Cleaning a new Mac mini

[Crowbot]

I’m from the old school where I opened my computers occasionally to clean out the dust. I have a 2017 27” iMac and I’ve opened it twice since I bought it. No more. (Damn Jony Ive for eschewing screws.)

I’m thinking of buying a new Mac Mini and I was wondering if anyone had opinions on how easy they might be to clean out. I did a quick look at iFixit’s teardown but anyone with hands on experience might know.

TIA

 

[Mr.Fox]

I’m from the old school where I opened my computers occasionally to clean out the dust. I have a 2017 27” iMac and I’ve opened it twice since I bought it. No more. (Damn Jony Ive for eschewing screws.)

I’m thinking of buying a new Mac Mini and I was wondering if anyone had opinions on how easy they might be to clean out. I did a quick look at iFixit’s teardown but anyone with hands on experience might know.

TIA

Cleanup is relatively easy. I have already disassembled it to reveal all the weaknesses of such a design and unfortunately I found them.A friend bought it. I've already taught him how to disassemble and reassemble it. I have not bought it for myself yet, as I am still in the process of production and I am engaged in milling of copper pad for water cooling. I want to mac mini to m4 (pro) convert to water cooling with chip cover scalping.
The plastic outer cover is made of crappy plastic. It's very thin. I warn you right away, it does not like bending when opening - it can easily crack or burst.
When disassembled, the protective screen on the back of the cover is irreparably damaged. Dust will eventually clog up and under the protective cover. The ears that need to be bent off with a plastic pick or spatula are not durable. They can crumble quickly.
When disassembling, the foam pads are damaged - they tear.
Look less at iFixet. They often skip certain disassembly steps and often disassemble incorrectly.

 

[Crowbot]

Cleanup is relatively easy. I have already disassembled it to reveal all the weaknesses of such a design and unfortunately I found them.A friend bought it. I've already taught him how to disassemble and reassemble it. I have not bought it for myself yet, as I am still in the process of production and I am engaged in milling of copper pad for water cooling. I want to mac mini to m4 (pro) convert to water cooling with chip cover scalping.
The plastic outer cover is made of crappy plastic. It's very thin. I warn you right away, it does not like bending when opening - it can easily crack or burst.
When disassembled, the protective screen on the back of the cover is irreparably damaged. Dust will eventually clog up and under the protective cover. The ears that need to be bent off with a plastic pick or spatula are not durable. They can crumble quickly.
When disassembling, the foam pads are damaged - they tear.
Look less at iFixet. They often skip certain disassembly steps and often disassemble incorrectly.

Thanks very much for the info. I spent my work repairing medical equipment and they can be as challenging. I’ve found that devices are designed to be either assembled or serviced. Usually not both. Apple used to do things right but double stick tape is not preferred.

 

[russell_314]

I would recommend compressed air or one of those new air blowers for electronics. I took apart my 2018 Mac mini and it wasn’t hard to disassemble it to the point to clean it with some air. Complete disassembly was another story. For the most part, I just blew air into the back vent while it was unplugged. If you’re living the Middle East or someplace where there’s a lot of sand it might be necessary to disassemble it. Perhaps consider a home air filter since this might help reduce the need.

 

[deckard666]

If we didnt want to open the Mac what sort of cleaning would you suggest ?

 

[MacCheetah3]

Perhaps consider a home air filter since this might help reduce the need.

I second this if anyway plausible. They are an added cost, however, also helps reduce general household cleaning and has health benefits.

 

[Crowbot]

I second this if anyway plausible. They are an added cost, however, also helps reduce general household cleaning and has health benefits.

I worked in an OR with positive pressure, HEPA filtered air and we still had dust. OR scrubs and other stuff still produced enough dust that I had to open and clean the equipment when I serviced it. It was a lot less than on the floors but it was still significant. Nothing beats cleaning.

 

[MacCheetah3]

I worked in an OR with positive pressure, HEPA filtered air and we still had dust. OR scrubs and other stuff still produced enough dust that I had to open and clean the equipment when I serviced it. It was a lot less than on the floors but it was still significant. Nothing beats cleaning.

True, although, the fine level of dust shouldn’t be a noticeable/notable performance impact.

Additionally…

There’s always going to be compromise. Even on devices that are designed to be “easily” serviceable, the more you disassemble/assemble them, the more wear and tear plus possibility of accidental damage. Additionally, IMO, it feels insanely tedious as I am err try to be a perfectionist. And so, even when cleaning a PC, for example, it’s a several hour task and I honestly still have disappointments. Because, even though I don’t smoke/vape or have otherwise extra gross(?) “dust,” it’s practically impossible to get every speck, and that bothers me. I’m confident I’ve probably spent at least an hour just cleaning a CPU before repasting — toothpicks, Q-Tips, soft bristle toothbrush, microfiber cloth. Quite frankly, I don’t feel like doing that routinely on a Mac mini, where the potential for damage is even higher and the task even more frustrating. Regular (and SFF) “PCs" are bad enough.

EDIT: I’m not discouraging proper maintenance. My agreeing to the the home/room air filter was that it’s a fair means to reduce necessary maintenance. With that said, even with Macs generally operating much cooler and quieter (i.e., need less air flow), I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to their designs including a user cleanable filter system.