Performance
It is due to the fact that the Apple's
model brought us the review that is designated as the high-end consumer
configuration - with its quad-core core i7 and hybrid FusionDrive - we decided
to make it run hard and use it as a daily workstation. With the cold boot from
the SSD, it took the system 12 seconds to get to the boot screen, which is
equal to the MacBook Air (even with last year's Sandy Bridge model). The Mini
comes with pre-installed OS X Mountain Lion, as well as the iLife suite, and
indeed, the quad-core CPU has more processing capacity to handle simple
operating system actions. What we were interested in testing out was its
endurance when forced with the daily workload of an Engadget editor.
It
is due to the fact that the Apple's model brought us the review that is
designated as the high-end consumer configuration
On any given day, we keep about 10
applications running at the same time (for example, Photoshop, Tweetdeck,
Skitch, Spotify, Evernote, and an IRC client, along with other applications);
in addition to many tabs open in two separate browsers (i.e., Firefox and
Chrome). Our work depends on the level of multi-tasking and we're pleased to
say that the mini handled the processor strain with a charming silence. In all
cases, except one, the device remained pretty cool to the touch, and incredibly
silent. The only time we heard a beep from it was that when we added Steam and
Blizzard game downloads to the current processes load. However, the fan’s
sluggish sound was just above a whisper.
With
every quality option set at high level (Texture, Physics, Shadow, etc.), 1,280x1,024
resolution and 60fps, we did not experience any reduction in the frame rate.
In terms of gaming, there is no need to say
that the Mac is not necessarily the platform required for the latest and
greatest games. Indeed, we have found that most new games were not compatible
with it by choosing Apple's graphics chip, but because of this review, we run
Diablo III to check out how the Intel HD 4000 GPU worked. With every quality
option set at high level (Texture, Physics, Shadow, etc.), 1,280x1,024
resolution and 60fps, we did not experience any reduction in the frame rate. It
should be taken notice that we did not have enough time to engage a series of
villains in this review (about 50 to 60 on the screen at the same time) to
really crush the system, but with more than a dozen characters on the screen,
we found that the highest frame rate was about 42fps.
Geekbench
·
Mac mini (late 2012, 2.3GHz Core i7, Intel HD
Graphics 4000) : 10,748
·
Mac mini (mid 2011, 2.3GHz Core i5, Intel HD
Graphics 3000): 5,919
·
Mac mini (mid 2010, 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo, NVIDIA
GeForce 320M): 3,385
Xbench
·
Mac mini (late 2012, 2.3GHz Core i7, Intel HD
Graphics 4000): 454
·
Mac mini (mid 2011, 2.3GHz Core i5, Intel HD
Graphics 3000): 292
·
Mac mini (mid 2010, 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo, NVIDIA
GeForce 320M): N/A
Benchmark testing
supported for our assessment: the machine nearly gets twice much as the scores
of the 2011 model. As you can see in the list above, it created average overall
Xbench scores of 454, with an average CPU score of 270 and an average thread
score of 1,418. Meanwhile, in Geekbench, it provided the result of 10,748
points.
The HTPC factor
But,
no matter what Apple says, we are unable to shake the feeling that this little
box will surely find the way to come into the users’ living rooms at some point
during its life
Do not call it an HTPC. It is not due to
the fact that we do not agree with that name, but because Apple vehemently
denies it here. And, because it lacks an optical drive (you know how we feel
about that). But, no matter what Apple says, we are unable to shake the feeling
that this little box will surely find the way to come into the users’ living
rooms at some point during its life - it was born this way. In fact, the editor
could not resist its temptation to take the mini home and connect it to a
small-sized 3M projector. The use of the HDMI port enables it to be easily
accessible; we did not have any problems when connecting the device to the
projector, and reflecting the contents of our external Thunderbolt display. We
would like to remind you, that 1080p movies and TV shows are included, and the
content is transmitted from Hulu, Netflix and YouTube. However, we had trouble
with Bluetooth audio sync issues with our Jambox, forcing us to depend on the
mini’s internal speaker that is temporarily stabilized but not sufficiently
powerful. Of course, you can always follow the more traditional route and add
it to your HDTV, but if you're craving for making use of that vast DVD library
(sorry to those who own Blu-ray), then prepare to spring for a SuperDrive. However,
at that time, you might just engage yourself in the MacBook conflict as well.
If the media focus is your interest, you are also able to follow the Apple TV
route for a more acceptable $99.
