Apple Mac mini (Late 2012) vs Apple Mac mini (M1)

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Mac mini (Late 2012) compared with Mac mini (M1)

	AppleMac mini (Late 2012)	AppleMac mini (M1)
Overview
Released
Released	October 2012	November 2020
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core i5-3210M, Intel Core i7-3615QM or Intel Core i7-3720QM	Apple M1
CPU cores
CPU cores	2 or 4	8
CPU threads
CPU threads	4 or 8	–
Graphics
Graphics	Intel HD Graphics 4000	8-core GPU
Memory
Memory	4 GB, 8 GB or 16 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.	8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
GPU
GPU	Intel HD Graphics 4000 on all configurations; no discrete graphics option	8-core GPU
AI engine
AI engine	–	16-core Neural Engine
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)	–
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.	SSD, configurable to 512 GB, 1 TB or 2 TB
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 3, 2 × USB-A, HDMI, 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	Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	4.0	5.0
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 / USB 4 ports with DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 3 and USB 4 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; Gigabit Ethernet, configurable to 10 Gb Ethernet; 3.5 mm headphone jack
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.	One display up to 6K 60 Hz over Thunderbolt and one up to 4K 60 Hz over HDMI, simultaneously
Speakers
Speakers	Built-in speaker; HDMI supports multichannel audio; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone	Built-in speaker; HDMI multichannel audio output
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	1.22 kg	1.2 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	Integrated power supply; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz; maximum continuous power 85 W	Built-in; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz; maximum continuous power 150 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	5 dBA sound pressure at idle and during Apple's wireless web test (operator position)
Materials
Materials	Recyclable aluminium enclosure; BFR-free and PVC-free with regional power-lead exceptions	100% recycled aluminium enclosure
Colours
Colours	–	Silver
In the box
In the box	Mac mini, HDMI to DVI adapter and power lead; OS X Mountain Lion and iLife included	Mac mini, power cord