Best Mac SD Cards For High Performance

  • Bluetooth 4.2, 1x Gigabit LAN, 2x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, 2x HDMI for dual monitor support, 1x audio output, 1x Micro SD slot (for TF cards with up to 128GB). Seriously, if you are considering a small desktop and don’t want to spend a bomb, the ACEPC is your answer but we strongly recommend adding a 128GB or 256GB mSATA Solid State Drive.
  • Just did a clean installation from Sierra to High Sierra, on a Mac Mini (Late 2012, 2,3GHz i7). Everything seems to work like before, except the SD Card reader, it does not work at all. Tried with 3 different SD cards, no signs of them even under Disk Utility.

The USB-C to SD Card Reader transfers high-resolution photos and videos at UHS-II speeds to your USB-C enabled Mac or iPad. Designed so it won’t block your other ports, it works with UHS-II SD cards and is backward compatible with other SD cards and adapters.

Combining both speed AND high capacity - those owning select models of Mac mini, Apple MacBook Pro and Air, as well as Aluminum iMac models may have a built-in SD memory card slot reader. Some connect internally via USB, others interface directly with the PCI bus for faster performance. The slot on Macs accept cards that are either Standard SD (Secure Digital) up to 4 GB, SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) 4 GB to 32 GB, and SDXC (Secure Digital eXtended Capacity) cards in 32, 64, or 128 GB sizes. Class 10 SD cards have the highest performance. Here are some of the fastest SD cards for Mac currently available:
Mac SDXC CardSDXC Card For MacSDHC Card For Mac
SanDisk Extreme Pro SDXC
Up To 95MBps Speed		PNY Elite SDXC Card
Up To 90MBps Speed		Transcend Class 10
Up to 90MBps

Which Macs Have SD Card Slots?

Beginning in 2009 Apple added a high-speed SD-SDHC slot to these Macintosh computers:
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009), MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009), MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.53GHz, Mid 2009), MacBook Air (13-inch), iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2009), iMac (27-inch, Late 2009)
Mac mini (Mid 2010) features a rear SDXC slot, backward compatible with SD-SDHC cards.
More recently though, Apple has largely phased-out built-in SD card readers. They figure those who need one have plenty of external USB readers and even Thunderbolt devices, docks and hubs with flash memory card slots they can purchase if needed.

What Are The Specs of SD Cards for Mac?

See this article at Apple's website for a very good overview of Secure Digital card use on the iMac and MacBook Pro: About the Apple SD Card Slot FAQ. Kingston maintains a great chart identifying the different terms and icons used to identify SD class and speeds - and which devices/needs each type of card is best suited for.

Formatting SD Cards For Mac OSX

SD cards are plain block storage devices and don't imply any specific partition type or file system. As such, other partition schemes than MBR partitioning and DOS/Windows FAT file systems can be used. Under Apple's Mac OS X, SD cards can be partitioned as GUID devices and formatted with the HFS+ file system. Under MS-Windows and some Unix systems, SD cards can be formatted using the NTFS -- and on later versions -- exFAT file system. However most consumer products will expect the default MBR partitioning and FAT16/FAT32 filesystem.

Creating A Bootable SD Card For OSX

When using SD - SDHC flash memory card exclusively for fast Mac backup, optimal Mac to Mac file transfers, or for creating a bootable OSX Tiger, Leopard or Lion, Mavericks or Yosemite Secure Digital startup disk for diagnostic uses, it's important to re-format the card using Apple's Disk Utility. On Intel based Macs you MUST set the partition table type to GUID, and format the card to use the Mac OS Extended format.
Ideally you need a 32GB SDHC or larger card for both the speed and capacity you'll need to install OSX. Leopard needs about 8-12GB depending on Install options chosen. You may opt to do a custom OSX install to minimize Printer Drivers and if installing iLife: Omit GarageBand - it's audio files add several Gigs to an OSX install. Once the install completes, to boot OSX off the SDHC card: Restart and hold down the OPTION key to select the icon for the card as the startup volume.

Using an SD Card As An OSX Boot Disk

Pros:
- SDHC cards offer cheap storage without the need to open up your laptop
- Compact and removable: you can take important applications with you
- Fast Class 6 and higher SDHC cards have rapid data access times
- Data transfer rates remain mostly constant
Cons:
- Your Mac's built-in card reader might be too slow
- Slower SDHC cards aren't really fast compared to SSD drives
- Even a fast SDHC has slower transfer rates than most hard drives
- SD cards MTBF are low, not designed for HEAVY sustained access

