YouTuber Modifies M1 Mac Mini to Be 78% Smaller

The M1 Mac mini has been shrunk by a YouTuber in a unique project, highlighting Apple's iterative approach to the current entry-level Mac mini.

The same design that the company has used since 2010 was retained when Apple introduced the Mac mini. The Mac mini contains a large amount of empty space.

Modern components such as the M1 chip and its unified memory system are extremely small and thermally efficient, being suitable for the likes of the likes of the Intel processor and hardware from over the past twelve years.

The popular channel Snazzy Labs has shrunk the Mac mini as much as possible by relocating its internals and engineering a new case.

Nelson replaced the 150W power supply with an external 65W Microsoft Surface power supply.

Nelson used 3D printing to create a smaller enclosure for the Mac mini, and then used the design of the Mac Pro for enhanced thermals. Nelson relocated the parts that were in the old enclosure to the new enclosure. The modified device is 28% of its original volume.

Nelson noticed virtually no change in performance with the device benchmarking just as well as the original machine, despite the logic board being in a much smaller enclosure. Nelson has made a detailed build guide available for anyone who wants to build their own project.

The Mac mini will get a major redesign this year, featuring the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips from the MacBook Pro in an all-new design. Jon Prosser, who shared renders of the new Mac mini last year, said the new model will retain the same form factor as the current one.

The new design is said to be similar to the first-generation Apple TV, with aplexiglass-like top sitting above an aluminum frame. The rear of the device has the same ports that are available with the high-end Intel-based Mac mini.

It is thought that Apple is working on a new Mac mini. The Space Gray model with an Intel processor is still the entry-level version of the Mac mini. This high-end model is expected to be replaced this year with an Apple Silicon model that features the first redesign since 2010, but an update for the entry-level model to add the M2 chip also seems plausible.

The new Mac mini will be launched at an event in the spring. See our detailed guide for more information about what to expect from the high-end Mac mini.