The server edition includes the 2.3GHz Core i7 processor alongside a pair of 1TB hard disks and a copy of OS X Server, but the price starts at a formidable 849.
The third of this year's Mac mini models is designed for businesses. None of these upgrades are cheap, and it brings our review sample in at 959 - almost twice the amount we'd expect to pay for plenty of other small-form-factor systems. Upgrading to the 2.6GHz Core i7 we've tested adds 80 to the price, fitting the 1TB Fusion Drive costs an extra 200, and adding a 256GB SSD and foregoing a hard disk at all will cost an additional 240. The cheapest model can only be enhanced with the expensive memory upgrade, and the 679 machine is more versatile.
#2012 mac mini review upgrade#
The expensive memory upgrade isn't the only choice to be made at the checkout.The basic 499 version includes a Core i5 processor and a 500GB hard disk, and the more expensive 679 machine includes a 2.3GHz Core i7 chip and a 1TB hard disk. The hard disk can be accessed, but this is trickier - the fan on top of the processor has to be removed, and this part of the machine is held in place by Torx screws. It doesn't have to be Apple memory, either, which is handy - upgrading from 4GB to 16GB of RAM at the point of sale adds a hefty 240 to the cost. They were both already occupied in our review model, but they're able to accept up to 16GB of DDR3 memory. The Mac mini is opened by rotating and removing a black plastic disc from the base, and at first glance only the two memory sockets are accessible. Internal access is limited like all Apple products, but the Mac mini is still more accessible than say an iPad or an iPhone. There are Gigabit Ethernet and FireWire sockets, two 3.5mm audio jacks, and an SD card reader. This year's quartet of USB ports have been upgraded to USB 3, and they're partnered by HDMI and Thunderbolt connections. The ports are still collected on a black panel across the rear of the machine.
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