Mac Mini Enclosure ?

[jjw3579]

Server

The server model has a second hard drive in it, and it also uses 7200 rpm drives I think. I'm not sure if it's configured by default for raid 0 or 1, but you may be spooling up two drives at full tilt when playing your file. That would put out a lot more heat than your average mac mini single drive has to dissipate.

It also uses Intel 3000 integrated graphics, not Radeon 6630 graphics like some of the other minis. The 6630 would have a much easier time rendering graphics, the 3000 really isn't as good as the previous generation nVidia.

The server model is a less than ideal HTPC in light of the cheaper Mini models more suited to the task.

 

[mainstay]

I find it hard to believe that an intel 3000 w/ 512 MB of Video RAM performs WORSE than a 32 MB ATI on a G4.

I think there is some confusion as to exactly what role a video card plays in displaying 2D motion picture... (this is NOT rendering 3D graphics in real time).

I am of the opinion that it is a sensor issue OR a sensor interpretation issue.

I do not think it is a thermal transfer issue.

 

[rjphoto]

Do you have or can you make an external drive to boot off of to test without Lion Server being the OS?

Just use Lion.

 

[mainstay]

Do you have or can you make an external drive to boot off of to test without Lion Server being the OS?

Just use Lion.

interesting thought... isn't the server edition essentially just add-ons to Lion?

But your thought is something along the lines of:

If Lion Server is interpreting the sensor data incorrectly then just Lion might not suffer the same problem (?)

 

[bartzilla]

interesting thought... isn't the server edition essentially just add-ons to Lion?

But your thought is something along the lines of:

If Lion Server is interpreting the sensor data incorrectly then just Lion might not suffer the same problem (?)

That doesn't seem likely to me.

This sounds like a hardware fault, especially as I've got a core 2 duo mini (last of the old shape) that plays even the high-def stuff without making a noise (the external hard disk is noisier than the machine itself) and I'd expect the newer processors to handle this with less resources. The only question is where and how to prove it.

 

[tomans]

Not server specific

I have exactly the same issue w new 2011 mini, i7, 4GB. Anything heavier than decoding apple lossless files makes fan rev significantly. Transcoding full HD to iPhone over WLAN (using Plex) is painfully noisy.

Watching a TV Play channel e.g. SVTPlay running Flash inside Plex is less noisy but clearly audible. Grunt, disappointed!!!

Did anyone try using the mini with the bottom tray removed and the chassis either propped up to allow airflow, or turned upside down to ease airflow?

Or is there a failsafe switch somewhere that prevents powering up without the memory/bottom tray?

I either need to find a resonable solution or return it and buy a used 2009 core duo mini... Never thought this would happen....

 

[ombrenelcielo]

Thank you for the feedback... all very much appreciated.

Just out of curiosity I resurrected a mac mini G4 w/ 512 MB of RAM running 10.5.8 and using VLC 1.11.

The SAME videos playing on the G4 (1.4 GHz) play beautifully and QUIETLY.

I simply do not believe others when they say they have maxed out their new i7's and not heard a peep.

Either Apple has made a bad design, or my fan sensors are ****ed, or to those that say theirs are running quiet then I think you either need to check your fans or your hearing.

Something is off.

I'm actually thinking of using a G4 over an i7.

Wow!

I really can't believe you.

 

[DustinT]

I really can't believe you.

ya... it's special...

 

[mainstay]

I really can't believe you.

Not sure which part you can't believe.

I could go through a lot of effort to video tape the two, side by side, and their respective noise levels, but I don't want to.

I definitely believe there is something wrong with the unit as far as temperature control / sensors is concerned. It reports 90°C (smcfan control etc.) when playing a movie and within 10 seconds of me pausing or stopping the playback the temperature drops to 47°C.

I've never seen cooling that works that way (unless we are talking water quenching).

Anyways, there might be an opportunity for me to sell this thing and move on. The person just needs a tiny file server with VPN access and this would make for a nice fit.

I sort of loath taking this thing into the repair shop. Too much wasted effort and I'm sure they will not agree there is a problem.

I found myself looking at Apple's refurbished SL mini servers and am thinking of going back to those. Or re-building an HP slim-line tower to act as a htpc.

Am I serious about using the G4?

It's the right form factor, it's the right OS (well, 10.5.8) and it plays my videos nicely and quietly.

