Gaming On Mac Mini I5

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Mac Mini I5 Or I7
Mac Mini I5 Review

Model 1

Space Gray

4-Core

3.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i3
6MB shared L3 cache

6-Core

3.0GHz 6-core Intel Core i5
Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz
9MB shared L3 cache

8GB

of 2666MHz DDR4 SO-DIMM memory

256GB

PCIe-based SSD

Intel UHD Graphics 630

Support for the following combination of maximum concurrent display setups:

Up to three displays:
Two displays with 4096-by-2304 resolution at 60Hz connected via Thunderbolt 3 plus one display with 4096-by-2160 resolution at 60Hz connected via HDMI 2.0
or
Up to two displays:
One display with 5120-by-2880 resolution at 60Hz connected via Thunderbolt 3 plus one display with 4096-by-2160 resolution at 60Hz connected via HDMI 2.0

Thunderbolt 3 digital video output supports

Native DisplayPort output over USB-C
Thunderbolt 2, DVI, and VGA output supported using adapters (sold separately)

HDMI 2.0 display video output

Support for one display with 4096-by-2160 resolution at 60Hz
DVI output using HDMI to DVI Adapter (sold separately)

3.5 mm headphone jack
HDMI 2.0 port supports multichannel audio output

Thunderbolt 3
(USB-C)

USB 3

3.5 mm
headphone
jack

Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports with support for:

DisplayPort
Thunderbolt (up to 40 Gbps)
USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps)
Thunderbolt 2, HDMI, DVI, and VGA supported using adapters (sold separately)

Two USB 3 ports (up to 5 Gbps)
HDMI 2.0 port
Gigabit Ethernet port
3.5 mm headphone jack

Wi-Fi

802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless networking
IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible

Bluetooth

Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology

Ethernet

10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)

Width: 7.7 inches (19.7 cm)Height: 1.4 inches (3.6 cm)Depth: 7.7 inches (19.7 cm)

2.9 pounds (1.3 kg)

Line voltage:
100–240V AC

Frequency:
50Hz to 60Hz, single phase

Maximum continuous power:
150W

Operating temperature:
50° to 95° F (10° to 35° C)

Storage temperature:
–40° to 116° F (–40° to 47° C)

Relative humidity:
5% to 90% noncondensing

Operating altitude:
tested up to 16,400 feet (5000 meters)

Typical acoustical performance:
Sound pressure level (operator position): 5 dBA at idle³

Mac mini
Power cord

macOS

macOS is the operating system that powers every Mac. macOS Catalina gives you more of everything you love about Mac. So you can take everything you do above and beyond.

Learn more

Accessibility features help people with disabilities get the most out of their new Mac mini. With built-in support for vision, hearing, mobility, and learning, you can create and do amazing things.

Features include:

VoiceOver
Zoom
Increase Contrast
Reduce Motion
Dictation
Switch Control
Closed Captions
Text to Speech

Mac mini is designed with the following features to reduce its environmental impact:

BFR-free
PVC-free⁵
Beryllium-free
100% recycled aluminum enclosure⁶
Eco-friendly packaging
Meets ENERGY STAR requirements
Rated EPEAT Gold⁷

Apple and the Environment

Read our Product Environmental Reports for detailed information on the environmental performance of every Apple product.

Recycling

Apple takes a holistic view of materials management and waste minimization.

Mac Software

Displays and Adapters

LG UltraFine 4K Display
USB-C to USB Adapter
USB-C to SD Card Reader
USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter
USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter
USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter

Other Accessories

Space Gray Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad
Space Gray Magic Mouse 2
Space Gray Magic Trackpad 2
USB-C to Lightning Cable
Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) Cable (0.8 m)

Apple Mac mini 'Core i5' 2.3 (Mid-2011) Specs

Identifiers: Mid-2011 - MC815LL/A - Macmini5,1 - A1347 - 2442

All Mac mini Models All 2011 Models Dynamically Compare This Mac to Others

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The Apple Mac mini 'Core i5' 2.3 (Mid-2011/Aluminum Unibody) features a 32-nm 'Sandy Bridge' 2.3 GHz Intel 'Core i5' (2415M) processor with two independent processor 'cores' on a single chip, a 3 MB shared level 3 cache, 2 GB of 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (PC3-10600) memory, a 500 GB hard drive, and Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 288 MB of memory shared with the system. It does not have an internal optical drive, although an external one could be purchased for US$79.
Connectivity includes a Firewire '800' port, four USB 2.0 ports, combined 'audio line in (digital/analog)' and combined 'audio line out/headphone (digital/analog)' minijacks, a 10/100/1000Base-T Gigabit Ethernet port, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, an SDXC card slot and an HDMI port as well as a new 'Thunderbolt' port that is backwards compatible with Mini DisplayPort and likewise supports an external display at 2560x1600 and passes an audio signal as well. Thunderbolt also supports other peripherals that use the Thunderbolt standard which provides up to 10 Gbps of bandwidth in both directions.
Compared to its non-server predecessor, the most obvious external difference is that this model lacks an optical drive, but it also has the aforementioned Thunderbolt port and is a bit lighter. Internally, it also has a faster processor, architecture, RAM and graphics as well as improved wireless capabilities.
All Mac mini systems are configured by default without a display, keyboard, or mouse, but numerous Apple and third-party options are available.
Also see:

