The Apple Mac mini ($499) is the least expensive new Macintosh computer you can buy. Like its previous iterations, it's built into a sleek aluminum unibody chassis, and is one of the more compact desktop PCs on the market. It's now less expensive, but still has all the quality and OS X integration we've come to expect. It's the small-form-factor (SFF) consumer desktop to beat, thanks to a solid chassis, convenient wired and wireless connectivity, and an OS that hands off to the Apple devices in your pocket, all at a reasonable price.
Design and Features
The exterior of the Mac mini$497.00 at Amazon is mostly unchanged from that of the previous model$1,219.96 at QVC we tested two years ago. The matte-aluminum chassis measures 1.4 by 7.7 by 7.7 inches (HWD), which can almost disappear behind a large-screen display or HDTV. SFF competitors like the Maingear Spark and the Zotac Zbox CI320 nano Plus$235.99 at Amazon may be physically smaller, but both of those Windows PCs require an external power brick that can clutter your workspace. The Mac mini has its power supply built in.
Connectivity options are plentiful, including an Ethernet port, an HDMI port, an SDXC card reader, two Thunderbolt 2 ports, and four USB 3.0 ports. For wireless connectivity, there are 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0, as well as Apple's Continuity and Handoff features in OS X Yosemite, which let you seamlessly move between the Mac mini and iOS devices, like iPads and iPhones.
Mac mini
Absent here is the previous iteration's accessible memory slot. The chassis is effectively sealed now (the bottom panel is much harder to remove, and security screws prevent you from going further). The RAM is soldered to the motherboard, so you won't be able to upgrade it later, even if you're persistent in opening the case. You'll have to choose extra memory when you order the system, which increases both the cost and delivery times. In the 2012 Mac mini, you could add 4GB more memory yourself for $30 to $50, which far less expensive than the $100 that Apple is charging for a configuration upgrade from the default 4GB up to 8GB when you order the system. The upgrade to 16GB ($300) is even more expensive. The 500GB, 5,400rpm SATA hard drive can also be upgraded to a 1TB Fusion Drive for $250. Note that like previous Mac mini models, a display, keyboard, and mouse are not included.
Bundled with the Mac mini is Mac OS X Yosemite and apps like iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand. It also comes with Keynote, Numbers, and Pages. The Mac's programs don't require a paid subscription after a year, so it is better equipped than Windows PCs that come with a free 1-year subscription to Microsoft Office 365.
Apple Mac mini (2014)
Performance
Inside, there's a fourth-generation 1.4GHz Intel Core i5-4260U, a low-voltage processor with Intel HD Graphics 5000. It performed adequately on our multimedia benchmark tests, including Handbrake (3 minutes 13 seconds) and Adobe Photoshop CS6 (5:27). That's faster than the AMD-A8-equipped Maingear Spark (6:37 in Handbrake; 9:54 in CS6), and roughly equivalent to other inexpensive compact systems, like the Acer Aspire AXC-604-UR11$370.95 at Amazon (4:37 in Handbrake; 4:41 in CS6). That said, the full-voltage Intel Core i5-4440 processor and extra system memory in the Gateway DX4885-UR2D is a lot faster (1:30 in Handbrake; 3:54 in CS6).
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The integrated graphics are good enough to help the system score 17 frames per second (fps) on the Heaven test and 18fps on the Valley test, both at medium quality. You'll be able to play browser-based 3D games and older titles, but you may have trouble running Grand Theft Auto V (if it's ever released for the Mac). The Maingear Spark is much better at 3D gaming, thanks to a discrete AMD Radeon R9 M275X GPU. The Mac mini is a whole lot quieter, though.
The latest Apple Mac mini has more competition to contend with than its predecessor did, but it still manages to hold its own, and then some. It is better connected than the Acer Aspire AXC-604-UR11 and much more cost effective than the Polywell i2304-i5. It's much less expensive than the gaming-oriented Maingear Spark and performs better on the multimedia benchmark tests as well. Its only true drawback is the lack of internal memory expansion, and that's something that's becoming commonplace among Macs and Windows PCs every day. For its combination of great build quality, connectivity, and sub-$500 price, we award the Apple Mac mini our Editors' Choice for consumer-oriented SFF desktops.
