Mac mini quad core 2.3 i7 v dual core 2.5 i5

I'm looking to upgrade my 2010 Mac Mini and was holding out for the current upgrades but all the press about them not being as good as the previous 2012 versions have got me wondering.
My requirements are simple
1) Cost - I want more bang for my buck but balanced against my usage (point 2)
2) Usage - Primarily as an HTPC using Plex but I also use it to edit photo's (iPhoto) & movies (iMovie) and host my music through iTunes.
3) Connectivity - Firewire would be good as my current storage setup is based around a Drobo (firewire/usb2 only) - this is not essential as I will be looking to migrate my data over to a Thunderbird / USB 3 drive.
My current setup ***** a bit when it comes to editing photo's and movies - probably more to do with how my libraries are located than actual performance of my existing mac mini, otherwise it is pretty decent as a HTPC.
It doesn't make sense to me to upgrade to an 'old' 2012 machine, but from what I've seen the 2012 i7 seems better value / performance for my needs than the mid range 2014 2.5 i5, minus a memory upgrade to 8GB.
Thoughts?

The 2012 has a faster processor, equally fast Ram and slower everything else (graphics etc). The 2012 will be unsupported before the 2014 is.
Your choice.

Similar Messages

Mac Mini dual core or Mac Mini quad core server for normal use ?

Hello
I am looking to replace my desktop work computer from my 2011 i7 quad core 2.0 MBP for a Mac Mini because it was actually made for desktop use and my minidisplayport - dvi adaptor just broke ( I think because to many unplugs and plugs from the laptop to the monitor ) .
I work in Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Aptana, Netbeans, open 20 + tabs in chrome, firefox so I need a bit of performance
I have no use for Mac OSX Server, I just want to be at least as fast as my MBP. I can see that the 999$ Mac mini has the same processor as my MBP ( 2.0GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 ) but no dedicated video card. Also, the 800$ Mac mini has a video card BUT just a dual core - 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 .
What do you think I should get ? I don't play games, I have windows for that anyway. Would the dedicated video card make much of a difference ? ( does photoshop or mac use it much - openCL etc. )
Thanks!

You might also consider the Apple only available Mini
which has a 2.7 GHz i7 dual core which has dedicated
graphics. Also, all the 2011 i7 processors (Sandy Bridge)
are hyperthreading.
As for dedicated graphics, they are really only needed
for high end gaming or 3D rendering apps. It will
make no difference with the software that you mention,
as they are more CPU intensive.

Should i Take the more expensive Mac mini (quad core) or dual core

Hey guys!
I don't now if I should take the Mac mini with dual core or quad core
I have never had a Mac so I don't now if the quad core (200$ more) is better than the dual core :o
I use it only for standard things (email, web, twitter Mac App Store games)
But it also should not stuck at bit more powerful apps and run crystal clear !!!
I want to have the Mac mini for few years !
Thanks now!

The difference in real performance between dual core
and quad core machines is highly dependent on the
apps one uses and how many at the same time.
If you really only ever have one or perhaps two apps
open at once and if these apps are like web browsers
or email, you may never really notice a difference.
However, if you have many apps open at once or use
apps that can utilize many cores at the same time (typically
imaging and video apps), then there will be a significant
performance increase.
As far as gaming, by and large the most significant impact
on game performance is the graphics processing unit (GPU).
The integrated Intel HD4000 GPU in the Minis can typically
handle mid range games but will struggle on the very highend
games.
Also, if apps are not designed for mutiple core usage, there will be
now real improvement between 2 or 4 core machines. As a matter
of fact, I have a few apps that are faster on my MBP 13" 2.7 GHz
2 core i7 than on my quad core i7 2.0 GHz Mini Server for this
very reason.
So, the bottom line is that for some a quad core machine will
blow away a dual core machine while for others, there will be
no noticable difference.

Cant install 10.8 on 2012 mac mini quad core

I bought this computer from my brother and wiped the hd and kept it to sell. So I installed a 256 ssd. Problem is when I try to install lion it wont let me. I made a bootable install flash drive and hold alt at boot up and when the screen appears I click on 10.8 install and the screen goes to a gray circle with a line through it. Then I tried a external hd that i installed Mountain lion on and it does the same thing gray circle with line through it. I didnt reformat the hd before I installed it but I wouldnt think that would matter. I also tried using a snow leopard disc but it just gives me a kernal panic. So what else can I try short of contacting apple.

You are using a Late 2012 Mac mini. The Late 2012 Mac mini uses a special Mountain Lion build different than the one that all other Macs use, so it's normal that you see a "no-entry" icon when you try to start from a Mountain Lion external disk.
To reinstall OS X, hold Command, Option (Alt) and R keys while your Mac is starting, and reinstall OS X. As your brother bought that Mac mini, you will have to use your brother's Apple ID to reinstall OS X

Mac Mini Quad i7: Can't Log-in After Setup

Today I bought a MacMini Lion Server (Quad i7) at the local Apple Store for $999. Got home, got to work on setting it up, connected to my network, created a host name and network name, password, etc. That's where things went very bad. I got the message that I had set up the server successfully, pressed continued, at which point it reboted and brought me to the login page, requesting name and password. The only problem is, it's not accepting my name and/or password, and all I get is the "no" shake. I don't know if I did a typo when naming the computer or password or what.....all I know is I am completely locked out of my new Mac Mini Server.
Given that it's not even a day old, what should I do? Yes, I feel like a moron if I made the error, but I've never had a Mac that didn't at least default by populating the "name" field and then requiring a password. I am 99% sure the password is correct, because you have to type that twice at setup.
Thank you for any help.