What are all the differences between the 'Mid-2011' Aluminum Mac mini models? Which is best for my needs?
What are all the differences between the 'Mid-2011' Aluminum Mac mini models and the models replaced?

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Upgrade This Mac at site sponsor OWC. SSDs, expansion boxes & more.

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Tech Specs
Ports
Global Original Prices
Popular Q&As

Click on a category for related details. The most commonly needed info is 'open' by default, but all info is important. Asterisks (*) reference data in details fields.

Introduction Date:

July 20, 2011

Discontinued Date:

October 23, 2012

Details:

The 'Introduction Date' refers to the date a model was introduced via press release. The 'Discontinued Date' refers to the date a model either was replaced by a subsequent system or production otherwise ended.
Also see: All Macs introduced in 2011.

Details:

Also see: All models with a 64-Bit processor courtesy of EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Sort.

Details:

Geekbench 2 benchmarks are in 32-bit and 64-bit modes, respectively. These numbers reflect an average of user provided 32-bit and 64-bit results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better.
You also might be interested in reviewing all 32-bit and 64-bit Geekbench 2 user submissions for Macs with the Macmini5,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models.
To dynamically compare Geekbench 2 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison.

Details:

These Geekbench 3 benchmarks are in 32-bit mode and are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better.
You also might be interested in reviewing all 32-bit single core and multicore Geekbench 3 user submissions for Macs with the Macmini5,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models.
To dynamically compare 32-bit Geekbench 3 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison.

Details:

These Geekbench 3 benchmarks are in 64-bit mode and are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better.
You also might be interested in reviewing all 64-bit single core and multicore Geekbench 3 user submissions for Macs with the Macmini5,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models.
To dynamically compare 64-bit Geekbench 3 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison.

Details:

These Geekbench 4 benchmarks are are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. All Geekbench 4 benchmarks are 64-bit. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better.
You also might be interested in reviewing all single core and multicore Geekbench 4 user submissions for Macs with the Macmini5,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models.
To dynamically compare Geekbench 4 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison.

Processor Speed:

2.3 GHz

Processor Type:

Core i5 (I5-2415M)

Details:

This model is powered by a 32 nm, 64-bit Intel Mobile Core i5 'Sandy Bridge' (I5-2415M) processor which includes two independent processor 'cores' on a single silicon chip. Each core has a dedicated 256k level 2 cache, shares 3 MB of level 3 cache, and has an integrated memory controller (dual channel).
This system also supports 'Turbo Boost 2.0' -- which 'automatically increases the speed of the active cores' to improve performance when needed -- and 'Hyper Threading' -- which allows the system to recognize four total 'cores' or 'threads' (two real and two virtual).
Also see: How fast are the 'Mid-2011' Aluminum 'Unibody' Mac mini models compared to the 'Mid-2010' models replaced?

Details:

The processor is soldered directly to the motherboard.

System Bus Speed:

5 GT/s*

Cache Bus Speed:

2.3 GHz (Built-in)

Details:

*This system has a 'Direct Media Interface' (DMI) that 'connects between the processor and chipset' in lieu of a traditional system bus. Intel reports that it runs at 5 GT/s.

Details:

N/A

L1 Cache:

32k/32k x2

L2/L3 Cache:

256k x2, 3 MB (on chip)

Details:

Each core has its own dedicated 256k level 2 cache and the system has 3 MB of shared level 3 cache.

Details:

Supports 1333 MHz PC3-10600 DDR3 SO-DIMMs. Also see: How do you upgrade the RAM in the Aluminum 'Unibody' Mac mini models? How much RAM of what type do they actually support?

Details:

By default, 2 GB is installed as two 1 GB modules.
*Officially, this model supports 8 GB of RAM, but as first discovered by OWC, it actually is capable of supporting 16 GB of RAM using two 8 GB modules.
In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells memory -- as well as other upgrades -- for this Mac mini.
In the UK, site sponsor Flexx sells memory and other upgrades for this Mac mini.
In Canada, site sponsor CanadaRAM sells RAM and other upgrades for this Mac mini.
In Germany, site sponsor CompuRAM sells memory and other upgrades for this Mac mini.
In Australia, site sponsor Macfixit sells memory and other upgrades for this Mac mini.
In Southeast Asia, site sponsor SimplyMac.sg sells memory and other upgrades for this Mac mini.
Also see: Actual Max RAM of All G3 & Later Macs.

