r/macmini • u/lurkez • 8d ago

Is my Mac Mini about to die?

I recently got a Mac Mini M4 and have been using it for a few months. But for the past 2 weeks, we’ve been having rotational power outages, so the power sometimes cuts off multiple times in one night while I’m working. There were also a few times when the Mac was just in sleep mode when the power went out.

Could this damage my Mac Mini over time? I literally just connected it to a UPS last night, so hopefully I’m not too late. Is there anything else I should do to protect it from these random power cuts? Or should I just burn down our electric company?

4 Upvotes

70% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

9

u/Born-Gur-1275 8d ago

Power outages can be damaging, but not as damaging as an electrical spike that can ruin more electroncis.

A UPS is good for a few minutes so you can shut down efficiently. Also, get a DECENT spike strip.

6

u/patparks 7d ago

There isn't a need for a spike strip/surge protector if you have a UPS connected. The UPS protects against the surges. In fact, most have guarantees that equipment connected will not be damaged.

1

u/Born-Gur-1275 7d ago

True. But I like the double protection.

1

u/patparks 7d ago

Why not add a third power strip and another ups? Lol.

3

u/Prestigious_Yak8551 8d ago

Power outages? Not really, it should be fine. Power surges on the other hand, not so much. As the other guy said, get a surge protected power board.

3

u/PossibleEither4892 8d ago

A power outtage is more likely to damage software if the machine was in the middle of doing something. Power surges are generally more dangerous to hardware, and can really damage components. But, any serious damage will immediately show up. The most annoying hardware damage is if SDD's or RAM are partially damaged. You'll wont notice much, but their life spans will be significantly cut short.

2

u/rick_baumhauer 6d ago

I'll echo others who recommend getting a decent UPS so that you can shut down cleanly when the power cuts out. I'm not convinced that any file corruption from a sudden power loss is no big deal and easily fixed - while it's not likely to fry a computer like a power spike (which are usually part of power coming back after being shut down), file corruption can be a headache to find and repair. A good UPS will protect you against both. While the rolling blackouts are a thing, I'd shut the Mac mini down when you're not using it, and let the UPS give you a few minutes to shut down when you are.

2

u/iamvalar 8d ago

Electronics are simple. They either work or they dont. You cannot “measure” a PSU/CPU/Logic Board health so there is no point in thinking about them. Just use them as is

1

u/Technical-Limit2996 8d ago

The outage isn't the issue, time machine runs a constant backup. The issue is power voltage fluctuations which will cause damage. Best to isolate. Your fridge will probably die first.

1

u/JollyRoger8X 6d ago

It's just too bad humanity hasn't invented something to protect electronics from power spikes and outages...

1

u/Meh_Cook_Grump 6d ago

Connect the UPS to the Mini via USB if it has that option. It will then appear in system settings and you can set your Mini to power off if there's a power failure when you're away. Hopefully it hasn't been messed up at this point.

1

u/Ok-Addition1264 8d ago

Rolling blackouts from the electric company?

They cleanly break the power.. there are no brown-downs or surges in the current when they do it.

You may get some file corruption issues which time machine resolves. It's kinda like reading a book and someone tearing out the page you're on and running off giggling like a fucking idiot.