Real world power draw of a late 2012 mac mini (core i5)

[Greentree33]

So I'm trying to figure out the maximum current a late 2012 mac mini (core i5) will draw when being powered by 12v (not mains), but I am being thrown by apples '85w at full load' statistic.

If if really does ramp up to 85w that would mean it can pull anywhere up to 7 Amps. Really? In what scenario is this happening?

 

[Greentree33]

bump/additional info:

For a bit of context I am salvaging the mod someone else has done which has bypassed apples AC - DC converter, and I am supplying 12v directly to power the machine.

 

[Boyd01]

If you want to stress your Mini, try ripping some video with Handbrake. That makes the fans kick into high gear and the Mini will get quite warm to the touch. That has just got to draw a lot more power than "everyday" uses. Maybe you don't ever need to do this with your setup, but perhaps that is where the "full load" figure comes from.