Mac mini Gets Performance Boost

Apple gave the Mac mini some love on Tuesday with an update that makes the new model up to twice as fast compared to the previous model. At the heart of the new Mac mini sits Intel's third-generation dual core i5 or quad core i7 processor, and Apple boasts it uses only 11W of power when idle.

New Mac mini: Same look, more powerNew Mac mini: Same look, more power

The new Mac mini ships with 4GB RAM and supports up to 16GB, four USB 3.0 ports, Thunderbolt and FireWire 800 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, an SDXC camera card slot, 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi, HDMI, and Bluetooth support. According to Apple, the mini's graphics performance is up to 65 percent faster thanks to its Intel HD Graphics 4000 system, too.

Apple chose to stick with the same aluminium Unibody design for the new Mac mini measuring 7.7 inches across and deep, and 1.4 inches tall.

The 2.5GHz dual core i5 model ships standard with a 500GB hard drive, and the 2.3GHz quad core i7 model shops with a 1TB hard drive. Both support Apple's new Fusion Drive high performance flash storage and hard drive combination system as a build-to-order option, too.

The i5 Mac mini is priced starting at US$599, and the i7 model is priced starting at $799.