M1 Air with Thermal Pad Mod

[timmillea]

Mmm, sorry it has been a while since I visited this thread. I had no automated emails to tell me there were new posts!

For the reasons I gave early on, I don't want to make a habit of opening the case. However, to further scientific endeavour, I have made an exception. Here are two photos - with bottom case removed and of the bottom case itself - after 9 months with the thermal pad mod. For a moment I thought it odd that there was no dust inside - but then there is no fan to draw it in!

There is a small discolouration not of the thermal pad but next to it, on the raised section of the heatsink, as can just be made out in the photo. This may be normal (or even worse) without the pad. The thermal pad itself looks and feels like new.

My Handbrake experience has been phenomenal! I always opt for software encode, rather than the far faster but sloppier hardware encode, and it still blows me away compared to my noisy 'fan-heater' Mac Pro tower

As per my last post on this topic, I remove the outer protective plastic case and the silicone keyboard cover, place on the laptop stand and leave plugged in. As I have encoded all my DVDs and Blu-rays now to my own custom high-quality H265 setting, it is only when I pick-up some new Blu-ray discs that I encode these days (like Christmas presents for others

When working flat-out on a batch Handbrake encode the metal just above the keyboard does get hot, but no incidents of any description to report.

Geekbench is reporting speeds for M1 Macs of 1703-1712 (single core) and 7382-7442 (multiple). My M1 MBA is showing 1746 (single) and 7671 (multiple). There is absolutely no sign of slowing down.

 

[steve217]

Mmm, sorry it has been a while since I visited this thread. I had no automated emails to tell me there were new posts!

For the reasons I gave early on, I don't want to make a habit of opening the case. However, to further scientific endeavour, I have made an exception. Here are two photos - with bottom case removed and of the bottom case itself - after 9 months with the thermal pad mod. For a moment I thought it odd that there was no dust inside - but then there is no fan to draw it in!

There is a small discolouration not of the thermal pad but next to it, on the raised section of the heatsink, as can just be made out in the photo. This may be normal (or even worse) without the pad. The thermal pad itself looks and feels like new.

My Handbrake experience has been phenomenal! I always opt for software encode, rather than the far faster but sloppier hardware encode, and it still blows me away compared to my noisy 'fan-heater' Mac Pro tower

As per my last post on this topic, I remove the outer protective plastic case and the silicone keyboard cover, place on the laptop stand and leave plugged in. As I have encoded all my DVDs and Blu-rays now to my own custom high-quality H265 setting, it is only when I pick-up some new Blu-ray discs that I encode these days (like Christmas presents for others

When working flat-out on a batch Handbrake encode the metal just above the keyboard does get hot, but no incidents of any description to report.

Geekbench is reporting speeds for M1 Macs of 1703-1712 (single core) and 7382-7442 (multiple). My M1 MBA is showing 1746 (single) and 7671 (multiple). There is absolutely no sign of slowing down.

Good to see you back timmillea (Tim?)!

Thanks for opening your machine up and posting photos, I think it makes this thread more complete.

I went ahead and did the mod and have had no issues. Handbrake performance for me has also been terrific. One hour DVD TV episodes are done in about 5 minutes now. The longest part of the workflow is ripping the source from the disc with MakeMKV.

When I encode, I was first putting the MBA on a stand but now I open the machine and set it upside down like a tent once the encoding starts. This way I can point a fan at the back of the case; it does get pretty hot at the hinge. If I want to check progress, I can remote in with my other Mac.

 

[timmillea]

Steve,

You are welcome.

It is interesting that I watched the full Apple product announcement on Monday and did not get any of my usual 'new model lust'. That points to me being very satisfied with my MBA. If they replace it with an M2 MBA with double the performance and some neat new features in a couple of years, my lust may return. As is, my next investment is likely to be a Dolby Vision ultra wide monitor with USB-C PD, but they don't seem to exist yet.

Handbrake could rip directly from DVDs on Intel, though not from Blu-rays, via a bundled component. I assume that component needs updating to Apple silicon compatible. Still, I usually preferred the via MakeMKV workflow anyway for ripping a lot of DVDs.

 

[steve217]

It is interesting that I watched the full Apple product announcement on Monday and did not get any of my usual 'new model lust'. That points to me being very satisfied with my MBA.

I had roughly, the same reaction I get when I read about Formula 1 cars - "outstanding, fascinating engineering" + "no way would that end up in my garage".

I felt sorry for the folks who just wanted a bigger screen. Instead of a $1500 14"-16" Mac laptop with a chip mere mortals could use, they got an F1 car.

 

[Queen6]

Steve,

You are welcome.

