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What is the maximum weight of "stuff" that I can place on top of a 2018 Mac Mini without damaging it?

This is not the weight of the unit itself — but the maximum weight of other units that can be placed on top of it to save desk space. I'm thinking to put a monitor on it (literally).

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  • How heavy is the monitor? It would help if you can share a number.
    – Nimesh Neema ♦
    Commented Nov 8, 2018 at 16:27
  • Apple does not publish those specs apple.com/mac-mini/specs. If you are a certified developer of Apple hardware you may have access to that info but it does not seem to be available publicly
    – Steve Chambers
    Commented Nov 8, 2018 at 16:52
  • I've seen both setups where people put monitors (large; >22") directly on the Mac mini as well as on a stand with the mini under the stand (no weight on the mini). I don't have supporting documents, but it's safe to say the build quality isn't so fragile that it will collapse under 20lbs (9 kilos) of weight.
    – Allan
    Commented Nov 8, 2018 at 17:34

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Apple officially stacks 4 on 1. So at least 4*1.3kg=5.2kg I thought.

maca mini stack

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    Any evidence that this is official and not just a careless Apple Store employee?
    – adib
    Commented Nov 10, 2018 at 0:59
  • @adib In my memory a similar stack appears in the official Keynote.
    – amdyes
    Commented Nov 12, 2018 at 3:04
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    Apple said "Do not stack mac minis on top of each other"
    – adib
    Commented Nov 12, 2018 at 8:21
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If you could support the bottom of the Mini around the metal periphery of the bottom vice the plastic disk it would well support a 22" monitor.

The problem with being supported by the plastic disk with a heavy weight is that if the weight is not evenly distributed, the plastic may cold flow unevenly over time resulting in unequal pressure on the bottom and tilting of what is on top and even it falling off but I doubt it would go that far that fast. The Mini/plastic getting hot would accelerate the cold flow.

The metal part of the 2012 Mini (the one I have) should easily support even a Thunderbolt monitor.

Another problem with putting something on top is that it may attenuate wifi and BT reception.

SOURCE

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  • There are several problems with the source you referenced. 1) Cold flow or creep occurs under very high stresses. Unless the bottom of the Mac mini is made entirely of a nylon polymer (it's not) it would need hundreds of pounds of continuous preasure to begin to "cold flow." It would probably break long before that. Second, WiFi antenna is on the bottom of the mini. You can't attenuate a signal from the top.
    – Allan
    Commented Nov 9, 2018 at 14:49

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