Mac mini late 2014 - Gaming / Heat

[lasniko]

Hi all,

I would like to ask you if it is dangerous for the Mac mini (late 2014) to become hot during gaming.

I know that it is quite normal, but I wonder if in long-term the mini will face issues because of this heat (for example ssd or cpu issues etc).

P.S. Sorry for my English (it is not my mother tongue)

Regards,

 

[crsh1976]

Well, there's a fan in there to vent out the heat and keep the chip from overheating - worse case scenario, if the processor does overheat, the machine is set to shut down in order to prevent hardware damage.

 

[lasniko]

Well, there's a fan in there to vent out the heat and keep the chip from overheating - worse case scenario, if the processor does overheat, the machine is set to shut down in order to prevent hardware damage.

Thank you for your answer and the info.

My main concern is the possible future issues because of the heat. Maybe there is a reduction in SSD's lifespan or other issues.

I am on the late 2014 mac mini (i7 iris) and I really like playing games but I don't want to cause any problem

 

[294307]

Thank you for your answer and the info.

My main concern is the possible future issues because of the heat. Maybe there is a reduction in SSD's lifespan or other issues.

I am on the late 2014 mac mini (i7 iris) and I really like playing games but I don't want to cause any problem

I wouldn't worry so much - just enjoy using your computer. Playing games all the time may naturally reduce its overall lifespan versus just using it for office tasks, but this is just a fact of computer hardware and is something I certainly wouldn't worry about. Your computer isn't going to prematurely die on you next year simply for playing games.

 

[COrocket]

Thank you for your answer and the info.

My main concern is the possible future issues because of the heat. Maybe there is a reduction in SSD's lifespan or other issues.

I am on the late 2014 mac mini (i7 iris) and I really like playing games but I don't want to cause any problem

I've been running my 2012 mac mini above 90*C processor temp continuously for over two years without issue. Haven't noticed any SSD issues or anything out of the normal.

 

[lasniko]

I've been running my 2012 mac mini above 90*C processor temp continuously for over two years without issue. Haven't noticed any SSD issues or anything out of the normal.

I am happy to hear this

Hopefully, my mini will last for years.

 

[grcar]

monitor the temperature

Hi. If the machine is getting warm enough that you are writing to a blog about your concerns, then clearly you are worried, and you should take some precautions to reduce your own stress level. (1) Install one of the apps that displays the temperatures on the logic board and in the cpu chip. There are 3 or 4 thermometers at strategic places in the machine. If they go above 100 degrees then you have a reason to worry. (2) Install one of the apps that let you set the fan speed and the temperatures that trigger them. Generally the fan runs a bit slower than it should because Apple likes to claim it makes really quiet computers. (3) Place the machine in a cool location and consider putting it on top of a cooling device like the fan arrays that people use to cool their laptops. Some people also swear by various devices to hold the machine on edge for better airflow.

 

[lasniko]

After playing less than an hour "Insurgency" the CPU temp raised to almost 95˚C. The temp was monitored using the iStats menu app.

I will follow grcar's advice in order to cool the machine