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Aluminum "Unibody" Mac mini Q&A
Published November 14, 2014
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How fast are the "Late 2014" Aluminum "Unibody" Mac mini models compared to each other and to the "Late 2012" models replaced?
The "Late 2012" and "Late 2014" Mac mini models have been discontinued. However, this Q&A is up-to-date and can be quite helpful for anyone buying or selling one of these systems on the used market.
In the official press release for the "Late 2014" Mac mini models -- the Mac mini "Core i5" 1.4, "Core i5" 2.6, "Core i5" 2.8, and "Core i7" 3.0 -- Apple mentions "performance" twice, but both times in terms of graphics performance.
Specifically, Apple states that the "Late 2014" Mac mini provides "new levels of graphics performance" and more concretely declares that "new integrated Intel HD Graphics 5000 and Intel Iris Graphics deliver up to 90 percent faster graphics performance than the previous generation."
With any company's marketing department choosing to focus on graphics performance rather than overall performance, it is a safe assumption that overall performance is not as impressive.
Likewise, with even a cursory review of a comparison of the "Late 2014" Mac mini models to the "Late 2012" Mac mini models replaced, it is clear that the the newer line has a more advanced architecture and more modern graphics, but many models have not only slower clockspeeds than their predecessors, but also half the number of processor cores.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (Mid-2014 Mac mini and Apple Thunderbolt Display)
Obviously, on multicore tasks, models with half the number of cores will not perform as well, but just how much slower requires objective benchmarks. Likewise, comparing the performance of these Mac mini models in single core tasks and the performance of the "Late 2014" models to each other requires objective benchmarks, too.
General Performance Overview
For a solid overview of the performance difference between the "Late 2014" Mac mini line and earlier Mac mini models, EveryMac.com's own Ultimate Mac Comparison makes it quick to compare side-by-side 32-bit and 64-bit Geekbench benchmark averages with all other G3 and later Macs for thousands of possible performance comparisons.
Compared to one another, the performance results of the "Late 2014" Mac mini models are inline with the clockspeed differences:
| Late 2014 Mac mini | Single Core | Multicore |
| "Core i5" 1.4 | Baseline | Baseline |
| "Core i5" 2.6 | 13% Faster Than Baseline | 23% Faster Than Baseline |
| "Core i5" 2.8 | 20% Faster Than Baseline | 33% Faster Than Baseline |
| "Core i7" 3.0 | 25% Faster Than Baseline | 36% Faster Than Baseline |
As demonstrated above, the entry-level Mac mini "Core i5" 1.4 model is substantially slower overall than the two other stock models as well as the BTO/CTO "Core i7" option. However, as the entry-level model costs 29% less than the mid-range Mac mini "Core i5" 2.6, but is only 12% to 19% slower overall, it may be an acceptable option for those who place more importance on money than speed, even though the mere 4 GB of soldered RAM will shorten the usable life of the computer.
Likewise, as the BTO/CTO Mac mini "Core i7" 3.0 is only 2% to 4% faster than the high-end stock Mac mini "Core i5" 2.8, but costs 20% more, it does not represent a particularly good value.
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:
| Late 2012 | Late 2014 | Single Core | Multicore |
| "Core i5" 2.5 | "Core i5" 1.4 | 1% Faster | 5% Slower |
| "Core i7" 2.3 | "Core i5" 2.6 | 6% Faster | 43% Slower |
| "Core i7" 2.6 | "Core i5" 2.8 "Core i7" 3.0 |
5% Faster 9% Faster |
43% Slower 42% Slower |
Obviously, whether or not the "Late 2014" Mac mini line provides a mediocre speed boost or a significant speed drop depends on whether or not you use apps that can take advantage of the Quad Core processors in the "Late 2012" line -- like high-end video editing applications -- but it is clear that the overall performance of the "Late 2014" line is underwhelming.
Third-Party Graphics Test Results
The blogosphere provided very little detailed coverage of the "Late 2014" Mac mini, no doubt because it is not a particularly interesting system compared to its predecessor.
However, ArsTechnica did review the "Late 2014" Mac mini, and most notably, shared some third-party graphics test results:
The HD 5000 improves on the HD 4000 by about 50 percent in the GFXBench T-Rex test and about 25 percent faster in the Cinebench R15 GPU test. The Iris 5100 further improves those numbers, beating the HD 4000 by 98 percent in the T-Rex test and about 45 percent in the Cinebench test. Scores in the heavier GFXBench Manhattan test improve as well, though by a much smaller margin -- obviously the amount you stand to gain will vary from game to game and task to task.
Although none of these Mac mini models have impressive graphics, these test results are inline with Apple's official "up to 90% faster graphics" estimate.
Performance Summary
Ultimately, Apple's claim that the "Late 2014" Mac mini line offers "new levels of graphics performance" is reasonable, but with a marginal performance increase in single core tasks and a massive performance drop in multicore tasks compared to their predecessors, it is difficult to get excited about the overall performance of these models.
Used Mac mini Purchase Options
There are many places to purchase a used or new Mac mini. However, buying from a quality merchant with an extensive track record in the Mac market will provide the best experience and save you money and time, too.
In the US, site sponsor Adorama sells new Mac mini models with free shipping. Other World Computing sells used and refurb Mac mini models at bargain prices with free shipping, as well. Finally, if you need to sell a Mac mini, A+ BBB-rated Cash for Your Mac will buy your older Mac mini with an instant quote and prompt payment.
In the UK, site sponsor Hoxton Macs sells used Mac mini models with a one-year warranty and free next day delivery throughout the UK. Delivery across Europe also is available starting at just £9.99 for two-day delivery to France and Germany.
In Australia, site sponsor Mac City likewise may have used Mac mini models available at low prices and with a free warranty and fast shipping across Australia.
Please refer to the Ultimate Mac Comparison feature to dynamically compare the Geekbench performance of any Mac mini model to any other G3 or later Mac.
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