Mac Mini M1 memory question

jamesconnolly
jamesconnolly
in General

Hi,

I have a Mac Mini M1 with a 1TB internal memory. I have two 8M (4K) cameras that I like to run on continuous capture. That generates 70GB per camera or 140GB per day. This means the memory only lasts about 1 week before overwriting. In reality this is probably enough for me. If I did want to increase the memory what's the best way ? Is it as straight forward an attaching an SSD drive via a USB port ? Does an external memory device have enough bandwidth to work correctly ?

Thanks James

Comments

  • Ben
    Ben

    Hi James, the solution is to attach an external drive via USB or Thunderbolt. This can be an SSD or a mechanical HDD - either will work fine, and will be fast enough for the continuous recording of two cameras. Whether you choose an SSD or an HDD is a tradeoff between better speed and longevity (SSD) or lower cost (HDD).

    In any case, even if you don't strictly need the extra space, I would definitely recommend using an external drive for SecuritySpy's recordings. Using the internal drive is not ideal, as other applications (in particular Time Machine, but many others too) can compete for space, leading to unexpectedly short recording histories. Also, offloading this to an external drive will reduce wear on the Mac's internal SSD, which will prolong its life.

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