Should I Worry About This Defect?

[xist]

Hi everyone,
I just got this refurbished Mac Mini M1 (I got it because it's a 2TB 16gb, same specs I had on my 2012 Mac Mini, so to make the switch easier). It was sold as in optimal condition, but looking at its back panel, I noticed this weird defect in the grid.
Should I be worried and return it? Frankly, I have no idea how can you even cause something like that, given it's pretty recessed. Anyway, I'm curious to hear what you think. At a glance, the computer is working fine, I haven't started working with it, but I tested the drive and checked things here and there without any issues. Let me know if I can do some more specific check-ups.

Cheers,

 

[StellarVixen]

Are those fins made of metal? Can you try to straighten it manually?

I wouldn't find it much of a deal.

 

[satcomer]

aThis could have happened if the last user had an NV external crash into the fin! Maybe a pair of middle pilers should carefully bend it back on your own!

 

[fisherking]

does everything work? will it bother you knowing it's there (as no one will see it). am guessing a gremlin pulled the bars apart to escape the mac, but otherwise... it's just bent. if you can live with it and everything works, i'd get on with life.

but do what feels best to you.

 

[carylee2002]

It doesn't affect performance...it is just the fin for the heat fan to let out hot air from the CPU. I be worried about the hdmi port...it looks like it went through hell to look like that.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Since you got a refurbished from someone ether than Apple, I would return that asap. There could be more damage that may not be readily noted or an internal problem that could randomly happen from time to time.

 

[ignatius345]

Looks like a very minor and unnoticable ding, but I guess it could indicate that it was dropped or something. I'd weigh the inconvenience of returning it against how well it's performing now.

My hunch is that if nothing seems to be broken and there's nothing obviously rattling around inside or something, it might just be fine. Besides the fan, it's not like there are a lot of moving parts in a Mac since HDDs were phased out.

 

[SRQrws]

Given the proximity of the bent fin to the HDMI port and given that the HDMI port was obviously used quite a bit, my guess is the former owner was reaching around the back of the Mini to plug in an HDMI cable and accidentally pressed the corner of the male connector into the fin. I doubt the bent fin came from dropping the Mini because the fin area is recessed slightly and there's no damage to the case nearby. If everything's working fine (including the HDMI port), my guess is you're good to go.

 

[ovbacon]

I'm curious how it is holding up? I guess it also matter how much you paid for it (no need to say) because that would also determine if the "damage" is worth it in my book.