Design and Features
The exterior of the Mac mini$497.00 at Amazon is mostly unchanged from that of the previous model$1,219.96 at QVC we tested two years ago. The matte-aluminum chassis measures 1.4 by 7.7 by 7.7 inches (HWD), which can almost disappear behind a large-screen display or HDTV. SFF competitors like the Maingear Spark and the Zotac Zbox CI320 nano Plus$235.99 at Amazon may be physically smaller, but both of those Windows PCs require an external power brick that can clutter your workspace. The Mac mini has its power supply built in.
Connectivity options are plentiful, including an Ethernet port, an HDMI port, an SDXC card reader, two Thunderbolt 2 ports, and four USB 3.0 ports. For wireless connectivity, there are 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0, as well as Apple's Continuity and Handoff features in OS X Yosemite, which let you seamlessly move between the Mac mini and iOS devices, like iPads and iPhones.
Mac mini
Absent here is the previous iteration's accessible memory slot. The chassis is effectively sealed now (the bottom panel is much harder to remove, and security screws prevent you from going further). The RAM is soldered to the motherboard, so you won't be able to upgrade it later, even if you're persistent in opening the case. You'll have to choose extra memory when you order the system, which increases both the cost and delivery times. In the 2012 Mac mini, you could add 4GB more memory yourself for $30 to $50, which far less expensive than the $100 that Apple is charging for a configuration upgrade from the default 4GB up to 8GB when you order the system. The upgrade to 16GB ($300) is even more expensive. The 500GB, 5,400rpm SATA hard drive can also be upgraded to a 1TB Fusion Drive for $250. Note that like previous Mac mini models, a display, keyboard, and mouse are not included.
Bundled with the Mac mini is Mac OS X Yosemite and apps like iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand. It also comes with Keynote, Numbers, and Pages. The Mac's programs don't require a paid subscription after a year, so it is better equipped than Windows PCs that come with a free 1-year subscription to Microsoft Office 365.
Apple Mac mini (2014)
Performance
Inside, there's a fourth-generation 1.4GHz Intel Core i5-4260U, a low-voltage processor with Intel HD Graphics 5000. It performed adequately on our multimedia benchmark tests, including Handbrake (3 minutes 13 seconds) and Adobe Photoshop CS6 (5:27). That's faster than the AMD-A8-equipped Maingear Spark (6:37 in Handbrake; 9:54 in CS6), and roughly equivalent to other inexpensive compact systems, like the Acer Aspire AXC-604-UR11$370.95 at Amazon (4:37 in Handbrake; 4:41 in CS6). That said, the full-voltage Intel Core i5-4440 processor and extra system memory in the Gateway DX4885-UR2D is a lot faster (1:30 in Handbrake; 3:54 in CS6).
Related StorySee How We Test Desktops
The integrated graphics are good enough to help the system score 17 frames per second (fps) on the Heaven test and 18fps on the Valley test, both at medium quality. You'll be able to play browser-based 3D games and older titles, but you may have trouble running Grand Theft Auto V (if it's ever released for the Mac). The Maingear Spark is much better at 3D gaming, thanks to a discrete AMD Radeon R9 M275X GPU. The Mac mini is a whole lot quieter, though.
The latest Apple Mac mini has more competition to contend with than its predecessor did, but it still manages to hold its own, and then some. It is better connected than the Acer Aspire AXC-604-UR11 and much more cost effective than the Polywell i2304-i5. It's much less expensive than the gaming-oriented Maingear Spark and performs better on the multimedia benchmark tests as well. Its only true drawback is the lack of internal memory expansion, and that's something that's becoming commonplace among Macs and Windows PCs every day. For its combination of great build quality, connectivity, and sub-$500 price, we award the Apple Mac mini our Editors' Choice for consumer-oriented SFF desktops.
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