What type of video system is provided by the Aluminum "Unibody" Mac mini models? Can it be upgraded?

The "Mid-2010" Aluminum "Unibody" Mac mini models -- the Mac mini "Core 2 Duo" 2.4 (Mid-2010), "Core 2 Duo" 2.66 (Mid-2010) and 2.66 Server (Mid-2010) -- all have a NVIDIA GeForce 320M that shares 256 MB of memory with the system.

However, the "Mid-2011" Aluminum "Unibody" Mac mini models are significantly differentiated from one another by graphics processor. The entry-level Mac mini "Core i5" 2.3 (Mid-2011) and "Core i7" 2.0 (Mid-2011 Server) both have a low-end "integrated" Intel HD Graphics 3000 video processor that shares memory with the system. The mid-level Mac mini "Core i5" 2.5 (Mid-2011) and build-to-order "Core i7" 2.7 (Mid-2011) models have 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 video processor in all of these systems -- regardless of series or capability -- is soldered in place and cannot be removed or upgraded. If an upgradable video processor is a high priority, one would be wise to instead consider a Mac Pro model.

What is the largest display the Aluminum "Unibody" Mac mini models will support? What type of displays do they support? Do they support dual displays?

The Aluminum "Unibody" Mac mini models all simultaneously support 1920x1200 on an HDMI or a DVI display (using the included HDMI-to-DVI adapter) and a 2560x1600 display via either the Mini DisplayPort -- for the "Mid-2010" models -- or the "Thunderbolt" port -- for the "Mid-2011" models (Thunderbolt is backwards compatible with Mini DisplayPort). All of these models can support an older VGA display as well with an optional adapter.

If a VGA display is dim when connected, please refer to "Reduced Brightness with Some VGA Displays and Mac mini" from the Apple Support Site to begin troubleshooting.

Also see:

• How do I connect an Aluminum "Unibody" Mac mini to a television?
• What is HDMI?
• What is "Thunderbolt"? Is it an industry standard? What advantages does it offer? Are there any disadvantages?