Mac Mini M2 Teardown

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The final component that can be removed is the heat sink shroud, and the heat sink itself. Both sets of screws are T6 Torx screws.
All four screws for the shroud are each covered by a small rubber and are adhered to the screws themselves.
The heat sink is attached to the logic board with four screws, along with two brackets.
Interestingly, Apple didn't feel the need to tell us how to remove either of the components in the M1 guide. Yes, heat sinks don't "go bad“, thermal paste typically dries out after five years. Either Apple is confident that their thermal paste will last the lifetime of the device, or they expect you to buy a new Mac in 5 years.
Dust has also been a culprit of cooling issues, so it probably wouldn't be a horrible idea to get in there with a dust blower.

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