Youtuber makes Mac Mini even more mini

The YouTube channel Snazzy Labs has managed to get the Mac Mini into a smaller form factor. According to the youtuber, the Mac Mini can easily be made a lot smaller, because Apple’s new M1 chip is much more efficient.

Snazzy Labs believes Apple could have done more with the form factor of the fifth-generation Mac Mini. The computer from 2020 has the M1 chip and because of the low energy consumption of that processor, the Mac Mini could have been a little more mini, according to the YouTuber.

Now there are rumors that Apple will release a new Mac Mini on March 8. Since it’s just a rumor, Snazzy Labs decided to tinker themselves and install the Mac Mini in a smaller case. To do this, he first removes the large CPU cooler and 150W power supply from the device. Those components are similar to the previous Mac Mini with an Intel Coffee Lake processor. This is where the gains come in, according to Snazzy Labs, because Apple’s M1 chip doesn’t need that cooling and large power supply at all.

The first thing that has to clear the field is the CPU cooler. The youtuber managed to boot the Mac Mini even without that fan. Then the food had to rely on it. Snazzy Labs shows that the Mac Mini requires a maximum of 68W even with peripherals. He therefore replaces the relatively large power supply with an external adapter from a Microsoft Surface, which he then connects to the Mac Mini with its own adapter.

For the new housing, the youtuber uses a 3d printer. After this it was a matter of getting all components in their own custom housing. The result: a Mac Mini that has only 28 percent of the content of Apple’s design, according to Snazzy Labs. You can watch the whole process on his YouTube channel, where he also shares the design of his mini case.