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A teardown report by iFixit shows how Apple fit the slim system's power supply inside the unibody aluminum case and reveals a variety of new innovations.
Rather than needing an external power supply, the new unit ships with simply an AC power cable (similar to Apple TV and Time Capsule), and Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter. The new model also includes a built in HDMI port for delivering audio and digital video to an HDTV display over one cable.
The new Mac Mini includes an SD Card slot just like recent MacBook Pros, and includes four USB 2.0 ports, along with the standard Gigabit Ethernet and a FireWire 800 port. After taking a new unit apart, iFixit discovered a variety of new changes:
- The Mac mini's unibody top enclosure is machined from a single block of aluminum, with a twist off rubber base that exposes RAM components for easy access. "Removing the RAM is very simple this time around, requiring only the simple prying of two clips." The bottom cover also provides a radio window in the metal case for WiFi and Bluetooth.
- "There are two blind holes in the case of the Mini that are meant for the ends of Apple's custom U-shaped logic board removal tool. We just used two Torx screwdrivers. We call them the 'Mac mini logic board removal tool.'"
- The new Mac mini's power supply provides "a minuscule 7 Amps at 12V. Compare that to the 25.8 Amps at 12V cranked out by the 27 inch iMac, and you can understand how they fit the power supply inside the Mini."
- "The fan doesn't have too much work to do, since the new Mac Mini is the most energy-efficient desktop, running on less than 10 watts at idle! In keeping with its space saving design, the fins directing air toward the vent hole are slanted to allow for better fan placement."
- The fan cools the CPU and CPU via a wraparound heat sink tube that wicks heat toward the fins and blows it out the wide slot on the back panel.
iFixit notes that the Mac mini's 3/8 inch woofer dome "won't be popping ear drums anytime soon."
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76 Comments
Holy crap these new Mac Minis are SOOOOOOO much easier to take apart and change components than the old ones (the basic design they've been using the past several years). I used to be a tech for Apple back in the day, and all my friends that have mechanical problems or want to upgrade parts always come to me to have it done. Even something as simple as upgrading the RAM was a pain in the royal A. As soon as I heard the words "Mac Mini" I would cringe, but this new design makes everything so much simpler.
Still ... I'm a little tweaked by the $100 jump in price ...
Holy crap these new Mac Minis are SOOOOOOO much easier to take apart and change components than the old ones (the basic design they've been using the past several years). I used to be a tech for Apple back in the day, and all my friends that have mechanical problems or want to upgrade parts always come to me to have it done. Even something as simple as upgrading the RAM was a pain in the royal A. As soon as I heard the words "Mac Mini" I would cringe, but this new design makes everything so much simpler.
Still ... I'm a little tweaked by the $100 jump in price ...
I remember it taking 45 mins to switch out ram and using a putty knife to pry the case off. Sucked
Holy crap these new Mac Minis are SOOOOOOO much easier to take apart and change components than the old ones (the basic design they've been using the past several years). I used to be a tech for Apple back in the day, and all my friends that have mechanical problems or want to upgrade parts always come to me to have it done. Even something as simple as upgrading the RAM was a pain in the royal A. As soon as I heard the words "Mac Mini" I would cringe, but this new design makes everything so much simpler.
I'm not a 100% certain it's the case, but it looks like you need to unscrew the logic board from the case and slide the back out a little to access the HDD. It would be nice if they made it removable without taking the logic board out.
I also wonder what the space is for the HDD. For example, Apple using 9.5mm HDDs in their Unibody MBPs but they all will take the 12.5mm HDDs just fine. If the Mac Mini does this it could mean 1TB capacity (or 2TB for the Server version).
Looking at the engineering (or "over-engineering" as Marvin put it) I don't think it's an excessive for the product. Plus, i have to think Apple knows who's buying them more than we do.PS: Waiting anxiously to read replies about you can buy all these parts off the shelf and your own for a lot less.
looks killer outside and inside.
More interesting is whether this means an HDMI port (hopefully with HDCP!) on the next Apple display.