Due to its small size, the Mac Mini is a favorite computer for tinkering for unique configurations and situations. A person shows a certain ingenuity with the device by demonstrating in a YouTube video how he was able to modify the Mac Mini so that he could be supplied via a USB-C port instead of his diet.
In the video, Saad Ouache shows an open Mac Mac with a wired USB connector that he added and said uses power delivery to run the computer. It then connects a 12-volt battery feeding bank and connects the supply cable to USB-C.
Although the video has not been verified, it does not seem impossible to feed the Mac Mini via USB-C. However, the power requirements of the device make it impractical. Apple's documentation indicates that the M4 Mac Mini has a maximum energy consumption of 65 W, while the M4 Pro Mac Mini is at 140 W. These figures are with a Mac Mini without devices connected to it. The maximum continuous power rating for the Mac Mini is 155 W, which comes into play when a connected device does not use an external power source and relies on the USB-C connection with the Mac Mini.
None of this is surprising, of course. The MacBook Air and PRO already provide energy on USB-C, the MacBook Pro supplying a M4 MAX and a 16-inch mini-boss on USB-C. But Apple has not yet offered a way to run its office macs with USB-C Power.
As Appleinsider points out, for Apple to make a Mac Mini which works on the USB-C power, the appropriate cable must be used, which would be a USB-C 240W load cable. The use of lower cables would be possible, but this increases the risk of failure. This restriction does not seem that an apple would like the hassles of treating. But if you have a creative idea for a Mac Mini and you are looking for other ways to feed the device on the go, the Ouache video seems to prove that it is possible.
