Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Mac Mini Late 2012
- Thread starter ganja24
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I purchased my 2012 quad i7/2.6ghz/16gb with original Apple 256gb SSD from MacSales (OWC). Certainly not the place to look for a bargain, but they include a 90 day warranty and 15 day return/exchange. It looked like new and has been a great machine for the past 9 months.
https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/Apple-Systems/Used/Mac-mini
https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/Apple-Systems/Used/Mac-mini
Those little beasts loaded Mountain Lion in well under 20 seconds. As I recall, my Fusion Drive (FD) equipped 2.3 i7 averaged between 12-14 seconds when booting the original operating system. It takes a bit longer on the newer OS X versions. 
That OEM SSD has got to be at least as fast as my OEM FD.
(In truth it has to be somewhat faster, doesn't it?)
That OEM SSD has got to be at least as fast as my OEM FD.
(In truth it has to be somewhat faster, doesn't it?)
Just timed it. Took 14 secords from the time I pushed the button until the desktop was showing. I have it set to automatically log me in and I am still running 10.8.5 (an advantage of the 2012 model) for compatibility with my expensive legacy software. You want a video of a computer booting? Sorry…
[doublepost=1493641766][/doublepost]Here is the original internal Apple sm256e SSD
I setup another 2012 Mini (the base dual 2.5 ghz model, not a quad) with a 500gb Samsung T3 USB 3.0 external SSD. Here is what it clocks at. That machine takes 30 seconds to boot into Sierra from the external drive.
Last edited:
Well again sorry if this is unnecessary information but I bought an 2012 i5 with a Samsung pro sad and 2 tb hard drive for $800 but I would imagine the i7 server version would be the same price maybe with just a SSD.
The quad servers really go for a premium price. But they are (literally) twice as fast as the 2012 dual i5 2.5ghz model.
See this: http://www.everymac.com/systems/app...-mini-core-i7-2.6-late-2012-server-specs.html
________
"The Mac mini "Core i7" 2.6 (Late 2012/Server) technically is a "configure-to-order" configuration of the MD389LL/A Mac mini "Core i7" 2.3 (Late 2012/Server)"
________
"The Mac mini "Core i7" 2.6 (Late 2012/Server) technically is a "configure-to-order" configuration of the MD389LL/A Mac mini "Core i7" 2.3 (Late 2012/Server)"
Yes unlike the 2014 minis, all 2012 i7 chips are Quads! That 2014 i7 is a dual core CPU.
(And of course, all 2012 quad core mini chips are i7s.)
(And of course, all 2012 quad core mini chips are i7s.)
Last edited:
I am gonna have to ditch the 2014 model for a 2012, which version macOS are you running?
Last edited:
Which 2014 Mac mini do you have ganja24? How much memory does it have?
That 14 second boot time is for an internally mounted SSD, correct BenTrovato?
Say ganja24, you may want to check your system and SSD housing before you dump that 2014 mini for a 2012 mini. To get maximum performance your SSD housing must be at least USB 3.0 with UASP. (USB Attached SCSI Protocol) A 2012 i7 will excel at running multi-core capable software but normally a 2012 is no faster than a 2014.
Okay.
That is a 4Gb 1.4GHz base model with an external SSD. Your external case seems fine. I wonder what sort of bootstrap times others experience with similar setups?
That is a 4Gb 1.4GHz base model with an external SSD. Your external case seems fine. I wonder what sort of bootstrap times others experience with similar setups?
I have a 2014 Mini (3 GHz i7 with 16GB RAM and a 2TB Fusion drive... With the latest production release of macOS Sierra (10.12.4), I go from powered off to login screen in 15.13 seconds... there are no quad core Minis post-2012 model... but this one performs well... I use it for Final Cut Pro X editing of 1080p and a few 4K video projects... no reservations about this one at all.
I timed it from pressing the power button to seeing the login screen... the chime was about .5 seconds after pressing the power (or so)...
Last edited:
I bought one off apple refurb store and sold it on eBay a few years ago for 200$ profit. I used it to buy the dual core for $419 and still use that as my main desktop, albeit upgraded to 16gb and 240tb SSD. An amazing machine!
Which 2014 Mac mini do you have ganja24? How much memory does it have?
That 14 second boot time is for an internally mounted SSD, correct BenTrovato?
Say ganja24, you may want to check your system and SSD housing before you dump that 2014 mini for a 2012 mini. To get maximum performance your SSD housing must be at least USB 3.0 with UASP. (USB Attached SCSI Protocol) A 2012 i7 will excel at running multi-core capable software but normally a 2012 is no faster than a 2014.
Correct. Boot drive is ssd.. I also have a 7200 drive in there as well. On Sierra.