Mac mini Late 2012

The Apple Mac mini "Core i5" 2.5 (Late 2012/Aluminum Unibody) is powered by a 22-nm "Ivy Bridge" 2.5 GHz Intel "Core i5" (3210M) processor, containing two independent "cores" on a single chip and a 3 MB shared L3 cache. It includes 4 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (PC3-12800), a 500 GB hard drive, and Intel HD Graphics 4000, which shares system memory. An internal optical drive is not included, though an external one could be purchased for US$79.

Connectivity features a Firewire "800" port, four USB 3.0 ports, HDMI, Thunderbolt, combined "audio line in (digital/analog)" and "audio line out/headphone (digital/analog)" minijacks, a 10/100/1000Base-T Gigabit Ethernet port, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and an SDXC card slot.

In comparison to its predecessor, this model appears identical externally but boasts a faster internal architecture with a more powerful processor, improved graphics, faster RAM, and the addition of USB 3.0 ports.

All Mac mini systems are sold by default without a display, keyboard, or mouse, but a wide range of Apple and third-party accessories are available.

The late 2012 Mac mini with a 2.5GHz Core i5 processor was praised for its nippy performance in a wonderfully quiet and compact design, making it a great workhorse for audio and video editing on a budget.[[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)][[5](https://www.google.com/url?sa=E&q=https%3A%2F%2Fvertexaisearch.cloud.google.com%2Fgrounding-api-redirect%2FAUZIYQGcLsTe65fd1izAza8WREuTNl0M1Zi5uy_MehZKwbH6priZVckX7gv1MwLYvY0xpvH1X1rHsGUXWXMqCn2ToZVtp9xpUq-cVEixZy0RwRZiZH4ScLLL_aJ5a5pcOkHhoWP3NF2Gjp0VcJCGSvlawf_YIQ%3D%3D)] It represented a solid step forward, featuring a faster Ivy Bridge processor, improved Intel HD 4000 graphics, and the long-awaited addition of USB 3.0 ports.[[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 ability to easily upgrade the RAM by simply twisting off the bottom plate was a key advantage, allowing users to bypass Apple's expensive memory options.[[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)] However, it was not without flaws; the reliance solely on integrated graphics was a step back from the previous year's high-end model which had a discrete GPU, limiting its gaming potential.[[2](https://www.google.com/url?sa=E&q=https%3A%2F%2Fvertexaisearch.cloud.google.com%2Fgrounding-api-redirect%2FAUZIYQG2BZ0VgZTBzS_QZTLmGMruH2sD0W4FAmmWZci_tWbbuxjEmk5QE46ux2fYGnTY-KW064Ju3OAoTge4uyxZ6Jr32Spyu80x6L3Gd73sUc5zkxtVm48jkkPh4gnsHn-O_icIzRCl6-zewIh-_RM7VdNptw6XuaafRhxl8yT90YkZ)] Additionally, the standard 5400rpm hard drive was considered a bottleneck, and the lack of an included keyboard and mouse added to the overall cost for new users.[[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)][[5](https://www.google.com/url?sa=E&q=https%3A%2F%2Fvertexaisearch.cloud.google.com%2Fgrounding-api-redirect%2FAUZIYQGcLsTe65fd1izAza8WREuTNl0M1Zi5uy_MehZKwbH6priZVckX7gv1MwLYvY0xpvH1X1rHsGUXWXMqCn2ToZVtp9xpUq-cVEixZy0RwRZiZH4ScLLL_aJ5a5pcOkHhoWP3NF2Gjp0VcJCGSvlawf_YIQ%3D%3D)]