Apple Updates the Mac Mini: Space Gray and 8th Gen Intel Processors

News
By Andrew E. Freedman
published

Apple announced a new Mac Mini at an event in Brooklyn today. It comes in Space Gray with 4-core and 6-core Intel 8th Generation CPUs. Apple says it's five times faster than previous Mac Minis--which were last updated in 2014. The new model will be available on November 7 and can be ordered today.

The entry configuration has a 128GB SSD, 8GB of RAM and a quad-core processor for $799. Other configurations for the new Mac Mini will support up to 64GB of RAM, a big update from the old 16GB. It uses SODIMMS clocked at 2,666MHz. It's only form of storage will be SSD, which will go up to 2TB. It will use a T2 chip for security.

There's a new thermal system for double the airflow, though Apple still says its quiet. On the port side, there are four Thunderbolt 3 ports, an HDMI, two USB-A ports and Ethernet. It can be configured with 10GB Ethernet. The company suggested racking thousands of them together for servers or for a build farm.

Every single Mac Mini enclosure will be made of 100 percent recycled aluminum.

Andrew E. Freedman

Andrew E. Freedman is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware focusing on laptops, desktops and gaming. He also keeps up with the latest news. A lover of all things gaming and tech, his previous work has shown up in Tom's Guide, Laptop Mag, Kotaku, PCMag and Complex, among others. Follow him on Threads @FreedmanAE and Mastodon @FreedmanAE.mastodon.social.

9 Comments Comment from the forums
  • jeremyj_83
    10GB Ethernet, that is an odd speed that I didn't know was a thing. I know of 10Gb, 25Gb, etc... but 80Gb (10GB) seems like something that would be better off just being 100Gb.
    Reply
  • mlee 2500
    21444091 said:
    10GB Ethernet, that is an odd speed that I didn't know was a thing. I know of 10Gb, 25Gb, etc... but 80Gb (10GB) seems like something that would be better off just being 100Gb.

    Yeah, unfortunately there wont be consumer grade 10 GigaBYTE switches until 2030, so it's only useful in connecting two Mac Mini's together with a CAT 13 crossover Ethernet cable (the Apple engineers could not get MDIX to work at these speeds). Also, the cables need to be made out of blue-colored Plenum, for some unknown reason, otherwise you only get .022Tb throughput.
    Reply
  • bloodroses
    "Apple says it's five times faster than previous Mac Minis--which were last updated in 2014."

    It should be, given the age difference and previous hardware used. I'm guessing the RAM is soldered on as well; like the previous one?
    Reply
  • lew_zealand
    Amazingly enough there are 2 SO-DIMM slots visible in Apple's press pics and Other World Computing is already advertising lower priced memory upgrades for the new Mini. Not sure why Apple came to their senses on this one.
    Reply
  • bit_user
    21444091 said:
    10GB Ethernet, that is an odd speed that I didn't know was a thing. I know of 10Gb, 25Gb, etc... but 80Gb (10GB) seems like something that would be better off just being 100Gb.
    That's a rather oblique way of pointing out a typo, not to mention overkill. Anyone who knows the distinction between Gb and GB is likely to realize it was a typo.
    Reply
  • bit_user
    21445214 said:
    Amazingly enough there are 2 SO-DIMM slots visible in Apple's press pics and Other World Computing is already advertising lower priced memory upgrades for the new Mini. Not sure why Apple came to their senses on this one.
    So, it's basically an overpriced NUC?

    Apple needs some new ideas... everybody is building mini-PCs, lately.
    Reply
  • shpankey
    Better put, the NUC is an underpriced Mini.
    Reply
  • bit_user
    21447996 said:
    Better put, the NUC is an underpriced Mini.
    And yet NUCs still somehow feel overpriced.
    Reply
  • mlee 2500
    21445708 said:
    21444091 said:
    10GB Ethernet, that is an odd speed that I didn't know was a thing. I know of 10Gb, 25Gb, etc... but 80Gb (10GB) seems like something that would be better off just being 100Gb.
    That's a rather oblique way of pointing out a typo, not to mention overkill. Anyone who knows the distinction between Gb and GB is likely to realize it was a typo.

    You're spoiling our fun, bit_user.
    Reply