So, I got my hands on the new Mac mini with the M4 chip, and man, was I itching to see what’s inside this little beast. I mean, they are saying it’s got this modular SSD thing going on like the Mac Studio and Mac Pro, and I gotta check it out.
First thing I did was grab my tools. You know, the usual suspects: screwdrivers, spudgers, the whole nine yards. I flipped the Mac mini over, and there it was, the bottom cover. It’s pretty straightforward to remove, just a few screws and it popped right off. Easy peasy.
- Unscrewed the bottom cover.
- Carefully lifted the cover.
Once I got the cover off, I was staring right at the guts of this thing. The logic board was front and center, and yeah, the SSD looked different. I pulled up some guides from iFixit to compare, just to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. Looks like the rumors were true. The SSD does seem like a separate module.
Digging Deeper
Next up, I wanted to see how hard it would be to get to the actual chip. This part was a bit trickier. I had to remove the fan assembly first. A few more screws, and it was out. With the fan out of the way, I could get a better look at the M4 chip.
Removing the Logic Board
- Detached the fan.
- Disconnected several cables.
- Carefully lifted the board out.
Getting the logic board out was a bit of a chore. There were a bunch of cables connected to it. I made sure to label everything so I wouldn’t mess up when putting it back together. I unhooked the power supply, the speaker, and a few other things. Finally, the logic board was free.
And there it was, the M4 chip. This tiny little thing is supposed to be a powerhouse, and I can believe it. I didn’t go as far as removing the heat sink, though. That’s a bit beyond what I’m comfortable with, and honestly, I didn’t need to go that deep. I’ve heard that with the M2 Pro, there’s supposed to be almost double the performance and almost triple the graphics power. I can’t even imagine what the M4 brings to the table!
Putting it Back Together
Putting everything back together was basically the reverse of taking it apart. I carefully placed the logic board back in, reconnected all the cables, and screwed the fan back on. Then, I put the bottom cover back on and tightened the screws.
Fired it up, and… it worked! I didn’t break anything, which is always a plus. Overall, it was a fun little project. It’s cool to see how Apple packs so much power into such a small package. The modular SSD is a nice touch, too. Makes you wonder what they’ll come up with next. And with that extra USB port they added this time around, it’s like they’re actually listening to us. Who would’ve thought?
Anyway, that’s my little adventure tearing down the new Mac mini. Hope you found it interesting. Maybe next time, I’ll try something even crazier. Until then, stay curious, folks!