Apple Secure Digital Card Specs : SD vs SDHC

SD means Secure Digital which is a non-volatile flash memory card. This memory card is developed by different companies like Panasonic, Toshiba and SanDisk. They are increasingly being used in portable devices like video games, digital cameras, DV camcorders, handheld computers and PDAs. They're available in many brands, data transfer speeds, and in different capacities currently from 1MB to 32 GB. This card is proven very successful in the market because of its wafer-thin postage stamp size.
The original maximum 2 GB capacity defined by the SD 1.1 standard wasn’t enough as card sizes grew, so the SD 2.0 or SDHC standard was added. It allows for capacities of up to 32 GB. It is potentially ready for capacities of up to 2 TB. SDXC is the next iteration of the SD spec, as 32 GB may remain the limit for the SDHC standard. Note that SDHC and SD cards may be physically identical from the outside, so be sure your device supports SDHC before purchasing such a card (4 GB and up).

Mini Sd Wiki


SD was invented by SanDisk in 2001 - and is based on the Multi-Media card (MMC) standard. Technically, SD is similar to MMC, but added digital rights management, and also features a sliding write protection switch. OSX is smart enough to detect the position of the write-lock switch.
It's important to note that SDHC cards are designed for use in SDHC-enabled devices and are not backwards compatible with older SD-only legacy card readers and devices such as Digital Cameras, MP3 Players, Cell Phones and whatnot. More recent devices support SDHC and its higher capacity and speeds - check the specs of your devices owner's manual to be sure. The iMac's and MacBook Pro's however do support BOTH standard SD and SDHC card reader functions.
For more details on Apple's implementation and technical details of thier SD - SDHC - SDHC card slot support, see this FAQ.

USB SD Flash Card Readers vs Apple Slot

The flash slots on these newer MacBook Pro and iMac computers register as an internal USB Bus device in System Profiler. So for all practical purposes flash Read/Write speeds will be identical to an external USB 2.0 SDHC card reader. At this point, even the fastest Class 10 Secure Digial transfer speeds fall well below USB 2.0's data rate maximum. As NAND flash and the Secure Digital spec evolves, expect USB 3.0 SuperSpeed standard to help take Secure Digital SD card performance to the next level. Slot

The Mac mini was both the smallest Mac ever sold and the least expensive. Introduced in January 2005, the Mac mini has only been through one design change. The original design was 6.5″ square and 2.0″ tall; the later design was 7.7″ square and 1.4″ tall.

The Mac mini doesn’t include a keyboard or mouse. Instead, you can plug in your favorite USB keyboard and mouse – or buy one from Apple or any computer retailer. Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) includes support for remapping the Windows alt and option keys to option and cmd.

Original Design, PowerPC

Mac Mini 2012 Sd Card Slot

Mac mini G4 port configuration

  • Mac mini G4, Early 2005: 1.25 GHz and 1.42 GHz, 256 MB RAM, Combo drive standard, 32 MB video RAM.
  • Mac mini G4 (Rev. B): same speeds, 512 MB RAM standard, Bluetooth 2.0 and AirPort Extreme standard on 1.42 GHz model, 4x SuperDrive configuration added.

Original Design, Intel Core

8 Gb Mini Sd

  • Mac mini, Late 2005: 1.33 GHz and 1.5 GHz, 512 MB RAM (2 GB max), 64 MB video RAM. Top-end model now includes 8x SuperDrive. 5400 rpm drives now standard.
  • Mac mini, Core Solo (Early 2006): 1.5 GHz Core Solo, 512 MB RAM (2 GB max), 64 MB video RAM (shared with system RAM). 4 USB 2.0 ports. 5400 rpm drive standard.
  • Mac mini, Core Duo (Early 2006): 1.66 GHz Core Duo, 512 MB RAM (2 GB max), 64 MB video RAM (shared with system RAM). 4 USB 2.0 ports. Dual-layer SuperDrive. 5400 rpm drive standard.
  • Mac mini, Core Duo (Late 2006): 1.66 and 1.83 GHz, 512 MB RAM (2 GB max), 64 MB video RAM (shared with system RAM). 4 USB 2.0 ports. Top-end model includes dual-layer SuperDrive. 5400 rpm drives standard.
  • Mac mini, Core Duo, (Mid 2007): 1.83 and 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo, 1 GB RAM (3 GB max), 64 MB video RAM (shared with system RAM). 4 USB 2.0 ports. Top-end model includes dual-layer SuperDrive. 5400 rpm drives standard.

Back of 2009 Mac mini.

  • Mac mini (Early 2009): 2.0 GHz, 1 GB/2 GB RAM (8 GB max), Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics, 5 USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 800 (but not 400), SuperDrive standard, Mini-DVI and Mini DisplayPort, dual display support.
  • Mac mini (Late 2009): 2.26 or 2.53 GHz, 2 GB RAM (8 GB max), Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics, 5 USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 800, SuperDrive standard, Mini-DVI and Mini DisplayPort, dual display support.

