iFixit has released its video demonstrating the new M4 Mac mini and, as usual, it’s a fascinating study in how design, engineering and technology come together – or in this case, dismantled.
Although many people are interested in the inner workings of Apple products, the Mac mini may generate more interest than any other product. There is a widely held belief that users should be able to do a certain amount of customizations and upgrades with desktops, even with Macs. And the Mac mini has been used in unique situations and projects. Teardowns like iFixit’s don’t just satisfy curiosity, they provide useful information.
Watch iFixit’s video, and after that, here are some takeaways from the teardown.
It’s packed
The Mac mini M1 and M2 used an older design and left a lot of space inside. With the new design, the Mac mini is extremely packed. This is an incredible feat of design and engineering, but it also poses a serious obstacle for DIYers. Which brings us to…
It is upgradable by the user… but is that really the case?
Apple clearly has an idea of what components should be accessible, and it’s evident in the Mac mini. For example, the CMOS battery is designed for access without diving deeper into the machine. In fact, it is the only easily accessible component.
We’ve heard early reports that the Mac mini’s SSD can be upgraded and the iFixit video provides more information. The M4 Mac mini and M4 Pro use different sized modules and iFixit couldn’t get their Mac mini to work when they tried to swap the SSDs.
iFixit often refers to the Mac mini as upgradeable, but being “upgradable” implies the ability to remove a part and replace it with a part available. At this point, no parts are available for the Mac mini. Apple uses a proprietary SSD module that has nothing to do with the NVMe SSDs used in Windows PCs and is manufactured by third parties such as Crucial. You can’t buy an NVMe and put it in the Mac mini.
Could a company make a Mac mini compatible SSD module? Maybe, but would it be worth it for them? It’s hard to say. The Mac mini’s SSD is similar to that of the Mac Studio, and a Kickstarter project to make a third-party upgrade to the Mac Studio SSD has exceeded its funding goal, but it only has 142 backers. Granted, the Mac Studio is more niche than the Mac mini, but it still seems like a low-volume business.
In case you’re wondering, the RAM is built into the M4 chip, as it has been since the M1. There is no way to upgrade the RAM after purchase.
The fan is big
The vent ring at the bottom of the Mac mini leads to a fan that takes up a considerable amount of space (and even more space in the M4 Pro model). I can’t help but wonder if smaller cooling units can be used, which could make the Mac mini even smaller.
For example, Frore System makes ultra-thin and efficient “solid-state active cooling chips.” Last year I explained how they modified a MacBook Air with its cooling chips, allowing it to stop throttling to maintain a proper operating temperature. I don’t know how much it would cost to implement a system like Frore’s, but I imagine it’s not as cheap as a fan, so it may be too expensive to consider.
