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Screwed up while trying to install SSD
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I've mentioned it in the past but got ridiculed: take a filter, cut a hole the size of the black bottom in the middle and rest the mini on it. After 3000 hours my fan is still very clean and no dust accumulation etc can be found around the antenna grille. No need to clean inside.
If you were to take off the heatsink then you would find that underneath there is also dust buildup, don't know how much but it can do the components not much good being covered in dirt and not be able to dissipate their heat.
Initially I used filter material used for our home ventilation system, now I use UNI BF-1 Unversal Filter Foam (Green) 12" x 16" x 5/8" (bulk) and cut that to size (US product). This is normally used for air inlets for motorbikes etc. and you can find it at a bike store.
The foam has the additional benefit of acting as a shock absorber between your desk and mini so that vibrations of disk and fan do not transmit through.
(I no longer rest the mini on some rubber feet as I had initially)
Just make sure to use the proper material, normal foam has a closed cell construction and does hardly let air through (if any). The uni foam was designed for the airfilter use.
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I hope this post is not ridicule MJL... 
But.. I have a different view.
I would advise strongly against cutting or drilling holes in the black base or leaving the black base of and here is why. If you note my post above, the Mac Minis have a unique "totally against all logic" patent that is exceptionally effective in cooling the Hard Drives, Logic Board and CPU all in one. If you look on the black base you will note it has a seal half way across (Across the stainless steel flat screws holding the hard drive and mesh in place). Basically the MM is sealed completely around the RAM/Fan area. So how does this cool? Well you might also note the black base IS NOT sealed around the front edge covering the grill over the Hard Drive. This is the inlet for the fan. Many people don't know this. Put your hand on that edge when base is on and you can feel the air being drawn in. The air is drawn in through that front "non-sealed" edge at the front. It then goes through the mesh covering the hard drive. This is where 99% of the dust is trapped. You simple clean the mesh every few months. The air is drawn throughout the Hard drives (this would not happen is you drill holes in the bottom). The air is then drawn under the sealed edge and up through the edge where the fan and hard drive are attached. It is then drawn into the top of the fan where two things happen... It collies the logic board but it also expels the air out the back vent. This is the most important part. As it is expelled, it is drawn through the chambers of the heat sink. They are like square pipes. The heat sink further cools the CPU. Then the air is expelled out the back. There is no dust unless you have cut the sealed area open. Most importunely the hard drives, Wifi, logic board, RAM and CPU are all cooled. That is why the system is patented. It is pure genius. Cutting holes in the lack base will destroy the air flow to the hard drive, in particular the top had drive (top being the one on top when the MM is turned in the correct position). That is if you have two drives. I know it sound ridiculous but sealing up the mac mini actually cools it significantly. My modified MM in the pics above runs at 25-35' C. That is about 95'F I think. My MM server (i7 Quad with 1TB Scorpio Blue and 256 OCZ SSD) runs at about 5'c more.
Here is a real trick to cool your MM by about 10-15%. Use arctic silver on the heat sink to start with. Arctic Silver will take about 200 hours to bed in but after that it is cool as ice. Then buy a Newer Technology alloy stand to stand the MM on its side. This works wonders with the front vent and keeps the top and bottom cool (with turns out to be the sides when you turn the MM on is side). The MM also uses far less space so you can slot it beside the Laptop or Flat Screen TV. Also the cables don't run over the exhaust vent further increasing the flow.
Please DON'T DRILL HOLES IN THE BLACK BASE!! They draw in dust and actually STOP THE AIR FLOW.
See this link:
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patent...mini-from-design-to-removable-hard-drive.html
I have seen a website, but can't find it now, where a guy did a test and found MM on the side reduces temp by 10% and using arctic silver also reduces the temp by 10%. So I did both on my MM's and they run so cool.
Having said all that, if you can't use the MM fan then your system MJL is easily the best. If I had to use a non MM fan I would open the bottom completely so the Hard drives are also cooled.
Silver
P.S. my user name has nothing at all to do with arctic silver paste lol. I just realised it looks like I am trying to plug the stuff. But do your home work. there is nothing better.
