How much long term dead weight can a mac mini hold?
I am looking for an actual answer - not a work around.
Don't say zero either because that's not true.
Mac mini, OS X Yosemite (10.10.2)
I have never seen that and I doubt that Apple ever gave a value. Good luck in finding a definite/correct value
There's only one way to find out. Pile more and more weight onto it until it's squashed.
That is not how you would find out long term weight. That is how you would find very short term crush weight.
Do the destructive test on one Mini. And then another one should safely be able to hold half that weight.
If you want more of a factor of safety just use 1/4 or less weight.
Not all devices are tested for all possible things that people can do with them so I doubt Apple did such a test.
"Not all devices are tested for all possible things . . . " ? You sarcastically acting as if I asked something rare or unusual.
It's perfectly normal to set something on large flat surfaces. This isn't like a tiny NUC, it isn't made of cheap plastic or pieces of cheap metal. It's a solid piece of aluminum machined to exact specifications. There's no air intake up there. Pressing on the apple symbol by itself might be a problem, but that's not what I'm asking.
The LC was made of cheap plastic, was real thin and could hold a 40 pound monitor for decades and never fail. It's not like I'm asking about something unusual that has never been done with a Macintosh. At the same time I do understand that most consumer monitors weigh far less than they did. I would expect an answer between 1 and 10 pounds. However, if it is more I would be pleasantly surprised.
If this were like the first mac mini which was in the shape of a cube, I might understand where some of you are coming from. But this is very flat and takes up a lot of real estate on a desk. It is not small enough to be attached to the back of a monitor like a NUC or a Wintel thin client. (You could force it, but it would be awkward.) My job is not dependent on my looking good or conspicuous wealth, so I don't need to show off the machined aluminum.
It could be that the design team at apple has gotten worse at making functional equipment, but I'm hoping that they haven't just decided to make worthless bling. If I'm wrong, maybe I was wrong in switching back and I should just buy a better made (Since it seems like everyone on this forum thinks the Macs are just cheaply-made bling.), faster, and upgradable Alienware Alpha.
Stop the silly answers please.
We here are users just like yourself, not Apple engineers. What you are asking
is not a spec that is publicly published. You may want to direct your question
to the Apple technical departments.
You say the new Mini is flat and takes up a lot of real estate on a desk;
but it can be set up on its side and run that way indefinitely. There also
have been stacking brackets for when these are used in server farms.
There were no silly answers to your nebulous request for information
that would generally be determined (in fact) by destructive testing at
a facility similar to how other products of durable necessity would be.
However, since nobody is suggesting anyone use these new metal
Minis as building blocks, insider people aren't going to tell if they know.
A limit would be first evidenced by a failure of the removable base plate.
And the port section along the back. Also, the wi-fi antenna in topcase.
In comparison, the new Mini external specs are about half the height and
only a few centimeters wide/deep; the newer (late 2012) that may have
dual hard disk drives inside, would weigh more, too. I have a recent Mini
and also the last model G4 produced. In the same room.
The means of placing the Mini on its side, securely, should resolve some
of the desk-wasting space. There also are third-party adapters to put the
unit on the back of a display, or elsewhere.
If it weren't near 2:30AM, perhaps some time would be dedicated to more
research on this weight question. Other things are weighing on my mind.
Good luck in any event... 🙂
Not sure but my 2012 Mini has a solid case and could probably hold some moderate weight. I have seen people put the monitor on top of the Mini. However I got a vertical stand from OWC and keep my Mini upright to use less desktop space.
Stop the silly answers please.
Silly questions deserve silly answers.
13.3KG (flat surface, sea level)
For those who land here and are looking for space saving ideas, this is one I was considering --
From the Apple Store:
From OWC:
hilltrot wrote:
Don't say zero either because that's not true.
But what if that is the official answer? See How to position your Mac mini
All of the user guides for the older minis with optical drives also say to never put anything on top. The newer minis don't have optical drives, that warning message, or any user guides for that matter.
Now where is that optical slot loading drive . . . .
And my Airport is located on the side . . . .
Still a fairly good answer, thanks.
Since a similar form-factor for Mini has been in place for nearly 4 years, if one
includes the last model with an optical drive built-in, of unified aluminum case,
the topic of placing objects on top of them has been asked and answers had
been available online. A search can find several across the web; and more
than a few appeared in these ASC discussions.
•examples of similar question, results vary along with wording:
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=How+much+weight+can+Mac+Mini+hold
The rounded plastic base, and port section of the back, are not solid billet metal
and so would not sustain as heavy weight. And the actual thickness of those areas
which are machined aluminum are not necessarily super strong.
A tippy-effect can and has been noted, when heavy or tall objects have been
in place on top of a newer aluminum Mini, given the rounded base on those
which have access to the components inside. There had been metal stands
or partial case-like designed supports, that can be set above the Mini which
can support large displays and they disperse weight directly to a table.
The older larger form Mini could be more readily set on its side to save space
without as great an incidence of it falling over. As suggested above and by
me earlier in this thread, the idea to place the unit on its side gains space.
And there are several designs. Some are no longer produced, but available.
Given the newer Mini is about 7x7 inch (not including the rounded base) and
the older series was about 6.5x6.5 inch (& had a square bottom) it would be
a toss-up to consider which could actually hold more static weight. If one
were to place a display or other Minis on top, eventually the pile would tip.
Hopefully you'll have some safe experiences should you try new methods in
stacking weight on top of Minis for fun or profit. An old set of free-weights
and bathroom scale could be used in semi-destructive testing processes... 😝
How much weight can a Mac Mini hold?
