# Running a Mac mini 24/7 as a server



## gmark2000 (Jun 4, 2003)

Any thoughts about the use of a Mac mini as a personal email server and print server? You would think that the power consumption should be low. But the main concern would the heat dissipation.

Would you run the Mac mini 24/7?


----------



## tizerfish (Jun 8, 2002)

Well the biggest heat problem is the power supply and thats external so for sure i would, Mac laptops run great and the mini is pretty much a laptop with less hardware (screen touchpad etc) so i don't see an issue, 
also it isn't a pain to carry to the local mac Repair store, so it wouldn't bother me much


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Likely fine tho the power supply might get cranky but it's a waste in my mind.
A G4 tower with paired mirrored drives makes more sense and faster drive speed.
Cheaper and more ram capacity.


----------



## gmark2000 (Jun 4, 2003)

What about heat from the processor and the hard drive?? Will it be cool enough?

Again, this is for a personal area network, not an enterprise class server application.


----------



## monokitty (Jan 26, 2002)

gmark2000 said:


> Any thoughts about the use of a Mac mini as a personal email server and print server? You would think that the power consumption should be low. But the main concern would the heat dissipation.
> 
> Would you run the Mac mini 24/7?


Yeah, I would. My current G4 hasn't been shutdown in like 3 months, heh. The Mac mini won't overheat if you always leave it on; no need to worry about that. Just make sure the vents aren't clogged and blocked with who-knows-what - objects and dirt.


----------



## 2063 (Nov 9, 2003)

I would have to agree with MacDoc that it would likely be fine, but I'm going to say that it will depend also on the usage. For example, having it rendering 24/7 or doing a RAM test, might just kill the poor thing. 

I'm also going to have to say that MacDoc is again right in that a used G4 will do a heck of a better job. You can link up more HD's, there is less worry of overheating, and not to mention, cheaper by upwards of $200.


----------



## PosterBoy (Jan 22, 2002)

Guys, he's asking about using the Mac mini as an email/print server. For those uses, a G4 tower is going to be overkill, and take up way more space, and make way more noise.

Oh! And not be as cool.


----------



## RicktheChemist (Jul 18, 2001)

.


----------



## Heart (Jan 16, 2001)

Those Mac mini's are so cool and stackable, so get one for print server and one for email server. And stackem' 

How many Mac mini's does it take to make a mini cluster?


----------



## RicktheChemist (Jul 18, 2001)

.


----------



## used to be jwoodget (Aug 22, 2002)

RtC, I think you'd only need a single mini to do that job.

The internal 2.5" drive isn't really up to heavy duty lifting but I think the mini would handle most home server-like tasks admirably. Plug in a powered firewire drive(s) for expandability and backup,


----------



## gmark2000 (Jun 4, 2003)

Seems to have caught on for server applications:



> *Mac mini Enters the Web Server World*
> 17 January 2005 03:00 EST
> _Jay Menna
> From the Hardware Dept., Powerpage.org_
> ...


----------



## simon (Nov 2, 2002)

I think the Mini would make a great server ... that's a cool idea that I think I might try. My web server is a B/W that's been upgraded to a G4/500 but it's use rarely exceeds 25% of the CPU abilities. As for hard drives a firewire RAID would suffice just nicely. 

I can see it now - a Mini and a 2 disk RAID enclosure, should be less than half the space my current tower takes up and complete cool thing to look at. As for heat, I suspect the removal of the power supply to an external unit will keep 90% of the heat at bay.


----------



## Strongblade (Jul 9, 2001)

PosterBoy said:


> Guys, he's asking about using the Mac mini as an email/print server. For those uses, a G4 tower is going to be overkill, and take up way more space, and make way more noise.
> 
> Oh! And not be as cool.


*SNIFF!*

My G4 tower is... is... no longer *COOL*!!!!


----------



## capitalK (Oct 21, 2003)

I think the main reason to run a tower as a server is (like MacDoc says) to mirror the drives.

A Mac mini will be a great email server until the 2.5" hard drive blows on it and you lose everything.

Servers should be all about redundancy, not how "cool" they look.


----------



## PosterBoy (Jan 22, 2002)

Strongblade, your tower is still cool, just not as cool as the mini 

Ken, serving email and a printer? Not exactly going to stress any drive. My laptop has basically been online for the last three years, and my drive has never given me problems and I bet it goes through more than a mini would serving email. Besides that, anyone not backing up a server at any level is just asking for trouble.


----------



## TroutMaskReplica (Feb 28, 2003)

> My G4 tower is... is... no longer *COOL*!!!!


i'm starting a support group...


----------



## mac_mark (Apr 19, 2004)

I ordered a mini and my plan is to upgrade the laptop drive in there to the Hitatchi 7200rpm ones. It should give it a nice performance boost. 

I just hope that the cooling system will be able to handle it...


----------



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

If you do upgrade to a 7200 rpm one let us know how it goes. I would be interested in that as well, Thanks


----------



## capitalK (Oct 21, 2003)

PosterBoy said:


> Ken, serving email and a printer? Not exactly going to stress any drive. My laptop has basically been online for the last three years, and my drive has never given me problems and I bet it goes through more than a mini would serving email. Besides that, anyone not backing up a server at any level is just asking for trouble.


You're probably right, but for MOST servers this would be a no-no.

But for the intended use it will be fine if it is backed up regularly, like you say.


----------

