Apple Mac mini (Late 2012) vs Apple Mac mini (Late 2014)

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Mac mini (Late 2012) compared with Mac mini (Late 2014)

	AppleMac mini (Late 2012)	AppleMac mini (Late 2014)
Overview
Released
Released	October 2012	October 2014
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core i5-3210M, Intel Core i7-3615QM or Intel Core i7-3720QM	Intel Core i5-4260U, Intel Core i5-4278U, Intel Core i5-4308U or Intel Core i7-4578U
CPU cores
CPU cores	2 or 4	2
CPU threads
CPU threads	4 or 8	4
Graphics
Graphics	Intel HD Graphics 4000	Intel HD Graphics 5000 or Intel Iris Graphics 5100
Memory
Memory	4 GB, 8 GB or 16 GB	4 GB, 8 GB or 16 GB
Storage
Storage	256 GB to 1 TB	256 GB to 2 TB (better)
CPU
CPU	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.	1.4 GHz dual-core Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 2.7 GHz), 2.6 GHz dual-core Core i5 (up to 3.1 GHz), or 2.8 GHz dual-core Core i5 (up to 3.3 GHz). The two higher models can be configured with a 3.0 GHz dual-core Core i7 (up to 3.5 GHz). Exact processor identities are recorded by Geekbench; Ars Technica tested the Core i5-4278U and Macworld tested the Core i5-4308U.
GPU
GPU	Intel HD Graphics 4000 on all configurations; no discrete graphics option	Intel HD Graphics 5000 in the 1.4 GHz model; Intel Iris Graphics 5100 in the 2.6 GHz, 2.8 GHz and optional Core i7 models
Memory type
Memory type	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)	1600 MHz LPDDR3 soldered to the logic board; 4 GB configurable to 8 GB or 16 GB on the 1.4 GHz model, and 8 GB configurable to 16 GB on the higher models. Memory cannot be upgraded after purchase (Ars Technica).
Storage type
Storage type	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.	1.4 GHz model has a 500 GB 5400-rpm hard drive or 1 TB Fusion Drive. The 2.6 GHz model has a 1 TB hard drive, 1 TB Fusion Drive or 256 GB SSD. The 2.8 GHz model has a 1 TB Fusion Drive, later 2 TB Fusion Drive option, or 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB SSD. Core i7 configurations retain the storage choices of their original base model; deduplicated configurations combine these supported choices. Macworld reports the 2 TB Fusion Drive option was added after launch; it is included in Apple's current specification.
Display
Screen
Screen	None built in	None built in
Connections
Ports
Ports	Thunderbolt, 4 × USB-A, HDMI, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack	2 × Thunderbolt 2, 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	802.11ac
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	4.0	4.0
Back ports
Back ports	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	Two Thunderbolt 2 ports up to 20 Gb/s each, 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	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.	Up to two displays at 2560 × 1600; native Mini DisplayPort output over Thunderbolt. HDMI supports 1080p at up to 60 Hz, 3840 × 2160 at 30 Hz or 4096 × 2160 at 24 Hz. DVI, VGA and dual-link DVI require the appropriate adapter.
Speakers
Speakers	Built-in speaker; HDMI supports multichannel audio; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone	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	Power lead; monitor, keyboard and mouse sold separately
Design and power
Type
Type	Compact	Compact
Weight
Weight	1.22 kg	–
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	197 × 197 × 36 mm; 1.19 kg for the 1.4 GHz model, 1.20 kg for the 2.6 GHz model and 1.22 kg for the 2.8 GHz model. Weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process; no common weight is assigned.
Power supply
Power supply	Integrated power supply; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz; maximum continuous power 85 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	Apple specifies 12 dBA sound pressure at idle; its acoustic test configuration is the 2.8 GHz Core i5 with 8 GB memory and 1 TB Fusion Drive
Materials
Materials	Recyclable aluminium enclosure; BFR-free and PVC-free with regional power-lead exceptions	Recyclable aluminium enclosure; BFR-free and PVC-free with regional power-lead exceptions
In the box
In the box	Mac mini, HDMI to DVI adapter and power lead; OS X Mountain Lion and iLife included	Mac mini and power lead; shipped with OS X Yosemite at launch. The current support sheet's macOS Mojave wording reflects a later software update.