But.. I have a different view.I would advise strongly against cutting or drilling holes in the black base or leaving the black base of and here is why. If you note my post above, the Mac Minis have a unique "totally against all logic" patent that is exceptionally effective in cooling the Hard Drives, Logic Board and CPU all in one. If you look on the black base you will note it has a seal half way across (Across the stainless steel flat screws holding the hard drive and mesh in place). Basically the MM is sealed completely around the RAM/Fan area. So how does this cool? Well you might also note the black base IS NOT sealed around the front edge covering the grill over the Hard Drive. This is the inlet for the fan. Many people don't know this. Put your hand on that edge when base is on and you can feel the air being drawn in. The air is drawn in through that front "non-sealed" edge at the front. It then goes through the mesh covering the hard drive. This is where 99% of the dust is trapped. You simple clean the mesh every few months. The air is drawn throughout the Hard drives (this would not happen is you drill holes in the bottom). The air is then drawn under the sealed edge and up through the edge where the fan and hard drive are attached. It is then drawn into the top of the fan where two things happen... It collies the logic board but it also expels the air out the back vent. This is the most important part. As it is expelled, it is drawn through the chambers of the heat sink. They are like square pipes. The heat sink further cools the CPU. Then the air is expelled out the back. There is no dust unless you have cut the sealed area open. Most importunely the hard drives, Wifi, logic board, RAM and CPU are all cooled. That is why the system is patented. It is pure genius. Cutting holes in the lack base will destroy the air flow to the hard drive, in particular the top had drive (top being the one on top when the MM is turned in the correct position). That is if you have two drives. I know it sound ridiculous but sealing up the mac mini actually cools it significantly. My modified MM in the pics above runs at 25-35' C. That is about 95'F I think. My MM server (i7 Quad with 1TB Scorpio Blue and 256 OCZ SSD) runs at about 5'c more.
Here is a real trick to cool your MM by about 10-15%. Use arctic silver on the heat sink to start with. Arctic Silver will take about 200 hours to bed in but after that it is cool as ice. Then buy a Newer Technology alloy stand to stand the MM on its side. This works wonders with the front vent and keeps the top and bottom cool (with turns out to be the sides when you turn the MM on is side). The MM also uses far less space so you can slot it beside the Laptop or Flat Screen TV. Also the cables don't run over the exhaust vent further increasing the flow.
Please DON'T DRILL HOLES IN THE BLACK BASE!! They draw in dust and actually STOP THE AIR FLOW.
See this link:
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patent...mini-from-design-to-removable-hard-drive.html
I have seen a website, but can't find it now, where a guy did a test and found MM on the side reduces temp by 10% and using arctic silver also reduces the temp by 10%. So I did both on my MM's and they run so cool.
Having said all that, if you can't use the MM fan then your system MJL is easily the best. If I had to use a non MM fan I would open the bottom completely so the Hard drives are also cooled.
Silver
P.S. my user name has nothing at all to do with arctic silver paste lol. I just realised it looks like I am trying to plug the stuff. But do your home work. there is nothing better.
I hope this post is not ridicule MJL...
...
P.S. my user name has nothing at all to do with arctic silver paste lol. I just realised it looks like I am trying to plug the stuff. But do your home work. there is nothing better.
Just a few remarks here:
1) The holes I made are exactly under the antenna grille and were made to enhance the air intake - i.e. make it easier for higher fan speeds to get the air in.
2) Tuniq TX-4 is a thermal paste that works well with badly fitting heatsinks (i.e. large gaps, not smooth surfaces) as in the Apple Mac mini. For "lapped" (closely fitting) surfaces Arctic Silver is the best. I assembled without thermal past and could see how badly fitting the heatsink was so no way would I use Arctic silver (which is my favorite by the way)
Please get your facts straight, thank you.
Peace to all and I'm gone from here.
You're right. Holes can be drilled in the non-sealed chamber if one chooses. I still wouldn't do it. I would prefer to file down the edge of the black base if you want to achieve increased airflow. Each to their own.
I agree with the horible fitting of the heat sink. I don't know who was the designer on the machining of the surface. Must have been the day that only the apprentice turned up for work. But on the Arctic Silver suitability 'fact', it is runny and some might argue is not suited, but it hardens after a weeks use. The installation outlines this so I think it can still be used on Mini Macs.
Anyway this post was more about how to get a fan to work. I hope your system is running well, and I appreciate the info on Tuniq TX-4. I might get hold of some.
