Unibody Mac mini meets iFixit, gets a delicate teardown exposé
By Richard Lai 
posted June 16th 2010 8:13PM
posted June 16th 2010 8:13PM
- Departing from previous generations, the Mini's unibody top enclosure is machined from a single block of aluminum.
- With a simple counter-clockwise twist, we were able to gain access into the Mini's internals. Gone are the days of the putty knife. You will be missed, old friend!
- Removing the RAM is very simple this time around, requiring only the simple prying of two clips.
- 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!
- 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."
- In keeping with its space saving design, the fins directing air toward the vent hole are slanted to allow for better fan placement.
- The new Mini's power supply churns out a minuscule 7 Amps at 12V. Compare that to the 25.8 Amps at 12V cranked out by the iMac Intel 27", and you can understand how they fit the power supply inside the Mini.
- The Mini's 3/8" woofer dome won't be popping ear drums anytime soon.
- Apple had to get creative with the antenna placement because they switched to unibody construction for this Mac Mini.
@leigh Dude! Where did you get that from. They use the same components as PC's. They are foxconn and Asus. Same parts. Thus HACKINTOSH!. THUS INTEL...THUS NVIIDA...Get it! If that was true they wouldlnt be able to be hacked which they are left and right...the Ipad's wireless would be better. Apple is officially the new Microsoft.
@AdamSpruijt he meant that if you would put laptop components in a desktop and called it a mac, you can charge a lot more money
@leigh I'm with you. I know exactly what you mean. The point being,,,,PC more bang for your buck.. Apple, buy one and you just get F'ed
If the price was 599 people would cry that it should be 499, then 399 and so on. Apple should of let u put a ssd in, but just do it your self. As for blu-ray if it had that people would cry that it didn't have blu-ray burner. For the look and what u get in the box it's still a great Mac. If u dont like the price you don't have to get it.
@jeremyb66 With 4GB of RAM (industry standard) and a wireless mouse and keyboard, the Mini tops $1000. For last generation left over Intel stock and that grade GPU, the parts simply don't cost that much.
Its not opinion, its just market prices. It leaves the rest of that price all in the proprietary pico board and case, and there is no way those cost THAT much.
@jeremyb66 :"If u dont like the price you don't have to get it."
Yes. it is true. But still we can contemplate how Apple is sucking the money from fools.
@magallanes and Ducman69 you both are right. I'm thinking that this mac mini will still do what %70+ of what people need to do with a computer. office, flash, surfing the web, photo's, Final Cut Pro 7 will run on it, as well as photoshop. I'm not saying its the best for all that but you can get some work done on it. I have a 8core 2.8ghz Mac Pro and love it but I have a baby now and I am doing less and less with it, so have my tower on craigslist and I'm thinking of getting a mac mini. It's a Big!! step down from what i'm using but it will still getting the job done.
@Ducman69 Why not try digging around? $209 CPU, current gen mGPU, HDD, powerful/quiet fan, DDR3 memory. It adds up, FACT.
Brilliant title, Richard!
@spaceye
Get a room.....
@fourthletter troll elsewhere, dude.
think what happens if Apple places Mac mini and iPhone 4 all at 499$: Foxconn workers wouldn't have enough time to produce all the demand. Even working 24/7. BTW I don't need a Mac mini but boy...for 600 euros I would buy it INSTANTLY (here it's available at 799€, but we have VAT in the 799).
That photo is awesome. I want one.
@AuggieBenDoggie
just right click and save...
I would have been willing to spend $700 for a desktop with a Core 2 Duo processor back in 2008... but in 2010? Not likely.
Now, when they figure out how to put a Core i5 in there for the same price without having heat dissipation problems... that will be a different story.
@leonbev i series CPU essentially requires a dedicated gpu. i series cpus come with a integrated gpu that cannot be changed, and is garbage. It won't be happening til intel releases a new chipset that excludes the required integrated gpu they produce.
@beaverman3001 Somebody doesn't understand hybrid graphics.
Its mid June 2010, get with the program man, heh!
@Ducman69 Not everyone needs hybrid graphics, man! Most people can make do with a decent integrated one, not the crappy one Intel has. "Most people" does not include tech junkies like you. Nor do they need the lastest and greatest processor if they can get through the day doing what they need to do, like surf, email, and chat. Apparently you do not understand the concept of "value," and Apple gets its value not through pricing but on overall quality.
Get over it. You've been commenting way too much on this.
