Macworld | Mac Product Guide: Mac mini Core 2 Duo/2GHz

Mac mini Core 2 Duo/2GHz

Apple made little noise about this update to its Mac mini line, which is highlighted by the addition of Intel Core 2 Duo chips to replace the older Core Duo processors. The minis also now ship with 1GB of RAM, up from 512MB, and more hard-drive capacity. The higher-end Mac mini also comes with 4MB of shared L2 cache, instead of 2MB on the 1.83GHz offering. The minis continue to use an integraged Intel graphics processor that shares memory with the system RAM, hampering performance in graphic-intensive applications.

	Reviewed	Full Review

The latest Mac mini models have made some impressive gains in terms of performance, without gaining bulk or higher price tags. Still a great bargain, especially for those who already own a mouse, keyboard, and display, the Mac mini's size and price allow it to fit into spaces and budgets that other Macs cannot. With its faster performance and DVD burning capabilities, the 2GHz Mac mini is worth the extra $200 over the 1.83GHz model.

Pros: Small size; least expensive Mac available; faster than ever before.

Cons: Hard drive and graphics performance underwhelming; slower, shorter-ranged 802.11g wireless networking.

Basics

Reviewed Price: $799

Processor: 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

Information about this system on Apple's website

Price Comparison

Shop at:	Price
	$794.00
	$789.00
	$799.00
	$794.95
AppleStore.com	$679.00

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Lab Tests

Speedmark 5 Score	172
Cinema 4D XL 10.5	1:07
iMovie HD 6	0:56
iTunes 7.5	1:09
Photoshop CS3	1:19
Compressor	2:21
Unreal Tournament 2004	23.4fps
Tested Configuration	Mac OS X 10.5 with 2GB of RAM

Tested Configuration	Mac OS X 10.5 with 2GB of RAM
Display	No built-in display
Processor	2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Cache	4MB of shared L2
Frontside Bus Speed	667MHz
Memory	1GB DDR2 SDRAM ; 2GB maximum - 667MHz
Graphics Card	Intel GMA 950 with 64MB of DDR2 SDRAM (shared with main memory); Maximum resolution:1,920-by-1,200 pixels; Port(s):DVI, VGA
Hard Drive	120GB Serial ATA, 5,400-rpm
Optical Drive	8X SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW)
Ethernet	10/100/1000BASE-T
Wireless	AirPort Extreme built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR built-in
Peripheral Ports	Firewire: 1 FW400 port; USB: 4 USB 2.0 ports
Audio	Inputs: Combined optical digital audio input/audio line in (minijack);Outputs: Combined optical digital audio output/headphone out (minijack)
Expansion Slots
Dimensions	6.5 x 2 x 6.5 inches
Weight	2.9 pounds