I just read quite some reviews, reporting Wi-Fi problems with several docks underneath the MacMini.
FYI: If you put a metal plate aka "stand" underneath a plastic bottom of a device, it might block some signals...
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Mac mini M4 (2024): docks, stands and other accessories
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FYI: If you put a metal plate aka "stand" underneath a plastic bottom of a device, it might block some signals...
Okay, I think I know what you mean. In my case the Mac mini would be under the table but with nothing underneath it.
My "Trashcan"-Mac resides under the table for 10 years now - that is no problem.
Try to use the free stand you have at home - put it on the back of a sturdy steel coocking pot and see, what happens.
any update on this ? my desk is the same color so it would blend , but air flow worries me
Hi, yes, it is affecting airflow and performance slightly on most demanding long renders.
On the test project using this stand the difference in rendering After Effects Project was mostly ~30s-1min longer sometimes just 10-15s longer.
Without the stand Mini rendered it in ~24min.
The fans were at the same levels at max around ~3150rpm.
It is hard to tell what's the real impact and I should probably wait longer to cool down enclosure completely before another try.
Clearly this tiny computer wasn't mean't for brutal rendering, especially one after another with or without the stand.
Rendering smaller projects didn't take a hit at all. Render times were the same.
So the difference is not big, but the demanding tasks could differ, so the differences also could be bigger.
Ambient temp was ~21C.
While normal usage no weird spinning fans, all good.
Of course no problems with wifi.
EDIT: I run the same test project from cold enclosure and the time was
With dock: 23m45s
Bare Mini: 23m30s
So here it is, the difference in temps are minimal at best.
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So my wife’s old MacBook Pro (very old) died of swelling battery and I replaced it with a M4 Mini which she is very happy about. Booted once and attached to her Caldigit dock. I was impressed with the performance and upgraded my systems and shuffled around some of my older machines to act as a NAS/Time machine server and purchased a M4 Pro mini for my work setup.
As I already have a Caldigit Dock I did not worry about ports, but did notice a special on these stands on Amazon and got one to assist with airflow, etc. have had no problems with WiFi, airflow is fine, Magic Keyboard & Trackpad work without problems. Very satisfied with the simple solution.
As I already have a Caldigit Dock I did not worry about ports, but did notice a special on these stands on Amazon and got one to assist with airflow, etc. have had no problems with WiFi, airflow is fine, Magic Keyboard & Trackpad work without problems. Very satisfied with the simple solution.
I have the same stand. Idling/surfing temps without stand 28ºC, with the stand 32ºC. It does affect airflow for very little benefit. I use it now upside down to raise the Mini off the table. Not the most stable setup as you can knock it off its perch quite easily but at least it improves airflow and access to the on/off button that way. If you are not going to thrash the unit with any sustained heavy workloads, then you could use it as intended.
So your Mac Mini runs a few degrees hotter using then stand than sitting on your desk? Perhaps the Mini's body transmits heat into your desk more efficiently than into the air and stand (which it has little surface area contact with)?
I would think part of the hoped for benefit of better air flow would be to cool the Mini.
I also observed warmer idle internal temps.
I think the stand isn’t optimally designed. The flow with hot air is slightly restricted, escaping hot air hits one of the walls of the stand, I think the temps could be lower if the escaping hot air wouldn’t hit any obstacle and moved more freely.
I’m tempted to modify the stand but I don’t have proper tools to work with wood.
I don't think this particular stand offers better airflow if used as intended. At best it would be neutral. It raises the Mini by the same amount it obscures it, except for the cutaway around the power button. Additionally, there are optional adhesive mesh dust filters for the intake, which I applied. That shouldn't really affect airflow that drastically but it does. Down the line it should avoid all the dustbunnies that might end up in the Mini, so it depends on how dusty your environment is as to whether you should bother with it. Up to now, I kept the Mini raised on a cassette case to improve airflow. I haven't measured temps flat on a table as mine is a little cluttered at the moment.
I needed 2 plain USB ports for my M4 and looked at these attractive stands/hubs, at the end not finding the near usd$100 as good deals went to option #2 with 2 USB/C adapters for usd$10. I may come back to them as my needs change and the price come down.
If you look at Apple's Mac mini illustrations, the air vents around the bottom are both intake and exhaust. The mini sucks in cool air on one side and blows out hot air on the opposite side. I think the desk surface is needed to keep those streams separated. In free space, the mini will likely suck in more of the hot air it produces.
How about this? 'Recycled' from part of a post I made in a different thread on April 7th.
SonnetTech has a new (according to their website) Echo 13 Thunderbolt 5 SSD Dock and here's a blurb from that: "Sonnet Echo™ 13 Thunderbolt™ 5 SSD Dock delivers next level storage performance — 6000 MB/s with Thunderbolt 5 computers, 3400 MB/s when used with a Thunderbolt 4 or 3 computer — with your choice of pre-installed Kingston®M.2 NVMe® SSD storage. Connections? Echo 13 has you covered with four Thunderbolt 5 ports, four USB-A ports, one 2.5Gb Ethernet port, one headphone jack, SD and microSD card slots, plus 8K display support."
Might be of interest for those looking at the CalDigit offerings but desiring an internal SSD slot. But here's something strange - I look at the pricing, and it's based on an SSD being included:
1 Terabyte - $400 (Note: I'm rounding up a penny; not a fan of the $x.99 thing).
2 Terabyte - $500.
4 Terabyte - $670.
I don't see an option to buy it without an included SSD, and I see the term 'built-in SSD.'
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When I looked at this info. earlier in April, it looked like a pretty good value, if you want to get an external SSD (Just as the roughly $500 CalDigit TS5 Plus was praised as a good value if you want a 10-Gbps ethernet connection included).
Granted, looks like you can't buy 3rd party and put your own SSD in, but the price looks right, no worries about 'wrong brand' compatibility issues or whether (and if so what) 3rd party heat pad/tape in what thickness to buy and add with it, etc...
Anyone else notice that asterisk below the diagram?
Maybe no big deal, just seemed odd to me...