Aluminum 'Unibody' Mac mini Q&A
Apple Mac Mini with OS X Server (fall 2012) md389lla $467.99 Apple Mac Mini (Core i7 2.3 GHz, fall 2012) md388lla $419.99. Apple Mac Mini (2014) MGEM2LL/A $220.00 Apple Mac mini - Core i5 2.8 GHz - 8 GB - Hybrid Drive 1 TB - US mgeq2lla $499.99 Apple Mac mini - Core i5 2.6 GHz - 8 GB - HDD 1 TB - US mgen2lla $459.99.
Published November 14, 2014
All Mac Q&As >>Aluminum Mac mini Q&A (Home)
To be notified of new Q&As, sign up for EveryMac.com's bimonthly email list.
If you find this page useful, please Bookmark & Share it. Thank you.
How fast are the 'Late 2014' Aluminum 'Unibody' Mac mini models compared to each other and to the 'Late 2012' models replaced?
The 'Late 2012' and 'Late 2014' Mac mini models have been discontinued. However, this Q&A is up-to-date and can be quite helpful for anyone buying or selling one of these systems on the used market.
In the official press release for the 'Late 2014' Mac mini models -- the Mac mini 'Core i5' 1.4, 'Core i5' 2.6, 'Core i5' 2.8, and 'Core i7' 3.0 -- Apple mentions 'performance' twice, but both times in terms of graphics performance.
Specifically, Apple states that the 'Late 2014' Mac mini provides 'new levels of graphics performance' and more concretely declares that 'new integrated Intel HD Graphics 5000 and Intel Iris Graphics deliver up to 90 percent faster graphics performance than the previous generation.'
With any company's marketing department choosing to focus on graphics performance rather than overall performance, it is a safe assumption that overall performance is not as impressive.
Likewise, with even a cursory review of a comparison of the 'Late 2014' Mac mini models to the 'Late 2012' Mac mini models replaced, it is clear that the the newer line has a more advanced architecture and more modern graphics, but many models have not only slower clockspeeds than their predecessors, but also half the number of processor cores.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (Mid-2014 Mac mini and Apple Thunderbolt Display)
Obviously, on multicore tasks, models with half the number of cores will not perform as well, but just how much slower requires objective benchmarks. Likewise, comparing the performance of these Mac mini models in single core tasks and the performance of the 'Late 2014' models to each other requires objective benchmarks, too.
General Performance Overview
For a solid overview of the performance difference between the 'Late 2014' Mac mini line and earlier Mac mini models, EveryMac.com's own Ultimate Mac Comparison makes it quick to compare side-by-side 32-bit and 64-bit Geekbench benchmark averages with all other G3 and later Macs for thousands of possible performance comparisons.
Compared to one another, the performance results of the 'Late 2014' Mac mini models are inline with the clockspeed differences:
| Late 2014 Mac mini | Single Core | Multicore |
| 'Core i5' 1.4 | Baseline | Baseline |
| 'Core i5' 2.6 | 13% Faster Than Baseline | 23% Faster Than Baseline |
| 'Core i5' 2.8 | 20% Faster Than Baseline | 33% Faster Than Baseline |
| 'Core i7' 3.0 | 25% Faster Than Baseline | 36% Faster Than Baseline |
As demonstrated above, the entry-level Mac mini 'Core i5' 1.4 model is substantially slower overall than the two other stock models as well as the BTO/CTO 'Core i7' option. However, as the entry-level model costs 29% less than the mid-range Mac mini 'Core i5' 2.6, but is only 12% to 19% slower overall, it may be an acceptable option for those who place more importance on money than speed, even though the mere 4 GB of soldered RAM will shorten the usable life of the computer.
Specs For A 2014 Mac Mini
Likewise, as the BTO/CTO Mac mini 'Core i7' 3.0 is only 2% to 4% faster than the high-end stock Mac mini 'Core i5' 2.8, but costs 20% more, it does not represent a particularly good value.
Compared to the 'Late 2012' Mac mini models, the 'Late 2014' Mac mini models are between 1% and 9% faster in single core tasks but between 5% and 43% slower in multicore tasks:
| Late 2012 | Late 2014 | Single Core | Multicore |
| 'Core i5' 2.5 | 'Core i5' 1.4 | 1% Faster | 5% Slower |
| 'Core i7' 2.3 | 'Core i5' 2.6 | 6% Faster | 43% Slower |
| 'Core i7' 2.6 | 'Core i5' 2.8 'Core i7' 3.0 | 5% Faster 9% Faster | 43% Slower 42% Slower |
Obviously, whether or not the 'Late 2014' Mac mini line provides a mediocre speed boost or a significant speed drop depends on whether or not you use apps that can take advantage of the Quad Core processors in the 'Late 2012' line -- like high-end video editing applications -- but it is clear that the overall performance of the 'Late 2014' line is underwhelming.
