What are all the differences between the "Mid-2011" Aluminum "Unibody" Mac mini models? Which is best for my needs?

With even a detailed physical inspection of the small, aluminum "Mid-2011" Mac mini models -- the stock configurations of which are the Mac mini "Core i5" 2.3 (Mid-2011), "Core i5" 2.5 (Mid-2011) and "Core i7" 2.0 (Mid-2011 Server) -- one would not find any obvious differences between them.

However, there are important differences in hardware as well as software and intended use that are well worth evaluating.

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc.

External & Connectivity Differences (Or, the Lack Thereof)

All three of these models use tiny "cuboid" aluminum cases -- just 7.7 inches across and deep and a miniscule 1.4 inches tall -- that have a "spin off" black plastic base on the bottom that can be removed quickly to access the RAM slots. As is quickly apparent from the above image, none have an internal optical drive (although Apple sells an external one for US$79).

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc.

All three systems have identical connectivity, too. Connectivity includes 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi (as a minor point of minutia Apple stopped branding the wireless internet capabilities as "AirPort Extreme" with these models, although the technology is the same), Bluetooth 4.0, four USB 2.0 ports, a single Firewire "800" port, combined "audio line in (digital/analog)" and combined "audio line out/headphone (digital/analog)" minijacks, a 10/100/1000Base-T Gigabit Ethernet port, and an SDXC-capable SD card slot. All support IR for a remote, too.

For simultaneous support of dual displays, and more, the "Mid-2011" Mac mini models have both an HDMI port and a new "Thunderbolt" port. Thunderbolt is backwards compatible with Mini DisplayPort and likewise supports an external display at 2560x1600 and passes an audio signal as well. Thunderbolt also supports other peripherals that use the Thunderbolt standard which provides up to 10 Gbps of bandwidth in both directions.

Identification Differences

Externally, the "Mid-2011" Mac mini line shares its single A1347 Model Number with earlier Mac mini models, and as a result, it is not convenient to use for identification. The three stock models -- as well as the "configure-to-order" option -- do share a unique 2442 EMC Number -- visible upon removing the bottom "spin off" panel -- and EveryMac.com methodically has documented this detail accordingly.

In software, the entry-level 2.3 GHz model, the mid-level 2.5 GHz model and the Server model can be identified by Model Identifiers of Macmini5,1, Macmini5,2 and Macmini5,3, respectively. The CTO option -- which has the same graphics as the mid-level model -- shares the Macmini5,2 identifier as well.

EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Lookup feature also can identify the "Mid-2011" Mac mini models by the last four characters of their Serial Numbers.

Internal Differences

Although there are some similarities internally -- all use "Sandy Bridge" processors of differing types and speeds with a 5 GT/s "Direct Media Interface" in lieu of the "traditional" system bus, all support 1333 MHz PC3-10600 DDR3 SO-DIMMs, and all support two 6 Gb/s Serial ATA hard drives, for example -- there are major differences as well.

The most notable internal difference is that the mid-level Mac mini "Core i5" 2.5 (Mid-2011) model has dedicated graphics -- an AMD Radeon HD 6630M graphics processor with 256 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory -- which results in a substantial improvement in graphics performance. The entry-level and server models, by contrast, only have integrated graphics, specifically an Intel HD Graphics 3000 video processor, that shares memory with the system.

It also is quite notable that the server configuration has a quad core processor rather than dual core processors like the other models. The server model also ships with Lion Server pre-installed.

Comparison Chart

Other differences include pre-installed memory and storage, and these are summarized below along with processor, identifier, and price differences:

	2.3	2.5	2.0 (Server)
Processor Speed:	2.3 GHz	2.5 GHz*	2.0 GHz
Processor Type:	Core i5 (2415M)	Core i5 (2520M)*	Core i7 (2635QM)
Processor Cores:	2	2	4
L3 Cache:	3 MB	3 MB	6 MB
Std. RAM:	2 GB	4 GB	4 GB
Graphics Processor:	HD Graphics 3000	Radeon HD 6630M	HD Graphics 3000
VRAM Type:	Integrated	Dedicated	Integrated
Std. VRAM:	288 MB	256 MB	384 MB
Std. Hard Drive:	500 GB	500 GB	500 GB x2
Std. Optical Drive:	None	None	None
Lion Server:	No	No	Yes
Order Number:	MC815LL/A	MC816LL/A	MC936LL/A
Model Identifier:	Macmini5,1	Macmini5,2	Macmini5,3
Intro Price:	US$599	US$799	US$999

* This model also is available via custom configuration with a 2.7 GHz "Core i7" (I7-2620M) processor for an extra US$100. As requested by readers, EveryMac.com additionally has documented this custom configuration as its own model.

So, which "Mid-2011" Mac mini is best for my needs?

Deciding whether or not to purchase a "Mid-2011" Mac mini is perhaps a more difficult decision than deciding which model to purchase.

If you would like a stylish, small and quiet computer and you have or intend to purchase a separate display, keyboard and input device (mouse or trackpad), a "Mid-2011" Mac mini could be ideal provided that you do not need an internal optical drive or you are willing to purchase an external one. Likewise, for a computer to connect to a television via the HDMI port, the Mac mini also is ideal if you have fully embraced streaming and no longer need an internal optical drive for CDs or DVDs.

Assuming that the "Mid-2011" Mac mini models meet your overall needs, the entry-level model is ideal for basic productivity or graphics work, as a TV-connected computer or for those on a budget (although a used Mac mini would be cheaper still and depending on the availability and choice of display, an iMac may actually cost less). If 3D graphics performance for gaming or graphics production is more important than price, the mid-level model is a better choice than the entry-level configuration. Finally, if you need a relatively inexpensive server, the Server configuration makes everything easy.

Alternately, if you would prefer a Mac mini with an internal optical drive, the older "Mid-2010" models also are well worth considering.

Site sponsor PowerMax has new and used Mac mini models available for sale free of sales tax. Other World Computing sells Mac mini memory and hard drive upgrades at affordable prices.

Please refer to the Ultimate Mac Comparison feature to dynamically compare any Mac mini model to any other G3 or later Mac.