Details:

N/A

Details:

This model has an Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics processor that shares memory with the system.
Also see: What type of video system is provided by the Aluminum Mac mini models? Which are integrated and which are dedicated? Can the video be upgraded?

Details:

*Apple reports that this model shares 288 MB of memory for graphics use with the system. This is the minimum graphics memory usage but the memory available to Mac OS X 'may vary depending on graphics needs'. With 4 GB of RAM installed, the system uses 384 MB of system memory for video function. If upgraded to 8 GB of RAM (or more), 512 MB will be reserved for video function.

Display Support:

Dual Displays

Resolution Support:

1920x1200*

Details:

*This model simultaneously supports 1920x1200 on an HDMI display or a DVI display using the included HDMI-to-DVI adapter and 2560x1600 on a Thunderbolt or Mini DisplayPort display or even a VGA display (with an optional Mini DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter, which is compatible with the Thunderbolt port).

2nd Display Support:

Dual/Mirroring*

2nd Max. Resolution:

2560x1600*

Details:

*This model simultaneously supports 1920x1200 on an HDMI or a DVI display (using the included HDMI-to-DVI adapter) and 2560x1600 on a Thunderbolt or Mini DisplayPort display or even a VGA display (with an optional Mini DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter, which is compatible with the Thunderbolt port).

Standard Storage:

500 GB HDD

Std. Storage Speed:

5400 RPM

Details:

This model also could be equipped with a 750 GB, 7200 RPM hard drive for an additional US$150. A second hard drive or SSD also can be installed, although it is not formally supported.
Also see: How do you upgrade the hard drive(s) in the Aluminum 'Unibody' Mac mini models? What type of hard drive(s) do they support?
In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells storage upgrades for this Mac mini.
In the UK, site sponsor Flexx sells storage upgrades for this Mac mini.
In Canada, site sponsor CanadaRAM sells SSDs and other upgrades for this Mac mini.
In Australia, site sponsor Macfixit sells storage upgrades for this Mac mini.
In Southeast Asia, site sponsor SimplyMac.sg sells storage upgrades for this Mac mini.
Also see: SSD Compatibility Guide for All G3 & Later Macs.

Storage Dimensions:

2.5' (9.5 mm) x2

Storage Interface:

Serial ATA (6 Gb/s) x2

Details:

Regardless of the storage pre-installed, this model supports dual SATA II (3 Gb/s) 2.5' hard drives or SSDs that are each up to 9.5 mm thick.

Details:

*This Mac mini has dual hard drives rather than a single hard drive and an optical drive. Site sponsor Adorama offers the external Apple USB SuperDrive for US$79. It writes DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL at 4X, DVD-R and DVD+R at 8X, DVD-RW at 6X, DVD+RW at 8X, reads DVD at 8X, writes CD-R at 24X, writes CD-RW at 16X, and reads CD at 24X.
Site sponsor Other World Computing also has a variety of compact external optical drive options that may be of interest, including some with Blu-ray capability. OWC also offers a 'Data Doubler' mounting kit for this model. It makes it simple to install a second hard drive or SSD in the available drive bay of this Mac mini.
Also see: What are the full capabilities of the external SuperDrive? Can it be used with other Macs?

Standard Modem:

None

Standard Ethernet:

10/100/1000Base-T

Standard AirPort:

802.11a/b/g/n

Standard Bluetooth:

4.0

Details:

802.11n (802.11a/b/g capable as well) Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 standard. As a minor point, Apple quietly stopped referring to the wireless networking (802.11n) as AirPort Extreme with this Mac mini.
Also see: What is 802.11n? How is it different from 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11a?

Details:

Four 480-Mbps USB 2.0 ports, one Firewire '800' port.

Details:

This model has an SDXC Card slot.
In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells a wide variety of external expansion options and hand-picked accessories like external storage, stands, keyboards, cables, adapters, speakers, and more for this Mac mini.
In Australia, site sponsor Macfixit offers an extensive selection of external expansion options and accessories like docks, stands, chargers, keyboards, security products, and more for this Mac mini.

Details:

No Mac mini systems ship with a keyboard or mouse.

Details:

Uses a tiny case -- milled from a single block of aluminum -- that is 7.7 inches wide and deep and 1.4 inches tall.

Details:

The Apple order number should be unique to this system.

