Mac mini Mid-2011

The Apple Mac mini "Core i5" 2.3 (Mid-2011/Aluminum Unibody) is equipped with a 32-nm "Sandy Bridge" 2.3 GHz Intel "Core i5" (2415M) processor, which includes two independent "cores" on a single chip and a 3 MB shared L3 cache. It comes with 2 GB of 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (PC3-10600), a 500 GB hard drive, and Intel HD Graphics 3000 that shares 288 MB of system memory. This model lacks an internal optical drive, but an external one was available for US$79.

Connectivity is extensive, featuring a Firewire "800" port, four USB 2.0 ports, combined "audio line in (digital/analog)" and "audio line out/headphone (digital/analog)" minijacks, a a Gigabit Ethernet port, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0. It also includes an SDXC card slot, an HDMI port, and a new "Thunderbolt" port. This Thunderbolt port is backward compatible with Mini DisplayPort, supports a 2560x1600 external display, passes an audio signal, and supports peripherals with up to 10 Gbps of bidirectional bandwidth.

Compared to its non-server predecessor, the most notable external change is the absence of an optical drive. It also adds the Thunderbolt port and is slightly lighter. Internally, it boasts a faster processor, architecture, RAM, and graphics, along with enhanced wireless capabilities.

All Mac mini systems are sold by default without a display, keyboard, or mouse, but many Apple and third-party options are available.

The mid-2011 Mac mini with a 2.3GHz Core i5 processor marked a significant performance leap, thanks to the introduction of Intel's Sandy Bridge architecture. This entry-level model offered a good overall performance for its intended use as an office or multimedia machine.[[4](https://www.google.com/url?sa=E&q=https%3A%2F%2Fvertexaisearch.cloud.google.com%2Fgrounding-api-redirect%2FAUZIYQE7DRDpN3CWRTMcWnF2qceUb3Mac98CPa10NuIrXySEzWwVHMyfbUFzLjAHYiCO4BxBKLwBGOZ91F65fZJs6ngkfYNQodAedsiRD_UHI3fvTGsYGnOGQXc1vLvJfdLV4fLUduHv_2w67_TQUhBVwe_CvyiQjxtYhcxyMyZt8JnVdffZnXOstw2c)] A major change was the removal of the internal optical drive, a move typical of Apple at the time, which was met with mixed reactions.[[3](https://www.google.com/url?sa=E&q=https%3A%2F%2Fvertexaisearch.cloud.google.com%2Fgrounding-api-redirect%2FAUZIYQGLzoPGVKjWfiy24QPb-dCbNr2m-KjO-pFmQJcOYURtma3A2DQKSkD270frJl4MydReQTcx86Gz7GjwqU-X7FcXzz-rntbNFoBjmfwl8PhVPasRRn4oX-aK4H-RBcorJptAf1zC_91LA7okR4tS294d83KbEvsmLiFbmtaq9OoBgtGW8w%3D%3D)][[4](https://www.google.com/url?sa=E&q=https%3A%2F%2Fvertexaisearch.cloud.google.com%2Fgrounding-api-redirect%2FAUZIYQE7DRDpN3CWRTMcWnF2qceUb3Mac98CPa10NuIrXySEzWwVHMyfbUFzLjAHYiCO4BxBKLwBGOZ91F65fZJs6ngkfYNQodAedsiRD_UHI3fvTGsYGnOGQXc1vLvJfdLV4fLUduHv_2w67_TQUhBVwe_CvyiQjxtYhcxyMyZt8JnVdffZnXOstw2c)] The addition of a Thunderbolt port was a forward-looking feature, promising high-speed connectivity for future peripherals, though the lack of USB 3.0 was a notable omission.[[1](https://www.google.com/url?sa=E&q=https%3A%2F%2Fvertexaisearch.cloud.google.com%2Fgrounding-api-redirect%2FAUZIYQGWl9Ml0_4j6jN-BW6JYqYxPVEYQZkb3bf9As871OfUTvPO8JG4Jvq07ktu1aj69onpljXPOHktiuLSinTJd18lbHgUPE67TtrwIroN-_YKHNnxa9WbnyC4SZhe-U97BQt_kd6Pu7nclQ%3D%3D)][[4](https://www.google.com/url?sa=E&q=https%3A%2F%2Fvertexaisearch.cloud.google.com%2Fgrounding-api-redirect%2FAUZIYQE7DRDpN3CWRTMcWnF2qceUb3Mac98CPa10NuIrXySEzWwVHMyfbUFzLjAHYiCO4BxBKLwBGOZ91F65fZJs6ngkfYNQodAedsiRD_UHI3fvTGsYGnOGQXc1vLvJfdLV4fLUduHv_2w67_TQUhBVwe_CvyiQjxtYhcxyMyZt8JnVdffZnXOstw2c)] The base configuration with only 2GB of RAM was considered insufficient by some reviewers, who recommended an immediate upgrade.[[1](https://www.google.com/url?sa=E&q=https%3A%2F%2Fvertexaisearch.cloud.google.com%2Fgrounding-api-redirect%2FAUZIYQGWl9Ml0_4j6jN-BW6JYqYxPVEYQZkb3bf9As871OfUTvPO8JG4Jvq07ktu1aj69onpljXPOHktiuLSinTJd18lbHgUPE67TtrwIroN-_YKHNnxa9WbnyC4SZhe-U97BQt_kd6Pu7nclQ%3D%3D)] Despite this, the machine was praised for its ultra-quiet operation, high-quality aluminum unibody case, and easy RAM accessibility through the removable bottom plate.[[1](https://www.google.com/url?sa=E&q=https%3A%2F%2Fvertexaisearch.cloud.google.com%2Fgrounding-api-redirect%2FAUZIYQGWl9Ml0_4j6jN-BW6JYqYxPVEYQZkb3bf9As871OfUTvPO8JG4Jvq07ktu1aj69onpljXPOHktiuLSinTJd18lbHgUPE67TtrwIroN-_YKHNnxa9WbnyC4SZhe-U97BQt_kd6Pu7nclQ%3D%3D)][[4](https://www.google.com/url?sa=E&q=https%3A%2F%2Fvertexaisearch.cloud.google.com%2Fgrounding-api-redirect%2FAUZIYQE7DRDpN3CWRTMcWnF2qceUb3Mac98CPa10NuIrXySEzWwVHMyfbUFzLjAHYiCO4BxBKLwBGOZ91F65fZJs6ngkfYNQodAedsiRD_UHI3fvTGsYGnOGQXc1vLvJfdLV4fLUduHv_2w67_TQUhBVwe_CvyiQjxtYhcxyMyZt8JnVdffZnXOstw2c)]