Reviewers liked the small enclosure, quiet operation and strong quad-core performance. Fusion Drive improved everyday responsiveness and USB 3 broadened peripheral support. Integrated graphics limited demanding gaming, while storage upgrades required more work than memory upgrades.
Intel Core i5-3210M, Intel Core i7-3615QM or Intel Core i7-3720QM
CPU cores
2 or 4
CPU threads
4 or 8
Graphics
Intel HD Graphics 4000
Memory
4 GB, 8 GB or 16 GB
Storage
256 GB to 1 TB
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.
GPU
Intel HD Graphics 4000 on all configurations; no discrete graphics option
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
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.
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
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.
Speakers
Built-in speaker; HDMI supports multichannel audio; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone
Keyboard and mouse
Power lead and HDMI to DVI adapter; monitor, keyboard and mouse sold separately
Design and power
Type
Compact
Weight
1.22 kg
Width × depth × height
197 × 197 × 36 mm
Operating system
macOS
Size and weight detail
Dimensions and weight are for the computer only; actual weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process
Power supply
Integrated power supply; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz; maximum continuous power 85 W
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
Materials
Recyclable aluminium enclosure; BFR-free and PVC-free with regional power-lead exceptions
In the box
Mac mini, HDMI to DVI adapter and power lead; OS X Mountain Lion and iLife included
Configurations
Processor
Memory
Storage
Storage type
Intel Core i5-3210M
4 GB
500 GB
Hard drive
Intel Core i5-3210M
8 GB
500 GB
Hard drive
Intel Core i5-3210M
16 GB
500 GB
Hard drive
Intel Core i7-3615QM
4 GB
1 TB
Hard drive
Intel Core i7-3615QM
4 GB
1 TB
Fusion Drive
Intel Core i7-3615QM
4 GB
256 GB
SSD
Intel Core i7-3615QM
8 GB
1 TB
Hard drive
Intel Core i7-3615QM
8 GB
1 TB
Fusion Drive
Intel Core i7-3615QM
8 GB
256 GB
SSD
Intel Core i7-3615QM
16 GB
1 TB
Hard drive
Intel Core i7-3615QM
16 GB
1 TB
Fusion Drive
Intel Core i7-3615QM
16 GB
256 GB
SSD
Intel Core i7-3720QM
4 GB
1 TB
Hard drive
Intel Core i7-3720QM
4 GB
1 TB
Fusion Drive
Intel Core i7-3720QM
4 GB
256 GB
SSD
Intel Core i7-3720QM
8 GB
1 TB
Hard drive
Intel Core i7-3720QM
8 GB
1 TB
Fusion Drive
Intel Core i7-3720QM
8 GB
256 GB
SSD
Intel Core i7-3720QM
16 GB
1 TB
Hard drive
Intel Core i7-3720QM
16 GB
1 TB
Fusion Drive
Intel Core i7-3720QM
16 GB
256 GB
SSD
Pros and cons
Pros
+Quad-core Core i7 options
+User-accessible memory supporting up to 16 GB
+Four USB 3 ports alongside Thunderbolt, HDMI and FireWire 800
