The Apple Mac mini "Core i5" 2.5 (Late 2012/Aluminum Unibody) features a 22-nm "Ivy Bridge" 2.5 GHz Intel "Core i5" (3210M) processor with two independent processor "cores" on a single chip, a 3 MB shared level 3 cache, 4 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (PC3-12800) memory, a 500 GB hard drive, and Intel HD Graphics 4000 which shares system memory. It does not have an internal optical drive, although an external one was offered for US$79.
Connectivity includes a Firewire "800" port, four USB 3.0 ports, HDMI, Thunderbolt, 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, and an SDXC card slot.
Compared to its predecessor, this model looks identical, but it has a faster internal architecture with a faster processor, faster graphics, faster RAM, and USB 3.0 ports.
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 "Late 2012" Aluminum Mac mini models? Which is best for my needs?
What are all the differences between the "Late 2012" Aluminum Mac mini models and the models replaced?
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.
This model is powered by a 22 nm, 64-bit Intel Mobile Core i5 "Ivy Bridge" (I5-3210M) 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 (up to 3.1 GHz for this model) — 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 "Late 2012" Aluminum "Unibody" Mac mini models compared to the "Mid-2011" models replaced?
Turbo Boost:
3.1 GHz
Custom Speeds:
N/A
Processor Upgrade:
Soldered
FPU:
Integrated
System Bus Speed:
5 GT/s*
Cache Bus Speed:
2.5 GHz (Built-in)
ROM/Firmware Type:
EFI
EFI Architecture:
64-Bit
L1 Cache:
32k/32k x2
L2/L3 Cache:
256k x2, 3 MB
RAM Type:
PC3-12800 DDR3
Min. RAM Speed:
1600 MHz
Details:
Supports 1600 MHz PC3-12800 DDR3 SO-DIMMs. Also see: How do you upgrade the RAM in the Aluminum "Unibody" Mac mini models? What type of RAM do they use? How much RAM do they actually support?
Standard RAM:
4 GB
Maximum RAM:
16 GB
Details:
By default, 4 GB is installed as two 2 GB modules. This model supports 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 Germany, site sponsor CompuRAM sells memory and other upgrades for this Mac mini. In France, site sponsor MacWay sells memory and other upgrades for this Mac mini. In Australia, site sponsor Upgradeable sells memory and other upgrades for this Mac mini. Also see: Actual Max RAM of All G3 & Later Macs.
Motherboard RAM:
None
RAM Slots:
2
Video Card:
HD Graphics 4000
VRAM Type:
Integrated
Details:
This model has an Intel HD Graphics 4000 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? In Spain, site sponsor iRepairs provides affordable repair and data recovery services. In-person and by mail repair services include the graphics card, power supply, and more for this Mac mini.
Standard VRAM:
512 MB*
Maximum VRAM:
768 MB*
Display Support:
Dual Displays
Resolution Support:
1920×1200*
Details:
*This model simultaneously supports 1920×1200 on an HDMI display or a DVI display using the included HDMI-to-DVI adapter and 2560×1600 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:
2560×1600*
Details:
*This model simultaneously supports 1920×1200 on an HDMI or a DVI display (using the included HDMI-to-DVI adapter) and 2560×1600 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:
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 storage 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 France, site sponsor MacWay sells SSDs and other storage upgrades for this Mac mini. In Australia, site sponsor Upgradeable 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
Standard Optical:
None*
Standard Disk:
None
Standard Modem:
None
Standard Ethernet:
10/100/1000Base-T
Details:
N/A
Standard AirPort:
802.11a/b/g/n (450 Mbit*)
Standard Bluetooth:
4.0
USB Ports:
4 (3.0)
Firewire Ports:
1 (800)
Expansion Slots:
SD Card (SDXC)
Expansion Bays:
None
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.
Incl. Keyboard:
None
Incl. Input:
None
Case Type:
Cuboid
Form Factor:
Mac mini Unibody
Apple Order No:
MD387LL/A
Apple Subfamily:
Late 2012
Apple Model No:
A1347 (EMC 2570)
Model ID:
Macmini6,1
Details:
Please note that these identifiers refer to more than one model. Also see: All Macs with the A1347 Model Number, the 2570 EMC Number, and the Macmini6,1 Model Identifier. For more about these identifiers and how to locate them on each Mac, please refer to EveryMac.com's Mac Identification section.
Battery Type:
N/A
Battery Life:
N/A
Pre-Installed MacOS:
X 10.8.1 (12B2080)
Maximum MacOS:
X 10.15.x*
Minimum Windows:
7 (32-Bit)*
Maximum Windows:
10 (64-Bit)*
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? 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)
Original Price (US):
US$599
Est. Current Retail:
US250
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 Computer.
The Apple Mac mini "Core i5" 2.5 (Late 2012/Aluminum Unibody) features a 22-nm "Ivy Bridge" 2.5 GHz Intel "Core i5" (3210M) processor with two independent processor "cores" on a single chip, a 3 MB shared level 3 cache, 4 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (PC3-12800) memory, a 500 GB hard drive, and Intel HD Graphics 4000 which shares system memory. It does not have an internal optical drive, although an external one was offered for US$79.