It is interesting that I watched the full Apple product announcement on Monday and did not get any of my usual 'new model lust'. That points to me being very satisfied with my MBA. If they replace it with an M2 MBA with double the performance and some neat new features in a couple of years, my lust may return. As is, my next investment is likely to be a Dolby Vision ultra wide monitor with USB-C PD, but they don't seem to exist yet.

Handbrake could rip directly from DVDs on Intel, though not from Blu-rays, via a bundled component. I assume that component needs updating to Apple silicon compatible. Still, I usually preferred the via MakeMKV workflow anyway for ripping a lot of DVDs.

I too was very impressed by the new 2021 MBP, similarly I don't currently have the need for such performance. if I did I'd like to think I'd hold off for 6-9 months, likely not LOL.

Q-6

 

[Queen6]

I had roughly, the same reaction I get when I read about Formula 1 cars - "outstanding, fascinating engineering" + "no way would that end up in my garage".

I felt sorry for the folks who just wanted a bigger screen. Instead of a $1500 14"-16" Mac laptop with a chip mere mortals could use, they got an F1 car.

Kind of think the same, a 16" Air is a factor of common sense. For many they just want a larger display and don't need the accompanying heavyweight hardware the MBP presents.

After all why not? Nor am I remotely qualified to second guess Apple as their numbers speak for themselves...

Q-6

 

[timmillea]

For a larger display when travelling, I have an Asus MB169C+ - a 15.6" entirely USB-C driven and powered, i.e. one cable, very lightweight monitor. It gives me a second display and removes the desire for a larger MacBook!

 

[Tenkaykev]

For a larger display when travelling, I have an Asus MB169C+ - a 15.6" entirely USB-C driven and powered, i.e. one cable, very lightweight monitor. It gives me a second display and removes the desire for a larger MacBook!

Hello timmillea, good to see you back on the forum. My modded M1 Air is still whizzing along, battery health is excellent. Looking at the photo you posted of the inside of your M1 Air, it may be a trick of the light but the " stain " next to the right hand side of the thermal pad almost looks as though it could be a substance leaching out of the edge of the pad and migrating onto the heatsink?

 

[timmillea]

Hello timmillea, good to see you back on the forum. My modded M1 Air is still whizzing along, battery health is excellent. Looking at the photo you posted of the inside of your M1 Air, it may be a trick of the light but the " stain " next to the right hand side of the thermal pad almost looks as though it could be a substance leaching out of the edge of the pad and migrating onto the heatsink?

Tenkaykev, glad to be back, thanks!

It could well be something leaching out. It would only slightly bother me if my MBA needed a repair under warranty. Then it could be something else - I would need to see MBA's that have worked as hard without the mod. Noted thanks

 

[Tenkaykev]

Inspired by the update posts I've just opened up my M1 base model Air. I noticed slight "leaching" from the same area as Timmilea, though not as pronounced. I also peeled back the main part of the heat pad and notice what is probably a bit of leaching in the area of what is probably the hottest part of the Processor. Everything else inside is pristine. The area that shows the leaching is where there is the most pressure between the back cover and the heat pad. The opposite end of the pad shows no leaching.
Battery Stats show 65 Cycles, " Normal " condition and 97% Max Cap.

EDIT to add that original Mod was done on 28th January 2021

 

[timmillea]

Tenkaykey, great. For completenes then, my battery stats are:

Health Information:
Cycle Count: 17
Condition: Normal
Maximum Capacity: 97%

My MBA is almost always plugged in to power. It is a desktop except when I am travelling. I am guessing "97%" is the new 100%

 

[workerbee]

The area that shows the leaching is where there is the most pressure between the back cover and the heat pad.

This is an outstanding thread, thanks all (especially @timmillea whose use case is apparently identical to mine: Handbraking h265).

This is a somewhat touchy subject for me, because I almost certainly broke my trusty 2012 Retina MBP's keyboard by adding a too-high SSD and thus applying too much pressure on some cable or other component... Did you notice anything bad due to the additional pressure from the heat pad, or is it really just barely/not at all noticeable when closing the case?

 

[Tenkaykev]

This is an outstanding thread, thanks all (especially @timmillea whose use case is apparently identical to mine: Handbraking h265).

This is a somewhat touchy subject for me, because I almost certainly broke my trusty 2012 Retina MBP's keyboard by adding a too-high SSD and thus applying too much pressure on some cable or other component... Did you notice anything bad due to the additional pressure from the heat pad, or is it really just barely/not at all noticeable when closing the case?