Third-Party Graphics Test Results
The blogosphere provided very little detailed coverage of the 'Late 2014' Mac mini, no doubt because it is not a particularly interesting system compared to its predecessor.
However, ArsTechnica did review the 'Late 2014' Mac mini, and most notably, shared some third-party graphics test results:
The HD 5000 improves on the HD 4000 by about 50 percent in the GFXBench T-Rex test and about 25 percent faster in the Cinebench R15 GPU test. The Iris 5100 further improves those numbers, beating the HD 4000 by 98 percent in the T-Rex test and about 45 percent in the Cinebench test. Scores in the heavier GFXBench Manhattan test improve as well, though by a much smaller margin -- obviously the amount you stand to gain will vary from game to game and task to task.
Although none of these Mac mini models have impressive graphics, these test results are inline with Apple's official 'up to 90% faster graphics' estimate.
Performance Summary
Ultimately, Apple's claim that the 'Late 2014' Mac mini line offers 'new levels of graphics performance' is reasonable, but with a marginal performance increase in single core tasks and a massive performance drop in multicore tasks compared to their predecessors, it is difficult to get excited about the overall performance of these models.
Used Mac mini Purchase Options
There are many places to purchase a used or new Mac mini. However, buying from a quality merchant with an extensive track record in the Mac market will provide the best experience and save you money and time, too.
Site sponsor Adorama has new Mac mini models with free shipping for all.
In the US, site sponsor Evertek has extensive inventory of used Aluminum Mac mini models at bargain prices for business customers. Evertek also ships bulk orders at wholesale prices worldwide.
In the UK, site sponsor Hoxton Macs sells used Mac mini models with a one-year warranty and free next day delivery throughout the UK. Delivery across Europe also is available starting at just £9.99 for two-day delivery to France and Germany.
If you need to sell a Mac mini, A+ BBB-rated site sponsor Cash for Your Mac will buy your older Mac mini with an instant quote and prompt payment.
Please refer to the Ultimate Mac Comparison feature to dynamically compare the Geekbench performance of any Mac mini model to any other G3 or later Mac.
Permalink | E-mail a Friend | Bookmark & Share | Report an Error/Typo
Suggest a New Q&A | Sign Up for Bimonthly Site Update Notices
<< Aluminum 'Unibody' Mac mini Q&A (Main) | All Mac Q&As
EveryMac.com is provided 'as is' without warranty of any kind whatsoever. EveryMac.com, and the author thereof, shall not be held responsible or liable, under any circumstances, for any damages resulting from the use or inability to use the information within. For complete disclaimer and copyright information please read and understand the Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy before using EveryMac.com. Use of any content or images without expressed permission is not allowed, although links to any page are welcomed and appreciated.
| Mac mini (M1, 2020) Apple M1 chip, 16GB unified memory, 2TB SSD | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | Thermal Output | ||
| Idle | Max | Idle | Max |
| 6.8 W | 39 W | 23.2 BTU/h | 133 BTU/h |
| Mac mini (2018) 3.2GHz 6-core Intel Core i7, 64GB 2666MHz DDR4, 2TB SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 630 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | Thermal Output | ||
| Idle | Max | Idle | Max |
| 19.9 W | 122 W | 68 BTU/h | 417 BTU/h |
| Mac mini (Late 2014) 1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 4GB 1600MHz LPDDR3, 500GB 5400-rpm HDD, Intel HD Graphics 5000 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | Thermal Output | ||
| Idle | Max | Idle | Max |
| 6 W | 85 W | 20 BTU/h | 290 BTU/h |
| Mac mini (Late 2014) 2.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 8GB 1600MHz LPDDR3, 1TB 5400-rpm HDD, Intel Iris Graphics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | Thermal Output | ||
| Idle | Max | Idle | Max |
| 6 W | 85 W | 20 BTU/h | 290 BTU/h |
| Mac mini (Late 2014) 2.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 8GB 1600MHz LPDDR3, 1TB Fusion Drive, Intel Iris Graphics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | Thermal Output | ||
| Idle | Max | Idle | Max |
| 6 W | 85 W | 20 BTU/h | 290 BTU/h |
| Mac mini (Late 2012) 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 4GB 1600MHz DDR3 (2x2GB), 500GB 5400-rpm HDD, Intel HD Graphics 4000 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | Thermal Output | ||
| Idle | Max | Idle | Max |
| 11 W | 85 W | 38 BTU/h | 290 BTU/h |
Specs For 2014 Mac Mini Download
