Mac Mini 2006 - Dead?

Hi All,

I got my Grandad a 2006 Mac Mini, however after 3 weeks (fully working) it just died. Literally nothing works, no fans no light just completely dead. Took it into Apple and they tried a new PSU and that didn't work, then they said it's more than likely power issues however because it's 6 years old they discontinue the hardware after 5 years so if they caused further damage they wouldn't be able to fix it so they won't diagnose it either.

So buying a new motherboard proves impossible as it costs around £120+ I only paid £120 for it in the first place. So getting into the technical issues is there anything I can do? maybe test the voltage on certain parts of the motherboard to see what the faulty part is, I have one of those digital voltage testers so that's not a problem but I'd like to know what to test on the motherboard or other parts.

It's more than likely a logic board failure if the power supply checks out OK. A computer that's 6 years old probably has undergone lots of use and likely is not worth repairing any longer. Unless you can find one on eBay that someone is selling for parts and you're willing to do the work yourself, I would just give up on it. Besides, a 2006 Mini is a challenge getting in to for repairs. You can check for yourself by going to iFixit: The free repair manual.

chscag said:

It's more than likely a logic board failure if the power supply checks out OK. A computer that's 6 years old probably has undergone lots of use and likely is not worth repairing any longer. Unless you can find one on eBay that someone is selling for parts and you're willing to do the work yourself, I would just give up on it. Besides, a 2006 Mini is a challenge getting in to for repairs. You can check for yourself by going to iFixit: The free repair manual.

Click to expand...

I come across that a few days ago but I didn't understand it fully, I don't know if you do but if you connect the wires up and crank the voltage up will that send electricity through to all the other condensers? or do you have to do them one by one and then go onto the next bank of condensers untill you find the one that heats up? Sorry I forgot to add the link http://blog.helpmymac.ru/?p=3585

The link you provided above clearly shows a view of the Mini's logic board (mother board) and various components. The capacitors that are circled are surface mounted to the board and very difficult to remove and replace without doing damage. Apple does not repair single components on these boards but rather replaces the entire board.

Unless you have the necessary skills and tools to do the repairs, I would not attempt it. Also testing capacitors in circuit generally does not give factual results because of the various paths and connections to other components. In other words, testing results will not be accurate and can be misleading.

Why not contact the seller and see what they can do, particularly if purchased from a retail outlet. Tougher if on eBay but give it a try. Here in Australia purchasers do have some protection under Fair Trading guidelines.