WaterCooled Mac Mini

I assume the OP has given up on the project seeing the lack of updates

VanCleef2012 said:

Actually the kits done, other than the water block. The block needs to be taken to be machined once I'm done designing it. Heres a rough design of the block cover. Image

I know a lot of people think water-cooling a mac mini is pointless, its kind of like fixing your honda civic..but tons of people love doing it. Maybe this can open up the window of water-cooling Macs and allow someone else to find a way to over clock the EFI system.

IMHO if I can squeeze a few more FPS out of Diablo 3 on my mac mini with water-cooling, you can bet your ass I'd do it in a flash. I'm sick of hearing the fans at 4k rpm while playing or watching movies. Along with seeing 90c while gaming, and its not even july-august summer yet.

Click to expand...

Like I said before I will gladly purchase a kit, is there a way for me to stay up to date on your progress?

Depending on price/how easy it is to install, I'm quite interested.
Hopefully the only change you'll need to make for the 2012 Mini will be the water.

We might not see much of a gain performance wise, but I hate the way the fans spin up in my MB at night.

Are you including a fan to cool the rad? If so, I assume you'll chose a real quiet one.

Do you have a blog?

Looks good
What's the current waiting time on the water block?

Very cool! In another month the Mini might sport a mobile Kepler... I'd like one of your coolers for the server model that I use in the recording studio.

E-Mail

Hi VanCleef2012,

can you send me an e-mail with your contact.
Would like to have a kit and also to support you if i can.

Greetings Timo
timobil@gmail.com

VanCleef2012 said:

I know this is my first post but it is not a troll or fake thread!

Click to expand...

The word you're looking for is "spam."

----------

Timobil said:

Hi VanCleef2012,

can you send me an e-mail with your contact.
Would like to have a kit and also to support you if i can.

Greetings Timo
timobil@gmail.com

Click to expand...

And now you're registering alternate userid's to respond to your own post. Sneaky!

^^^^
Good work there, detective

CausticPuppy said:

The word you're looking for is "spam."

----------



And now you're registering alternate userid's to respond to your own post. Sneaky!

Click to expand...

maybe he's from Nigeria?

By the time he even gets a production model (IF he ever does), Apple will have changed the Mini design and it will no longer be compatible..... Even the previous version of the Mini, while the outer casing ran from 2005-2009, the layout of the motherboard changed 3 times (2005 with the G4 to the 2006-2008 with the first Intel chips to the 2009 w/ the Nvidia 9400). I haven't compared, but I'm guessing even the 2010 to the 2011 current "unibody" Mac Mini's probably aren't even the same due to the processor family change and the inclusion of Thunderbolt chip in the 2011's (I would go look, but frankly this thread doesn't really warrant it).

Full marks for ingenuity and entrepreneurialism.

However, I think you are on to a loser. I cannot imagine there would be a big market for this - just my personal opinion and of course I may be wrong.

But there's also the technical aspects. I am sure you can successfully cool the cpu by doing this, but what about the hard disk(s) and other components on the logic board? These might get fried if the fan is not pulling air through the chassis.

Also, you can't overclock a Mini (through any method I know of). I would suggest 90%+ of existing water-cooling buyers are into overclocking and tweaking, which is not really possible on a Mini.

still waiting with my noisy mini im guessing this is dead now ?

chas337 said:

still waiting with my noisy mini im guessing this is dead now ?

Click to expand...

It was never going to happen....

I cool my mac mini an easier way

I took the bottom panel off my mac mini server (2011) quad core 2.0 i7. Bought a thermal take usb fan (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00080G0BK/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
and a Mac Mini Stand
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/NUSTALYMINI/

Also I use a free app for mac smcfancontrol (google it) and run my internal fans at max speed. My mac mini runs non stop and idles 35-38c normally and at max load usually 76-82c under load. Experimenting and plan on replacing the thermaltake with a larger version.