I would say barely / not. I used a 2mm pad, a 1.5mm should also work. I left the black adhesive strip that is fitted to the base of the Air in place. There aren't any components or cables underneath or above the pad ( apart from the existing heat sink of course )
When refitting the base of the Air I noticed that the top left corner ( when looking at the base with the processor at the top ) was very slightly proud before tightening the screws.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

I was told that I should replace the thermal pads on my old Mac Pro. Not looking forward to it, but it's likely needed. I keep reading these threads. Helpful...

 

[Tenkaykev]

I was told that I should replace the thermal pads on my old Mac Pro. Not looking forward to it, but it's likely needed. I keep reading these threads. Helpful...

Check to see if there are any YouTube guides, they can be very helpful. Make sure that you have all the correct screwdrivers / replacement thermal pads to hand. Take things a step at a time and take photos as you go along. I draw a sketch of the internals and mark where the screws I need to remove are located ( if any ) I then place the screws in the corresponding place on the sketch. This ensures that the correct screws go back in the correct holes.
It can be great fun, I've fitted an SSD to a 24" and 27" iMac, an SSD to a 2012 Mac Mini, and thermal pads to my M1 Air, and my wife's i5 Air.
I'm an old guy in my 70's, if I can do it I'm sure that you can!

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Check to see if there are any YouTube guides, they can be very helpful. Make sure that you have all the correct screwdrivers / replacement thermal pads to hand. Take things a step at a time and take photos as you go along. I draw a sketch of the internals and mark where the screws I need to remove are located ( if any ) I then place the screws in the corresponding place on the sketch. This ensures that the correct screws go back in the correct holes.
It can be great fun, I've fitted an SSD to a 24" and 27" iMac, an SSD to a 2012 Mac Mini, and thermal pads to my M1 Air, and my wife's i5 Air.
I'm an old guy in my 70's, if I can do it I'm sure that you can!

Thanks for the encouragement. I've been in the IT industry for 30+ years, and yet still find myself intimidated looking at tweaking anything Apple due to their almost obsessive compulsive attention to every small detail. If I use pads too thick, or too thin, or things are slightly rotated, or... I did take the tray out and thought of adding some fans to the radiators on the chips. Haven't looked farther than the idea to see if power was available. I have really gotten attached to my Mac Pro over the seeming decade of ownership. It's got 6TB of drive space and I was hoping I could use it for a server at some point, but it's also the oldest Mac I currently own, and getting into a position of relying on it doesn't seem to be a great idea. *shrug* I've toyed with selling it, but... Upgrading the processors would be great, but to be honest a low juice to squeeze prospect. Again: *shrug* I guess I don't know what I should do with it. But eventually I'll need to do some maintenance. Replacing the thermal pads seems warranted. I've already blown it out. Dusty... On repairs, I bought a lot of the ifixit tools. Their plastic tray, and magnetic mat are favorites. Their big driver set is awesome. I still have yet to use all of the bits, but it's nice to have them.

Can you tell I'm trying to talk my way into upgrading it? It wouldn't radically increase its speed, but could keep it usable for a few more years. Thanks again...

 

[Tenkaykev]

Thanks for the encouragement. I've been in the IT industry for 30+ years, and yet still find myself intimidated looking at tweaking anything Apple due to their almost obsessive compulsive attention to every small detail. If I use pads too thick, or too thin, or things are slightly rotated, or... I did take the tray out and thought of adding some fans to the radiators on the chips. Haven't looked farther than the idea to see if power was available. I have really gotten attached to my Mac Pro over the seeming decade of ownership. It's got 6TB of drive space and I was hoping I could use it for a server at some point, but it's also the oldest Mac I currently own, and getting into a position of relying on it doesn't seem to be a great idea. *shrug* I've toyed with selling it, but... Upgrading the processors would be great, but to be honest a low juice to squeeze prospect. Again: *shrug* I guess I don't know what I should do with it. But eventually I'll need to do some maintenance. Replacing the thermal pads seems warranted. I've already blown it out. Dusty... On repairs, I bought a lot of the ifixit tools. Their plastic tray, and magnetic mat are favorites. Their big driver set is awesome. I still have yet to use all of the bits, but it's nice to have them.

Can you tell I'm trying to talk my way into upgrading it? It wouldn't radically increase its speed, but could keep it usable for a few more years. Thanks again...

Install an M1 Mac Mini into the chassis, mount a dock ( or two ) so you have extra connectors that are accessible and you will have the best of both worlds, plus it will be a great project now these dark winter evenings are drawing in ?

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Install an M1 Mac Mini into the chassis, mount a dock ( or two ) so you have extra connectors that are accessible and you will have the best of both worlds, plus it will be a great project now these dark winter evenings are drawing in ?