Either reboot holding down R and Boot from the Recovery partition and start over
Or take it back to the store and see if they can do any backroom magic for you ...

Mac Mini 2006 MA607LL/A need to buy dual layer burner

Hi guys. I bought a MA607LL/A mac mini. I need to upgrade so it can read dual layer burn cd. So I guess super drive? Which one will fit? Ty

I wouldn't waste the time or money upgrading it to a Superdrive.
Your best bet is to get a faster and more reliable external tray loading USB desktop DVD Drive.
For Example: I'm happily using an LG GE24LU20 that I picked up on sale at BestBuy a few years ago.

Buying Mac MIni (GIFT) Can i connect it to dual non-mac displays?

okay, If i buy the lower end mac mini as a christmas gift for my brother, can i connect it to a display not made by apple. If so, What addapters/Programs/Drivers do i need
2::::
Can I connect it to multiple non-apple displays? If so, Again How??

The mini can connect to most digital (DVI) monitors and to standard VGA monitors (via included adapter). So you should be OK.
The "low-end" Intel Mini is a very nice computer.
For many tasks, such as running legacy PPC Mac programs like MS Office, it will perform much better if you buy it with at least 1024 Meg of RAM memory, rather than the standard 512 Meg RAM.
If your brother won't be running legacy apps like MS Office or Photoshop, then 512 Meg is OK -- though more RAM provides a substantial performance increase.
BTW -- what a nice brother you are!

1.4GHz dual-core (Air) vs 2.4GHz dual-core (Pro)

Hi all!
Is there a way to quantify the difference in processing power between the 1.4GHz dual-core in the new 13 inch Macbook Air and the 2.4GHz dual-core in the 13 inch Macbook Pro?
How would you all explain the difference in power and capability?
Thanks for any input!

skyyame,
performance benchmarks can be used to quantify the difference in processing power, but if the benchmarks don’t closely resemble your typical tasks, then they might not be relevant for you.
If you’re trying to make a purchasing decision between two particular Macs, what would you like to do with whichever one you do purchase?

Is the core i5 the same as dual-core i5

I bought a latest generation macbook, mid 2013, last week. when I open "about this mac" on the top control bar, it says the processor is 1.3GHz Intel Core i5. But the offical website shows the processor is 1.3Ghz Dual-Core i5. My question is why my macbook air lost one. Is it a cheating?

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
Your MacBook Air has got a dual-core Intel Core processor, but About this Mac doesn't indicate it. You can be sure you have a dual-core Intel Core, so don't worry about this

How can I upgrade from OSX 10.7 to 10.9 on my 2012 mac mini? (2.3 GHz, 4 GB, 500 GB SATA disk) I don't want OSX Yosemite.

How can I upgrade from OSX 10.7 to 10.9 on my 2012 mac mini? (2.3 GHz, 4 GB, 500 GB SATA disk) I don't want OSX Yosemite.

If your Mini shipped with OS X 10.7 Lion, then it was considered a 2011 build model, or before.
The Mini 2012 model, is considered a Late 2012, & the last one where RAM could be upgraded.
And it shipped with Mountain Lion 10.8, which is a fairly OK system if one had older software.
(However mine shipped in Dec 2014, with Mavericks 10.9.0, and was built in January 2014.)
There were a few different build versions of Late 2012 Mac Mini, the i5 or i7 processor,
in dual-core or quad-core, and some CTO or built-to-order versions with other specs.
You can buy Mountain Lion from online Apple Store, & use a download code emailed to you to
get the Mt. Lion 10.8 from Apple Servers; this would be about it, since Mavericks isn't available.
So hopefully that is an option you can exercise; in addition the computer may prefer more RAM.
Good luck & happy computing!

Slow performance on Mac mini

Just purchased the lower end Mac mini preloaded with Mavericks. I am very disappointed with the performance. While it is not anywhere near top of the line, I don't expect this much lag time from any Mac product! Even logging in or switching users causes the rainbow wheel, or opening and adding browsers on Safari... Overall the system seems sluggish... Is this an OS issue that I need to wait for an update on, or do I need to upgrade to the higher performing Mac mini? I have the 2.5 dual core with 4GB RAM.
Thanks for any advice!

The warranty entitles you to complimentary phone support for the first 90 days of ownership.
If you bought the product in the U.S. directly from Apple (not from a reseller), you have 14 days from the date of delivery in which to exchange or return it for a refund. In other countries, the return policy may be different. If you bought from a reseller, its return policy applies.