I was able to liquid cool my 2012 Mac Mini by replacing the heat pipes with a 1/16" copper plate and water block.
( https://www.instagram.com/randy.prater/ )
The copper plate became the base plate for the water block. I needed a 0.5mm copper shim on top of the CPU. I also had to drill holes in the plate to allow the little spring-loaded studs to project up through as they would have been too long to mount the plate. I can now run my quad-core i7 mac mini late 2012 at max CPU for prolonged periods and it hovers around 60c degrees. If you are interested in more details then reply and I'll provide more info.

rwprater said:

I was able to liquid cool my 2012 Mac Mini by replacing the heat pipes with a 1/16" copper plate and water block.
( https://www.instagram.com/randy.prater/ )
The copper plate became the base plate for the water block. I needed a 0.5mm copper shim on top of the CPU. I also had to drill holes in the plate to allow the little spring-loaded studs to project up through as they would have been too long to mount the plate. I can now run my quad-core i7 mac mini late 2012 at max CPU for prolonged periods and it hovers around 60c degrees. If you are interested in more details then reply and I'll provide more info.

Click to expand...

Woa, that is pretty cool. How did you make the plate?

rwprater said:

I was able to liquid cool my 2012 Mac Mini by replacing the heat pipes with a 1/16" copper plate and water block.
( https://www.instagram.com/randy.prater/ )
The copper plate became the base plate for the water block. I needed a 0.5mm copper shim on top of the CPU. I also had to drill holes in the plate to allow the little spring-loaded studs to project up through as they would have been too long to mount the plate. I can now run my quad-core i7 mac mini late 2012 at max CPU for prolonged periods and it hovers around 60c degrees. If you are interested in more details then reply and I'll provide more info.

Click to expand...

wow randy. sweet custom mod.

oneMadRssn said:

Woa, that is pretty cool. How did you make the plate?

Click to expand...

First I bought a used heatpipe/heatsink for the mini off eBay and cut the heat pipes off near the heat exchanger so that it could be mounted back on with the blower which keeps the mini cool inside. That got the pipes out of the way. I kept my old one in case I want to go back. Cost about $20 bucks.

I also found a used mac mini case on eBay because I had to cut the case a bit along the edge to make room for the water block that I wanted to use, see picture (cost about $60 bucks). I kept my original case so I could re-use someday if desired. I had a water block for mosfet water cooling that fit without cutting the case but it didn't do a very good job. I had to cut & sand the original plastic water block mounting tabs off and use the holes that originally mounted the water block to its original base plate.

I got the 1/16" copper plate off eBay and transferred the outline and hole locations by tracing the plate for the heat pipe plate with a fine-point marker. I don't have much in the way of power tools so I literally clamped a saber saw upside-down in a vise and rough sawed it out of the copper plate using a plastic wire-tie to hold the trigger (use safety glasses). I have a mini 1" wide belt sander that I got from Harbor Freight for $50 bucks and then sanded the edges of the plate to the markings. I left some extra material opposite the edge near the blower to add extra support for the water block.

There are two small square chips on the motherboard that look like mosfets and you have to file or sand the copper plate a bit to ensure that the plate doesn't contact them. One of those mosfets is next to the hole near the speaker, the other is near the hole opposite from the fan. Its not much material to remove but better safe than sorry.

Afterward I drilled small pilot holes then the 1/8" diameter holes. Note that you have to drill holes for the five small spring-loaded studs to pass through the plate. Those studs are used to support the heat pipe plate but obstruct the copper plate. They do not appear to be removable. They do not affect the water block even though they stick up slightly above the plate because they push down easily. You can see the tips in one of the pictures at the link provided.

Afterward I drilled and tapped 4-40 screw holes to mount the water block to the plate (without the original base plate). I sanded them off flush on the bottom of the copper plate. I used emery paper to debur the plate and generally clean it up.

I glued a 0.5mm copper shim to the copper plate where it makes contact with the CPU because the graphics chip is slightly higher on the motherboard than the CPU. I used Arctic Silver 7g silver thermal two-part adhesive.

You have to first mount the plate on to the motherboard without the water block (with heat sink compound on cpu & graphics chips). I used very small clear rubber washers in place of the springs that normally hold the heat pipe plate on. I did not make them real tight, just snugged them evenly. After installing the board back into the case I attached the water hoses to the water block and screwed it to the plate. I didn't want to press the hoses onto the water block while it was mounted on the copper in case that was too much pressure. I'll add some additional pictures to that link as soon as I can.

Randy

rwprater said:

First I bought a used heatpipe/heatsink for the mini off eBay and cut the heat pipes off near the heat exchanger so that it could be mounted back on with the blower which keeps the mini cool inside. That got the pipes out of the way. I kept my old one in case I want to go back. Cost about $20 bucks.

