How Hot Does the New Mac Mini Run?

[slickadam]

Originally Posted by 53x12

So that is what, 87-88 C?

I think my Mini is crazy
I have made a similar test (Prime95 Torture Test + Safari playing 1080p YT video + ...), and - though the temp of the CPU was way higher this time (around 89°C ~ 192°F) - the fan just didn't move, stayed at stock speed (1800 rpm) ---> dead silent (proved it again).
Stupppid little Mac

Edit: (Base Mini, Room Temp: ca. 22°C)

[53x12]

Originally Posted by philipma1957

SCREEN shot base mini running netflix a few more windows of safari and prime 95 torture test. time is 4:03 pm

So here is mine. Ran Prime 95 torture test, Safari with Hulu running in background with a Handbrake conversion going. The temps I saw were from 92-96 C with the temps typically averaging around 94 C.

I just don't get all this hoopla about the i7 being an "oven". These temps are very respectable and nothing to worry about. the i7 Mac mini operates just fine underload.

This test is with a '12 2.3 i7 Mini.

[dasx]

Originally Posted by philipma1957

SCREEN shot base mini running netflix a few more windows of safari and prime 95 torture test. time is 4:03 pm

i5, right? Close to the 90s. My 2010 did hit the 90s too with a Core2Duo 2.4GHz. So the i7 in the same enclosure as that i5 makes sense that it hits 100ºC.

As we've talked before, Philip, the Mini should be around 5mm longer in every direction, with a bigger heatsink and fan. Just my opinion.

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Originally Posted by slickadam

I think my Mini is crazy
I have made a similar test (Prime95 Torture Test + Safari playing 1080p YT video + ...), and - though the temp of the CPU was way higher this time (around 89°C ~ 192°F) - the fan just didn't move, stayed at stock speed (1800 rpm) ---> dead silent (proved it again).
Stupppid little Mac

Edit: (Base Mini, Room Temp: ca. 22°C)

From several tests I've ran on my i7, fans seem to start spinning up above ~95ºC or ~200ºF.

[53x12]

Originally Posted by dasx

So the i7 in the same enclosure as that i5 makes sense that it hits 100ºC.

No it doesn't make sense as my i7 never hit 100C or even got close.

[slickadam]

Originally Posted by 53x12

So here is mine. Ran Prime 95 torture test, Safari with Hulu running in background with a Handbrake conversion going. The temps I saw were from 92-96 C with the temps typically averaging around 94 C.

I just don't get all this hoopla about the i7 being an "oven". These temps are very respectable and nothing to worry about. the i7 Mac mini operates just fine underload.

This test is with a '12 2.3 i7 Mini.

5500 rpm!!!! jesus!

[53x12]

Originally Posted by slickadam

5500 rpm!!!! jesus!

Yeah I know. I left fan control on auto and let OSX take care of that. System automatically increased fan speed as was needed.

[dasx]

Originally Posted by 53x12

I just don't get all this hoopla about the i7 being an "oven". These temps are very respectable and nothing to worry about. the i7 Mac mini operates just fine underload.

It's nothing wrong with it being an "oven". I say it fondly. It's hot. But if engineers gave their aproval then it won't fail. (Unless a problem appears).

It's just hot.

Gotta say though, I did my mod more because of the fan noise than the temp. I don't really care it it averages 100ºC during handbrake. What bothered me was the fan at 5500rpm and therefore the sound of turbine coming out of my desk. With the mod, it never goes over 3300rpm, and if I set it manually yo 2800rpm before starting, it doesn't go above 92ºC either.

[slickadam]

Originally Posted by dasx

From several tests I've ran on my i7, fans seem to start spinning up above ~95ºC or ~200ºF.

Philip's fan's speed was already 3300 at this point...hm..

[dasx]

Originally Posted by 53x12

No it doesn't make sense as my i7 never hit 100C or even got close.

And if I put mine inside a freezer it won't hit 50ºC. That doesn't mean hitting 60ºC is senseless.

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Originally Posted by slickadam

Philip's fan's speed was already 3300 at this point...hm..

I don't know. Just my case. That's an i5 though. The temperature control might be differently programmed.

EDIT: OK, I meant they START spinning up. Imagine the i5 hitting 95ºC. Fan starts spinning up and cools it down to 85ºC. Fans don't go back to 1800rpm (default) until temp has dropped to around 60ºC. At least that's what I've learned looking at mine.

[slickadam]

Originally Posted by dasx

It's nothing wrong with it being an "oven". I say it fondly. It's hot. But if engineers gave their aproval then it won't fail. (Unless a problem appears).

It's just hot.

a real desktop pc geek would kill himself seeing the temps we get.

[dasx]

Originally Posted by slickadam

a real desktop pc geek would kill himself seeing the temps we get.

lol yeah. He can always get dry ice and rip his computer apart in order to cool it down "properly".

[53x12]

Originally Posted by dasx

And if I put mine inside a freezer it won't hit 50ºC. That doesn't mean hitting 60ºC is senseless.

My values are not from any mini living inside a freezer being cooled by liquid nitrogen or any of the sorts. Just a stock i7, in a standard study at room temp of 24C. No fancy voodoo. No temps hitting over 100C under full load. Perfectly fine i7 mini running in the low to mid 90s while being stressed.

Originally Posted by dasx

It's nothing wrong with it being an "oven". I say it fondly. It's hot. But if engineers gave their aproval then it won't fail. (Unless a problem appears).

It's just hot.