Silver.
I agree with the horible fitting of the heat sink. I don't know who was the designer on the machining of the surface. Must have been the day that only the apprentice turned up for work. But on the Arctic Silver suitability 'fact', it is runny and some might argue is not suited, but it hardens after a weeks use. The installation outlines this so I think it can still be used on Mini Macs.
Anyway this post was more about how to get a fan to work. I hope your system is running well, and I appreciate the info on Tuniq TX-4. I might get hold of some.
Silver.
Silly question perhaps, but wouldn't it be fairly easy just to solder the fan cable directly onto the pads on the board?
Forget the connector, just take the fan cable, cut the connector off, strip the wire back and tin the ends and then solder directly onto the motherboard. You could also extend the cable somewhat so that you can still take the Mini apart if you want to, even with the fan cable attached.
I am no genius when it comes to soldering, but a couple of wires onto the PCB surely can't be that difficult. A soldering iron with a nice fine tip and a it's 2 minute job, I would have thought.
Forget the connector, just take the fan cable, cut the connector off, strip the wire back and tin the ends and then solder directly onto the motherboard. You could also extend the cable somewhat so that you can still take the Mini apart if you want to, even with the fan cable attached.
I am no genius when it comes to soldering, but a couple of wires onto the PCB surely can't be that difficult. A soldering iron with a nice fine tip and a it's 2 minute job, I would have thought.
I hope this post is not ridicule MJL...
Sorry, took out the rest of the quote to avoid creating clutter. Thank you for fully explaining this, as it isn't well known. My only question is, why do I get huge drops in temp when i just keep the bottom off completely then? Removing the bottom kept my fans from up-spinning unless gaming, which I have a cooling stand for now.
I know you are correct with the mini's fan design, but i would have thought that removing the bottom would cause the airflow to not be directed the same.
Thanks for everyones awesome input so far!
Its not a silly question and I tried it. See my pics in my posting above. I bought the finest soldering iron I could find. I could get three wires soldered but not four and I could not separate the solder easily. I was destroying the logic board with each attempt because the heat the solder the next wire would melt the previous. I am also not an expert in soldering, but I am sure the electronics guru at the soldering olympics could do it.
Most likely because the temp you are referring to is the CPU temp only. SMC fan control shows the CPU temp which is affected by the direct blowing of the fan and the cool air running though the chambers in the heat sink. So it is definitely possible that the CPU drops more with the black bas of. BUT you are getting no air across your hard drives if you remove the base. I run two drives in my Mac Mini. And the hottest ones at that (Solid State Drive and the 1TB Scorpio Blue) so "All ROund" Cooling is more important to me. If you fork out a few dollars, get app MiStat App. It shows all the temp points (not just CPU).
One of my Macs is also the i7 Quad core Sever which doesn't have the better graphics card of the Dual Core so again maybe your config is cooler because the graphics card is also cooled down.
I also note the many posts on the massive difference in many peoples Mac Mini's with temp variance.
Anyway, I guess what I am saying is everyones config is different, so experiment with the best options.
My only points on your suggestion of the base of is:
Dust build up will be significantly more with the base of so there is short term gain of temp loss but long term dust build up. That could be fatal and will gum up the fan a lot earlier. If you are going to leave the base of then follow MJL's tips and other posters that have chosen a mod like leaving the base of or drilling holes. MJL probably has the best option I think of only drilling holes in the non sealed chamber. This still keeps the drives and other side of the logic board cool.
Second: Play around with configurations. You can always buy a second black base. I don't think they are that expensive and only take a second to replace.
Third.: I prefer the original Mac aesthetics without mods. I only modified mine because I broke it so that is my preference. If you like to do mods and heavy gaming, over clocking etc then your suggestions might be worth experimenting with.
Anyway. Don't follow my set up exactly if yours works better for you! lol
My post here was more about a fan modification setup using all apple parts (See previous page). My mod works great for me because Hard Drive integrity is my most important concern. not gaming or heavy duty CPU work. I think I would only try MJL's mod noted above (if I wanted to increase airflow significantly). That would also work for me in focusing on Hard Drive integrity with holes drilled only in the non-sealed intake chamber.