I did have a wild idea, sitting staring at it one day. Gut it, and get a ThreadRipper mbd, and sick that in it. Wiring up the fans should be fairly easy I have plenty of old standoffs from my days of custom building systems. I could even see using the old optical drive bays too. Hooking up the HDD bays could happen too, assuming the new mbd has that many SATA ports. It would be a kick, firing it up, and having people see the Windoze logo and desktop pop up. Maybe I could sell this 'Frankenmac' and get some big bucks.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Install an M1 Mac Mini into the chassis, mount a dock ( or two ) so you have extra connectors that are accessible and you will have the best of both worlds, plus it will be a great project now these dark winter evenings are drawing in ?

I did have an idea to put a Mini in my last car. It would have been perfect. Well, except for power management. I'd likely have to put a UPS in the trunk to keep power running for updates, and downloads. I even started looking for pinouts from the power supply, thinking I could make an adapter to keep it happy. I could install it in a custom box, and mount that somewhere, like under s seat. Add in an HDMI port under the dash would allow for adding a monitor for troubleshooting, and a couple USB extensions for keyboard/mouse. I felt it really could work, and totally kill the need for Sirius/XM, as I would have my whole music library on a shock mounted hard drive cartridge. Then I got a different vehicle, and life...

I'm surprised that someone else hasn't rigged something up like this, and isn't selling it for 'smart car upgrades'. I think it would be amazing (and also lead to people wanting yo play with it while driving, but you can't fix stupid). Wifi could be an issue. HAH!!! Maybe satellite?

 

[Tenkaykev]

I did have an idea to put a Mini in my last car. It would have been perfect. Well, except for power management. I'd likely have to put a UPS in the trunk to keep power running for updates, and downloads. I even started looking for pinouts from the power supply, thinking I could make an adapter to keep it happy. I could install it in a custom box, and mount that somewhere, like under s seat. Add in an HDMI port under the dash would allow for adding a monitor for troubleshooting, and a couple USB extensions for keyboard/mouse. I felt it really could work, and totally kill the need for Sirius/XM, as I would have my whole music library on a shock mounted hard drive cartridge. Then I got a different vehicle, and life...

I'm surprised that someone else hasn't rigged something up like this, and isn't selling it for 'smart car upgrades'. I think it would be amazing (and also lead to people wanting yo play with it while driving, but you can't fix stupid). Wifi could be an issue. HAH!!! Maybe satellite?

Over here ( UK ) you can get a mobile SIM with unlimited voice / texts / Data for about £14 per month. Tether that to the WiFi and you're good to go.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Check to see if there are any YouTube guides, they can be very helpful. Make sure that you have all the correct screwdrivers / replacement thermal pads to hand. Take things a step at a time and take photos as you go along. I draw a sketch of the internals and mark where the screws I need to remove are located ( if any ) I then place the screws in the corresponding place on the sketch. This ensures that the correct screws go back in the correct holes.
It can be great fun, I've fitted an SSD to a 24" and 27" iMac, an SSD to a 2012 Mac Mini, and thermal pads to my M1 Air, and my wife's i5 Air.
I'm an old guy in my 70's, if I can do it I'm sure that you can!

Are upgrades like these a safe bet?

 

[steve217]

Are upgrades like these a safe bet? Tray replacements.

I think we’re getting off topic here.

Maybe you could post in the Mac Pro forum?

Those chaps know their hacks.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

I think we’re getting off topic here.

Maybe you could post in the Mac Pro forum?

Those chaps know their hacks.

Oops, sorry. You're right. Apologies...

 

[workerbee]

My MBA usually sits on its solid aluminium mStand when Handbraking h265. I noticed that the stand doesn't get warm, even when the MBA has been running at ~600% CPU for hours and has become quite toasty (about as hot as the i9 MBP 16" gets when I look at it funny).
A thermal pad on the mStand should, in theory, help dissipate the heat away from the MBA chassis, especially once I've made the thermal pad mod and the MBAs bottom panel starts heating up, right?

 

[steve217]

My MBA usually sits on its solid aluminium mStand when Handbraking h265. I noticed that the stand doesn't get warm, even when the MBA has been running at ~600% CPU for hours and has become quite toasty (about as hot as the i9 MBP 16" gets when I look at it funny).
A thermal pad on the mStand should, in theory, help dissipate the heat away from the MBA chassis, especially once I've made the thermal pad mod and the MBAs bottom panel starts heating up, right?

Sounds logical. Just creating a bigger heat pipe.

I ended up putting my laptop in tent mode when I HB'd - that way I could point a fan at the back of the case.

That little fan did a great job of dissipating heat.