What kind of damage could be done from running my 2018 Mac mini with no housing in my glass top desk
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Mac mini no housing
- Thread starter Mac_zack1996
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It'll run OK, until you drop something on it, or spill your coffee. The case is just a box, if serves no real purpose except providing a place to screw the components into, and protecting them from accidental damage, and especially in the case of Apple (and in an entirely different way, gaming PCs) style.
Ok thanks I already built a desk PC and just wanted to add my Mac to the desk I wasn't sure if did and wierd apple stuff to it
Some of the videos on replacing RAM show the outer case being removed. You might find it useful to watch them.
Might also be a good idea to float the idea with an Apple technician.
To me, this sounds like a neat idea. You'd need to seal it off from dust.
The housing also directs airflow from the intake vents on the bottom, across components, through the fan and the exhaust vent on the back. So you do want it "Enclosed" in the same way. For example (and I'm not suggesting this, just using it as an example) if you were to cut the top off of the Mini's case, and put glass in its place - so that the airflow is unchanged - I would expect that would be fine. If you had all the components sitting in open air, with several inches of free space around them, something might overheat.
That may well be true, but my mini actually got a small but measurable CPU boost when run with bottom cover and antenna plate removed...
Yep. Could be that the temp sensor is in the airflow downwind of the device it's checking, and now that air isn't flowing past it - so the sensor thinks the item is running cooler than it is - so it lets the CPU run faster - until it fries
That's totally speculation of course, but it is plausible.You should not run it without the case. As others have pointed out, the case both acts as a heatsink, and directs airflow. The case was designed to be a part of a complete thermal control and environmental protection system.
You could install some liquid cooling blocks. That would look even more cool. Gamers love that stuff. You can get parts online, or at your local Fry's, etc. You can probably then get some additional performance when the CPU is loaded.
There still may be issues with sensors, as any sensor that is meant to sense air or airflow will get incorrect/confusing/misleading readings.
But don't expect Apple to honor their warranty in any case. (Other than the original, LOL.)
You could install some liquid cooling blocks. That would look even more cool. Gamers love that stuff. You can get parts online, or at your local Fry's, etc. You can probably then get some additional performance when the CPU is loaded.
There still may be issues with sensors, as any sensor that is meant to sense air or airflow will get incorrect/confusing/misleading readings.
But don't expect Apple to honor their warranty in any case. (Other than the original, LOL.)
Surely the only item that may get super-hot is the CPU, and I would presume the temp sensor for that is on the die. Is that not where it is located?Yep. Could be that the temp sensor is in the airflow downwind of the device it's checking, and now that air isn't flowing past it - so the sensor thinks the item is running cooler than it is - so it lets the CPU run faster - until it fries
Indeed, as far as I understand it, it is impossible to kill the intel CPUs from overheating because they will automatically down-clock to maintain <100C.
If so, what else is in there that may heat up significantly? There is no dGPU. So, the PSU? The soldered SSD...But again, aren't the temp sensors integral to these parts too?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing." I figure the Apple engineers know their product better than I do. If you are willing to risk early failure for a couple percentage points of additional performance, Vaya con Dios.
This is a TERRIBLE idea. Air flow for cooling must always be carefully designed, and even more so when packing components into a small case. What works in a small case to direct air flow where needed may be completely different than what is optimum for a large space. Take this from an engineer that has been designing electronic products for decades. Or ignore this advice, and expect to shorten its life or reduce its performance if you are lucky. Or perhaps overheat something to sudden failure if you aren't lucky.
I understand what you are saying - but I think for the mini this is not relevant. The only thing the current fan does is draw in air from around the base plate and send it straight into the fins of the heat-sink and out the back vents. There is no other fan cooling the other components in the case. As such, I think opening up the case and then potentially spreading out the components like the PSU can only be beneficial (if at all).