Apple Mac mini (Late 2012) vs Apple Mac mini (Mid 2011)

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Mac mini (Late 2012) compared with Mac mini (Mid 2011)

	AppleMac mini (Late 2012)	AppleMac mini (Mid 2011)
Overview
Released
Released	October 2012	July 2011
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core i5-3210M, Intel Core i7-3615QM or Intel Core i7-3720QM	Intel Core i5-2415M, Intel Core i5-2520M, Intel Core i7-2620M or Intel Core i7-2635QM
CPU cores
CPU cores	2 or 4	2 or 4
CPU threads
CPU threads	4 or 8	4 or 8
Graphics
Graphics	Intel HD Graphics 4000	Intel HD Graphics 3000 or AMD Radeon HD 6630M (256 MB GDDR5)
Memory
Memory	4 GB, 8 GB or 16 GB (better)	2 GB, 4 GB or 8 GB
Storage
Storage	256 GB to 1 TB	256 GB to 1.5 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.	Consumer models have a 2.3 GHz dual-core Core i5-2415M or 2.5 GHz dual-core Core i5-2520M, with a 2.7 GHz dual-core Core i7-2620M option only on the 2.5 GHz model. The server has a 2.0 GHz quad-core Core i7-2635QM. Exact CPU identities are cross-checked with EveryMac; the i5-2415M's four threads come from its exact-model sheet because an individual current Intel sheet was unavailable.
GPU
GPU	Intel HD Graphics 4000 on all configurations; no discrete graphics option	The 2.3 GHz model has Intel HD Graphics 3000 with at least 288 MB shared memory; 2.5/2.7 GHz consumer configurations have AMD Radeon HD 6630M with 256 MB GDDR5. Server configurations have Intel HD Graphics 3000 with at least 384 MB shared memory.
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)	1333 MHz DDR3 memory. The 2.3 GHz model has 2 GB, configurable to 4 or 8 GB; other configurations have 4 GB, configurable to 8 GB. The bottom cover provides access for memory replacement.
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.	The 2.3 GHz consumer model offers a 500 GB 5400 rpm or 750 GB 7200 rpm hard drive. The 2.5/2.7 GHz consumer models additionally offer a 256 GB SSD or a separate 256 GB SSD plus 750 GB hard drive. Server choices are two 500 GB or two 750 GB 7200 rpm hard drives, a single or two 256 GB SSDs, or a separate 256 GB SSD and 750 GB hard drive. Server hard-drive capacities in configurations are the total of two drives (1000/1500 GB), and 512 GB SSD means two 256 GB drives. Mixed SSD/hard-drive combinations are described here rather than assigned one misleading storage type; they are not Fusion Drives.
Expansion slots
Expansion slots	–	No internal PCI Express expansion slot or optical drive; removable bottom cover for memory access. Optional external MacBook Air SuperDrive or DVD/CD Sharing from another computer.
Display
Screen
Screen	None built in	None built in
Connections
Ports
Ports	Thunderbolt, 4 × USB-A, HDMI, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack	Thunderbolt, 4 × USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet, SD card slot, 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	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	Thunderbolt up to 10 Gb/s, FireWire 800 up to 800 Mb/s, four USB 2.0 up to 480 Mb/s, HDMI, SDXC, Gigabit Ethernet and separate digital/analogue audio input and output minijacks. FireWire and the audio input are described here because the main port list has no fields for them.
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.	Maker specifies dual display and mirroring; Thunderbolt up to 2560 × 1600 and HDMI up to 1920 × 1200. HDMI to DVI adapter included; Mini DisplayPort adapters optional.
Speakers
Speakers	Built-in speaker; HDMI supports multichannel audio; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone	Built-in speaker; digital/analogue headphone output, multichannel HDMI audio and support for an Apple iPhone headset with microphone
Keyboard and mouse
Keyboard and mouse	Power lead and HDMI to DVI adapter; monitor, keyboard and mouse sold separately	Display, keyboard and mouse are purchased separately; Apple Remote and external SuperDrive optional
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	Consumer models weigh 1.22 kg; the server weighs 1.37 kg. Actual weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process; a shared weight is omitted.
Power supply
Power supply	Integrated power supply; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz; maximum continuous power 85 W	Internal supply; AC input 100–240 V, 50–60 Hz single phase; 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	The consumer page's headline gives 16 dBA idle, while its model-specific table gives 13 dB for 2.3 GHz and 15 dB for 2.5 GHz at idle, with 16 dB during hard-drive access. The server page gives 17 dBA idle. Figures depend on configuration and measurement position; no single value is selected.
Materials
Materials	Recyclable aluminium enclosure; BFR-free and PVC-free with regional power-lead exceptions	Recyclable aluminium enclosure; BFR-free. PVC-free except China mainland, Korea and South Africa, where only internal cables are PVC-free.
In the box
In the box	Mac mini, HDMI to DVI adapter and power lead; OS X Mountain Lion and iLife included	Mac mini, HDMI to DVI adapter, power cord and documentation. OS X Lion and iLife included; server adds Lion Server with an unlimited-client licence. Lion Recovery and Internet Recovery support system restoration without a physical install disc.