Apple Model No:

A1347 (EMC 2442)

Model ID:

Macmini5,1

Details:

Please note that these identifiers often refer to more than one model.
Also see: All Macs with the A1347 Model Number, the 2442 EMC Number, and the Macmini5,1 Model Identifier.
For more about these identifiers and how to locate them on each Mac, please refer to EveryMac.com's Mac Identification section.

Details:

N/A

Pre-Installed MacOS:

X 10.7 (11A2061)

Maximum MacOS:

X 10.13.x*

Details:

*This system fully supports the last version of OS X 10.8 'Mountain Lion' as well as OS X 10.9 'Mavericks' with the exception of the 'Power Nap' feature. It is compatible with the last version of OS X 10.10 'Yosemite' and OS X 10.11 'El Capitan' as well, but advanced feature support is limited to Mac-to-Mac AirDrop and AirPlay Mirroring. Other major features are not supported. It is capable of running macOS Sierra (10.12) also, although it does not support the Universal Clipboard, Auto Unlock, and Apple Pay features. Finally, this model is capable of running macOS High Sierra (10.13), and it supports HEVC (High-Efficiency Video Coding), but it does not support hardware accelerated HEVC. It is not compatible with macOS Mojave (10.14) or later versions of the operating system.
Also see: Which Macs are compatible with macOS High Sierra (10.13)? What are the system requirements? Which Macs support HEVC?

Minimum Windows:

7 (32-Bit)*

Maximum Windows:

8.1 (64-Bit)*

Details:

*Apple's Boot Camp 4 supports the 32-bit version of Windows 7 on this model and Boot Camp 5 supports the 64-bit versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8. Earlier versions of Windows are not supported.
Although Apple does not support Windows 10 via Boot Camp 5 (officially or otherwise), this system meets Microsoft's hardware requirements and it very well may be possible to boot Windows 10 on this Mac. If you have installed Windows 10 on this system (successfully or unsuccessfully), please share the results of your experiment. Thank you.

MacOS 9 Support:

None

Windows Support:

Boot/Virtualization

Details:

Also see: Are there any third-party programs to run Mac OS 9/Classic applications on Intel Macs?
Site sponsor OHS specializes in heavily upgraded Macs capable of running both Mac OS X and Mac OS 9 applications.
For more on running Windows on Intel Macs, please refer to the exhaustive Windows on Mac Q&A.

Dimensions:

1.4 x 7.7 x 7.7

Avg. Weight:

2.7 lbs. (1.22 kg)

Details:

In inches - height by width by depth, (3.6 cm, 19.7 cm, 19.7 cm)

Original Price (US):

US$599

Est. Current Retail:

US$200-US$500

Details:

Please note that on average the estimated current retail pricing of used systems is updated twice a year (please refer to the date on the bottom of the page for the date last updated).
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc.

Click on a category for additional details. The most commonly needed info is 'open' by default, but all info is important. The icons correspond with the icons for each port on the computer.

Details:

*1 HDMI and 1 Thunderbolt port.
Supports dual simultaneous displays -- 1920x1200 on an HDMI display or a DVI display using the included HDMI-to-DVI adapter and 2560x1600 on a Thunderbolt or Mini DisplayPort display or even a VGA display (with adapter). Thunderbolt is backwards-compatible with Mini DisplayPort-equipped displays as well as adapters that are compatible with Mini DisplayPort (DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI and HDMI). It also can support other peripherals that use the Thunderbolt standard, which provides a maximum theoretical 10 Gbps of bandwidth in both directions.

Details:

N/A

Details:

N/A

Mac Mini I5 Or I7

Details:

Four 480-Mbps USB 2.0 ports, one Firewire '800' port.

Details:

Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0 standard.

Details:

N/A

Details:

Combined 'audio line in minijack (digital/analog).'

Details:

Single combined 'audio line out/headphone minijack (digital/analog).'

Details:

N/A

Details:

100V-240V, 85W maximum.

Global original prices for the Mac mini 'Core i5' 2.3 (Mid-2011) in 34 different countries and territories follow; organized alphabetically by region.

For global original prices for Intel Macs in one particular country on a single page, please refer to EveryMac.com's Global Original Prices section.

Original Prices - North & South America

Mexico:

MXN $8,999

United States:

US$599

Original Prices - Europe

Denmark:

DKK 5,499

Finland:

€599

Ireland:

€599

Italy:

€599

Norway:

NOK 4.790

Portugal:

€599

Switzerland:

CHF 649

United Kingdom:

£529

Original Prices - Asia

India:

Rs 33,900

Indonesia:

Rp 5,799,000

Malaysia:

RM 1,899

The Philippines:

PHP 30,990

Thailand:

THB 19,900

Vietnam:

VND 14,499,000

Original Prices - Australia & New Zealand

If you have additional original prices for this model, please get in touch. Thank you.

Ten of the most popular Q&As about the Mac mini models follow.

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