But my 'modified' MM (see photos in previous posts/page) sits on around 30'c so I am not changing anything!!
Silver.
When gaming/HD movie streaming, all other temps in my 2.5 mini never reach anything over 65*, so I figured the cpu is mostly what I am worried about.
Am I correct that most other components should not be harmed at those temps?
Am I correct that most other components should not be harmed at those temps?
Well I'm no expert in temps but 65'c (I am assuming C) is still very good. It is warm but certainly not over heating, and some might argue is a good comfortable temp. If you want to know what temps are capable you will have to look at the device in question. Intel publishes the temp limits/stats on their CPUs. I believe the i5, i7 etc can go very hot, I think (don't quote me) in the 90's and above. That said, higher heat correlates with faster degradation of components.
Hard Drives usually have heat ratings on their case. If not certainly in the specs on the website.
Do the research on the GPU and WiFi.
All that said, I personally would not be concerned with your temp range.
My main heat concern is the very thin space between my OCZ Agility III SSD and the WD Scorpio Blue Hard Drives. It is only a few millimetres so I am mostly looking to get air flow between the drives. Further, there is minimal space between the top case edge and the top hard drive. My Hard Drives alone cost about $800 so they are my prized possessions (yes I know you can get them cheaper but when I bought the Scorpio Blue 1TB it was cutting edge).
Silver
Kicking myself! - help me too please!
Found this thread relevant to my problem and sorry to butt-in, but I too need help please. Yesterday I removed the hard drive on my newly acquired (refurb) Mac Mini 2010 and attempted to install a SSD. Everything went fine until on trying to get the SSD to fit in, I accidentally snapped off the wires from the optical drive temp sensor connector on the logic board. The little plug which fits the socket on the board was destroyed and I was left with two wires still with the gold connectors on them. The temp sensor itself was possibly damaged as it seemed to be slightly bent. The socket on the logic board was fine though. At that point I now realise I should have stopped and got professional help.
Sadly though, I got in a bit of a panic and things went rapidly downhill. I proceeded to try to fix the problem. I managed to attach the wires to the pins in the socket, although I'd failed to note the polarity of the two wires, which I now realise I should have done. Then I put a drop of superglue on them to hold them in place! I can't believe how stupid that was, as now I realise that by doing that I've compromised the logic board! Then I taped the optical drive sensor back in place without being absolutely sure which way up it should go although I did it flat side down on the optical drive, same as the sensor I'd moved on the hard drive. Anyway, then I managed to get it all reassembled and the SSD in place, and the machine booted up and is now flying along with a SSD and 8 GB of RAM, but, you guessed it, the fan is now running non-stop at full speed.
I'm getting OK temperature readings in iStat from the HD (SSD) and the HD bay(?), but in iStat there's no mention of the optical drive. Same with Temperature Monitor. I've done an Apple Hardware test (short test), and it is showing an error code (4SNS/1/40000008:T00P--124) which as far as I can see from googling is indeed a sensor error.
I am really really cursing my total stupidity in using superglue on the logic board! Because what might have been a relatively inexpensive repair by Apple (or other repairers) has probably now turned into a logic board replacement! I just got in a panic, and thought I could get it to work, when what I should have done was stop and think about what I was doing.
I was wondering if maybe what might be wrong is the polarity of the sensor connections, or maybe if I disconnect the optical drive sensor altogether it might fix the problem, but really I don't have a clue, as I'm now out of my depth in a deep hole which I've dug for myself!
So do any of you kind people out there have any suggestions as to what I should do? Apart from a) cry, b) shoot myself, c) live with the full speed fan (not too bad I suppose but the fan will probably wear itself out and it's a constant reminder of my stupidity! or d) bite the bullet and get Apple to fix it. (£££s - ouch)
I'd be really grateful for any help or advice anyone can offer. Thanks.
Found this thread relevant to my problem and sorry to butt-in, but I too need help please. Yesterday I removed the hard drive on my newly acquired (refurb) Mac Mini 2010 and attempted to install a SSD. Everything went fine until on trying to get the SSD to fit in, I accidentally snapped off the wires from the optical drive temp sensor connector on the logic board. The little plug which fits the socket on the board was destroyed and I was left with two wires still with the gold connectors on them. The temp sensor itself was possibly damaged as it seemed to be slightly bent. The socket on the logic board was fine though. At that point I now realise I should have stopped and got professional help.
