Why is the power button on the Mac Mini M4 on the bottom, considering that USB powered audio interfaces stay powered on in sleep mode?

The Mac Mini M4 basically seems like a fine piece of kit, as long as it will able to keep cool under load.

However: Why is the power button on the Mac Mini M4 on the bottom, considering that USB powered audio interfaces stay powered on in sleep mode? Many music producers turn their Mac Mini on and off on a daily basis.

Considering we all want to save the planet etc, won't this lead to more people leaving on their audio interfaces, because sleep mode is just more convenient than picking up the Mac Mini M4 to switch it on?

Posted on Oct 30, 2024 7:28 AM

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den.thed

Level 10

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Posted on Oct 30, 2024 9:01 AM

The Mac mini is not an audio interface, it is a full fledged desktop computer.

Cycling on/off/on, is harder on internal components and uses more power than just letting it sit in standby/sleep mode.

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23 replies

Nov 19, 2024 9:37 AM in response to varjak paw

varjak paw wrote:

A typical USB-powered audio interface takes less power than the average household LED light bulb. And most modern devices still consume a bit of power even when "shut off". The only way around that for many devices is to disconnect the device completely from AC (which opens up a number of other issues). So what people may think they're doing to conserve power is often a phantom and not really as effective as they believe.