guide or whatever info you had. ty