Request for advice - problem networking mac mini without airport express

Hi - grateful for any help on this one.
I've just upgraded from an original (May '05) mac mini to a new 20" G5 (intel dual core) which I've set up on a wireless (airport express) network. The new machine and network are working fine but I've been trying to set up the old mac mini in a different room as a second machine for work and have been having problems.
The mac mini is the basic version without airport/bluetooth. After some mix up at the Apple Store over retro fitting an airport express the genius I spoke to recommended getting a D-link USB wireless adapter. I bought a D-link DWL-122 installed it (and after a crash course in the difference between WPA and WEP) got it running okay on the network. Unfortunately the D-link driver software appeared to wipe out the Spotlight index and stopped my HP printer being recognised. A couple of bulletin boards I googled suggested this was a common problem but I haven't been able to find any with a solution. In the end I had to wipe the hard drive and re-install from scratch to get the printer and spotlight working again.
So I have two questions: is there a way to make the D-link work (the d-link website has no faqs, update drivers or other info about Mac bugs) or, if not, then what should I buy instead to access my wireless network reliably? Would I be better getting something that plugged straight into the mac mini's ethernet port? If so, what? And grateful for any recommendations about which products and their software are most reliable.
Any advice gratefully received.
Thank you!
Chris

Hi,
You should of been able to use the Airport Express to solve the issue you are having. The Airport Express (small white brick shaped) is designed to work as a stand alone router or as a wireless extension to an existing wireless network.
So the setup would be from the mini as follows:
Mac Mini ---> Airport Express (AirPort Express Extends wireless connectivity) ---> Wireless Router (Airport Extreme, etc) ----> Cable/DSL Modem.
Hope that helps.

What spec Mac Mini would you recommend for running XCode 4?

Our organisation is starting to develop apps for IOS and the first step is purchasing a Mac to run XCode 4 on.
We are on a budget and the Mac Mini is within our price range but after some initial research we are concerned that we would need more RAM in order to run XCode 4 comfortably.
Below is the spec of the Mac Mini we are considering using:
2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
2GB memory
500GB hard drive
Intel HD Graphics 3000
OS X Lion
Just wondering what people use to run XCode 4 and how happy they are with the performance.
Many Thanks
Richard

If your development will be iOS apps, the base model
should be more than sufficient provided you bump
up to at least 4 gig RAM, preferably 8. However,
don't purchase the RAM from Apple as it is way over
priced. Go to Newegg or OWC to purchase it.
If the app requires some signifigant graphics development
and need to use image processing software to create them,
I would suggest bumping up to the next model with the
discrete graphics chip.

Mac Mini Dual Core vs PowerMac DP G4

I am considering purchasing a Mac Mini Dual Core to replace my PowerMac DP 1.25Ghz G4 . I'm worried whether I will be happy , and if it will be faster than my G4. The app's I run most are univeral binary or will be soon , so I'm thinking , yes. But I would feel more comfortable if I could get some solid input from some power Mac user's experienced or knowledgeable with the new Mac Mini
PowerMac DP 1.25 Ghz , 1.5GB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.5) Dual 80GB Seagate Barracuda drives

I can't imagine that an Intel Mac mini would ever be "faster" than a dual-processor G4 tower for most operations. The comparisons that Apple advertises, like "4X faster" are all against single-processor PowerPC Macs. Mac OS X does a good job at managing dual PowerPC processors.
Although the new Intel Mac mini now has a faster system bus, you're MUCH more limited by the use of portable-size hard drives (for example, your PowerMac probably has over a 100GB drive to start with and could have 500GB without much cost). If you want to max-out the RAM on the new Intel Mac mini to 2GB, it will cost you $300 more. So, a 1.66GHz Core Duo Mac mini with a 120GB hard drive and 2GB of RAM is $1,224.00 (US). If I were you, I would, without question, keep the PowerMac and invest in a newer Super Drive and/or hard drive(s) before giving it up.
-Doug

Doe's the reconfigured mac mini with the 3.0GHz Dual Core i7, with 3.5GHz Turbo Boost, run at 7200 rpm?

Hello there.
Doe's the reconfigured mac mini with the fourth generation 3.0 GHz Dual Core i7 with 3.5GHz Turbo Boost, with 1TB Fusion Drive, run at 7200rpm?
Thanks.

Historically Apple have generally used 5400rpm hard disk drives and while the detailed information on the Apple store does not definitively say what speed hard disk the 1TB Fusion drive includes, it does make mention of testing conducted with a 5400rpm drive.
Therefore I think we can safely assume it does come with a 5400rpm 1TB hard disk. However this is not necessarily as bad as it sounds, the whole point of a Fusion drive is to automatically off-load the most commonly used files to the much faster 128GB SSD portion of the Fusion drive so overall you should get performance better than even a 7200rpm hard disk.
Finally, as far as I can see for the Mac mini it does not matter which speed model you buy they will all come with the same 1TB drive model if you chose a 1TB capacity, so the 3.0GHz Dual Core i7, 2.8GHz Dual Core i7, and 2.6GHz Dual Core i5 will all have a 5400rpm 1TB hard disk.

Mac mini quad core 2.3 i7 v dual core 2.5 i5

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for