My 2014 Macmini 7,1 is running in my eGPU Sonnet 750w with Sapphire Nitro+ RX 6700 XT and it runs great. This rig is dedicated as a Windows 10 rig and loaded straight without using bootcamp for gaming and twitch.
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Graphic Cards and Gaming, What are you Running?
- Thread starter Huntn
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If you have a intel based Macmini like mine you can just load windows 10 straight into a fresh ssd like mine. I got my windows 10 through a thumb drive and after it installed, the program connected to my existing home wireless internet and installed all my drivers I needed. I have no mac software or anything mac except running from my Mac mini that is apple. My keyboard, monitor, and mouse are all third party, along with my eGPU running my Radeon RX 6700 XT PC based card. I find that it runs smoothly and since I'm not chasing OS upgrades every year I don't have to worry about Apple getting involved. I can play many games with this setup as well as running Capture one and Divinci Resolve 18.
Device name DESKTOP-6GUC2TE
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4578U CPU @ 3.00GHz 3.00 GHz
Installed RAM 16.0 GB (15.9 GB usable)
Device ID BFD0FDBC-A52E-42F1-9DC5-25A141F23BCA
Product ID 00330-80000-00000-AA792
System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
Pen and touch No pen or touch input is available for this display
Edition Windows 10 Pro
Version 22H2
Installed on 6/22/2021
OS build 19045.2311
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.4190.0
Device name DESKTOP-6GUC2TE
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4578U CPU @ 3.00GHz 3.00 GHz
Installed RAM 16.0 GB (15.9 GB usable)
Device ID BFD0FDBC-A52E-42F1-9DC5-25A141F23BCA
Product ID 00330-80000-00000-AA792
System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
Pen and touch No pen or touch input is available for this display
Edition Windows 10 Pro
Version 22H2
Installed on 6/22/2021
OS build 19045.2311
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.4190.0
Where did you buy your Windows 10 thumb drive?
And at what point in this process did you delete your Mac Mini’s MacOS install?
Also, you mentioned “the program” connecting to your home network and downloading drivers. That sounds like exactly what Boot Camp does.
What was the name of the program?
I got my program loaded on my thumb drive from a friend of mine...but you can also just download it straight from the Microsoft site for free. You just need to get a license number to authentic it which is available anywhere. I cleaned out my ssd at the very beginning because I knew mini will be dedicated solely as a windows machine. The program is Windows 10. It started to look for drivers on it's own. It maybe after I entered my windows license info to authenticate as a legit download. But no bootcamp or parallels program needed. Don't know if it will work with the new M1 machines but on Intel ones like mine...no problem. I was looking into the 2018 mac mini..but since my current one flexes to 3.5 ghz and I have a strong video card made for games, I can run a lot of games. There is a website that says can i run it that shows which games i can run and right now I can run over 85% of the games avail for PC.
What if I wanted to get one of these thumb drives from your friend?
If the program is Windows 10, and it’s all you need, then why do you need the thumb drive from your friend at all?
I’m more confused now than before.
It sounds like they just made an install disk (IIRC MS calls it ESD). MS offers a tool to make one, but you need to have a windows box to do it. There are other methods to get ESD on a usb key, but MS's tends to be the easiest.
At the the time, I didn't have access to internet because I was waiting for my internet to be hooked up at my new place. After a few days I was able to connect and finish the install.
Okay, let me rephrase it. I wasn’t asking about your moving travails and internet problems at your new home.
How did you learn that you COULD safely install Windows 10 on your Mac Mini without your MacOS installed? Was there any sort of tutorial online that you could recommend that walked you through it enough, or made you confident enough to try it yourself without Boot Camp?
There is no tutorial to reference to but I just tried it knowing if it doesnt work, I can always start over. Not to mention, I've built my own PC's in the past knowing many of the obstacles in getting everything to work correctly is the biggest bottleneck. Installing windows is the least of all problems, and since I know my 2014 Macmini's components is intel based and essentially a PC, then I had high confidence it should work like a normal PC.
After having my kid a few years ago my extra spending has gone down the drain (perfectly okay with it) but as far as graphics cards go I am running two MSI 980 TIs in SLI
There are some excellent guides online step by step that take you though building a typical PC. If anyone is planning on doing so so, I’d dig up the video I used in 2013 to build my first PC.
Here is one that seems to have potential but I have not watched it for more than few minutes. A substantial difference can be the CPU and if it has pins or not.
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