Mac Mini + Dell Monitor = Strange fan behaviour.

Hello all,
I bought a Mac Mini just over a month ago.
Whenever I use Front Row, watch any video full screen, or do any similar none intensive task, the fan spins at an alarming (not to mention very noisy) rate.
After calling Apple support I was told the device should be silent and forwarded to a local repair centre.
Three days later I receive a phone call from the repair centre to tell me the problem is fixed.
Upon trying the Mac Mini at home, I discover the problem remains – the fan spins up whenever I use Front Row or play a video (web or local).
Calling the repair centre again they ask me to come in so they can look again. While I am at the repair centre they try the machine and is seems to work perfectly with their setup – no fan noise while using Front Row. The technician suggest I try to fault find to see if any of my devices are causing the problem.
The result? It seems that my year-and-a-bit old Dell 20” LCD monitor is to blame. When I play the video without it connected the fan does not spin up, it remains silent. Repeating the exact same procedure (opening Front Row and playing a video) while it is connected results in an over-active fan.
I've also tried another 19” LCD monitor and the fan still spins up.
Trying the monitor/no monitor test numerous times have produced the same results. When either of the two monitors is connected and I play a video the fan spins up to an alarming rate. When no monitor is connected, the fan remains silent.
I'm at a bit of a loss here as in the repair shop it seemed to work fine (think it was a 17' NEC monitor in the shop).
Has anyone encountered this before? Does anyone have a solution?
Matt
Message was edited by: Matthew Leatherbarrow
Message was edited by: Matthew Leatherbarrow

Welcome to Apple Discussions!
At the sort of resolutions involved, I wouldn't have expected you to experience much different in the way of fan behavior across 17-20" displays, but there is no doubt that the higher the resolution, the harder the mini has to work since the GPU is an integrated unit which relies in part on CPU cycles and entirely on system RAM. Having used a 19" screen (same 1280x1024 native resolution as a 17") and played Front Row content on an Intel mini, I can say that I haven't had the same experience, but it's not necessarily surprising that you get different behavior when the display is connected as when it is not, because with no display the mini has much lower video processing overhead.
I can't help but wonder if you were to take your Dell display to the service provider, whether they would be able to determine that it caused the same fan behavior as you experience with another Mac mini. That would be the telling next step I'd want to take in this situation to nail down whether it is related to the display, and if so whether resolution settings, or not.
And that is also in part a test you can try with the Dell display. Boot the mini normally, then reduce the screen resolution to something pretty basic like 800x600. If the fan still spins up then it's not a resolution issue, but you can then move to using Activity Monitor to begin to check what (if anything) is loading the CPU.
One other thought - since taking the system to the service provider means it is undergoing an SMC reset with each trip (and the one back), try an SMC reset yourself to see if it changes behavior, even if only temporality.If an SMC reset seems to temporarily fix it, but the problem returns, then the mini is likely faulty, but you can then return to the service provider with that information to assist them in their troubleshooting.
To reset the SMC on an Intel mini:
-From the Apple menu, choose Shut Down (or if the computer is not responding, hold the power button until it turns off).
-Unplug all cables from the computer, including the power cord and any display cables.
-Wait at least 15 seconds.
-Plug the power cord back in, making sure the power button is not being pressed at the time.
-Then reconnect your keyboard and mouse to the computer.
-Press the power button on the back to start up your computer.

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