Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
Last class ’s Mac minibrought a act of drastic change to the heavyset background computing gadget : Core i5 processors that replaced the aging Core 2 Duo CPUs , bolt of lightning port wine , and the discontinuance of a build - in SuperDrive . The newMac minimay not be quite as rotatory as the 2011 models , but its update are still significant .
The 2012 Mac mini introduces USB 3 , which replaces the stock , one-time USB 2.0 ports found in the premature good example . The new Mac miniskirt also has quicker integrated artwork , and , for the first time , quad - core processors .
You look familiar
This Mac mini update maintains many physical aspects that were introduced with the mid-2010 Mac miniskirt , include a low - profile ( 1.4 inches high , 7.7 in deep and all-embracing ) aluminum unibody design . The front has a fall - fix sized activity light and IR embrasure . The back of the new role model has a power button , power cord input , and ports for Gbit ethernet , FireWire 800 , HDMI , Thunderbolt , and USB 3 . An SDXC batting order time slot and audio - out and audio - in ports labialise out the strong-arm connection type , while 802.11a / b / g / n Wi - Fi , Bluetooth 4.0 , and an IR port wine deliver wireless connectivity .
As always , Apple ask over you to contribute your own keyboard , mouse , and expose to the Mac mini company — they’re not include . The boxful include an HDMI to DVI cablegram , but you may demand extra adapter — such as one for DVI — that will cost supererogatory money .
The Mac miniskirt ’s dead body sits on a round , twenty-five percent - inch gamey contraband plastic saucer that , when rotated half an inch , can be remove to uncover the two RAM slot . Both the $ 599 and $ 799 received Mac minis come with two 2 GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM module ( for a total of 4 GB ) , but they can be upgraded to use up to 16 GB of RAM .
Drive issues
The entry - level $ 599 Mac mini come in with a comparatively pokey 5400 - rpm 500 GB gruelling drive . Aside from RAM , it has no optional raise available from the Apple Store . The high - end $ 799 Mac mini also comes stock with a 5400 rpm driving force , though at 1 TB it has twice the capacity . And this high - end model has options : For an additional $ 300 , you’re able to upgrade to 256 GB of flash computer storage , or for $ 250 you’re able to choose for a new 1TBFusion Drive .
A Fusion Drive bring together a 1 TB voiceless drive and 128 GB of jiffy storage . The operate scheme and app are installed on the flash bulb warehousing at the mill . Over time , the Fusion Drive is supposed to instruct your study wont and move apps and data around between the hard drive and flash storage to provide the best functioning . For example , if you use Aperture all the time and infrequently employ iPhoto , the Fusion Drive and OS X might move the iPhoto depository library and app to the dull portion of the severe driving , and move Aperture to the riotous flash storage .
I have n’t have my helping hand on a Fusion Drive yet , but I ’m anxious to see how it differs from intercrossed drives , such as the Seagate Momentus XT , which meld a fast but dear unanimous - res publica memory with an low-cost but ho-hum rotational punishing drive .
Processor boost
The $ 599 Mac mini has a 2.5GHz dual - core Core i5 Ivy Bridge central processor ; last year ’s high - end model also had a 2.5GHz dual - core Core i5 C.P.U. , but it was from the Sandy Bridge crime syndicate . The $ 799 Mac mini has a 2.3GHz quad - Congress of Racial Equality Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor . Both the Core i5 and i7 backup Intel’sHyper Threadingtechnology , which allows applications to address four virtual processing heart and soul on the Core i5 , and eight virtual center on the Core i7 . Both processor also supportTurbo Boost , which allow processors bleed faster than their rated speed when necessary . Using Turbo Boost , the 2.5GHz Core i5 can reach speeds up to 3.1GHz , and the 2.3GHz Core i7 can top out at 3.3GHz .
As you ’d gestate , in processor - intensive tasks that use all of a system ’s processing cores , the $ 799 2.3GHz quadruplet - core Core i7 Mac miniskirt was much fast than the $ 599 2.5GHz dual - core Core i5 Mac mini . MathematicaMark was 72 percent faster on the quad - core organisation , and Cinebench CPU test necessitate 51 percent less time to complete than the twofold - core poser .
The high - goal Mac mini can also be customized to utilize a quadriceps - core 2.6GHz Intel Core i7 mainframe ( a $ 100 choice ) that can get as fast as 3.6GHz using Turbo Boost .
Grappling with graphics
The new Mac mini uses Intel ’s much improved HD Graphics 4000 graphics central processor . It ’s anintegratedprocessor — the graphics processing is built into the main mainframe and shares the computer ’s main memory . Discretegraphics , on the other hand , are graphics processors that are wholly separate and use consecrate video retention . Generally , discrete computer graphic are preferred over incorporate computer graphic for lotion that demand the highest operation .
The HD Graphics 4000 is much better at turn in high frame rates in game than the HD Graphics 3000 processor used previously , but it fall far short of the performance of the distinct AMD Radeon HD 6630 M graphic processor . In our Portal 2 trial , the new incoming - grade Mac miniskirt was 27 percent faster than the previous low-down - oddment model . However , the old gamy - conclusion example with its AMD Radeon distinct graphics was 24 percent quicker than the novel high - final stage Mac miniskirt with the integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics .
Benchmarks: Speedmark 8 scores
The new $ 599 Mac mini was 31 pct quicker in our Speedmark 8 tests than its 2011 predecessor . The new organisation was faster in all of our tests , but its central processor - intensive trial results were only slimly higher . Interestingly , the difficult drive psychometric test results were much quicker on the new system , though the drives are still just 5400 - rpm manakin .
We also looked at the public presentation differences between the young downhearted - goal machine and a mid-2010 entry - level Mac miniskirt with a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor . The fresh Mac mini was 68 percent quicker and terminate the Cinebench central processing unit test in half the time of the 2010 model . The old system took about three times as prospicient to complete our Photoshop action script .
The unexampled $ 799 2.3GHz quad - core Core i7 Mac mini is 37 percent quicker than its 2011 predecessor . Keep in mind that the premature high - end Mac mini had a 2.5GHz dual - core group Core i5 mainframe of the older Sandy Bridge family .
Macworld Lab has acomplete look at the performance of the new Mac miniskirt , include a deep dive into the individual app upshot from Speedmark 8 .
Bottom line
The new Mac mini go on to build up on the solid foundation set by the 2011 model . If you prefer a Mac desktop reckoner to a laptop , and/or you do n’t want to be confined to the glossy 21.5- or 27 - in presentation that come with the iMac , the Mac mini is a capable system of rules for most tasks .
The musculus quadriceps femoris - kernel Core i7 mainframe and the larger storage electrical capacity make the $ 799 Mac mini more attractive — plus you may configure this system with Apple ’s young Fusion Drive for an extra $ 250 . The least expensive Mac available today , the $ 599 Mac miniskirt , has made its own functioning strides and keep to be an low-priced option for anyone wanting the Mac experience without paying a eminent bounty .
Updated 1/2/12 11:45 AM PST to correct price of SSD drive upgrade and to clear up information about the processor familes .
