Apple Mac mini (Late 2014) vs Apple Mac mini (M1)

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Mac mini (Late 2014) compared with Mac mini (M1)

	AppleMac mini (Late 2014)	AppleMac mini (M1)
Overview
Released
Released	October 2014	November 2020
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core i5-4260U, Intel Core i5-4278U, Intel Core i5-4308U or Intel Core i7-4578U	Apple M1
CPU cores
CPU cores	2	8
CPU threads
CPU threads	4	–
Graphics
Graphics	Intel HD Graphics 5000 or Intel Iris Graphics 5100	8-core GPU
Memory
Memory	4 GB, 8 GB or 16 GB	8 GB or 16 GB
Storage
Storage	256 GB to 2 TB	256 GB to 2 TB
CPU
CPU	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.	8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
GPU
GPU	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	8-core GPU
AI engine
AI engine	–	16-core Neural Engine
Memory type
Memory type	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	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.	SSD, configurable to 512 GB, 1 TB or 2 TB
Display
Screen
Screen	None built in	None built in
Connections
Ports
Ports	2 × Thunderbolt 2, 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	802.11ac	Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	4.0	5.0
Back ports
Back ports	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	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, 3840 × 2160 at 30 Hz or 4096 × 2160 at 24 Hz. DVI, VGA and dual-link DVI require the appropriate 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; monitor, keyboard and mouse sold separately	–
Design and power
Type
Type	Compact	Compact
Weight
Weight	–	1.2 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	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	Built-in; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz; maximum continuous power 150 W
Noise
Noise	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	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 and power lead; shipped with OS X Yosemite at launch. The current support sheet's macOS Mojave wording reflects a later software update.	Mac mini, power cord