Cooling the Mac mini IIci

Electronics have many enemies – and first and foremost on that list is heat. Keeping my Mac mini inside the enclosed Mac IIci case did, in fact, significantly increase the operating temperature of the Mac mini, due to lack of airflow.

To improve airflow, and thereby cool down the thermals on the Mac mini, I installed a pair of USB fans from AC Infinity. Specifically, I purchased the AC Infinity Multifan S5 (80mm). These fans are primarily used to cool various electronics, including receivers and game consoles.

Each fan measures 3.2 x 3.2 x 1 inch with a total airflow rating of 52 CFM and noise output of 18dBA. Both fans come with dual ball bearing mechanisms, and feature grills facing each side. Each fan comes with removeable silicon mounts that serve two primary purposes: 1) to keep the fans from scratching the surfaces of the electronics they come in contact with, and 2) to absorb noise and minimize surface friction caused by fan vibration.

In terms of fan placement, I wanted to keep fans at both ends of the case. Because of the limited room inside the Mac IIci case, fan placement was a bit of an issue. In the end, it was a tight fit, but I was able to make it work.

Predictably, adding the fans inside the enclosed Mac IIci case created the necessary airflow to keep the Mac mini running cool. In the graph above (taken from iStat) we can see that the CPU temp for Core 4 dropped from an average of 165 degrees F to 124 degrees F with the addition of both fans.

The fans themselves have 4 settings that control both fans’ running speed (High, Medium, Low, and Off). My measurements were taken with the fans set at High speed.

With the fans in place, I can now run the Mac mini comfortably inside the Mac IIci case, without the worry of overheating.

Krishna December 26, 2018 AC infinity fans, Mac IIci, Mac Mini