Cold Temp Question.

[Drich290195]

I have my Mac mini running as a server and the room it is in is at about 14c.

Apples operating guidelines say minimum of 10c.

The ambient temp sensor inside is 24c. Is this the temp i don't want to let drop to 10c or is it the room that it is in.

Reason I ask is it's much warmer in the case and this is the temp that is in contact with the components. So the way I look at it is as long as that temp is above 10c does it matter what the ambient temp in the room is. There is no damp and it's not like the components are on the outside of the case so to me it's the internal temp that matters.

Am I right in thinking this. Many thanks for your help.

 

[now i see it]

The way I interpret the temperature recommendation is if the Mac Mini is sitting on a desk with unobstructed air flow all around it, the ambient temperature mentioned in the spec refers to air temperature around the mini ... in the room.

If the Mac Mini was stuffed in a tight spot with poor ventilation, its surrounding air temperature would soon rise above the ambient room temperature. It would be THAT temperature (surrounding the mini) that should be noted when trying to meet the Mac Mini temperature recommendation. Especially so on the hot end of the scale.

 

[sorcery]

Some electronics have a minimum temp at which they can be switched on without damage.
No knowledge of this particular case, sorry.

 

[Bart Kela]

Apple's published operating guidelines refer to the room temperature. Macs have internal sensors that record temperature at various locations and will trigger increased fan speed to provide extra cooling if necessary. In rare instances, the system will shut down to reduce the chance of heat damage.

Don't overthink this too much. Your Mac is within the range of Apple's published guidelines.

 

[cynics]

I wouldn't worry about it. I'm sure when Apple selected that number it was from a range and they used the safe side of the range. Its not like its fine at 10c but breaks at 9.8c. AND you are 4c away from even that safe side of that range.

That temp was likely selected based on HDD operating temps which are typically rated to 0-5c due to lubricants used and even then the manufacturer of the HDD leaves room for error.