Apple Mac mini (Early 2009) vs Apple Mac mini (Late 2012)

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Mac mini (Early 2009) compared with Mac mini (Late 2012)

	AppleMac mini (Early 2009)	AppleMac mini (Late 2012)
Overview
Released
Released	March 2009	October 2012
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 or Intel Core 2 Duo P8400	Intel Core i5-3210M, Intel Core i7-3615QM or Intel Core i7-3720QM
CPU cores
CPU cores	2	2 or 4
CPU threads
CPU threads	–	4 or 8
Graphics
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce 9400M (shared memory)	Intel HD Graphics 4000
Memory
Memory	1 GB, 2 GB or 4 GB	4 GB, 8 GB or 16 GB (better)
Storage
Storage	120 GB to 320 GB	256 GB to 1 TB (better)
CPU
CPU	2.0 GHz dual-core Core 2 Duo P7350, configurable to 2.26 GHz P8400; 3 MB shared L2 cache and 1066 MHz frontside bus. Exact identities are cross-checked with EveryMac; optional unpublished chip thread and launch figures are omitted.	2.5 GHz dual-core Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz; 2.3 GHz quad-core Core i7 with Turbo Boost up to 3.3 GHz,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	NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics shares at least 128 MB DDR3 memory with a 1 GB system configuration, or at least 256 MB with 2 GB; available system memory varies with graphics use.	Intel HD Graphics 4000 on all configurations; no discrete graphics option
Memory type
Memory type	Two SO-DIMM slots for 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, with 1 or 2 GB standard and maker factory upgrades up to 4 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	120, 250 or 320 GB 5400 rpm Serial ATA hard drive and slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with double-layer DVD support. The launch press release also mentions an 80 GB order option, which the current support sheet omits; that conflicting option is not listed in configurations.	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.
Expansion slots
Expansion slots	No internal PCI Express expansion slot	–
Display
Screen
Screen	None built in	None built in
Connections
Ports
Ports	DisplayPort, 5 × USB-A, 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 2	Up to 2
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	802.11n	802.11n
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	2.1 + EDR	4.0
Back ports
Back ports	Five USB 2.0 ports up to 480 Mb/s, FireWire 800, Mini DisplayPort, Mini-DVI, Gigabit Ethernet and combined optical digital/analogue audio input and output minijacks. The main DisplayPort count represents Mini DisplayPort; Mini-DVI, FireWire and audio input are described here because the main port list has no fields for them. Optional external Apple USB Modem.	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	Extended desktop and mirroring; Mini-DVI up to 1920 × 1200 for DVI/VGA, Mini DisplayPort up to 2560 × 1600 using an optional dual-link DVI adapter. Mini-DVI to DVI adapter included; VGA and Mini DisplayPort adapters optional.	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; combined optical digital audio output/headphone minijack and optical digital audio input/line-in minijack	Built-in speaker; HDMI supports multichannel audio; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone
Keyboard and mouse
Keyboard and mouse	Display, keyboard and mouse purchased separately; Apple Remote optional	Power lead and HDMI to DVI adapter; monitor, keyboard and mouse sold separately
Design and power
Type
Type	Compact	Compact
Weight
Weight	1.31 kg	1.22 kg (better)
Width × depth × height
Width × depth × height	165.1 × 165.1 × 50.8 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	External 110 W adapter; AC input 100–240 V, 50–60 Hz single phase; maximum continuous power 110 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	Recyclable aluminium and polycarbonate enclosure; BFR-free and PVC-free internal cables	Recyclable aluminium enclosure; BFR-free and PVC-free with regional power-lead exceptions
In the box
In the box	Mac mini, Mini-DVI to DVI adapter, 110 W power adapter and cord, install/restore DVDs and documentation. Mac OS X Leopard and iLife '09 included.	Mac mini, HDMI to DVI adapter and power lead; OS X Mountain Lion and iLife included