2011 Mac Mini goes Sandy Bridge: Specs, details and our thoughts
by Kristian Vättö on July 20, 2011 10:50 AM EST- Posted in
- Mac
- Mac mini
- Sandy Bridge
- Thunderbolt
The Mac mini is yet another Mac to be updated with Intel’s Sandy Bridge CPUs and Thunderbolt. The Mini saw its last update on June 15th 2010 so a refresh was widely expected and also a bit overdue. There are no major chassis changes to the new Mac mini (sans the missing CD/DVD slot). Like the previous generation, there are three models: two consumer and one server. The Mac mini lineup has been like this since late 2009 when the server model was first introduced.
Let's get to the specs:
| 2011 Mac Mini Specifications | |||
| Low-end | High-end | Server | |
| Processor | i5-2410M (2.3GHz dual core) | i5-2520M (2.5GHz dual core) | i7-2635QM (2.0GHz quad core) |
| Graphics | Intel HD 3000 with 288MB of shared DDR3 | AMD Radeon HD 6630M with 256MB of GDDR5 | Intel HD 3000 with 384MB of shared DDR3 |
| RAM | 2GB 1333MHz DDR3 (up to 8GB) | 4GB 1333MHz DDR3 (up to 8GB) | 4GB 1333MHz DDR3 (up to 8GB) |
| Storage | 500GB 5400rpm | 500GB 5400rpm | 2x500GB 7200rpm |
| Ports | Thunderbolt, HDMI, FireWire 800, 4x USB 2.0, SDXC card slot, Gigabit Ethernet, audio in/out | Thunderbolt, HDMI, FireWire 800, 4x USB 2.0, SDXC card slot, Gigabit Ethernet, audio in/out | Thunderbolt, HDMI, FireWire 800, 4x USB 2.0, SDXC card slot, Gigabit Ethernet, audio in/out |
| Connectivity | 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 | 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 | 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 7.7" x 7.7" x 1.4" | 7.7" x 7.7" x 1.4" | 7.7" x 7.7" x 1.4" |
| Weight | 2.7lb | 2.7lb | 3.0lb |
| Price | $599 | $799 | $999 |
The most obvious change is a drop in price: the entry-level Mini is now $599 and the high-end is $799, instead of $699 and $849 like the previous generation. The 2011 Mac Mini in fact adopts the old pricing model as before the 2010 update, the Minis were priced $599 and $799 respectively. The server model retains its $999 price tag. This is definitely good news.
As for the hardware updates, the two most obvious ones are Core i5 and Core i7 Sandy Bridge CPUs and Thunderbolt. Every Mini now comes with one Thunderbolt port as well, which replaces the Mini DisplayPort, just like in the 2011 MBPs. A smaller update is that all models now come with 1333MHz DDR3, similar to the rest of the Mac lineup. The consumer models also come with 500GB HDDs instead of 320GB while the server model’s storage remains unchanged (2x500GB 7200rpm).
Now the unexpected changes. First, the high-end Mini now comes with a discrete AMD Radeon HD 6630M GPU. This is the first Intel Mac mini to adopt a discrete GPU. The old PPC Mac minis used discrete GPUs but since the transition to Intel CPUs in 2006, the Mac mini has been stuck with IGPs - first Intel GMAs and then NVIDIA since early 2009. It will be interesting to see how Apple has managed to find space for the dGPU and its cooling, especially because the Thunderbolt controller is a discrete chip as well. We applaud the move though. While Intel HD 3000 was great improvement from Arrandale graphics, it’s still not all that great for gamers.
AMD 6630M is actually based on the same Whistler core as 6750M and 6770M found in MacBook Pros and iMacs. What you get is 480 shaders at 485MHz, which is 115-240MHz (19-33%) less than 6750M’s and 6770M’s. Thus the graphics performance won’t be as good as in iMac and MBP but 6630M will still be a huge step up from nVidia 320M and Intel HD 3000. There's no word on GPU clocks.
The second intriguing aspect of new Mac minis is the server model: It now comes with a quad core CPU. This appears to be the same i7-2635QM as found in $1799 15” MacBook Pro. The previous generation server model came with a 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo so this will be a huge upgrade in CPU performance. It will again be interesting to see how Apple has handled the extra heat as i7-2630QM has TDP of 45W compared to P8800‘s 25W.
Third, there is no more SuperDrive (ODD)! Apple is distributing nearly all of their software through Mac App Store now (including new OS versions), reducing the need for an optical drive.. This move is logical and I wouldn’t be surprised to see MBPs following Mac mini. There is always the option of an external ODD if you really, really need one.
