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Apple Mac mini (Late 2012) vs Apple Mac Pro (Late 2013)

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

AppleMac mini (Late 2012)AppleMac Pro (Late 2013)
Overview
ReleasedOctober 2012December 2013
Performance
ProcessorIntel Core i5-3210M, Intel Core i7-3615QM or Intel Core i7-3720QMIntel Xeon E5-1620 v2, Intel Xeon E5-1650 v2, Intel Xeon E5-1680 v2 or Intel Xeon E5-2697 v2
CPU cores2 or 44, 6, 8 or 12
CPU threads4 or 88, 12, 16 or 24
GraphicsIntel HD Graphics 4000Dual AMD FirePro D300 (2 GB GDDR5 each), Dual AMD FirePro D500 (3 GB GDDR5 each) or Dual AMD FirePro D700 (6 GB GDDR5 each)
Memory4 GB, 8 GB or 16 GB12 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB
Storage256 GB to 1 TB256 GB to 1 TB
CPU2.5 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.3.7 GHz quad-core, 3.5 GHz six-core, 3.0 GHz eight-core or 2.7 GHz twelve-core Intel Xeon E5. Exact identities are E5-1620 v2, E5-1650 v2, E5-1680 v2 and E5-2697 v2, cross-checked against Geekbench device records and Ars hardware testing; Intel specifications supply thread counts and maximum Turbo frequencies.
GPUIntel HD Graphics 4000 on all configurations; no discrete graphics optionDual AMD FirePro D300 with 2 GB GDDR5 per GPU, D500 with 3 GB per GPU, or D700 with 6 GB per GPU. Memory is specified separately for each GPU, rather than pooled. All graphics options are available by upgrading the original quad-core base configuration.
Memory type4 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)Four user-accessible slots for 1866 MHz DDR3 ECC memory; 12 GB (three 4 GB modules), 16 GB (four 4 GB), 32 GB (four 8 GB) or 64 GB (four 16 GB)
Storage type500 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.PCIe-based SSD; 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB. No internal hard-drive bays or optical drive.
Expansion slots–No internal PCIe card slots; peripherals and compatible external expansion chassis connect through Thunderbolt
Display
ScreenNone built inNone built in
Connections
PortsThunderbolt, 4 × USB-A, HDMI, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack4 × USB-A, 6 × Thunderbolt 2, 2 × Ethernet, HDMI, headphone jack
Ethernet1 Gb/s1 Gb/s
External displaysUp to 2Up to 6
Wi-Fi802.11n802.11ac
Bluetooth4.04.0
Back portsThunderbolt 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 receiverFour USB 3 USB-A ports, six Thunderbolt 2 ports, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, HDMI 1.4 Ultra HD, 3.5 mm headphone jack with headset support, and a separate combined optical digital audio output/analogue line-out minijack. Thunderbolt ports are divided across three controllers, as explained in Macworld and Ars reviews.
External displaysUp 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.Apple's current support specifications allow six Thunderbolt displays or three dual-cable 5K displays. The launch announcement specified support for three 4K displays; the later 5K statement should not be read as launch-day capability.
SpeakersBuilt-in speaker; HDMI supports multichannel audio; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphoneBuilt-in speaker; HDMI supports multichannel audio output
Keyboard and mousePower lead and HDMI to DVI adapter; monitor, keyboard and mouse sold separatelyKeyboard, mouse and display sold separately
Design and power
TypeCompactCompact
Weight1.22 kg5 kg
Width × depth × height197 × 197 × 36 mm167 × 167 × 251 mm
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Size and weight detailDimensions and weight are for the computer only; actual weight varies by configuration and manufacturing processCylindrical enclosure; 251 mm high and 167 mm in diameter, with 5 kg weight from Apple's Japanese specification sheet. Weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process.
Power supplyIntegrated power supply; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz; maximum continuous power 85 W100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phase; maximum continuous power 450 W
NoiseApple'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 configurationApple's overview reports 12 dBA operator-position sound pressure at idle, while the acoustic table reports 14 dB at idle and 14.5 dB during wireless web. These are conflicting maker statements; no single noise value is selected.
MaterialsRecyclable aluminium enclosure; BFR-free and PVC-free with regional power-lead exceptionsHighly recyclable enclosure; BFR-free and PVC-free, with regional exceptions for the power lead
In the boxMac mini, HDMI to DVI adapter and power lead; OS X Mountain Lion and iLife includedMac Pro and power lead. Launched with OS X Mavericks; the current support page describes the later macOS Mojave release. Original standard configurations were quad-core with 12 GB memory and D300 graphics, and six-core with 16 GB and D500. The current support sheet also lists an eight-core standard configuration with 16 GB and D700. Configurations below include independent processor, memory, graphics and storage upgrades of the original quad-core base, so 12 GB or D300 with a higher-core processor represents a customised base model.

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