Chance of '13 Haswell entry-mini being quad-core?

I'd say pretty slim, apple needs to differentiate the iMac and mini, if its a quad core, then more people will be choosing that over the iMac

Quad core, entry level, zero chance. Hopefully amazing battery life will be the benefit as the 22nm process and possibly 3d transistors should keep heat down and speed up.

But this next generation CPU might be software upgradable to unlock cores for a price.

maflynn said:

apple needs to differentiate the iMac and mini

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The iMac has a built-in screen, the Mini doesn't. That's differentiation enough.

The top Mini is already as powerful as any other Mac save for Mac Pro. (And very little different at the low-end of the Pro line, at that.)

I'd expect the processor lineup for the Mini to continue to track those of the notebooks and iMac.

I think the setup will be virtually the same and I mentioned this over at Anandtech.

$599 - Dual core i5/4 GB RAM 1600 MHz/HD 4600/500 GB HDD but hopefully more (would like to see them have an option for the Fusion drive)

$799 - Quad core i7/8 GB RAM 1600 MHz (though 4 GB is more likely)/HD 4600/1 TB HDD/(options for Fusion and SSD though hopefully a bigger SSD). If they offer a dual core i7 then hopefully a good discrete graphics chip but I won't hold my breath.

$999 - Same as above except no discrete/dual possibility and two hard drives or two SSDs as an option.

Seems to me....

that a quad-core Haswell is very likely. Entry level? I dont think so....Having said the latter, cannibalizing goes right now, with the delaying and problems of the current batch of 2012 iMacs. And being fair, not ALL users need an iMac or a Mac Pro. Even more.....we not are now in the Post-PC era?....So, too much computing needs are covered with the combo iPad+iPhone...IMHO

See there are times I like to be away from my computer hence why I don't own an iPad or iPhone. I am on the internet a lot be it at home or at work and don't always want to be plugged in.

I'd like to believe that someday there will be a low power quad core in the base mini but I just don't see it happening. Apple wants to keep its profit margins up.

blueroom said:

Quad core, entry level, zero chance. Hopefully amazing battery life will be the benefit as the 22nm process and possibly 3d transistors should keep heat down and speed up.

But this next generation CPU might be software upgradable to unlock cores for a price.

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The mac mini is a desktop computer. It's not a laptop with a battery.

No point. The mini is a basic box, its a laptop without a screen. The base model doesn't need more than a dual core. If you need more grunt there is the i7 model anyway. Personally, I'd never get an iMac when the mini does all I need and I have all the accessories to go with it.

pine88 said:

No point. The mini is a basic box, its a laptop without a screen. The base model doesn't need more than a dual core. If you need more grunt there is the i7 model anyway. Personally, I'd never get an iMac when the mini does all I need and I have all the accessories to go with it.

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this is pretty much right on the spot.

blueroom said:

Quad core, entry level, zero chance. Hopefully amazing battery life will be the benefit as the 22nm process and possibly 3d transistors should keep heat down and speed up.

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Yeah, i hope the next Mac mini comes with a really big battery!

;-)

You are forgetting something here: Hexa-Core iMacs.

blueroom said:

Quad core, entry level, zero chance. Hopefully amazing battery life will be the benefit as the 22nm process and possibly 3d transistors should keep heat down and speed up.

But this next generation CPU might be software upgradable to unlock cores for a price.

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Amazing battery life on a Mac mini??????? I was not aware that there was a battery powered mini.

Giuly said:

You are forgetting something here: Hexa-Core iMacs.

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Well they've revealed some of the Haswell desktop processors. Do you think the hexa-core get revealed this year or start with Broadwell?

Ice Dragon said:

Well they've revealed some of the Haswell desktop processors. Do you think the hexa-core get revealed this year or start with Broadwell?

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Nope. Rumor has it, Haswell (with the exception of the Xeon and maybe an i7 Extreme like ivy bridge) will only be quad core.

paulrbeers said:

Nope. Rumor has it, Haswell (with the exception of the Xeon and maybe an i7 Extreme like ivy bridge) will only be quad core.

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Makes sense, appreciate it.

In that case, looks like the base model will be a dual core i7 of some variety with ZERO upgrade for the CPU, like the current low end mini. The second(non-server) option is going to be a littler more interesting, see as the $$ for the haswell will probably be pretty steep initially. So it might still be quad i7, with a big $$$ to move up to Haswell, with G2/HD4600.

Of course, they could just hold off on upgrading the mini for quite a while, seeing as how it was updated 129 days ago(buyer's guide). If they hold off, then the prices of the 1st generation if Haswells will likely come down enough to start putting them in the mini.

Either way, the mini is NOT going to get the G3 graphics for a LONG time, if ever. The demand would be too great, and would eat into sales of more expensive machines.

paulrbeers said:

Nope. Rumor has it, Haswell (with the exception of the Xeon and maybe an i7 Extreme like ivy bridge) will only be quad core.

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I had heard this too. However, I don't expect the mini with haswell until 2014.
I would be surprised if we saw a new imac before December 2013.

I hate to speculate on the laptop lineup.
I tend to assume the new mac pro will be announced this summer.

Omnius said:

However, I don't expect the mini with haswell until 2014.

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: ( Bleh, that would be awful.

Ice Dragon said:

: ( Bleh, that would be awful.

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I agree but 330-ish days from now would be both in line with the 400-460 day cycle we've seen with mac mini releases recently and simultaneously it would be early 2014.

Omnius said:

I agree but 330-ish days from now would be both in line with the 400-460 day cycle we've seen with mac mini releases recently and simultaneously it would be early 2014.

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short cycle july 22nd = 270 days. we can always hope for it!

philipma1957 said:

short cycle july 22nd = 270 days. we can always hope for it!

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All things are possible but I am more expectant of a longer cycle given the recent production issues with the current iMac. By the time the iMacs shipping issues are fully resolved, it will be summer. New Haswell minis would be closely competing in terms of horsepower with the current iteration of iMacs.

I foresee a very angry group of iMac owners and a very skeptical Apple customer base in the event of a short product cycle release for the mac minis(which would be expected to coincide with new iMacs).

i wonder if apple would drop iMac and lower the price of the t-bolt display. sounds nutty but with the dropping of the dvd drives apple no longer sells an all in one.

Count Blah said:

Of course, they could just hold off on upgrading the mini for quite a while, seeing as how it was updated 129 days ago(buyer's guide). If they hold off, then the prices of the 1st generation if Haswells will likely come down enough to start putting them in the mini.

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The mini usually gets new intel CPU's quickly. Why would haswell be any different? The cost of haswell chips is a total non-issue.

philipma1957 said:

i wonder if apple would drop iMac and lower the price of the t-bolt display. sounds nutty but with the dropping of the dvd drives apple no longer sells an all in one.

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The iMac is definitely going to stick around. I think Apple would drop the Pro before the iMac. Honestly it seems like the Mini might be too upgradable for Apple's new standards.