Repairing a Mac Mini server (2011 chassis)

[joeblough]

Hi -

one of the disks in my 2x500GB disk mac mini server died. it turns out to be the disk that "stands in" for the optical drive. (as an aside the mini server seems like a very bad design - there's no airflow to speak of over the drives and as a server, it's probably going to be on 24x7..., so i'm not surprised a disk died.)

anyway, i removed the bad disk because it was messing up the SATA bus. but that means i've also removed one of the temperature sensors. now the fan is running full blast. the remaining disk apparently has 2 temp sensors, while the bad disk had one.

do i:

1) remove the temperature sensor from the bad disk and just hook it up in there

or 2) move one of the temperature sensors to a different connector?

1) seems foolproof but looking at the temp sensor it seems very fragile.
2) would be nice, but i'm guessing apple looks at all 3 sensor inputs to determine the fan speeds.

anyone know?

thanks.

 

[philipma1957]

Hi -

one of the disks in my 2x500GB disk mac mini server died. it turns out to be the disk that "stands in" for the optical drive. (as an aside the mini server seems like a very bad design - there's no airflow to speak of over the drives and as a server, it's probably going to be on 24x7..., so i'm not surprised a disk died.)

anyway, i removed the bad disk because it was messing up the SATA bus. but that means i've also removed one of the temperature sensors. now the fan is running full blast. the remaining disk apparently has 2 temp sensors, while the bad disk had one.

do i:

1) remove the temperature sensor from the bad disk and just hook it up in there

or 2) move one of the temperature sensors to a different connector?

1) seems foolproof but looking at the temp sensor it seems very fragile.
2) would be nice, but i'm guessing apple looks at all 3 sensor inputs to determine the fan speeds.

anyone know?

thanks.

are you sure you have a 2011 mini and not the 2010?

here is a mid range 2011 it does not have a temp sensor

http://www.techrepublic.com/photos/...c-mini-2011/6265433?tag=content;siu-container




this shot is from a 2010 teardown it has a temp sensor.



http://guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/U6LJprEONwgBNkDX.huge


if you have that second wire it must stay plugged into the mini's mobo and i am pretty sure you have a 2010 machine

 

[joeblough]

are you sure you have a 2011 mini and not the 2010?

here is a mid range 2011 it does not have a temp sensor

http://www.techrepublic.com/photos/...c-mini-2011/6265433?tag=content;siu-container




this shot is from a 2010 teardown it has a temp sensor.



http://guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/U6LJprEONwgBNkDX.huge


if you have that second wire it must stay plugged into the mini's mobo and i am pretty sure you have a 2010 machine

my bad, it must be a 2010. there are 3 temp sensor headers on the motherboard... the disk that goes in the place of the optical drive has one temp diode and the disk that is in both models has 2 temp diodes.

so right now 2 of 3 temp sensors are connected, one is unconnected. i guess i'm trying to figure out if all 3 need diodes or perhaps only 2 of them. to be honest the wires are all exactly the right length and i don't think i'd be able to get either of the wires that are plugged in to reach the other header.

 

[joeblough]

oh well... i just carefully removed the temp sensor from the dead disk and hooked it up. i guess if the fan cowling overheats the mac mini knows what to do!! lol.