Mac mini, New Design

There is no built-in optical drive with the 2011 and later models.

  • Mac mini (Mid 2010): New unibody design. 2.4 or 2.66 GHz, 2/4 GB RAM (8 GB max), Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics, 4 USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 800, SuperDrive standard, Mini-DVI and Mini DisplayPort, dual display support.

Mac Mini Sd Slot Not Working

Back of 2011 Mac mini.

  • Mac mini (Mid 2011): 2.3 or 2.5 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 2/4 GB RAM (8 GB max), integrated Intel HD 3000 Graphics or AMD Radeon HD 6630M graphics, 4 USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 800, Thunderbolt and Mini-DVI, dual display support.
  • Mac mini Server (Mid 2011): 2.0 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, dual 7200 rpm 500 GB drives standard with SSD options, 4 GB RAM (8 GB max), integrated Intel HD 3000 Graphics, 4 USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 800, Thunderbolt and Mini-DVI, dual display support.
  • Mac mini (Late 2012): 2.5 GHz dual-core i5, 2.3 or 2.6 GHz quad-core i7; 4 GB RAM (16 GB max); 500 GB or 1 TB hard drive, 256 GB SSD, or 1 TB Fusion Drive; 4 USB 3.0 ports, FireWire 800, Thunderbolt, and HDMI.
  • Mac mini Server (Late 2012): 2.3 or 2.6 GHz Core i7; 4 GB RAM (16 GB max); 2 1 TB hard drives or 2 256 GB SSDs; 4 USB 3.0 ports, FireWire 800, Thunderbolt, and HDMI.
  • Mac mini (Late 2014): 1.4, 2.6, or 2.8 GHz dual-core i5, 3.0 GHz dual-core i7; 4 or 8 GB RAM standard, 16 GB maximum only at time of order; 500 GB or 1 TB hard drive, 256 GB/512 GB/1 TB SSD, or 1 TB Fusion Drive; 4 USB 3.0 ports, Thunderbolt, and HDMI.
  • Mac mini (Late 2018): 3.6 GHz 4-core i3 or 3.0 GHz 6-core i5 (3.2 GHz 6-core i7 optional), 256/512 GB/1/2 TB SSD, 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports, 2 USB 3.1 Type A ports, HDMI 2.0. 8 GB of memory expandable to 64 GB!

Memory on the G4 mini can be expanded to 1 GB (there’s only one memory slot, so if you upgrade, you have to remove what’s installed), and Apple doesn’t recommend that users upgrade RAM (although it won’t void your warranty). The early Intel-based mini supports 2 GB of RAM, the 2007 3 GB, and the 2009 models 8 GB.

The 2014 model has its system memory soldered in place and cannot be upgraded after the original purchase. The 2018 brings back memory expansion.

Any laptop drive should work inside the pre-2018 Mac mini. Higher speed 7200 rpm drives can make the mini an even perkier machine, and an SSD will really unleash their power.

With USB 2.0 and FireWire (through the 2014 model), it’s easy to add all sorts of peripherals, and Apple moved to USB 3.x starting with the 2012 model.

  • 2008: The Beginning of the End for Low End Macs, Daniel Knight, Mac Musings, 2017.11.27
  • Picking the Right 64-bit Intel Mac mini, Daniel Knight, Mac Musings, 2016.08.05
  • What’s the Right 2005 to 2009 Mac mini for You?, Daniel Knight, Mac Daniel, 2016.07.23
  • The Mac User’s Guide to Using a PC Keyboard, Daniel Knight, Mac Daniel, 2015.08.30
  • Even in a 2007 Mac mini, an SSD Is Fast, Daniel Knight, Mac Musings, 2015.08.25
  • Maximizing the Mac mini, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2010.01.21
  • Mac mini the Best Value in Desktop Macs, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2009.08.25
  • The Mac mini Is Dead: Why It Missed the Target, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.07.26. The Mac mini is compact, elegant, and affordable (for a Mac). What the market wanted was expandable and affordable compared with a Windows PC.
  • Adding an Intel Mac mini Can Be Cheaper than Upgrading a Power Mac G4!, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 2007.02.14
  • A Scrounger’s Guide to Equipping the Mac mini: Choices for the Budget Conscious, Hardy Menagh, Empowered, 2005.12.22
  • Yes, You Can Get a ‘Free’ Mac mini – but Is It Worth the Hassles?, Hardy Menagh, Empowered, 2005.12.15. You’ve seen the offers for free iPods, Palms, gift cards, and Mac minis. What’s the catch?
  • Why the Mac mini May Be Perfect for College Students, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 2005.01.14




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