Could the sound be from internal hard disk? How about replacing the mechanical or fusion drive with a 500GB hard disk? This will fix some of the problems you might be having with noise and also your Mac Mini will run a lot cooler.
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Mac mini - Silent alternative
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Could the sound be from internal hard disk? How about replacing the mechanical or fusion drive with a 500GB hard disk? This will fix some of the problems you might be having with noise and also your Mac Mini will run a lot cooler.
Quick tip, remove the bottom panel and put the mini on it's side. It will lower the heat of the CPU and lower the fan speeds, but other components don't get the same cooling effect as with the cover on! Beware.
^
So.. You could hide the "alternative" away so that you wouldn't see it. But you couldn't hide the Mini away so that you wouldn't hear it?
What a silly post/thread...
And unless it can run OS X natively, then the alternative really is no alternative. At all.
The Mac mini needs a new cooling system and an external power supply.
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And your Mac mini is a non-personal computer (PC)?
My sister needs a windows machine upgrade badly. she has all sorts of issues with the fan pegging at max speed and I have been unable to fix it. Its like once I track down whats causing it and shut it down a few days later something else pops up causing the same issue.
My sister hates her computer because its so slow and loud. I want to get her a mini but I just dont think she will be happy with the noise it makes.
This fan less computer looks nice but it throttles the machine badly so not much good to me.
My sister hates her computer because its so slow and loud. I want to get her a mini but I just dont think she will be happy with the noise it makes.
This fan less computer looks nice but it throttles the machine badly so not much good to me.
I have the late 2012 mini and it doesn't make any noise under normal usage. The fan will make noise is you throw some of the newer games at it or Prime95. For movies, internet, email, iPhoto, iTunes, editing documents... you won't even hear it. My wife loves it.
It's more prone to physical damage as an external component.
In addition, damage to the cable becomes more expensive to replace.
Further, the huge power bricks are a hassle to find space for and annoying for people with organized desks/computing areas.
And to address the issue of heat, it really didn't do us any favors on the core 2 duo minis. They still ran hot. You have a very small form factor with lots of components inside. It's pretty much inevitable that a machine of this type will run hot. You could evaluate liquid cooling but leaky G5s is something Apple is not likely to forget. And frankly, a liquid cooling system would probably require a bigger mini.
I do not see this problem with my two 17" MBPs, which have external power supplies. So i do not see a problem with the Mac mini and an external power supply.
It seems you never heard a PC for a long time. Virtually ALL PCs make more noise than equivalent Macs, including laptops.
Obviously you don't move them very often. A MacBook (Pro) charger's power cord is the part most likely to be damaged beyond repair. Preferably right near the plug, since it can't be opened and soldered back. This is typically not covered by warranty, and a replacement is $100.
;-)
I travel a few 1000 kilometers/year with one of my MBPs (including the charger). No stability problems.
Cheap, compared to other options. I think external power supplies are not the problem.
Often, a MacBook (Pro) charger will do just fine for the whole Mac life. However, it was actually disturbingly frequent that, on previous generation chargers with the "sugar cube" Magsafe plug, the low voltage cable had a strong tendancy to wear itself to the point of shortcircuit inside the insulation, which was not covered by warranty. Even the "aluminum tube" style of Magsafe plug isn't entirely free from this problem, even though the low voltage cable is sturdier.
White MacBook: charger cord broken in the plug itself. Unrepairable.
Previous unibody MacBook: charger replaced twice under warranty for failure in the cable. Mac sold after AppleCare expired.
Current MacBook Pro: charger low voltage cord failed close to the brick. Warranty denied. Crack opened brick, used electrical domino to join wires back. Too cramped to actually solder it back. Strain relief gone, brick held together with electrical tape. Too fragile leave home now, as water from dripping boots would easily get inside when laid on the floor of coffee shops in winter. Around the same time, I accidentaly let the long cord make its way in a turned on radiator. Cord fried in a big spark.
A $100 charger is very cheap compared to a $3000 machine, sure. But compared to a $500 used MacBook, that's another story.
My suspicion: laptops and chargers from people who haul them on foot all day long take much more of a beating than professional laptops moved from time to time in a motor vehicle.
It all comes down to the acoustics of the room and the space between the user and computer. If OP has placed his Mac Mini very close to him or if his room is very empty this would be reflected by any computer he would put in (as with all electronic devices, there is always noise).
Or the fans are full of dust. Try to vacuum as often as possible.
Or the fans are full of dust. Try to vacuum as often as possible.
What sort of C4D work do you do? I'm looking at a Mini and do a good bit of Maya work (mostly animation, not much rendering) but haven't found a lot of people running 3D apps on the new Mini.
