Gorgeous and very clean 'late 2012’ Mac Minis, supplied with power cable.
The late 2012 models were the last in the Mac Mini line to be user-upgradable, and so are incredibly popular. The base of the machine features an easy-to-remove rotating plastic disk, which reveals the two RAM slots, and beneath them, the hard disk. So upgrading the machine to add extra RAM, swapping the disk for an SSD or even adding an extra storage device (using a separately purchased kit) is straightforward.
These Mac Minis
These are built-to-order variants of the Late 2012 model Mac Mini, and feature the top-of-the-range package - a 2.6GHz i7 quad-core CPU (the most powerful CPU ever fitted to a Mac Mini), plus either 8GB or 16GB RAM, plus a variety of HDD and SSD options for for storage.
The Apple Mac mini "Core i7" 2.6 (Late 2012) features a 22-nm Quad Core "Ivy Bridge" 2.6 GHz Intel "Core i7" (3720QM) processor with four independent processor "cores" on a single chip, a 6 MB shared level 3 cache, 1600 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (PC3-12800) memory, and Intel HD Graphics 4000 which shares system memory.
Despite its small size, the MacMini has a lot of expansion capabilities - 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)" mini jacks, a 10/100/1000Base-T Gigabit Ethernet port, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and an SDXC card slot.
Suffice to say that this spec will provide plenty of oomph for almost any Mac software, even supporting heavyweight apps like Photoshop, Final Cut and Logic if required.
As more power is required, the processor can automatically increase the speed of the active cores to improve performance when needed (up to 3.6 GHz for this model) -- and "Hyper Threading" -- which allows the system to recognise eight total "cores" or "threads” (four real and four virtual).
Compared to its predecessor (the mid-2011 models), this one looks identical, but it has a faster internal architecture with a faster processor, faster graphics, faster RAM, and USB 3.0 ports. Compared to the current 2014 model, it allows the user to upgrade the RAM and disk, and provides significantly more power than even the top-of-the-range 3.0GHz i7 model (it’s impossible to get a quad-core CPU in the 2014 model).
All Mac mini systems are configured by default without a display, keyboard, or mouse - you can use your existing monitor and USB input devices, or switch to using Bluetooth devices to get away from all those trailing cables!
These machines have been reinstalled with a clean MacOS 10.13 High Sierra image (the very latest) and are all set for your use - the startup wizard will help you configure your input devices, add it to your network, create a user ID and get up and running in no time.
Why buy this model?
You’ll pay upwards of £1,129.00 for a dual-core 3.0GHz 2014 Mac Mini with 8GB RAM (more with 16GB or larger/faster storage), which has a 64-bit multicore Geekbench rating of 7,308.
Compare this to the Geekbench taken from these machines - well over 13,000! So these 2012 2.6GHz i7 machines are over 70% faster than the latest greatest Mac Mini for heavy workloads. So 170% of the performance, for just a fraction of the price!
These 2.6GHz Mac Minis are rare as hens teeth! They were a build-to-order configuration only, and typically get snapped up by collectors and professionals whenever they come up on eBay or elsewhere. The demand is huge as they are so much more powerful and flexible than the 2014 model, and still offer a fantastic Mac system for almost any purpose.
How might you use it?
Mac Minis are awesome for a huge number of situations:
- As a first Mac machine. These are great to replace existing PCs - simply unhook your display, mouse and keyboard and swap the PC for the Mac Mini. macOS is a little different to Windows (99% of the time in a very good way!), so will take some adjustment, but you’ll be switched in no time at all!
- As a media centre. Mac Minis are small, quiet and support HDMI and wireless keyboards and trackpads. That makes them great to add to a flat-screen HD TV, and used with media management apps like Plex, or to access on-demand TV such as iPlayer.
- As a VMWare ESXi server. The latest release of VMWare installs on MacMinis with no need for additional drivers or manual configuration (Ethernet only, no Wifi).
- Where space is at a premium. The main unit is just 19.7cm square and just 3.6cm tall - perfect for use in a reception or a crowded family room for example.
So what am I getting?
A late-2012 2.6GHz i7 Mac Mini with 8GB (2 x 4GB) or 16GB RAM (2 x 8GB) and an HDD or SSD storage option as selected. It will ship fully tested, with power cable, freshly reinstalled with the latest High Sierra OS and will be ready to use.
We offer a full 30-day warranty, so if any issues crop up, we promise to get them sorted for you.
What if I buy one?
We will expect you to make contact and to pay within 24 hours of the auction ending. Payment is via Paypal only, and we will only ship to confirmed addresses once the payment has cleared! This is usually within 24 hours.
What are you waiting for?! Get yourself an awesome quad-core Mac Mini! Buy it now!
