Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

4PPl3

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 24, 2011
8
0
I have a Mac Mini 2011 and was reading around that dust can gather inside of the computer due to the fan. I was wondering if it is at all necessary to open up the Mini and take out any dust bunnies that have formed (I'm not actually sure if this is a widespread issue, but I have read a few articles that claim to have this issue). Thanks!
 
Really only if you have pets shedding, bugs, spiders, or keep it on the floor.

With the 2010/2011 you can take off the bottom cover and blow compressed air at the fan.
 
When I upgraded RAM in my MacBook Pro I also cleaned it from Dust inside. Well, it was noticeably quieter afterwards, but not by much. Otherwise, it has no effect. And my MBP was more than 2 years old back then, so no need to do it on a relatively new Mac Mini which should collect much less dust than a Notebook.
 
Just checked my 7 month old MacMini 2011 which sits on a desk underneath my monitor and no dust was found on the fan thus far (No pets nor children). Better than my old PC desktop. ;) But I will use compressed air once per year just the same.
 
Ok, thanks. I'll just make sure to check it out every now and again.
 
Some households - yes. Too much dust will clog - not so much the fan, but the heat exchanger that fan feeds. Homes with forced hot air heating and pets, this can be a serious problem. If you have smokers, or a lot of greasy cooking is done indoors, can also cause issues, as dust / hair readily clump together in a sticky mess.

Generally though, after a year or two of operating for most people, a quick blast of compressed air into the exhaust vents, and the fan, will be more than adequate. Serve to keep the heat exchanger free, so the fan does not have to spin as fast, and the system will run quieter overall.
 
Well worth taking the bottom off your Mac Mini and vacuuming out the dust that's collected. My 2011 i5 is now running about 20 degrees celsius cooler - was averaging around 65 degs, now 45degs. Can only be good!
 
Dust collecting inside the machine, especially on the heat exchanger and fan blades and generally in the air flow pathways, makes it harder for the machine to get rid of heat, which affects both performance and life span.

So, yes, keeping the internals of your machine dust free is definitely a good thing.

Be careful with compressed air. Works fine but can damage components if it is misused. Mainly the fan blades and heat exchanger. I clean with a hand held puffer, a small soft paint brush, and cotton buds for the fan blades. Takes a few minutes to do properly, but well worth it.

Dust is a serious issue where I live, for up to 8 months of the year, and I am tired of cleaning my Mini out manually, so I am building an air filter base/stand thing for my 2012 Mini. Nearly finished, and will post some pics when it is done.
 
Dust collecting inside the machine, especially on the heat exchanger and fan blades and generally in the air flow pathways, makes it harder for the machine to get rid of heat, which affects both performance and life span.

So, yes, keeping the internals of your machine dust free is definitely a good thing.

Be careful with compressed air. Works fine but can damage components if it is misused. Mainly the fan blades and heat exchanger. I clean with a hand held puffer, a small soft paint brush, and cotton buds for the fan blades. Takes a few minutes to do properly, but well worth it.

Dust is a serious issue where I live, for up to 8 months of the year, and I am tired of cleaning my Mini out manually, so I am building an air filter base/stand thing for my 2012 Mini. Nearly finished, and will post some pics when it is done.

Please do. People do not know that dust kills so many computers. I have seen dust in my day. It got so bad I would charge customers over $50 to blow the dust out. Granted, if I had to take the box outside it was way more work.

So, I am now going to YouTube for cleaning the dust out of a mini :)

The correct answer to "Should I blow the dust out of my computer" is ALWAYS yes. You and your computer will be happier, for sure.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.