Comments on M4 mini stands, accessibility and cooling.

When the M4 arrived I was slightly taken in by the press induced furore about the position of the power switch and looked around at the many "solutions" that sprang up.


Some were incredibly weird but many appeared reasonably sensible being simple aluminium (aluminum) platforms with a hole to provide access to the switch.


However, the prices of £20 for a bit of bent metal were ridiculous and I put them out of my mind until I came across the same items for £4 on a Chinese website.


So I thought I would give it a try . . . . after all it would probably improve the cooling as well.


When it arrived I was quite pleased and have used it for 3 months but a couple of weeks ago, on a whim I removed the stand and do you know what . . . . I have not missed it even though in that time I have powered off and on several times and I have 4 extra cables plugged in permanently.


Nope, I have not given a second thought to the onerous task of tilting the machine half an inch for a few seconds and what about the heat?


Well I haven't done any scientific tests but it does appear to run a tad cooler, so Apple got it right when they designed it to stand on a desktop with a more constricted airflow. It looks as though the slight restriction to the airflow actually improves its efficiency.


Note that for the past 2 weeks the UK has been experiencing the hottest July in living memory!


[Edited by Moderator]

Mac mini

Posted on Jul 13, 2025 02:07 AM

Reply
9 replies

Jul 13, 2025 09:40 AM in response to den.thed

Just in case anyone has any doubts about which stand I am referring to . . . .



I'm not saying it definitely runs hotter but it is certainly no cooler and the ability to operate the power button effortlessly is malarkey as it's effortless to tilt the mini a fraction of an inch.


The only real plus is the ability to stick a couple of NVMes below it but I'm not too pressed for space so it's no real advantage. I also suspect that having hot NVMes below will add to the heat.


Additionally I think that the desktop might in some tiny way act as a heatsink.

Jul 13, 2025 10:53 AM in response to Ian R. Brown

I tried one of the computer printed power button adaptors but it was a miserable waste of money. I sent it back to Amazon which told me to keep it and they would still refund my money. I ended up with this modification to my Mini M4 so that I could get to the power button more easily:



It was inexpensive, easy to apply, promotes better cooling and does the job beautifully.


Jul 15, 2025 11:54 AM in response to Ian R. Brown

I ended up buying an aluminum stand. Not identical to yours but about $20. With a hole in it for the power button. I'm not sure about the temperature but the several times I have touched the top of the computer it has felt cool to me.


I wanted a stand because our house is pretty dusty (115 years old!) and we have cats, so I didn't want it vacuuming stuff off the desk top.


I had considered one of those fancier stands that offer you extra ports but none of them offered the type of ports I'd really need more of (one video port is plenty for me), plus some reviewers did comment on poorer airflow.

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Comments on M4 mini stands, accessibility and cooling.

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.