@Ducman69 Why don't the Zino's have hybrid graphics? Because Dell would rather have a shit system with their own space saving graphics. Mac Mini has a GREAT CPU, GREAT GPU, and capable RAM. You lose ON ALL FRONTS.
@leonbev That's because you are not under the mind control of steve jobs and you have common sense. These apple fanboys want to buy steve jobs turds....But he wants to put glitter on it first to make it pretty.
Zotac board and mac os.....HMMMMMM
engadget should rethink there statement of the most energy efficeint desktop or whatever. they apparently havent read anything about linux. they managed to make a computer ito about the size of a night light, its not powerfull, but its a desktop enough to control likes in the house. theres also the pandora machine. etc etc.
Legacy hardware at cutting edge price, and people will pay it. For most technology people this makes no sense, but as an investor and owner of Apple stock, it is fantastic. If only all companies could take legacy hardware, put it into an aluminum case and call it a day!!
This is just another example of Apple falling further and further behind PC competitors. Those who want a small factor PC would be much better off buying AOpen MP57-D (http://usa.aopen.com/products_detail.aspx?ctgr=74&Auno=3047&mdstl=354) which offers a wide variety of components including Intel Core i3/i5/i7, 80-640GB HDD (5400 or 7200RPM), 32-512 SSD, TV tuner, eSATA port in a 6.65(W)x1.97(H)x6.65(D) inch case. They do not offer BR Drive yet (only DVD burner) but it's only a matter of time because its predecessor (MP45-BDR) does have BR Drive option.
@lilo
Then get it.
@lilo
Configure one of the AOpens as a low end Mac Mini and it is 200 to 300 more than a Mini.
@lilo apple has been behind forever. I would of love to seen a i3 in it put thats next year. look at the mac pro's they are so behind.
they should put a small battery inside so it can be put into hibernation like laptops. When you move it around *BAM* there's all your windows open and ready to go.
I wrapped my PC in duct tape for that fancy aluminum look.
$6.95 at Walmart
Had enough left over to put racing stripes on my Yugo.
Ed
@edf
Don't criticize Zastava!
Chuck Norris doesn’t wear a watch, HE decides what time it is.
@Aziz S
Welcome to the Internet 4 years ago.
There is no way in hell that the top is made from a single block of aluminum. Not with those kinds of undercuts, impossible.
I don't get why people are moaning about the RAM.
It's good that it ships with 2 Gb from Apple and that it is a doddle to replace it.
That way you can easily buy third party RAM from your chosen cheapest supplier and easily put it in yourself.
Win for everyone.
I wish the hard drive was easy to replace also, like on the laptops.
I have one of these in front of me right now. And I can explain that the WiFi and Bluetooth work great, despite the all metal case and despite the past history of Minis having bad Bluetooth.
And changing the RAM is very easy. However, I wondered how tough it was to get to the HDD. And it looks from this like it is very difficult.
And anyone who says this would be quieter if it were plastic, do not fret, you can't hear it anyway. It could hardly be more quiet.
I have it playing a 1080p Blu-ray file (real file, not downloaded) and streaming DTS audio out over the HDMI right now and it's almost dead silent.
@spin cycle Well I guess the Mac Mini has two things the IPad does not.....FLASH and a Good wireless signal....
Are you comparing power consumption of the mini with an iMac that has a screen built in? Or did you remove the LCD power consumption from your numbers?
At $500, it would be a high-priced, but cute, box that I would probably use for an HTPC. At $700, it forces me to take a long look at an Ion net-top that will probably be under $300. $100 to $200 is an acceptable "Apple Tax" for the convenience of OS X in a nice box, but a $400 premium is too much. I think Apple is drinking a bit too much of it's own Koolade and has lost sight of the competitive landscape. Windows 7 is not that bad. They are not competing against Vista any more.
It probably should be a ton cheaper. The proc is mobile, making it a heap cheaper. The memory probably isn't very fast (800 maybe?). BUt, i guess tha'ts apple.
this shouldn't happen even to a dog.
So... uh... the fan... is like... right against that piece of rubber... someone wanna tell me how the hell that works?
What about temperatures? It seems to have little space for ventilation...can it handle strong processing in summertime without turning into a barbeque stone?
getting HDMI in this edition clearly indicates apple could easily put it in other editions (at least in latest imac and MBP), but they didn't. they didn't because they don't like you using the computer the way you like, but like you using it with their mindset. what a ripoff.
so how many more editions apple now need to put blu-ray there?