Sadly though, I got in a bit of a panic and things went rapidly downhill. I proceeded to try to fix the problem. I managed to attach the wires to the pins in the socket, although I'd failed to note the polarity of the two wires, which I now realise I should have done. Then I put a drop of superglue on them to hold them in place! I can't believe how stupid that was, as now I realise that by doing that I've compromised the logic board! Then I taped the optical drive sensor back in place without being absolutely sure which way up it should go although I did it flat side down on the optical drive, same as the sensor I'd moved on the hard drive. Anyway, then I managed to get it all reassembled and the SSD in place, and the machine booted up and is now flying along with a SSD and 8 GB of RAM, but, you guessed it, the fan is now running non-stop at full speed.
I'm getting OK temperature readings in iStat from the HD (SSD) and the HD bay(?), but in iStat there's no mention of the optical drive. Same with Temperature Monitor. I've done an Apple Hardware test (short test), and it is showing an error code (4SNS/1/40000008:T00P--124) which as far as I can see from googling is indeed a sensor error.
I am really really cursing my total stupidity in using superglue on the logic board! Because what might have been a relatively inexpensive repair by Apple (or other repairers) has probably now turned into a logic board replacement! I just got in a panic, and thought I could get it to work, when what I should have done was stop and think about what I was doing.
I was wondering if maybe what might be wrong is the polarity of the sensor connections, or maybe if I disconnect the optical drive sensor altogether it might fix the problem, but really I don't have a clue, as I'm now out of my depth in a deep hole which I've dug for myself!
So do any of you kind people out there have any suggestions as to what I should do? Apart from a) cry, b) shoot myself, c) live with the full speed fan (not too bad I suppose but the fan will probably wear itself out and it's a constant reminder of my stupidity! or d) bite the bullet and get Apple to fix it. (£££s - ouch)
I'd be really grateful for any help or advice anyone can offer. Thanks.
Im fairly sure that it is actually around 105+*C when damage occurs, and that at around the 100* range the chips are designed to force a shut down to prevent further damage.
I 100% agree, and always run smc fan control with a presets made for light, medium, heavy, to keep the system cool. The mini's fans have always been extremely reliable, and I would rather replace a cheap fan than a CPU anyday!
This is why I ended up leaving my stock 500gb out and going with a 2tb external.
Looks like its around 80*C for my vertex4. Couldn't find anything on on manufacture website for the 6630m, but I am sure that 65*C is pretty safe.
Woooo... you're in deep doo doo.
I would suggest starting a new thread to attract answers for that specific problem. It is similar to this thread but we're talking about the fan plug, not the one for the optical drive. You might want o request someone to load pics of where the wires go when properly configured?
With the fan issue, it sound like you have short circuited the fan connections on the logic board? If you have scratched or wrecked the circuit board you can try liquid solder (a silver or carbon based glue). My experience with that is that it doesn't work but it is not that expensive to try. It is more for circuit board repairs anyway.
I have MM's without the optical drive so I can't visualise the prob. Having said that I am guessing it is where the extra sata connector is on the MM 2011.
There is a guy on eBay that advertises logic board repairs but he is in the US so not sure where you live. $220.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mac-mini...ultDomain_0&hash=item35b7e7773a#ht_2721wt_850
If you can't get the optical drive to work throw it out and buy an Apple SuperDrive. Your in the exact same position as an MM 2011 owner, except you can't install a second hard drive (which most don't do).
----------
"This is why I ended up leaving my stock 500gb out and going with a 2tb external."
You can drop in a 2.5" 1.5TB Seagate Freeplay. Thats close to 2TB and wouldn't be external. It is thicker than the standard 9.5mm laptop drive but does fit I believe if it is by its self. Also 2TB 2.5" drives are available now but I also don't believe any of them are 9.5mm thick. And it they are Western Digital they are unlikely to have a sata interface if they come from a portable drive.
forget about fixing it it will cost too much. Never never never never never never glue a logic board. That said you have a work around cost is low.
I will post photos on the better looking low cost fix. I found a 25 dollar fix.
Thanks for replying Silverjam. Yes, deep do doo! Don't think I've damaged the logic board though cos it's just the connector for the optical drive temperature sensor which I screwed up. The optical drive is still working.
