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Apple Store has refurbished 2012 Minis!

Also, if you run software that uses multiple processors, like Handbrake, you'll see the 2012 quad processor Mac Mini's outpaced the newer dual core 2014 processors by up to 2x.

Search on the web for Mac Mini 2012 vs 2014 and you'll see your full answer.
 
Just got a 2.6 quad 8GB 1TB fusion

I just picked up a refurb 2.6 quad with 8Gb and a 1TB fusion drive. I'm having to give back my work macbook that I have been using.

A little uneasy about dropping £810 on a new computer when I'm skint but I can always sell it on ebay if I run out of money. Right?
 
Indeed. An "official" refurb Apple 2.6 Mhz 2012 quad core Mac Mini with 8GB and a 1TB stock Apple Fusion Drive is quite valuable.

There are people on eBay that are selling their version of an upgraded Mac Mini with a Fusion-type drive setup and claim that the full Apple warranty is still intact, but their added memory and drive could invalidate the Apple warranty if their upgraded components fail. Your "stock" 2012 Apple Refurb is totally covered under Apple's warranty and carries with it a premium value. So you are correct that you have the best resale value in your purchase.
 
Current

A bunch of refurbs just hit the Apple Store. Sadly they are all the 2014 models. NO 2012's.
 
LaloG said:
A bunch of refurbs just hit the Apple Store. Sadly they are all the 2014 models. NO 2012's.
Click to expand...

I know it's not what we want, but down the road should we ever need another mini, a midlevel model with Iris Graphics, 8GB RAM, and a traditional hard drive (that can be replaced if you're brave enough with a SSD) would be a solid little unit.
 
powerbook911 said:
I know it's not what we want, but down the road should we ever need another mini, a midlevel model with Iris Graphics, 8GB RAM, and a traditional hard drive (that can be replaced if you're brave enough with a SSD) would be a solid little unit.
Click to expand...

I picked up a 2014 refurbished dual core i7 3.0 GHz 512GB SSD with 16GB RAM (8GB stated on the site!) and love it. Then again, it's not for heavy use. Video encoding a couple times a week, at most...

I still hope Apple decides to include quad core processors in the next update.
 
Last edited:
Just ordered a late 2012 Server new from B & H (cheaper than refurbs in Apple store and eBay). Does anyone know if the system can handle drives larger than 1TB? Those will work fine for now, but it would be sweet if I could go bigger in the future!
 
Server

I saw those. What's the difference between the "server" models. Is it just the extra 1TB hard drive?
 
DFWHD said:
Just ordered a late 2012 Server new from B & H (cheaper than refurbs in Apple store and eBay). Does anyone know if the system can handle drives larger than 1TB? Those will work fine for now, but it would be sweet if I could go bigger in the future!
Click to expand...

I am using Samsung Spinpoint M9T ST2000LM003 2TB 5400rpm drives in mine with no problems. Those are the biggest I know of at this time. Sometimes you can purchase the Seagate/Samsung external USB 3.0 single or dual drives cheaper than the bare drives and strip them out of the enclosures for internal use.

http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-HN-M2...&qid=1423804563&sr=8-1&keywords=Spinpoint+M9T

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HXAV0X6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

----------
LaloG said:
I saw those. What's the difference between the "server" models. Is it just the extra 1TB hard drive?
Click to expand...

The Server model has the extra drive and the mount/cable assembly to go with it, plus the Server software package ($20). Saves having to buy the installation kit and the software.
 
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hfg said:
I am using Samsung Spinpoint M9T ST2000LM003 2TB 5400rpm drives in mine with no problems. Those are the biggest I know of at this time. Sometimes you can purchase the Seagate/Samsung external USB 3.0 single or dual drives cheaper than the bare drives and strip them out of the enclosures for internal use.

http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-HN-M2...&qid=1423804563&sr=8-1&keywords=Spinpoint+M9T

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HXAV0X6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Click to expand...


Excellent - thanks for the quick response!
 
