Introduction
Use this guide to replace or clean the fan in your Mac mini (2024).
This guide was written with a baseline M4 Mac mini. Although the internals for the M4 Pro version are slightly different, the disassembly procedure is the same.
Before buying a replacement fan, use this guide to clean your fan to confirm that dirt or dust isn't your issue.
What you need
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Fully shut down your Mac mini and unplug all cables from it.
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Flip over your Mac mini and place it on a clean, flat surface to avoid scratching the chassis.
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Insert a Jimmy into the gap between the bottom cover and the chassis.
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Pry up the bottom cover to create a gap.
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Keep the Jimmy inserted under the bottom cover.
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Insert an opening pick into the gap created by the Jimmy.
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Remove the Jimmy.
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Slide the opening pick along the bottom cover until you feel it snag on a pin.
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Twist the pick to lift the pin out of its slot.
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Grip the power button cable close to the head and pull it away from its socket to disconnect it.
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Tool used on this step:FixMat$31.41
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Use a T5 Torx screwdriver to remove the twelve screws securing the inner plate:
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Eight 3.4 mm‑long screws
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Four 2.4 mm‑long screws
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Insert the point of a spudger into one of the clips' slots on the inner plate.
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Pry up the inner plate enough so you can grip the edge along the same side as the headphone jack.
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Pull the inner plate away from the chassis to slide it out from under the lip on the heat sink.
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Use one hand to secure the wireless module during this step.
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Use a Torx Plus 5IP screwdriver to remove the four 2.5 mm‑long screws securing the wireless module cover.
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Use one hand to secure the wireless module during this step.
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Insert the point of a spudger under one of the short edges of the wireless module press connector.
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Pry up to disconnect the wireless module.
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If you're following this guide to clean your fan, this is a good time to do so.
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Remove the four screws securing the fan:
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Two 2.4 mm‑long Torx Plus 3IP screws
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Two 7.9 mm‑long Torx Plus 5IP screws
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Lift the fan out of its recess in the chassis and flip it over to expose its wire and connector.
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Let the fan rest on the chassis and heat sink.
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To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.
Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Mac mini (2024) Answers Community for help.
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