Have you cleaned the vents and fan? The case on a Mini is super easy to take off. If you've never done that chances are that's the problem.
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Mac mini getting too hot under normal load?
- Thread starter HeavyMantra
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I have mine propped up on some old cassette cases
I made a pillar of five of them and balance the mini on it. It is running very hot since I upgraded to Big Sur and the computer seems to constantly be preparing for backups.
It seems my Mac Mini has destroyed the 64 GB factory RAM. Machine details:
Mac mini 2018 (6-Core Intel Core i7, 3.2 GHz)
64 GB RAM, 2 x 32 GB DDR4 2667 MHz (SK Hynix, HMAA4GS6MJR8N-VK)
2 TB APPLE SSD AP2048M
Panic crashes are now routine. Just booted the machine and leaving it idle will lead to a crash. Typical message
panic(cpu 6 caller 0xffffff8014db219a): Possible memory corruption:
memcheck agrees the memory has failed.
Yes, the machine is elevated to allow uninhibited airflow. Yes, the fan speed has been increased. A stainless steel pot of ice was used. While it lowered temperatures and seemed to delay crashes, it did not preclude them.
The first thought is to replace the SK Hynix, HMAA4GS6MJR8N-VK memory, but the memory temperature specification of 85°C (https://memory.net/product/hmaa4gs6ajr8n-vk-sk-hynix-1x-32gb-ddr4-2666-sodimm-pc4-21300v-s-dual-rank-x8-module/) appears to be in conflict with the CPU limit of 100°C. Did Apple make an engineering error in building a machine to self-destruct?
I have 64gb of original Apple RAM with a 2tb SSD and push my Mini very hard for extended periods, running GIS software in a 32gb Parallels Windows 10 VM. I make web maps that consist of (literally) millions of 256x256 tiles. Since last summer, I have exported over 20 million of these, frequently working with raster imagery source files in the 100gb to 150gb range. The exports can take anywhere from 3 to 16 hours, running continously. Usually running MacOS apps at the same time with over 50gb of total RAM usage. Most of the files I work with are on a pair of 2tb Samsung T7 external disks.
The mini gets very hot but I don't do anything special for cooling, it just sits on my desk in the open. Have never used any apps to check the temperature or control the fan speed. My attitude is: why should I?... it ain't broke so I won't try to fix it.
I only drive one 32" QHD (2560x1440) screen however, so that might be something different from what others do with their Mini's? This mini runs hot, just sitting there without a VM or any heavy processing though. I assume that's the way it's supposed to be? My 2012 2.6ghz i7 quad mini also ran quite hot, so I really wasn't expecting anything different from the 2018 model.
The mini gets very hot but I don't do anything special for cooling, it just sits on my desk in the open. Have never used any apps to check the temperature or control the fan speed. My attitude is: why should I?... it ain't broke so I won't try to fix it.
I only drive one 32" QHD (2560x1440) screen however, so that might be something different from what others do with their Mini's? This mini runs hot, just sitting there without a VM or any heavy processing though. I assume that's the way it's supposed to be? My 2012 2.6ghz i7 quad mini also ran quite hot, so I really wasn't expecting anything different from the 2018 model.
I am not working my i7 mini anything like as hard as @Boyd01 most of the time, so I cannot draw a direct longterm comparison. There are times though when it does work hard for extended periods, such as when exporting a long video from Screenflow or Handbrake for example. I no longer worry the way I used to when it was new.
My 32 gigs of ram is also factory fitted and I have the general impression Apple has crunched the numbers very effectively to work this out, so special cooling systems are likely unnecessary for most of us, and possibly counter productive. Mine also just sits on the table, though I make sure there is plenty of space behind to provide adequate ventilation.
My suspicion is that 3rd party fan apps are potentially damaging, because they can mess with the basis on which the machine was designed to run. I would have to trust Apple technicians more than my own guesswork on what might be right here.
Right now, as a test, I am exporting a long heavy video at high quality in Handbrake. The CPU is cranked up to 1100% according to iStat menu, so the fans are running at 4600rpm. The temperature fluctuates around 95-98 degrees and it all feels under control. The case is barely warm and that hasn't changed in the last half hour. When I first had the mini I am pretty sure the case would have been very hot at this stage. I don't have any real evidence to back this up, but have a general impression improvements have been made with Ventura.
Obviously none of us wants to have issues, so I hope @Myrmecophobe can sort this out. Where are you based? I ask, because you might be able to have this fixed/replaced under consumer law.
Part of me wants a new M2 mini when it comes out, however there is nothing I can really complain about with this i7 mini that is now 30 months old. Coming over from the Mac Pro I was initially very dubious about the mini, however it has proven totally reliable to date.
My 32 gigs of ram is also factory fitted and I have the general impression Apple has crunched the numbers very effectively to work this out, so special cooling systems are likely unnecessary for most of us, and possibly counter productive. Mine also just sits on the table, though I make sure there is plenty of space behind to provide adequate ventilation.
My suspicion is that 3rd party fan apps are potentially damaging, because they can mess with the basis on which the machine was designed to run. I would have to trust Apple technicians more than my own guesswork on what might be right here.
Right now, as a test, I am exporting a long heavy video at high quality in Handbrake. The CPU is cranked up to 1100% according to iStat menu, so the fans are running at 4600rpm. The temperature fluctuates around 95-98 degrees and it all feels under control. The case is barely warm and that hasn't changed in the last half hour. When I first had the mini I am pretty sure the case would have been very hot at this stage. I don't have any real evidence to back this up, but have a general impression improvements have been made with Ventura.
Obviously none of us wants to have issues, so I hope @Myrmecophobe can sort this out. Where are you based? I ask, because you might be able to have this fixed/replaced under consumer law.
Part of me wants a new M2 mini when it comes out, however there is nothing I can really complain about with this i7 mini that is now 30 months old. Coming over from the Mac Pro I was initially very dubious about the mini, however it has proven totally reliable to date.
I’ve actually always wondered this. I have an i5 2018, 32gb aftermarket ram. The fans spin up a lot, I run it on a 43” 4ktv as a monitor. And Ive always wondered if the 2160p display was taxing enough on it to contribute to the heat?
I tried switching to 1080p, and I could get used to it, but didn’t spend enough time to see. Also pixels are pretty big at that size so there’s that to consider
I really doubt running a display would overtax the machine. Probably depends more on what work you're actually doing on it. Also, if it's been around a while, dust could be a factor.
Maybe one memory DIMM might go bad (very rare ... they are pretty durable and built to run hot), but two at the same time ... the chances of that are astronomical. I suggest you run it with One DIMM. If it still crashes (including memcheck failure) then try it in the other slot.
Do the same with the other DIMM. Document your results.
While you might find you have one bad DIMM, my guess is that you will find you have a bad motherboard. IMHO, I don't think it's worth fixing. Before putting a bunch of money into a 5-year-old Mac, I think I would instead consider a M1-MacMini or a Mac-Studio.