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intel:mini [2025/08/15 23:44] – 92.40.37.128intel:mini [2025/08/16 00:18] (current) – 92.40.37.128
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 ==== Common Hacks and Upgrades ==== ==== Common Hacks and Upgrades ====
-  * TBC+  * Before 2014 most Mac Minis had upgradable RAM. 
 +      * Mid-2010 and Mid-2011 models could be upgraded up to 16Gb of RAM, albeit "officially" they only supported up to 8Gb. 
 +      * Mid-2010 models needed an EFI ugprade first to do this which came with MacOS 10.7.5. [[https://everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_mini/mac-mini-aluminum-unibody-faq/how-to-upgrade-ram-memory-aluminum-unibody-mac-mini.html|(source)]] 
 +    * First gen (Early/Late 2006; Macmini 1,1) models //could// be upgraded to essentially become a Macmini2,1 by swapping out the CPU / RAM and updating the EFI, but only The Hard Way.™ [[https://web.archive.org/web/20220103070021/http://forum.netkas.org/index.php/topic,874.msg15441.html#msg15441|Tutorial here]]. The needed [[http://www.mediafire.com/?lfangrn69rxln3q|EFI update files]] were still available on mediafire on 2025-08-14. 
 + 
 +==== Gotchas ==== 
 +=== 2012 vs 2014 Mac Minis === 
 +[[https://everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_mini/mac-mini-aluminum-unibody-faq/differences-between-late-2012-late-2014-aluminum-unibody-mac-mini-models.html|According to EveryMac,]] 
 +> Compared to the "Late 2012" Mac mini models, the "Late 2014" line very much represents a "one step forward, one step back" kind of progress. 
 +> The "Late 2014" models have more advanced processors and much faster graphics, as well as Thunderbolt 2 capability, improved HDMI support, faster Wi-Fi, and a lower introductory price. However, they also are much slower than the "Late 2012" line in multicore tasks overall, no longer have Firewire support, no longer have RAM that can be upgraded, and no longer support two 2.5" storage drives, either.  
 + 
 +... [[https://everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_mini/mac-mini-aluminum-unibody-faq/mac-mini-aluminum-late-2014-performance-comparison.html|and also]], 
 +> 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: 
 + 
 +Our conclusion: possibly get a 2012 Mac Mini over a 2014 one.
  
 ===== Unibody Intel Mac Mini Models ===== ===== Unibody Intel Mac Mini Models =====
  
 ==== 2018 (Coffee Lake) ==== ==== 2018 (Coffee Lake) ====
-* [[:A1993]] Macmini 8,1 +  * [[:A1993]] Macmini 8,1 
-  * Late [[:2018]] - [[:MRTR2]] (3.6Ghz i3 and 3.2Ghz i7 models) +    * Late [[:2018]] - [[:MRTR2]] (3.6Ghz i3 and 3.2Ghz i7 models) 
-  * Late [[:2018]] - [[:MRTT2]] (3.0Ghz i5 and 3.2Ghz i7 models)+    * Late [[:2018]] - [[:MRTT2]] (3.0Ghz i5 and 3.2Ghz i7 models)
  
 ==== 2014 (Haswell) ==== ==== 2014 (Haswell) ====
-* [[:A1347]] Macmini7,1 +  * [[:A1347]] Macmini7,1 
-  * Late [[:2014]] - [[:MGEM2]] +    * Late [[:2014]] - [[:MGEM2]] 
-  * Late [[:2014]] - [[:MGEN2]]  +    * Late [[:2014]] - [[:MGEN2]]  
-  * Late [[:2014]] - [[:MGEQ2]]+    * Late [[:2014]] - [[:MGEQ2]]
  
 ==== 2012 (Ivy Bridge) ==== ==== 2012 (Ivy Bridge) ====
-* [[:A1347]] Macmini 6,1 +  * [[:A1347]] Macmini 6,1 
-  * Late [[:2012]] - [[:MD387]] +    * Late [[:2012]] - [[:MD387]] 
-* [[:A1347]] Macmini 6,2 +  * [[:A1347]] Macmini 6,2 
-  * Late [[:2012]] - [[: MD388]] (2.3Ghz i5 and 2.6Ghz i7 models) +    * Late [[:2012]] - [[: MD388]] (2.3Ghz i5 and 2.6Ghz i7 models) 
-  * Late [[:2012]] - [[: MD389]] (2.3Ghz and 2.6Ghz i7 models;  Server)+    * Late [[:2012]] - [[: MD389]] (2.3Ghz and 2.6Ghz i7 models;  Server)
  
 ==== 2011 (Sandy Bridge) ==== ==== 2011 (Sandy Bridge) ====
-* [[:A1347]] Macmini 5,1 +  * [[:A1347]] Macmini 5,1 
-  * Mid [[:2011]] - [[:MC815]] +    * Mid [[:2011]] - [[:MC815]] 
-* [[:A1347]] Macmini 5,2 +  * [[:A1347]] Macmini 5,2 
-  * Mid [[:2011]] - [[:MC816]] (2.5Ghz i5 and 2.7Ghz i7 models) +    * Mid [[:2011]] - [[:MC816]] (2.5Ghz i5 and 2.7Ghz i7 models) 
-* [[:A1347]] Macmini 5,3 +  * [[:A1347]] Macmini 5,3 
-  * Mid [[:2011]] - [[:MC936]] Server+    * Mid [[:2011]] - [[:MC936]] Server
  
 ==== 2010 (Penryn) ==== ==== 2010 (Penryn) ====
-* [[:A1347]] Macmini 4,1 +  * [[:A1347]] Macmini 4,1 
-  * Mid [[:2010]] - [[:MC270]] +    * Mid [[:2010]] - [[:MC270]] 
-  * Mid [[:2010]] - [[:MC438]] (Server)+    * Mid [[:2010]] - [[:MC438]] (Server)
  
 ===== Polycarbonate Intel Mac Mini Models ===== ===== Polycarbonate Intel Mac Mini Models =====