I also found a used mac mini case on eBay because I had to cut the case a bit along the edge to make room for the water block that I wanted to use, see picture (cost about $60 bucks). I kept my original case so I could re-use someday if desired. I had a water block for mosfet water cooling that fit without cutting the case but it didn't do a very good job. I had to cut & sand the original plastic water block mounting tabs off and use the holes that originally mounted the water block to its original base plate.

I got the 1/16" copper plate off eBay and transferred the outline and hole locations by tracing the plate for the heat pipe plate with a fine-point marker. I don't have much in the way of power tools so I literally clamped a saber saw upside-down in a vise and rough sawed it out of the copper plate using a plastic wire-tie to hold the trigger (use safety glasses). I have a mini 1" wide belt sander that I got from Harbor Freight for $50 bucks and then sanded the edges of the plate to the markings. I left some extra material opposite the edge near the blower to add extra support for the water block.

There are two small square chips on the motherboard that look like mosfets and you have to file or sand the copper plate a bit to ensure that the plate doesn't contact them. One of those mosfets is next to the hole near the speaker, the other is near the hole opposite from the fan. Its not much material to remove but better safe than sorry.

Afterward I drilled small pilot holes then the 1/8" diameter holes. Note that you have to drill holes for the five small spring-loaded studs to pass through the plate. Those studs are used to support the heat pipe plate but obstruct the copper plate. They do not appear to be removable. They do not affect the water block even though they stick up slightly above the plate because they push down easily. You can see the tips in one of the pictures at the link provided.

Afterward I drilled and tapped 4-40 screw holes to mount the water block to the plate (without the original base plate). I sanded them off flush on the bottom of the copper plate. I used emery paper to debur the plate and generally clean it up.

I glued a 0.5mm copper shim to the copper plate where it makes contact with the CPU because the graphics chip is slightly higher on the motherboard than the CPU. I used Arctic Silver 7g silver thermal two-part adhesive.

You have to first mount the plate on to the motherboard without the water block (with heat sink compound on cpu & graphics chips). I used very small clear rubber washers in place of the springs that normally hold the heat pipe plate on. I did not make them real tight, just snugged them evenly. After installing the board back into the case I attached the water hoses to the water block and screwed it to the plate. I didn't want to press the hoses onto the water block while it was mounted on the copper in case that was too much pressure. I'll add some additional pictures to that link as soon as I can.

Randy

Click to expand...

[doublepost=1488487392][/doublepost]I think some folks might wonder why one would liquid cool a Mini. Whats the benefit? I can only speak for myself. I have mine boot camped so I can run my old favorite Pinnacle Studio on Windows. I use it to author Blu Ray disks of family movies. The process of generating that is intensive (not the burn part). It takes a couple hours sometimes running full bore. For me it was a choice of building a dedicated PC for doing this, buying a Mac Pro, or making the Mini run cool enough to allow me to just use the Mini. I don't want another PC and a pro is just too expensive so I thought I'd try to liquid cool this if it wasn't too costly. I figure I wasted $150 bucks monkeying around with it until I got it the way I wanted it. It works great and someday when my ship comes in I'll buy a pro and will put the Mini back the way it was originally and sell it. For now its all good and gets the job done for me in a timely fashion. Its like having a newer, more powerful Mac Mini.

I skimmed this thread.

I don't see this being a profitable venture at all in the general sense....however....

If you are serious about it, I would recommend doing it with as many off the shelf parts as possible. Then setup a webpage with ads with a very detailed set of directions. Offer links to everything required including tools, anti static mats, thermal paste, etc etc from a wholesalers that can offer you kick backs.

As professionally as possible make a SET of of monetized YouTube videos going over the process. List your parts and webpage in the video description. Videos will need to be short, viewer attention wanes after more then 5 minutes plus multiple videos will attract more attention and allow you to maximize ad revenue.

I think the YouTube videos will attract enough attention to get you a surprising about of money. Not something I would do to a Mac but I sure as hell would like to see it done! Certain tech pages will pick up on it too and link your youtube video because if done right it would be really cool.

This is assuming you can even do it. Personally without an overly expensive level of manufacturing I have my doubts its a feasible idea. And even then like I mention without leaning on ad revenue I don't think it will be that profitable due to a very limited customer base.

EDIT: I see it already been done albeit not very elegant but still cool none the less.