Apple recently released an update to its Mac mini job of desktop computers . The modification include libertine processors , more RAM , and Apple ’s Snow Leopard operating system pre - installed . Macworld Lab has the two screen background Mac minis , and we put them through our benchmark run . Our solution show that the new Mac minis are imposingly faster than the models they put back .
Here ’s a quick summation of the changes to the novel card . There are now two Core 2 pair processor hotfoot to choose from , 2.53GHz or 2.26GHz , up from the 2GHz processors antecedently offered . The novel Mac mini model now offer twice the RAM , 2 GB in the 2.26GHz $ 599 model and 4 GB in the 2.53GHz $ 799 model , up from 1 GB in the old $ 599 model and 2 GB in the previous $ 799 framework . The hard driving force capacities have n’t exchange , with a 160 GB hard drive in the $ 599 simulation and a 320 GB hard drives in the $ 799 model . And of grade , you still need to supply your own keyboard , black eye and exhibit .
We are still ironing out the inside information of Speedmark 6 , our overall carrying out bench mark , but we ran a series of 19 unlike tests on the new Mac minis as well as the organization they supervene upon to countenance you fuck how the new and improved specifications affect performance .
Call of Duty score is in frames per second. MathematicaMark is a performance score. All others are in minutes:seconds. All systems were tested with 10.6.1. RAM as noted. The Photoshop Suite test is a set of 14 scripted tasks using a 50MB file. Photoshop’s memory was set to 70 percent and History was set to Minimum. We recorded how long it took to render a scene with multiprocessors in Cinebench. We used Compressor to encode a .mov file to the application’s H.264 for video podcast setting. We timed the import and thumbnail/preview creation time for 150 photos in Aperture. In iMovie, we imported a camera archive and exported it to iTunes with the Mobile Devices setting. We converted 90 minutes of AAC audio files to MP3 using iTunes’ High Quality setting. We duplicated a 1GB folder, created a Zip archive in the Finder from the two 1GB files and then Unzipped it. We ran WorldBench 6 multitasking test on a Parallels VM. We imported 150 JPEGs into iPhoto. We ripped a DVD chapter to the hard drive and opened a 500-page Word document in Pages ’09.—Macworld Lab testing by James Galbraith, Chris Holt and Roman Loyola.
With its well faster 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo CPU and 4 GB of RAM , it ’s no surprisal that the new $ 799 Mac miniskirt was noticeably quicker in our tests . When looking at the time it engage to ply through all 17 of our timed tests , the Modern $ 799 manikin was 10 per centum faster than the $ 599 2.26GHz Mac mini . Once we configured the 2.26GHz Mac miniskirt with 4 GB of RAM instead of the stock 2 GB , we saw that carrying out welfare of the 2.56GHz Mac mini shrink to about 7.4 percent . The 2.53GHz Mac mini was about 9 pct faster in our Photoshop CS4 tests entourage than the standard configuration 2.26GHz Mac mini , though contribute that additional 2 GB of RAM to the $ 599 model closed the functioning gap to around 6 percent . The $ 799 model was 11 percent quicker in our Cinebench test and 28 percent quicker in our iPhoto import test , though , again , a significant part of that performance difference was winnow out when we add together the memory to the $ 599 system .
New Mac minis (Late 2009)
Best upshot inbold . For Call of Duty 4 and MathematicaMark 7 , in high spirits scores are well . All other tests are timed results where miserable times are better . reference work system initalics .
Call of Duty mark is in frames per second . MathematicaMark is a performance scotch . All others are in minutes : second . All system were examine with 10.6.1 . RAM as noted . The Photoshop Suite test is a solidifying of 14 scripted labor using a 50 mebibyte file . Photoshop ’s memory was set to 70 percent and History was set to Minimum . We enter how long it have to render a scene with multiprocessors in Cinebench . We used Compressor to encode a .mov file cabinet to the software ’s H.264 for video podcast setting . We timed the import and thumbnail / preview cosmos time for 150 photos in Aperture . In iMovie , we imported a camera archive and exported it to iTunes with the Mobile Devices place . We convince 90 proceedings of AAC audio Indian file to MP3 using iTunes ’ High Quality setting . We duplicated a 1 GB booklet , created a Zip archive in the Finder from the two 1 GB files and then Unzipped it . We function WorldBench 6 multitasking examination on a Parallels VM . We imported 150 JPEGs into iPhoto . We ripped a videodisk chapter to the voiceless drive and unfold a 500 - page Word papers in Pages ’ 09.—Macworld Lab testing by James Galbraith , Chris Holt and Roman Loyola .
Comparing the Modern $ 799 Mac mini to the previous $ 799 model , the 2.0GHz Mac miniskirt ( ) with 2 GB of RAM released earlier this year , we see that the new 2.53GHz Mac mini shoot 16 percent less time to dispatch all of the time project we ran on it . The newfangled $ 799 model was 15 per centum faster in our Photoshop psychometric test and 16 percentage faster in our Aperture run . The new 2.26GHz Mac mini was about 7 percent faster overall than the former 2GHz theoretical account when tested with the same 2 GB of RAM . With Photoshop times on the new 2.26GHz derive in about 7 percent quicker , and Aperture a footling more than 5 pct quicker . The previous $ 599 model used the same 2GHz processor as the old $ 799 model , but came with only 1 GB of RAM . And since we test using a minimum of 2 GB of memory , we did n’t irritate re - running as a cite organization the $ 599 2.0GHz Mac mini ( ) with 1 GB random memory free to begin with this class .
Comparing the young system to a August 2007 Mac miniskirt with 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo central processor and 2 GB of 667MHz DDR2 RAM , the new 2.53GHz Mac mini completed all timed tests 36 percentage faster than the 2007 model and the new 2.26GHz Mac miniskirt with 2 GB of 1066MHz DDR3 RAM fetch up the tests in 29 per centum less time . The 2007 model , with its Intel GMA 950 graphics could n’t even go our Call of Duty 4 test .
Also fresh to the Mac mini dividing line is a server configuration that deputise a 2nd intemperate drive for the optical drive . We do n’t have the Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server in yet for examination , but we ’re act upon on it .
correspond back next workweek for our terminated review of the Mac mini as well as our unveiling of the new Speedmark 6 trial retinue .
[ James Galbraith is Macworld ’s lab director . ]
