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Apple overhauls the Mac Mini with 8th gen Intel CPUs, Thunderbolt 3, and more

Image via Apple
Image via Apple
Apple unveiled the new Mac Mini, the first Mac Mini we've seen since 2014. The new desktop boasts some impressive specs, including 8th gen 4- and 6-score CPUs, up to 2 TB of NVMe storage, and up to 64 GB of DDR4 RAM. Thunderbolt 3 comes to the Mac Mini, as well as a few other conventional ports. However, the machine is rather expensive, starting at $799 and climbing all the way to $4,199.

Hello, old friend. It’s been a long time.

Apple announced a new Mac Mini this morning, and it’s a pretty large overhaul. The outer casing remains virtually unchanged from the 2014 Mac Mini. It’s still the same 7.7” x 7.7” x 1.4” (19.7 cm x 19.7 cm x 3.6 cm) aluminum unibody shell. The new Mac Mini is a bit heavier at 2.9 pounds (1.3 kg). However, the internals have been completely overhauled for a modern computing experience.

Here are the specs:

  • CPU: 8th Gen Intel Core i3 (4 cores, 3.6 GHz) / Core i5 (6 cores, 3.0-4.1 GHz) / Core i7 (6 cores, 3.2-4.6 GHz)
  • GPU: Intel UHD Graphics 630
  • RAM: up to 64 GB DDR4-2666 SODIMM
  • Storage: up to a 2 TB NVMe SSD

The new Mac Mini also has a bevy of modern ports, including 4x Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports, an HDMI 2.0 port, 2x USB 3.0 Type-A ports, 10/100/1000 Ethernet (configurable to 10 Gb), and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The 2018 Mac Mini also has 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0.

The biggest change is obviously the new CPUs, a major upgrade from the 2014 Mac Mini’s dual-core chips. Apple’s T2 security chip is onboard as well, allowing improved drive encryption.

These improvements won’t come cheap. The base model Core i3/8 GB RAM/129 GB PCIe SSD model starts at US $799, which is a pretty steep price for what is now a pretty basic desktop. Keep in mind that buyers will have to bring their own monitor, keyboard, and mouse. With all the bells and whistles, the Mac Mini comes in at a staggering $4199.

The Mac Mini goes on sale today and will begin shipping on November 7th.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2018 10 > Apple overhauls the Mac Mini with 8th gen Intel CPUs, Thunderbolt 3, and more
Sam Medley, 2018-10-30 (Update: 2018-10-30)