Mac Mini Soundcard Swap

[claytonjgray]

I got 2 mac minis. One doesn't stay on for more than 20 minutes.. some say its the motherboard problem, so I'm not the one to fix it. Its a Intel Core Duo, real nice mac, I loved it.
My second one is a Intel Core Solo, used in a mac-car setup. That mini's soundcard is sounds like crap right now, all muffled. So, I'd like to know if I can swap it from the Duo. Anyone ever touch their soundcards? Or is it an integrated one?

 

[rgarjr]

sound is built-in to the logic board.

 

[pastrychef]

The sound boards on the original Mac minis are connected via a ribbon cable. It's not integrated to the main logic board itself and can be fairly easily replaced. But you would essentially be replacing the same sound board. Unless there's something wrong with the sound board of the Core Solo machine, it won't make any difference.

I have read of people who use USB sound adaptors with their Mac minis and some say the sound quality is better than the built-in sound of the Mac minis... Personally, my ears are not good enough to tell the difference, but that may be an alternative for you.

http://www.computertarget.com.au/oscom/catalog/images/USB_sound-adapter.jpg

Above is an image of the kind that I have used with Macs. No drivers were required. They can usually be found for a few bucks (less than $10) online.

 

[300D]

That mini's soundcard is sounds like crap right now, all muffled.

That sounds much more like a user-installation problem, not a computer problem.