GPU Fitting a GPU inside a mac mini

[RenG]

I was looking a this and thinking how possible it is to fit a single-slot GPU inside a mac mini housing with the intention to use it as an eGPU for a mac mini and stack it like this?

 

[Windfall]

So would you be dumping the Mac minis internals to do this? If you are, them yes, it would be doable.

 

[RenG]

So would you be dumping the Mac minis internals to do this? If you are, them yes, it would be doable.

Yes, that would be the case. *pun intended*

 

[Valantar]

The Mac Mini is 197mm square and 36mm tall, so that sounds very doable. The main challenge would likely be finding a suitable TB3 board to fit in there with the GPU, as well as rigging up a power supply. Depending on the fit and the choice of GPU, you might be able to use the stock PSU - for current models it's a 12V 12.5A unit, so that should be able to drive a decent SFF GPU. Of course using that power supply would require custom wiring as well as making the GPU a rather tight fit. Lastly, you'd need to ensure that the GPU's fan is able to pull in air through the bottom of the case, or mod the case somehow.

 

[NinoPecorino]

@RenG there are 2018 mac mini housings and internals, including power supplies, available to buy right now. you can get the housing for about 100 usd. i'd say just grab one and start test fitting for components.

 

[RenG]

@RenG there are 2018 mac mini housings and internals, including power supplies, available to buy right now. you can get the housing for about 100 usd. i'd say just grab one and start test fitting for components.

Though I would love to do that, I'm afraid that I'll be stuck on that stage. I don't have the capability to do any custom wiring or designing to fit everything inside the housing. 3d printing parts would be perfect for this project.

 

[Windfall]

Though I would love to do that, I'm afraid that I'll be stuck on that stage. I don't have the capability to do any custom wiring or designing to fit everything inside the housing. 3d printing parts would be perfect for this project.

It's pretty easy. Learn Fusion360, and design some brackets.

If there was an existing model of the the mac mini's shell, I would do it. But I don't have one to measure.

 

[TinyAudio]

Bot Verification

I had the same idea. You can buy cases in various states of repair from the link above. 2018 grey is still expensive, so if you don't mind mixing colours it will be cheaper.

I don't have the dollar right now but I was thinking about the Sonnet Breakaway Puck.

Possibly cutting a hole in one case and fitting 2 together like a sandwich, to provide the needed height.

 

[RenG]

Bot Verification

I had the same idea. You can buy cases in various states of repair from the link above. 2018 grey is still expensive, so if you don't mind mixing colours it will be cheaper.

I don't have the dollar right now but I was thinking about the Sonnet Breakaway Puck.

Possibly cutting a hole in one case and fitting 2 together like a sandwich, to provide the needed height.

I saw that sonnet too. The problem with it is you have to use mxm gpus so your options will be very limited. What I was thinking is using the board of an Akitio Thunder3.

 

[NinoPecorino]

Bot Verification

I had the same idea. You can buy cases in various states of repair from the link above. 2018 grey is still expensive, so if you don't mind mixing colours it will be cheaper.

I don't have the dollar right now but I was thinking about the Sonnet Breakaway Puck.

Possibly cutting a hole in one case and fitting 2 together like a sandwich, to provide the needed height.

there's also macrecycling.com