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Mac mini 2011 cooling ideas

E

etsi

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 23, 2011
248
1
Hello,

Is there any way to bring temp down when cpu usage is high? The fan is too noisy and annoying when it works over 4000rpm for long time.
 
etsi said:
Hello,

Is there any way to bring temp down when cpu usage is high? The fan is too noisy and annoying when it works over 4000rpm for long time.
Click to expand...

you can set the fan at 3500 rpm max and rest the mini on a laptop cooler. use this fan

http://www.amazon.com/Connectland-A...TA/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1339192058&sr=8-13


istat menu 3

is a paid app has a lot of options for fan speeds


http://bjango.com/mac/istatmenus/

the 1 mac

app is 16

family

app is 25 I purchased family app on black fri for $12.50 lets me use 5 macs.


my mac is running at 2700 rpm and is 113f see the thumbnail I also have 5 speed settings
 

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Thank you very much for your help !!!

Are you sure I can limit also the max rpm with these apps?
 
I use the Zalman ZM-NC3000U Ultimate 17 inch Notebook Cooler with 220mm fan it's VERY quiet & cools my mini Very GOOD !!!!!

:)
 
etsi said:
Nice idea but how can I limit the max rpm?
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that it is possible for this to have negative effects. It still has to stay within certain temperatures. If it stays within appropriate limits that's fine. If it goes too high, your machine will throttle or shut down. You can track the temperature with the fans limited to test it.
 
The problem is that there is no way to limit the max rpm.
 
etsi said:
Hello,

Is there any way to bring temp down when cpu usage is high? The fan is too noisy and annoying when it works over 4000rpm for long time.
Click to expand...

Locate it under the desk and otherwise get the 2010 mac mini if it bothers you. It's quieter than a laptop or a Windows desktop.
 
iHOUBSTER said:
I use the Zalman ZM-NC3000U Ultimate 17 inch Notebook Cooler with 220mm fan it's VERY quiet & cools my mini Very GOOD !!!!!

:)
Click to expand...

Do you remove the Mini bottom cover, prior to placing it on top of the cooler?

Is the Zalman cooler itself quiet, or does it generate constant ambient noise?
 
Last edited:
hitekalex said:
Do you remove the Mini bottom cover, prior to placing it on top of the cooler?

Is the Zalman cooler itself quiet, or does it generate constant ambient noise?
Click to expand...

It's just placed on the cooler , the zalman is very quiet I use my mini as htpc watch a lot movies , & don't hear the zalman while watching !!

i hope this helps you
:)
 
tredstone said:
Philip have you used the USB cooling fan you recommended? How well does it work?
Click to expand...

I use a plastic base model that is no longer available. I set my fans at 2000 rpm base speed with istats and the fan gives me 3 to 4 degrees cooler. in c or 7 in f


My open air mini rarely ramps up in speed. So I would say it works.
 
philipma1957 said:
My open air mini rarely ramps up in speed. So I would say it works.
Click to expand...

Do you do Handbrake encodes on your Mini? I'd be curious what RPM does you Mini's fan run at when you are doing video encodes (while using external cooler of course)?

I find that during Handbrake encodes my fans ramp up to 5500rpm, which is unbearably loud.
 
philipma1957 said:
I use a plastic base model that is no longer available. I set my fans at 2000 rpm base speed with istats and the fan gives me 3 to 4 degrees cooler. in c or 7 in f


My open air mini rarely ramps up in speed. So I would say it works.
Click to expand...

By open you mean you remove the bottom cover?
 
I use the 2011 (october) mini as a server..... I've noticed over the past couple of days after an iTunes and camera software update the temperature even when it's idel (i.e. not logged in) is running at 50 + c... I powered it down for a day and switched it on this morning, to my horror when I logged in.. temp was reading 80c!!!! I've removed the bottom plate and running the fan at max (5504rpm)... it's now only just dropped to 36c on it's side..... any ideas what can be causing this hike in temp when it's not actually doing anything? :(
 
MadTester said:
I use the 2011 (october) mini as a server..... I've noticed over the past couple of days after an iTunes and camera software update the temperature even when it's idel (i.e. not logged in) is running at 50 + c... I powered it down for a day and switched it on this morning, to my horror when I logged in.. temp was reading 80c!!!! I've removed the bottom plate and running the fan at max (5504rpm)... it's now only just dropped to 36c on it's side..... any ideas what can be causing this hike in temp when it's not actually doing anything? :(
Click to expand...

If you have 2 hard drives/ ssd in your mac mini, they could be blocking the airflow. The Mac Mini takes air from the front of the machine which passes over the hard drive bay.
 
What sort of differences in cooling are we looking at between i5 and i7? I thought the newer generation i7 was a lot cooler to run.
 
here2rock said:
What sort of differences in cooling are we looking at between i5 and i7? I thought the newer generation i7 was a lot cooler to run.
Click to expand...

yeah the i7 can be cooled with a good fan and a good heat sink.

in a mini the i5 and i7 use the same fan and the same heatsink thus the i7 runs hot. hot is a relative word. if you just type on the net never run handbrake or video encodes no worries.

If you live in a warm climate and your house temp is 80-85 f or 26-30 c and you put your i7 mini in a ht rack you will have a warm machine. If you stream video it will be warmer yet. I have done a lot of testing the i7 runs 5c-10c warmer then the i5 under load with good air circulation.

Right now I am typing in a 76f room and my i5 is 113 f no worries .

Later today I will do the exact same with my i7 and it will be 122 f give or take 2 f.
 
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