Sorry to break in to your discussion about the fan plug - thankfully I managed to remove and replace that ok!
I'm in Scotland, and I've just found a guy who does Mac repairs - not too far from me, so I'll see if he can help me out.
Thanks again.
PS - big respect for all you guys talking about thermal paste replacement etc. - makes me shiver just thinking about going that deep into computer repairs!
Cheers!
Sorry to break in to your discussion about the fan plug - thankfully I managed to remove and replace that ok!
I'm in Scotland, and I've just found a guy who does Mac repairs - not too far from me, so I'll see if he can help me out.
Thanks again.
PS - big respect for all you guys talking about thermal paste replacement etc. - makes me shiver just thinking about going that deep into computer repairs!
Cheers!
[QUOTE=philipma1957 Never never never never never never glue a logic board.
Yes, thank you - I would add several thousand more nevers and realise how badly I have eff'd up. Now I can't stop kicking myself! Would still appreciate your advice on a fix though. Please read my reply to Silverjam above.
Really appreciate these quick replies. I've been lurking on MacRumors forums for years but these are my first posts due to my stupid botched repair.
Thanks again.
Yes, thank you - I would add several thousand more nevers and realise how badly I have eff'd up. Now I can't stop kicking myself! Would still appreciate your advice on a fix though. Please read my reply to Silverjam above.
Really appreciate these quick replies. I've been lurking on MacRumors forums for years but these are my first posts due to my stupid botched repair.
Thanks again.
Thanks silverjam, I'll check it out.
It's nearly 4am here now so I'll check the thread again tomorrow.
Maybe I can lift the fan off again tomorrow (without disconnecting it), and take a photo so you guys can see exactly what I did!
Cheers!
It's nearly 4am here now so I'll check the thread again tomorrow.
Maybe I can lift the fan off again tomorrow (without disconnecting it), and take a photo so you guys can see exactly what I did!
Cheers!
Silver, I'm about 1/2 way done with the modification you laid out (wires cut and tested off wall charger, hole drilled, usb wire threaded through chassis) but I had 1 question for this thread and then I'm going to start a new thread asking for your input/knowledge on applying the heat sink compound. As a novice, I had never heard of heat sink prior to getting myself in this mess.
First question, (I have yet to solder anything) I have the USB running through the back casing, drilled in the same spot you do, and I bent back the (two layers) metal to make room for USB cable. I then have it running in between (above) the logic board and below the heat sink area where the fan expels the air. Then I have it coming up to the right (as you look at it) of the cowling (left of the fan, as you look at it) I think how you have it.
The question, is that consistent with the way you navigated the wires and is it a problem that the white USB cable is making contact with the logic board?
Thanks,
LE
Are you suggesting it is a possible problem because of the possibility of the USB wire rubbing and potentially short circuiting on the logic board?
Well the wire is double shielded but I see your point. When I routed the cable in between the het sink and logic board I noticed it was a firm fit, but I didn't feel at the time there was any problem. There is also no movement of the wire to cause rubbing.
Hard to say if that is a problem or not. Personally it wasn't for me and has not caused any issues.
Also yes, the way you wired it sound exactly how I did it.
Point to note, the MM Heat Sink is spring pressure loaded from memory (I think), so make sure your USB wire is not so fat that it is actually causing a gap in between the sink and the CPU face. How do yo know? Well I guess it is common sense based on how tight the fit is with the wire.
For me I remember the routing of the wire as fairly easy and I could slide the wire back and forth so it was slightly firm but comfortable.
The routing path is really up for option. I routed it the way I did because it seemed the cleanest method that looks good from the outside as well, but I am sure there are multiple paths to take.
I guess just make sure there is nothing that can cut the wire. You already mentioned the silver metal shield behind the back black peripheral board so watch any potential edges.
Make sure you get the wires around the right way so the fan is turning correctly. It needs to push air out the back vent. I have mentioned this in more detail in above posts. Run a few tests before you solder and tape everything down because yours or my wiring may be different.
Silver
Exactly, I wasn't sure if some contact between cable and logic board was OK or not. I take your point that though that friction would be the problem, and if there is not movement of the USB wire, then there should be no friction.
Thanks.
