Apple Mac mini (2018) vs Apple Mac mini (Late 2012)

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Mac mini (2018) compared with Mac mini (Late 2012)

	AppleMac mini (2018)	AppleMac mini (Late 2012)
Overview
Released
Released	November 2018	October 2012
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core i3-8100B, Intel Core i5-8500B or Intel Core i7-8700B	Intel Core i5-3210M, Intel Core i7-3615QM or Intel Core i7-3720QM
CPU cores
CPU cores	4 or 6	2 or 4
CPU threads
CPU threads	4, 6 or 12	4 or 8
Graphics
Graphics	Intel UHD Graphics 630	Intel HD Graphics 4000
Memory
Memory	8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB (better)	4 GB, 8 GB or 16 GB
Storage
Storage	128 GB to 2 TB (better)	256 GB to 1 TB
CPU
CPU	3.6 GHz quad-core Core i3 with 6 MB shared L3 cache; 3.0 GHz six-core Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 4.1 GHz and 9 MB cache; configurable to 3.2 GHz six-core Core i7 with Turbo Boost up to 4.6 GHz and 12 MB cache	2.5 GHz dual-core Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz; 2.3 GHz quad-core Core i7 with Turbo Boost up to 3.3 GHz, configurable to a 2.6 GHz quad-core Core i7 with Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz. Macworld and Ars Technica identify the standard chips; Geekbench identifies the optional Core i7-3720QM.
GPU
GPU	Intel UHD Graphics 630; exact i3-8100B model identified by Tom’s Guide; i5-8500B and i7-8700B identified in Apple’s Common Criteria security target	Intel HD Graphics 4000 on all configurations; no discrete graphics option
Memory type
Memory type	2666 MHz DDR4 SO-DIMM; 8 GB, configurable to 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB	4 GB (two 2 GB modules) of 1600 MHz DDR3, configurable to 8 GB or 16 GB; two SO-DIMM slots accessed through the removable bottom cover (Engadget)
Storage type
Storage type	PCIe-based SSD; launch Core i3 starts at 128 GB and Core i5 at 256 GB; configurable to 512 GB, 1 TB or 2 TB; 128 GB Core i7 combinations omitted because their configure-to-order availability is not independently verified	500 GB 5400-rpm hard drive on the Core i5 model; 1 TB 5400-rpm hard drive on the Core i7 model, configurable to a 256 GB SSD or 1 TB Fusion Drive. Separate Mac mini Server dual-drive configurations are outside this entry.
Display
Screen
Screen	None built in	None built in
Connections
Ports
Ports	4 × Thunderbolt 3, 2 × USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet, headphone jack	Thunderbolt, 4 × USB-A, HDMI, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack
Ethernet
Ethernet	1 Gb/s	1 Gb/s
External displays
External displays	Up to 3 (better)	Up to 2
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 5	802.11n
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.0	4.0
Back ports
Back ports	Four Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports with DisplayPort and Thunderbolt 3 up to 40 Gb/s and USB 3.1 Gen 2 up to 10 Gb/s; two USB-A ports up to 5 Gb/s; HDMI 2.0; Gigabit Ethernet, configurable to 10 Gb Ethernet with 1/2.5/5/10 Gb support; 3.5 mm headphone jack	Thunderbolt up to 10 Gb/s, FireWire 800 up to 800 Mb/s, four USB 3 ports up to 5 Gb/s, HDMI, SDXC slot, Gigabit Ethernet, separate digital/analogue audio input and headphone/line output; IR receiver
External displays
External displays	Two displays up to 4096 × 2304 at 60 Hz over Thunderbolt 3 plus one up to 4096 × 2160 at 60 Hz over HDMI 2.0; alternatively, one 5120 × 2880 display at 60 Hz over Thunderbolt 3 plus one 4096 × 2160 display at 60 Hz over HDMI 2.0	Up to two displays at 2560 × 1600; native Mini DisplayPort output over Thunderbolt. HDMI supports 1080p at up to 60 Hz; DVI, VGA and dual-link DVI require the applicable adapter.
Speakers
Speakers	Built-in speaker; HDMI 2.0 supports multichannel audio output	Built-in speaker; HDMI supports multichannel audio; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone
Keyboard and mouse
Keyboard and mouse	–	Power lead and HDMI to DVI adapter; monitor, keyboard and mouse sold separately
Design and power
Type
Type	Compact	Compact
Weight
Weight	1.3 kg	1.22 kg (better)
Width × depth × height
Width × depth × height	197 × 197 × 36 mm	197 × 197 × 36 mm
Operating system
Operating system	macOS	macOS
Size and weight detail
Size and weight detail	–	Dimensions and weight are for the computer only; actual weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process
Power supply
Power supply	Built-in; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz; maximum continuous power 150 W	Integrated power supply; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz; maximum continuous power 85 W
Noise
Noise	–	Apple's specification overview states 12 dBA idle for the dual-core model and 15 dBA for the quad-core model; its acoustic table instead lists 14 dB idle for the 2.3 GHz quad-core configuration
Materials
Materials	100% recycled aluminium enclosure	Recyclable aluminium enclosure; BFR-free and PVC-free with regional power-lead exceptions
Colours
Colours	Space Grey	–
In the box
In the box	Mac mini, power cord	Mac mini, HDMI to DVI adapter and power lead; OS X Mountain Lion and iLife included