Upgraded Core i7-3770 CustoMac Mini w/ 12GB ram for $420 at Newegg

[trs96]

I have to post again. I am so happy I found this post. Have been using mine for a few weeks and could not be happier. Thanks so much trs96 for your effort in this and the guides of course.

That's great Edgar ! Glad that you like your new CustoMac. It's really too bad that Apple doesn't let HP build upgradeable and customizable Macs for them. It would only expand the number or people using macOS by a large number !

 

[Campfool]

I use a 2 x 4GB G.Skill Ripjaws kit in my HP SFF. I have them in the two white DIMM slots and some standard HP ram in the two black slots as shown below. Nearly all of these HP 6300/8300s come with 2 x 2GB or 1 x 4GB of HP ram preinstalled. For gaming there's no need to go over 12 GB of ram. The most demanding games will only use up to 10 GB. So adding the G.Skill kit doesn't present any problems and works out quite well. (no case window means you don't see the mixed green and red ram modules)

You're right in that it's difficult to fit in a 4 x 4GB kit of G.Skill ram as the CD/DVD drive closes down on the top of one of the module's heat spreaders. So if anyone does want to install 4 DIMMs of either 4 or 8GB each of this G.Skill ram, then the Ballistix Sport is the better choice barring a modification or removal of the G.Skill Ripjaws heat spreader on one DIMM. Thanks for pointing that out.

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I'm in process of upgrading my 8300 SFF refurb and ran into the height issue of the G.Skill Ripjaws. Installed were 4 x 2G 'Hynix', not sure if they're HP original, but I'm replacing with 2 x 8G Ripjaws for a total of 16G. I've read the HP service manual a few times over and while specific in some ways it's disturbingly vague in others. It suggests filling the black slots first, then the white which is what I did then tested with case open. This was great till I went to close the case and realized I had a problem. Now, here is where the vagueness comes in, I repositioned the 2 DIMMs to the white slots so the case could close and technically still following the service manual directions although I am certain that's not what it meant. They, the 2 DIMMs, are performing fine in these slots with the two black slots empty. My question, though, is does it make a difference that they are in the white, channel 2 slots with the two black, channel 1 slots open?

 

[trs96]

My question, though, is does it make a difference that they are in the white, channel 2 slots with the two black, channel 1 slots open?

I don't think it will make much difference. Use them for a while, run some benchmarks and you'll probably find it performs just as well in those slots. On my HP 6300 Pro I use the exact same ram in the two white slots and it works with no issues. You could put two of your existing 2GB Hynix modules in the other two slots if you'd like. As long as they are 1600 MHz speed it will work fine.

There are only 3 companies that actually manufacture ram. Samsung, Hynix and Micron. So it's quite possible and likely that G.Skill buys their ram from Hynix.

 

[Campfool]

I don't think it will make much difference. Use them for a while, run some benchmarks and you'll probably find it performs just as well in those slots. On my HP 6300 Pro I use the exact same ram in the two white slots and it works with no issues. You could put two of your existing 2GB Hynix modules in the other two slots if you'd like. As long as they are 1600 MHz speed it will work fine.

There are only 3 companies that actually manufacture ram. Samsung, Hynix and Micron. So it's quite possible and likely that G.Skill buys their ram from Hynix.

I don't think it will make much difference. Use them for a while, run some benchmarks and you'll probably find it performs just as well in those slots. On my HP 6300 Pro I use the exact same ram in the two white slots and it works with no issues. You could put two of your existing 2GB Hynix modules in the other two slots if you'd like. As long as they are 1600 MHz speed it will work fine.

There are only 3 companies that actually manufacture ram. Samsung, Hynix and Micron. So it's quite possible and likely that G.Skill buys their ram from Hynix.

Thanks for the info, and I did end up putting two of the original 2G back. The RipJaws have been performing fine, but were running at 1333Mhz rather than 1600. I went back and reread the section dealing with memory configurations in the HP service manual, several times, it was written plainly enough but my mind was still in the FastLED API and not understanding plainly enough. Got it finally, it's very forgiving with placement and will fall back if need be to make odd configurations work, but "something" has to occupy the first slot and bank 1 ≥ bank 2 for peak performance.
Thanks, again. Sincerely, thanks to everyone here. Both the fixers and finders of problems, you rock!