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Aluminum "Unibody" Mac mini Q&A
Published November 30, 2018
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How fast are the "Late 2018" Space Gray Aluminum "Unibody" Mac mini models compared to each other and to the "Late 2014" models replaced?
With a four-year gap between the "Late 2014" and "Late 2018" Mac mini models, one certainly would hope that the newer systems would annihilate their much older predecessors.
In the formal press release for the "Late 2018" Mac mini models -- the Mac mini "Core i3" 3.6, "Core i5" 3.0, and "Core i7" 3.2 -- Apple also mentions "performance" a whopping sixteen times.
More specifically, Apple boasts that the "Late 2018" Mac mini provides "an insane five times faster performance" than the "Late 2014" Mac mini. Not sure if it is "insane" for a newer computer to be so much faster than its predecessor, but it is a safe bet that the "Late 2018" Mac mini is substantially faster.
Furthermore, with even a quick review of a comparison of the "Late 2018" Mac mini models to the "Late 2014" Mac mini models replaced, it is obvious that the newer systems not only have a more advanced architecture and graphics, but also that they have two or three times more processor cores.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (Mac mini 2018)
Obviously, on multicore tasks, models with two or three times the number of cores will perform much better, but just how much better requires benchmarks and real-world testing. Likewise, comparing the performance of the "Late 2018" models to each other requires objective benchmarks, too.
General Performance Overview
For a solid overview of the performance difference between the "Late 2018" Mac mini line and earlier Mac mini models, EveryMac.com's own Ultimate Mac Comparison makes it quick to compare side-by-side Geekbench benchmark averages with all other G3 and later Macs for thousands of possible performance comparisons.
Compared to one another, using Geekbench 4, you especially can see the big jump in performance between the entry-level model with four processor cores and the higher-end models with six cores:
| Late 2018 Mac mini | Single Core | Multicore |
| "Core i3" 3.6 | Baseline | Baseline |
| "Core i5" 3.0 | 10% Faster Than Baseline | 46% Faster Than Baseline |
| "Core i7" 3.2 | 21% Faster Than Baseline | 72% Faster Than Baseline |
As is clearly apparent, the entry-level Mac mini "Core i3" 3.6 is much slower than the higher-end models in multicore tasks, but it is still competitive in single core tasks and costs 27% less (albeit with half the amount of storage).
Likewise, the configure-to-order high-end Mac mini "Core i7" 3.2 is 20% faster than the standard high-end model in multicore tasks -- the Mac mini "Core i5" 3.0 -- and costs 18% more, so it is a reasonable value.
Compared to the respective "Late 2014" Mac mini model that each replaced, the "Late 2018" Mac mini models are a substantial 44% to 55% faster in single core tasks but an earth-shattering 156% to 241% faster in multicore tasks:
| Late 2014 | Late 2018 | Single Core | Multicore |
| "Core i5" 1.4 | "Core i3" 3.6 | 55% Faster | 156% Faster |
| "Core i5" 2.6 "Core i5" 2.8 |
"Core i5" 3.0 | 51% Faster 44% Faster |
211% Faster 196% Faster |
| "Core i7" 3.0 | "Core i7" 3.2 | 53% Faster |
241% Faster |
No matter what type of task you perform, the "Late 2018" Mac mini models are much faster than earlier models.
Third-Party Test Results
For most purposes, the Geekbench 4 benchmark is sufficient, but other tests can be worthwhile for additional perspective, too.
For example, in an insightful review, Marco Arment used the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test to evaluate the respective storage in both lines and the "Late 2018" Mac mini models were 270% to 315% or so faster than than their predecessors.
MacPerformanceGuide compared the performance of the "Late 2018" Mac mini to an iMac "Core i7" 4.2 27" (5K, Mid-2017).
In particular, using a "Huge" Photoshop test, the site found:
The 2018 Mac mini handily beats the 2017 iMac 5K, the latter taking 24% longer. This might involve improved SSD speed, since disk I/O comes into play as memory becomes insufficient. Repeated tests all show a consistently high superiority for the 2018 Mac mini.
The "Late 2018" Mac mini is impressive for Photoshop work, for sure.
Performance Summary
Ultimately, Apple's claim of an "insane" improvement in performance might be a bit much, but it is clear that the "Late 2018" Mac mini models are hugely faster than the lackluster "Late 2014" Mac mini models that they replaced and a great addition to the Mac lineup.
New & Used Mac mini Purchase Options
There are many places to purchase a used or new Mac mini. However, buying from a quality merchant with a good reputation 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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