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing-Mac-Mini-Mid-2011-Heat-Sink/6418/1#.T7pCHY5zrlI
See this for instructions on removing the heatsink.
I use Arctic Silver 5 heat sink paste and so does ifixit.
One of the other forum members has suggested Tuniq heat sink paste in one of the posts above in this tread. I disagree with him, but accept his point the the matching of the heatsink surface and cpu surface is not the best. But I have used Arctic Silver 5 on both my Mac Minis, two Mac Book Airs and various laptop PC with no problems.
Just make sure you don't use too much paste (or two little). Do a few web searches on this or watch you tube if you have never done it. Or you can always do one application and then check the spread of the paste, clean it again and then reapply for the final go. I use pure Methylated Spirit (Alcohol) to clean the old past of and clean the surface. Use tissues and cotton ear buds. make sure both surfaces are immaculate.
In summary, there is a lot of material on the internet on heatsink installation and Arctic Silver (or Tuniq) has application details on their website. Note finally, you can get the paste easy on ebay, and squirt out the first 5% or so of the syringe and throw it because it can be a touch oily with the first little bit (i.e. make fur you get the pure silver mix).
See this for instructions on removing the heatsink.
I use Arctic Silver 5 heat sink paste and so does ifixit.
One of the other forum members has suggested Tuniq heat sink paste in one of the posts above in this tread. I disagree with him, but accept his point the the matching of the heatsink surface and cpu surface is not the best. But I have used Arctic Silver 5 on both my Mac Minis, two Mac Book Airs and various laptop PC with no problems.
Just make sure you don't use too much paste (or two little). Do a few web searches on this or watch you tube if you have never done it. Or you can always do one application and then check the spread of the paste, clean it again and then reapply for the final go. I use pure Methylated Spirit (Alcohol) to clean the old past of and clean the surface. Use tissues and cotton ear buds. make sure both surfaces are immaculate.
In summary, there is a lot of material on the internet on heatsink installation and Arctic Silver (or Tuniq) has application details on their website. Note finally, you can get the paste easy on ebay, and squirt out the first 5% or so of the syringe and throw it because it can be a touch oily with the first little bit (i.e. make fur you get the pure silver mix).
I was able to thread the cord under the heat sink without removing it. It did slightly nudge back towards the front of the unit, and then I was able to nudge it back. I'm not sure if this warrants applying new thermal paste or not.
It's the application of the thermal paste that I'm unclear on, and would love to see a link or video to that. I see options when I search for video's but nothing specific to the MM setup.
Ifixit does have the following link http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Applying-Thermal-Paste/744/2 but it only references to the application of the paste to the processors, and actually closes with this "You do not need to apply any thermal paste on the heat sink(s)."
It's the application of the thermal paste that I'm unclear on, and would love to see a link or video to that. I see options when I search for video's but nothing specific to the MM setup.
Ifixit does have the following link http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Applying-Thermal-Paste/744/2 but it only references to the application of the paste to the processors, and actually closes with this "You do not need to apply any thermal paste on the heat sink(s)."
You clean all the old gunk off so the surface of the processor/s are mirror clean and the surface of the contact area of the heat sink si also clean. You then place a bead about the size of a rice grain or a piece of uncooked spaghetti about 5-7mm long on the processor mirror surface. You then place the heatsink neatly on top, making sure you square it as you put it in place so the the paste is spreading evenly as you push lightly down. You then just put all the screws back in and screw the heat sink down in a uniform motion (i.e. don't just screw one edge down so there is an angle. keep it level.
Really all you are doing is making sure the heat can conduct heat from the cpu through to the sink so the fan can cool the sink and dissipate the CPU heat. If there is air or a gap then there is no conduction and the CPU can't transfer the heat into the sink. The conduction only occurs at the point there the two surfaces directly meet. It is sort of like glueing the two surfaces together, but doing it through removing all air pockets (at the micro level).
Really all you are doing is making sure the heat can conduct heat from the cpu through to the sink so the fan can cool the sink and dissipate the CPU heat. If there is air or a gap then there is no conduction and the CPU can't transfer the heat into the sink. The conduction only occurs at the point there the two surfaces directly meet. It is sort of like glueing the two surfaces together, but doing it through removing all air pockets (at the micro level).