Some of the BTO options are also new. The base model gets the option for a 750GB 7200rpm HDD but the high-end and server model can sport a 256GB SSD. That alone isn’t a big deal but the high-end Mini has an option for a 750GB HDD + 256GB SSD. That's not a big surprise given that the ODD is gone now so there is space for a second 2.5” HDD. Whether there will be a second SATA port in one-drive configurations is still unknown but that would leave the option of a 3rd party SSD as a boot drive. The high-end Mini also offers an optional i7-2620M (2.7GHz dual core).
All in all, the 2011 Mac mini update is a good one. There are several welcome additions to the lineup, such as a discrete GPU. The prices are a lot more reasonable now too. Before, it made very little sense to buy Mini because a few hundred more got you an iMac with better specs and IPS panel. At $599, the Mac mini makes sense and is a great option for a first time Mac buyer.
The updated Mac mini comes with Lion pre-installed (Lion Server in server model) and is available from the Apple Online Store with estimated shipping time of 24 hours.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
82 Comments
View All Comments
silverblue - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
Without the infrastructure, downloading all your content isn't going to be the swiftest method for many people outside of countries with fast internet networks such as the US, Netherlands, South Korea etc. In the UK, the aim is to have the fastest network in the EU by 2015, however I'm sceptical, especially with ISPs imposing limits on what you can and cannot download. External drives are a good workaround in this case.Here's an interesting article about the fastest countries by connection speed... and the US isn't as high up the list as you might think:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/18/fastest-i...
Still, connection speed isn't everything. I've got a 24Mbit line via LLU (UK) and connect at 16Mbps due to distance, and get about 12Mbps average download speed on an unmetered line so I'm doing rather well for myself, however I remember the dreaded days of ADSLMax where the top connection was 8Mbit, and had to endure the connection speed dropping to about 300kbps during peak times. How I wished for 2Mbps to come back, at least it stayed that way all the time. Apparently, as the service was provided by BT Wholesale regardless of whichever ISP you used, it affected everyone using a BT line, so the best option was to move to cable or LLU.
silverblue - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
Something tells me Apple probably touted the idea of dropping Intel just to get better prices; doesn't look like they're dumping Intel anytime soon. Also, Apple aren't likely to want to use multiple CPU manufacturers at the same time for a specific product line, so I expect them to keep using Intel CPUs for their more expensive products for some time to come, at least, until Trinity (unlikely though).rickcain2320 - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
No DVD/BD Drive? I can understand Steve Job's obsession with minimalism, but the Mac Mini can be a great system if it was just designed to be a bit taller so a proper 7200RPM HD could, more RAM slots, and higher performing video can be added.The problem with Apple's product line is that the Mac Mini bumps up uncomfortably against the iMac. Logically if you can get equivalent performance in a PC without paying for Apple's overpriced monitor, then the iMac no longer is a good deal. That means the Mac Mini is permanently relegated to low-tier performance only to satisfy Apple's product tiers.
Bring back the Mac Cube, but this time allow some actual expansion capabilities.
repoman27 - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
If by "proper" you mean 3.5", you'd be doubling the size of the entire computer and increasing the overall power consumption by more than 10%. The problem in not so much bumping into the iMac's market-share, as it is bumping into the laws of physics. Dissipating more than 85 W in such a diminutive package is not happening gracefully. The CPUs alone in the 27" iMacs have TDP's of 95 W. I think the whole point of the mini is the folly of the form-factor. It requires a lot of sacrifices, but they're still pretty cool and functional in the end.davinja - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
wow to thisWardrop - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
I'm actually quite impressed with the new mini's, though it took them long enough to get em' out. The one thing that bothers me is that if I was buying one of these, I'd want the server mini for its quad-core processor and duel 500GB hard-drive's as standard, but sadly, you can't get it with the discrete GPU or standard OS X. Otherwise, that would help bridge the gap between the mini and the Mac Pro for people who don't want a Mac with a screen, but still wanted a bit of performance without shelling out $4000+ on a Mac Pro.gmcalpin - Friday, July 22, 2011 - link
I wonder how well an external GPU (via Thunderbolt) could address that, once a PCIe 2.0 chassis comes out…Wolfpup - Friday, July 22, 2011 - link
The Mini desperately needed a Blu Ray drive and user replaceable hard drive. Now it doesn't even have DVD?Makes the last gen model even cheaper and smaller...
steven75 - Friday, July 22, 2011 - link
"Desperately" needed a BR drive? Do you know lots of people that watch movies on their desktop computer monitor instead of the living room TV?dhiiir - Friday, July 22, 2011 - link
the GPU performance is a little better, but does that really matter for a Mac Mini? I doubt many people are going to be buying Mac Minis with the intention of using them as gaming machines. I'd rather take the much better CPU performance of Mobile Sandy Bridge and the lower power consumption.Genuine. Good quality. Cheap. Fashion.,-.www.upsfashion.com- Clothes and shoes, and glasses, bags, etc.