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Intel Mac mini Q&A - Published March 7, 2009
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What are the differences between the "Early 2009/NVIDIA" Mac mini "Core 2 Duo" and the Mac mini models they replaced?
Please note that all systems mentioned in this Q&A have been discontinued. The "Early 2009/NVIDIA" Mac mini models were replaced by the "Late 2009" Mac mini line on October 20, 2009.
The differences between the two Mac mini "Core 2 Duo" 2.0 (Early 2009/NVIDIA) configurations are quite modest but the differences between the "Early 2009/NVIDIA" model and the ones that proceeded it are far more substantial than it appears at first glance.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc.
Like their predecessors, the "Early 2009/NVIDIA" Mac mini models have their internal components enclosed in a tiny and elegant 2.9 lb, 6.5 inch square, two inch tall case.
Externally, the "Early 2009/NVIDIA"and the "Mid-2007" Mac mini models look identical from the front, but the connectivity on the back has been changed quite a bit. Most significantly, the "Mid-2007" Mac mini models have a single DVI port and the "Early 2009/NVIDIA" models have dual video ports -- Mini-DVI and Mini DisplayPort -- and both ports can be used to simultaneously drive two displays, the first time that the Mac mini series has supported dual displays.
Additionally, the "Early 2009/NVIDIA" models have 5 USB 2.0 ports and a Firewire "800" port compared to 4 USB 2.0 ports and a Firewire "400" port on the earlier Intel-based models. The remaining ports -- Gigabit Ethernet, a combined "optical digital audio input/audio line in minijack", and a "optical digital audio output/headphone out minijack" are the same. The "Early 2009/NVIDIA" models support 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and the "Mid-2007" models support 802.11g and and the earlier Bluetooth 2.0+EDR standard.
Internally, the "Early 2009/NVIDIA" Mac mini models also use a faster architecture than the "Mid-2007" models. The "Early 2009/NVIDIA" line up has a newer processor (albeit with a smaller L2 cache than the higher-end "Mid-2007" model), a faster system bus (1066 MHz up from 667 MHz), faster memory (1066 MHz DDR3 compared to 667 MHz DDR2), and faster integrated graphics (a NVIDIA GeForce 9400M compared to a Intel GMA 950).
By default, "Early 2009" Mac mini models also are configured by default with a faster "SuperDrive" and the high-end configuration is configured with more memory and a larger hard drive.
The major differences between the "Early 2009" and "Mid-2007" models are summarized below:
| "Mid-2007" Mac mini | "Early 2009" Mac mini | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor Type: | Core 2 Duo (T5600, T7200) | Core 2 Duo (P7350) |
| Processor Speed: | 1.83 GHz, 2.0 GHz | 2.0 GHz |
| L2 Cache: | 2 MB, 4 MB | 3 MB |
| Bus Speed: | 667 MHz | 1066 MHz |
| RAM Type: | PC2-5300 DDR2 | PC3-8500 DDR3 |
| Standard RAM: | 1 GB | 1 GB, 2 GB |
| Hard Drive: | 80 GB, 120 GB | 120 GB, 320 GB |
| Optical Drive: | 2.4X DL "SuperDrive" | 8X DL "SuperDrive" |
| Video Type: | Intel GMA 950 | NVIDIA GeForce 9400M |
| Integrated VRAM: | 64 MB | 128 MB, 256 MB |
| AirPort: | 802.11a/b/g | 802.11a/b/g/n |
| Bluetooth: | 2.0+EDR | 2.1+EDR |
| Apple Order No: | MB138LL/A, MB139LL/A |
MB463LL/A, MB464LL/A |
| Price: | US$599, US$799 | US$599, US$799 |
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Please refer to the Ultimate Mac Comparison feature to dynamically compare any Mac mini model to any other G3 or later Mac.
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