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A whole new batch fo 2014's are on the referb site

No 2012's to speak of this time around. But a good range of 2014's are there for the taking.
 
No Fusion drive versions at B&H. That is what I really wanted because the SSD's really help the Mac Mini fly. I was hoping not to pay extra to add my own 3rd party SSD and possibly void my warranty if the ram I add or the SSD I add causes issues.
 
thepixelpusher said:
No Fusion drive versions at B&H. That is what I really wanted because the SSD's really help the Mac Mini fly. I was hoping not to pay extra to add my own 3rd party SSD and possibly void my warranty if the ram I add or the SSD I add causes issues.
Click to expand...

Adding RAM most certainly will not void your warranty. Replacing one of the hard drives with an SSD will also not void your warranty. The only issue is that, if you make your own Fusion drive and it ever fails, you won't be able to ask Apple to fix it as is for you. But that's not really "voiding" your warranty, that's just the reality of using third-party parts. Same with the RAM. If the RAM goes bad you'd need to first test the machine with the original RAM to see where the problem is. If it is the RAM, then you'd deal with the manufacturer of the vendor you got it from, not Apple. The warranty on the whole machine itself, especially the logic board and other components, would still be with Apple, you just have to a little more work before you send a machine in for service.
 
There's only Apple 2012 1TB Fusion models on eBay. Not too many of those left. B&H and Best Buy Business don't have any of the 2012 Fusion models either.

All the refurb tracking notices I get show only 2014 models, so I guess the 2012's are running out.
 
I'm late to the party but I want to upgrade my i5 to an i7 2012

Can't find one anywhere for around $600
I don't care about fusion
 
Negritude said:
Replacing one of the hard drives with an SSD will also not void your warranty.
Click to expand...
Not sure if this general statement is true.

Unlike other desktop machines, the mini is not designed for user-serviceable parts except the Ram. With a MacPro, for example, you simply open the side lid and swap a hard drive. Takes a minute, no tools or advanced skills needed.

For a drive swap in the mini you have to partly or even fully ("upper" drive) disassemble a machine full of delicate parts, using special tools and taking a considerably higher amount of time. This bears a significant risk of damaging parts during the process.

I doubt you could claim warranty in such a case. At the very minimum you would be hard pressed to argue and prove that a potential component failure is not resulting from your hard drive swap, as you basically have to touch about every component inside the machine for that.
 
Che Castro said:
I'm late to the party but I want to upgrade my i5 to an i7 2012

Can't find one anywhere for around $600
I don't care about fusion
Click to expand...

It's been a few weeks since the last batch of 2012 models appeared in the refurb store. Looks like stock is dwindling... Set up your email/SMS/push notification alerts with refurb.me & refurbtracker and hope you're close to a computer when you get stock notification.
 
Some earlier mentioned the 2.6 runs a lot hotter than the 2.3, so you might consider that since there are more 2.3's available. Add extra ram or a SSD drive in the second bay and you'll speed it up much more than few extra gigahertz.
 
Some Did Didn't They?

Che Castro said:
since im going from i5 to i7 should i go for 2.6GHz or 2.3 GHz ?
Click to expand...

thepixelpusher said:
Some earlier mentioned the 2.6 runs a lot hotter than the 2.3, so you might consider that since there are more 2.3's available. Add extra ram or a SSD drive in the second bay and you'll speed it up much more than few extra gigahertz.
Click to expand...

No one has produced any proof that the i7 "2.6 runs a lot hotter than the 2.3"! Thepixelpusher is correct, some have mentioned this idea but there is no evidence for the claim. The two chips are almost identical. Shouldn't we expect the faster version should make a bit more heat when it does a bit more work than the 2.3?

Perhaps someone has some proof today! Real evidence for either point would be useful.
1. Why should the 2.6 gigahertz chip make a lot more heat when it is only a little bit faster?
2. Does the 2.6 actually make a lot more heat than the slower version?

Satisfied 2.6 owners occasionally dispute this claim. For some reason their experience does not seem able to counter this popular i7 myth.
 
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