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Apple Mac mini (Late 2014) vs Apple Mac mini (M6 or M5 Pro)

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

AppleMac mini (Late 2014)AppleMac mini (M6 or M5 Pro)
Overview
ReleasedOctober 2014September 2026
Performance
ProcessorIntel Core i5-4260U, Intel Core i5-4278U, Intel Core i5-4308U or Intel Core i7-4578UApple M6 or Apple M5 Pro
CPU cores212, 15 or 18
CPU threads4–
GraphicsIntel HD Graphics 5000 or Intel Iris Graphics 510012-core GPU, 16-core GPU or 20-core GPU
Memory4 GB, 8 GB or 16 GB16 GB, 24 GB, 32 GB, 48 GB or 64 GB
Storage256 GB to 2 TB256 GB to 8 TB
CPU1.4 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.M6: 12-core CPU with 2 super cores, 4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores; M5 Pro: 15-core CPU with 5 super cores and 10 performance cores, or 18-core CPU with 6 super cores and 12 performance cores
GPUIntel 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 modelsNeural Accelerators; hardware-accelerated ray tracing
AI engine–Dual 16-core Neural Engine (M6); 16-core Neural Engine (M5 Pro)
Memory bandwidth–M6: 153GB/s with 16GB, 170GB/s with 24GB or 32GB; M5 Pro: 307GB/s
Memory type1600 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 type1.4 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
Media engine–Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW; video decode engine; video encode engine; ProRes encode and decode engine; AV1 decode
Display
ScreenNone built inNone built in
Connections
Ports2 × Thunderbolt 2, 4 × USB-A, HDMI, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack3 × Thunderbolt 4, 2 × USB-C, HDMI, Ethernet, headphone jack
Ethernet1 Gb/s2.5 Gb/s
External displaysUp to 2Up to 3
Wi-Fi802.11acWi-Fi 7
Bluetooth4.06
Front ports–2 × USB-C with USB 3 (up to 10Gb/s); 3.5 mm headphone jack with advanced support for high-impedance headphones
Back portsTwo 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 receiverM6: 3 × Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) with Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s) and DisplayPort; M5 Pro: 3 × Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) with Thunderbolt 5 (up to 120Gb/s), USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s) and DisplayPort; HDMI with multichannel audio output; 2.5Gb Ethernet (RJ-45), configurable to 10Gb Ethernet
External displaysUp 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.M6: up to three (two at up to 6K 60Hz or 4K 165Hz, plus a third at up to 5K 60Hz over Thunderbolt or 4K 60Hz over HDMI), or two (one at up to 8K 60Hz, 5K 120Hz or 4K 240Hz, plus one at up to 5K 60Hz over Thunderbolt or 4K 60Hz over HDMI); M5 Pro: up to three at up to 6K 60Hz or 4K 165Hz, or two (one at up to 8K 60Hz, 5K 120Hz or 4K 240Hz, plus one at up to 5K 120Hz or 4K 200Hz); VRR and HDR supported
SpeakersBuilt-in speaker; HDMI supports multichannel audio; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphoneBuilt-in speaker
Microphones–None built in; Apple says an external microphone or headset is needed for calls
Keyboard and mousePower lead; monitor, keyboard and mouse sold separately–
Design and power
TypeCompactCompact
Weight–0.67 kg
Width × depth × height197 × 197 × 36 mm127 × 127 × 50 mm
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Size and weight detail197 × 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 supplyIntegrated power supply; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz; maximum continuous power 85 WBuilt-in; 100–240V AC; 155W maximum continuous power
Power use–M6 with 16GB and 256GB: 4W idle, 70W maximum; M5 Pro with 64GB and 8TB: 6W idle, 145W maximum
NoiseApple 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 Drive5 dBA sound pressure at idle (operator position); declared to ECMA-109 as 1.3 B sound power and 4 dB sound pressure at idle and wireless web (M5 Pro, 18-core CPU, 20-core GPU)
MaterialsRecyclable aluminium enclosure; BFR-free and PVC-free with regional power-lead exceptions100% recycled aluminium enclosure; 50% recycled content overall
Colours–Silver
In the boxMac 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 lead (1.8 m)

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