So I might give it a try "for real" before I fall back to an HP.

 

[rjphoto]

interesting thought... isn't the server edition essentially just add-ons to Lion?

But your thought is something along the lines of:

If Lion Server is interpreting the sensor data incorrectly then just Lion might not suffer the same problem (?)

Well, it may be a bad sensor. But, under the circumstances, it is under warranty. I would let the folks at Apple have a look at it...

It may be a design problem or software problem... either one, they may need to know about it.

 

[jamesr19]

I would send it back to apple/take it into the store and they should give you a new one... If you've upgraded the RAM yourself then put it back to stock and give it a whirl as it could be bad RAM not allowing for a good buffer on the movie

 

[ombrenelcielo]

Take it to an apple store.. If this was true story you would have already been there.

 

[mainstay]

Take it to an apple store.. If this was true story you would have already been there.

If the nearest Apple Store wasn't a full day's travel away and didn't cost me $100 in fuel and ferry charges, I would have taken it in.

If I had full confidence I could get it back the same day so that I don't have to pay another $100 to come back and pick it up, I would have taken it in.

I've already spent 2.5 hours on the phone with AppleCare and I consider this time to have COST me as I could have been working on projects that make me money.

AppleCare reps didn't seem to convey a real sense of understanding of the situation (or a desire to resolve the issue) so I don't have a lot of confidence that these trips and cost will be worth it. They may just turn around and say, "that's not THAT noisey, don't worry about it". Uh, yeah, that will be a nice cherry on the cake.

And the final reason why I haven't taken it in yet... I am still off-siting my 220 GB of personal data... which takes a while, ya know?

Don't presume to know me, *******.

 

[mainstay]

Tracking the problem has been a challenge.

But I think I have something here... and it is simple.

This is not a VRAM issue, a video card/chipset error or limitation, or a file encoding issue.

This is a Spotlight issue.

When VLC and MPlayerX begin a movie they cache a read-ahead so playback is fluid and smooth (and I believe this is to facilitate network streaming - even though I am playing them back locally).

This cache seems to trigger a Spotlight re-index and as it indexes, the cache changes (the part that was cached has been played and a new read-ahead is cached) and Spotlight has to re-index. This is like a dog chasing it's own tail.

And the CPU goes through the roof, heat increases, and the fan kicks in (big time).

Killing Spotlight is my only workaround. (I suppose I could try an isolate where the cache exists and exclude that, but I couldn't hear myself think over the noise, so wasn't too interested in fine tuning the process).

To switch off the indexing open a Terminal window and type:

sudo mdutil -a -i off

NB: You will be prompted to enter your admin password.

If you change your mind about Spotlight, and decide to give it another try, then it’s just as easy to switch back on as it was to switch off.

Again, in a terminal window type the following:

sudo mdutil -a -i on

NB: You will be prompted to enter your admin password.

I can't seem to find anyone else with the same exact issue or complaint, but I have noticed lot's of other threads discussing Lion and Spotlight going haywire... I just hope this solution works long-term and that I can enjoy a movie without the jet engine in the room.

 

[asmiller]

You haven't mentioned it, but it's always a good idea to zap the PRAM and reset the power manager with mysterious problems like this. Have you tried that?

 

[mainstay]

good point - I have reset PRAM, but ever since I've disabled Spotlight (and gotten good results) I've been loath to make any additional changes.

 

[matspekkie]

have you tried smc reset

Have you tried to reset the smc controller???
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3964

 

[brianbauer04]

I'm glad that turning off spotlight gives you good results. However, I think you should really consider transcoding to H264 as a longer-term project.

Your i7 has a hardware H264 decoder/encoder on the chip. Intel is calling it "Quick Sync" if you want to find out more about it. So far, only a handful of non-free Windows programs are using it, but it seems reasonable that other programs will use it eventually. Your mini is going to be able to sit there - essentially at idle - while watching your movies.

 

[mainstay]

I have reset the smc controller with no discernible difference.

That is interesting to know about the on board quick sync - will go and read up on it (http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/...-core-i7-2600k-i5-2500k-core-i3-2100-tested/8).

I'm not really interested in transcoding videos - especially when these are often one-offs that I will not be storing in a library and don't want to invest any more time and energy into being able to simply watch a video after a long week of work.

But it's good to know there are options for the extreme situations.