Hi everyone, welcome to HowFixit. In this video guide I'll show you how to disassemble an Apple
Mac Mini Model A1347 (Late 2014), clean it from dust and replace thermal paste.
To disassemble Mac Mini Model A1347, you will need the following tools:
Screwdriver set Torx T6
Torx T8 Phillips 1
Tweezers Plastic opening tools
Antistatic brush Thermal grease
I recommend using a magnetic mat during the repair process, which is especially useful
in case of the Apple Mac Mini. Throughout this disassembly, keep track of each screw so you
can put them back in the right places - this will help successfully reassemble your Apple Mac Mini.
And don't worry about losing any of screws, all of them will definitely remain on the magnetic mat.
In the description, I left links where to buy all necessary tools.
Turn over Mac Mini and remove the bottom cover.
Using a Torx T6 screwdriver (with a hole inside), remove the screws on the metal panel.
Lift up the metal panel, remove one more screw and disconnect the Wi-Fi antenna.
Lift up the fan and disconnect the cable from the Mac Mini motherboard.
Let's move on to cleaning the fan from dust.
Also, remove all dust from the inside of the fan.
Insert any handy tool into the hole on the Mac Mini motherboard and slide down,
this helps remove the motherboard from the case.
Disconnect the power cable from the motherboard.
Use only an anti-static brush to clean the motherboard from dust.
Remove all screws on the heatsink. Now
you can remove the heatsink by lifting it up from the motherboard.
Remove the old thermal paste from the CPU as well as from the heatsink. If the thermal
paste is very dry and difficult to remove, you can use isopropyl alcohol to wipe the paste.
How to apply thermal grease. Apply a small amount of thermal paste to the CPU,
then take a plastic tool and spread it evenly over the entire surface of the chip.
If you still don’t know which thermal paste to choose for your laptop, in the description,
I left a link to a video where I test different thermal greases and choose the
best one for the Mac Mini. Please note: how I tighten the screws on the heatsink. It is
necessary to tighten the screws evenly on each side, with a few turns of each screw.
If your Apple Mac Mini Model A1347 is overheating after dust cleaning and replacing the thermal
paste, probably the overheating issue could be due to a faulty heatsink. Watch my other video
guide where I show you how to check the conduction of the heatsink, I left links in the description.
This repair is over, you were on HowFixit, and see you next time!