Mid 90s is not hot for a computer under load. At idle, sure. But under load this is quite normal and not an oven. An oven would be a computer running at 130-140 C right before it dies.

Originally Posted by dasx

and if I set it manually yo 2800rpm before starting, it doesn't go above 92ºC either.

I thought even if you manually set fan speed with smcFanControl or the like, that OSX can still automatically over ride the manual setting to increase fan speed if needed?

[attis]

Only the 2010 was an oven - you could easily fit a slice of steak in the optical drive. The 2011 and 2012 are only good for slow cooking eggs or melting butter. Mine melted chocolate once. By accident, ehrm.

Anywho, seems the Mac Minis with their small mass and size don't have much retention against heat. It cools and heats really quickly and I agree it should and could have been a few mms bigger, to add a larger and quieter fan, bigger heatsink and better airflow. That said, the did do a good job fitting that much processing power in such a small package.

My 2.6 i7 goes down to ~35C, stays about 50-60C at "normal" load (mail, music, web, pdfs etc) and oftens hits 100-102C when using Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop heavily.

[dasx]

Originally Posted by 53x12

Mid 90s is not hot for a computer under load. At idle, sure. But under load this is quite normal and not an oven. An oven would be a computer running at 130-140 C right before it dies.

You lost me here. Look what intel says: Tjunction of your CPU is 105ºC.

What Tjunction is:

Tjunction Max is the maximum temperature the cores can reach before thermal throttling is activated. Thermal throttling happens when the processor exceeds the maximum temperature. The processor shuts itself off in order to prevent permanent damage.

Source, Intel.

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Originally Posted by 53x12

I thought even if you manually set fan speed with smcFanControl or the like, that OSX can still automatically over ride the manual setting to increase fan speed if needed?

I do it with iStat Menus. They stay as I say as long as I don't set the default profile again.

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Originally Posted by attis

My 2.6 i7 goes down to ~35C, stays about 50-60C at "normal" load (mail, music, web, pdfs etc) and oftens hits 100-102C when using Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop heavily.

Thank you. I was starting to think I was crazy.

[53x12]

Originally Posted by dasx

You lost me here. Look

Guess you didn't catch the sarcasm.


So can we just agree that the i7 Mini is not an oven and that triple digit temps are not the norm for an i7 mini under load?

[dasx]

Originally Posted by 53x12

So can we just agree that the i7 Mini is not an oven and that triple digit temps are not the norm for an i7 mini under load?

Yes: the Mini isn't an oven. Can't cook with it.
As for triple digits not being the norm, we can't tell. We're just 3 who have said their word here.

[JimT1701]

Originally Posted by slickadam

a real desktop pc geek would kill himself seeing the temps we get.

Yes my i7 3770 Windows box with Arctic Silver thermal compound under a massive Hyper 212 cooler it idles in the low 30's C and with handbrake cranking barely breaks 70C. Of course there is much more room in the massive case I built it in to run a lot of air around inside. There is just no room in the Mini as mine sits here at 63C as I type this message But it is still sable and snappy as hell, just a warm body.

[53x12]

Originally Posted by JimT1701

Yes my i7 3770 Windows box with Arctic Silver thermal compound under a massive Hyper 212 cooler it idles in the low 30's C and with handbrake cranking barely breaks 70C. Of course there is much more room in the massive case I built it in to run a lot of air around inside. There is just no room in the Mini as mine sits here at 63C as I type this message But it is still sable and snappy as hell, just a warm body.

Yup those are all valid factors that could very well help with the Mini cooling unfortunately aren't possible. If the CPU wasn't soldered, I would love to redo the thermal compound. I guess a stand to keep the mini on its side and maybe a laptop cooler are about the only options available until you move to the point of modding the bottom of the mini lid with a mesh grill.

[dasx]

Originally Posted by 53x12

Yup those are all valid factors that could very well help with the Mini cooling unfortunately aren't possible. If the CPU wasn't soldered, I would love to redo the thermal compound. I guess a stand to keep the mini on its side and maybe a laptop cooler are about the only options available until you move to the point of modding the bottom of the mini lid with a mesh grill.

The CPU is soldered in, the heatsink isn't. You can redo the thermal compound. Some users have done it (have read it over the time) but they didn't find any great improvement.

[JohnnyComeLatly]

I'd just say go buy it, plug it in, and then save the box. If it's running fans on high all the time, which I have a feeling it won't, then return it. I have a MBP that runs fans high all the time, until I finally put on a Flash blocker add-in. However, my base Mini fans rarely come on. The only time I notice them at all is when I do heavy video editing/rendering. Even then, the rise in noise is barely noticeable.

I then bought a MBA and will likely kick the MBP to a nice quiet, dark corner.

[Cape Dave]

I am wondering if anyone makes a nice looking stand with say a 200mm fan built in especially for cooling down the Mac Mini. Maybe aluminum or bamboo. Something classy.

I never have issues with my computers because I always have some serious wiggle room within the thermal envelope.

To me, it is a shame they do not make these a mm or 2 bigger with a bigger slower fan and better heat sink. Better to be safe than sorry, right?

[nikolajlr]

FWIW my Mac Mini 2012 2.6 GHz i7 cooks around 97C - 100C when being pushed (Handbrake + EyeTV-compression + 2 VMs) and that cranks the exhaust fan up to 5500 RPM. Quite noisy.

However when not pushing the CPU (filesharing + the 2 VMs - I'm running it as my server) it is silent.

My iMac 27 2011 3.4 GHz i7 stays at 67 C when running full CPU load and is way quieter than the Mini under full load.

Cheers,
Nikolaj