Mac OS X Lion on a 2006 Mac mini

[Vincent D]

I have a couple of 2006 Mac minis which have both been upgraded to 2.0GHz C2Ds from their unique 1.5GHz C1S and 1.66GHz C1D CPUs. I am inquisitive if anybody here has a likewise upgraded machine and has attempted any of the Lion builds on it up till now. I know that Apple states a C2D is necessary, but I am speculating if they will at a standstill have support for the chipset that they utilized in the early Intel minis. I am hoping to get another few years out of these machines; they have been immense up to now as a server and as a media machine for the bedroom. I am definitely not prepared to part with them up till now.

[Elijah]

Do you have complete 64-bit support in Snow Leopard? If so then I make up it would setup and run just well. Just seem in activity monitor. It will say moreover Intel or Intel 64-bit. If you don't have full 64-bit previously then no. I would imagine that as a Core Duo is not 64-bit that any CD logic board would not be completely 64 bit able if at all. Incidentally, there is no such thing as a C1D or Core 1 Duo. There is the Core Duo (CD) and Core 2 Duo (C2D). The terminology you are utilizing might puzzle some.

[Luis234]

I am quite certain it's going to run Lion as that's the machine Apple illustrates with all of the Lion screenshots. Spoke too shortly, had a terminal opened SSHD to my mini. The MBA returns EFI64, the mini EFI32. But at a standstill, I am quite certain there are C2D and over machines with 32-bit EFI running around, though I am willing to be incorrect on that point as I don't have any data to back it up. I will have to ensure on my sister's C2D Macbook tonight.

[Aleksandra]

There’s a slight of puzzlement out there on the Web about what parts of Snow Leopard are running in 64-bit mode and what fractions are running in 32-bit mode. A report of OS News says that below Snow Leopard, the majority Macs will boot utilizing a 32-bit kernel and drivers, not a 64-bit kernel and drivers. And its points out that lots of Mac models don’t have 64-bit EFI, either. These declarations, based on a pre-release copy of Snow Leopard, look precise to me.

[kraal]

It’s really talk regarding Lion but it states that lots of 64-bit capable Macs have a 32-bit EFI. Lots of 64-bit Macs as well run the 32-bit kernel by default as the just benefit to the kernel being 64-bit is it can see over 32GB RAM which no Mac can surpass anyway. My C2D for instance has a 32-bit EFI and runs a 32-bit kernel but all the default applications are 64-bit. For contrast of application performance the 64-bit surely assists. I have both the 32 and 64 bit versions of Geekbench, the 32 bit scores 2663 and the 64-bit 3082.

[mv]

This is unquestionably not the case; my 2009 i5 iMac has a 64-bit EFI, runs a 32-bit kernel, when the majority of the user applications are 64-bit. It as well has 8GB of RAM, which as well illustrates that a 64-bit kernel is not a prerequisite to access over 4GB of RAM. I don't know if it's a requirement or not, but it does seem like the just machines that can boot a 64-bit kernel as well have 64-bit EFI, but that doesn't affect having in excess of 4GB of RAM or running 64-bit applications.