| Mac mini (Late 2012) 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, 4GB 1600MHz DDR3 (2x2GB), 1TB 5400-rpm HDD, Intel HD Graphics 4000 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | Thermal Output | ||
| Idle | Max | Idle | Max |
| 11 W | 85 W | 38 BTU/h | 290 BTU/h |
| Mac mini with OS X Server (Late 2012) 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, 4GB 1600MHz DDR3 (2x2GB), two 1TB 5400-rpm HDDs, Intel HD Graphics 4000 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | Thermal Output | ||
| Idle | Max | Idle | Max |
| 13 W | 85 W | 45 BTU/h | 290 BTU/h |
| Mac mini (Mid 2011) 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 2GB 1333MHz DDR3 (2x1GB), 500GB 5400-rpm HDD, Intel HD Graphics 3000 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | Thermal Output | ||
| Idle | Max | Idle | Max |
| 11 W | 85 W | 38 BTU/h | 290 BTU/h |
| Mac mini (Mid 2011) 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 or 2.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i7, 4GB 1333MHz DDR3 (2x2GB), 500GB 5400-rpm HDD, AMD Radeon HD 6630M with 256MB of GDDR5 memory | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | Thermal Output | ||
| Idle | Max | Idle | Max |
| 14 W | 85 W | 48 BTU/h | 290 BTU/h |
| Mac mini with OS X Server (Mid 2011) 2.0GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, 4GB 1333MHz DDR3 (2x2GB), two 500GB 7200-rpm HDDs, Intel HD Graphics 3000 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | Thermal Output | ||
| Idle | Max | Idle | Max |
| 12 W | 85 W | 41 BTU/h | 290 BTU/h |
| Mac mini (Mid 2010) 2.4GHz or 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo, 8GB 1066MHz DDR3 (2x4GB), 320GB 5400-rpm HDD, built-in GeForce 320M, SuperDrive | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | Thermal Output | ||
| Idle | Max | Idle | Max |
| 10 W | 85 W | 34 BTU/h | 290 BTU/h |
| Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server (Mid 2010) 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo, 8GB 1066MHz DDR3 (2x4GB), two 500GB 7200-rpm HDD, built-in GeForce 320M | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | Thermal Output | ||
| Idle | Max | Idle | Max |
| 11 W | 85 W | 38 BTU/h | 290 BTU/h |
| Mac mini (Late 2009) 2.26GHz or 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM (2x2GB), 320GB 5400-rpm HDD, built-in GeForce 9400M, SuperDrive | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | Thermal Output | ||
| Idle | Max | Idle | Max |
| 14 W | 110 W | 48 BTU/h | 376 BTU/h |
| Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server (Late 2009) 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM (2x2GB), two 500GB 5400-rpm HDDs, built-in GeForce 9400M | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | Thermal Output | ||
| Idle | Max | Idle | Max |
| 15 W | 110 W | 51 BTU/h | 376 BTU/h |
| Mac mini (Early 2009) 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM (2x1GB), 320GB 5400-rpm HDD, built-in GeForce 9400M, SuperDrive | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | Thermal Output | ||
| Idle | Max | Idle | Max |
| 13 W | 110 W | 44 BTU/h | 376 BTU/h |
| Mac mini (Mid 2007) 1.83 GHz or 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo, 512MB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (2x256), 80GB 5400-rpm HDD, built-in GMA 950 (shared 64MB), Combo drive | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | Thermal Output | ||
| Idle | Max | Idle | Max |
| 23 W | 110 W | 79 BTU/h | 376 BTU/h |
| Mac mini (Late 2006) 1.83 GHz Core Duo, 512MB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (2x256), 80GB 5400-rpm HDD, built-in GMA 950 (shared 64MB), Combo drive | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | Thermal Output | ||
| Idle | Max | Idle | Max |
| 23 W | 110 W | 79 BTU/h | 376 BTU/h |
| Mac mini (Early 2006) 1.5 GHz Core Solo, 512MB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (2x256), 60GB 5400-rpm HDD, built-in GMA 950 (shared 64MB), Combo drive | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | Thermal Output | ||
| Idle | Max | Idle | Max |
| 23 W | 110 W | 79 BTU/h | 376 BTU/h |
| Mac mini 1.25 GHz PowerPC G4, 256MB 333MHz DDR SDRAM (1x256), 40GB 4200-rpm HDD, built-in 32MB DDR RV280, Combo drive | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | Thermal Output | ||
| Idle | Max | Idle | Max |
| 32 W | 85 W | 110 BTU/h | 290 BTU/h |
Notes
- Power consumption data (Watts) is measured from the wall power source and includes all power supply and system losses. Additional correction is not needed.
- 'Max' is defined as the maximum possible power draw based on the computer's power supply rating.
- 'Idle' reflects the power used with only Finder open, using the default power management settings.