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Mac Mini Mid 2011 Teardown

Mac Mini Mid 2011 Teardown

Step 1We received some big promises with the introduction of this new Mac Mini.The most exciting included:
  • Core i5 & i7 Processors
  • 500 & 750 GB HDD or 250 GB SSD
  • 2GB or 4GB DDR3 SDRAM
  • AMD Radeon HD graphics processor with 256MB of GDDR5 memory (2.5 GHz models only)
  • Thunderbolt and HDMI ports
  • SDXC card slot
  • Apple removed the optical drive from this Mini, but would characteristically love to sell you one for an additional $79.
  • Step 2Model Number A1347...This feels a little bit like dГ©jГ  vu.
  • The Mini's port layout seems only slightly different from last year's Mini:
    • Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet
    • FireWire 800
    • HDMI
    • Thunderbolt
    • Four USB 2.0 Ports
    • SDXC card slot
  • They look rather identical to the previous model...
  • Step 4The first thing out the h*le?The fan.
  • No surprises here.The new Mini has the same fan as the old Mini, and even the older Mini.
    • Sticking with the brushless, high blade density blower, this single fan is quiet and effective.
  • With a little wiggle this-a-way and a little wiggle that-a-way, we remove the antenna plate.
    • WOW!Look at that-- the plate is identical to the one from last year.We like to imagine what else you could do with a grill like that.
    • But wait-- was that an empty hard drive cable port next to it?
  • There is definitely plenty of room for a second hard drive underneath the first.The only deterrent is the availability of a second SATA hard drive-to-logic board cable.
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    Add Note Edit Step 10

    В В В  Our trusty spudger makes quick work of the Wi-Fi board's cables.

    В В В  More T6 screws hinder our path, but we will not be deterred.

    В В В  802.11n connectivity is possible thanks to a Broadcom BCM4331 "single-chip wireless solution."

    В В В  The Broadcom BCM20702 Single-Chip Bluetooth 4.0 Processor with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) support is identical to the chip found in the 13" MacBook Air we just took apart.

    В В В  View huge
    В В В  Image metadata


    Add Note Edit Step 11

    В В В  Just like in the previous Mac Mini, the heat sink is held in place by a bunch of spring-loaded T8 screws.

    В В В  Some of the screws were a little different, though.We found T6 screws that were screwed into the top of T8 screws.A screw within a screw ...

    Add Note Edit Step 12

    В В В  After de-routing a couple cables and unscrewing a few #0 Phillips screws, we were able to remove two antennas and the I/O wall from the logic board.

    В В В  The antennas are attached to the plastic I/O wall since wireless signals don't transmit well through metal.

    В В В  Ah ha, we meet again L-block.

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    Add Note Edit Step 13

    В В В  Main ICs on the underside of the logic board:

    В В В В В В В  Intel BD82HM65 Platform Controller Hub

    В В В В В В В  Intel V116A068 2.3 GHz Dual-Core i5

    В В В В В В В  Intersil ISL6364 Dual PWM Controller

    В В В В В В В  Parade PS8171 HDMI/DVI Level Shifter

    В В В В В В В  SMSC USB2513B USB 2.0 Hub Controller

    В В В В В В В  AELTA 8904C-F

    В В В В В В В  SMSC 1428-7 System Management Bus temperature sensor


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    Add Note Edit Step 14

    В В В  Big players on the top side of the logic board include:

    В В В В В В В  Intel L116IA35 Thunderbolt port controller IC, similar to that found on the Early 2011 21.5" iMac

    В В В В В В В  Broadcom BCM57765 gigabit ethernet and memory card controller

    В В В В В В В  Texas Instruments XIO2211 FireWire Controller

    В В В В В В В  Cirrus Logic 4206B Audio Controller



    В В В  One T6 screw holds the power supply in place.

    В В В  After removing a small metal bracket and twisting the AC power-in port, the power supply slides right out through the Mini's empty front.

    В В В  Look familiar to you, too?Good, then it's not just us.


    В В В  One more T6 screw and we can pull the IR sensor/receiver from the optical drive-- what?No optical drive?To make room for the additional hard drive option, Apple has removed the optical drive from this year's Mini and replaced it with some good old-fashioned emptiness.

    В В В  The IR sensor stares straight into the depths of our souls.Sorry buddy, you won't find your lost optical drive here.
    8 out of 10
    • No proprietary screws are found within the device.
    • You can easily upgrade your RAM and hard drive, as well as add a secondary drive.
    • There's no glue anywhere inside that needs to be removed while disa*sembling the Mini.
    • The CPU is soldered to the logic board and not user-upgradeable.
    • While not difficult to do, you still have to remove almost all the internals in order to replace the power supply.

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