Visually, the Mac Mini looks the same as it has since Apple stopped shipping SuperDrive-equipped models back in 2011. To evaluate the computer's SSD performance, we've also equipped our review unit with a 1TB Fusion Drive, a $200 upgrade-we won't be recapping how this feature works, but our deep dive is over here. We'll provide benchmarks representative of the $499 Mini, too, but know ahead of time that it uses the same guts as the base-model MacBook Airs and the $1,099 iMac. We typically like to review the base models of computers when possible, but in the Mac Mini's case the upgraded $699 configuration is more interesting, and it's the one you ought to get if you care about performance (more on that later). The 2014 Mac Mini is more interesting than that but unfortunately for people who have been waiting for this refresh, it's more notable for the stuff it's missing than its upgrades. If that was all that was happening, the Mac Mini would be a welcome-if-overdue update to the desktop. Desktops and laptops haven't advanced a whole lot in the last year, so for the most part the Mini is just getting 2013's upgrades a year late.

Apple went through all of its Macs last year, updating them with new Intel Haswell CPUs and 802.11ac Wi-Fi adapters and faster SSDs and (sometimes) Thunderbolt 2, while the Mini sat and waited for an upgrade that never came.Īpple quickly announced a new Mini at its media event in October, two years after the 2012 Mac Mini was introduced. It's easy to feel sorry for the Mac Mini. HDMI, 2x Thunderbolt 2, 4x USB 3.0, audio line-in minijack (digital/analog), audio line-out/headphone minijack (digital/analog), SDXC card slot Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 Dual-core 2.6GHz Intel Core i5-4278U (Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz)ĨGB 1600MHz LPDDR3 (soldered, upgradeable to 16GB at purchase)ġTB Fusion Drive (128GB PCIe SSD + 1TB 5400 RPM HDD)

Mac mini mid 2010 videocard replcement