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Quad core Mac mini's likely in near future?
- Thread starter Woodcrest64
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quadcore will only come to the mac mini when they are standard in notebooks.
atm they are only high end
atm they are only high end
You're probably correct. It's a shame Apple values form factor over functionality.
Apple should have put a quad-core processor in the Mac Mini when the very first Core 2 Quad came out. It's said that the reason they never put a quad-core processor in MacBook Pros is because of its effect on battery life. Battery life is a total non-issue on the Mac Mini, as it has no battery and is always plugged in.
They love the slim form factor 
Forget the server edition id love to see a Mac Mini Gaming edition
Forget the server edition id love to see a Mac Mini Gaming edition 
Not until the Macbook line has it, I'd say. The Mac Mini has always seemed to me to be the desktop version of the low end Macbook.
My money would be on 2012 when we should be seeing lower TDP quad cores appearing more commonly in laptops.
No. Only the 15" and 17" have quad-core processors. The 13" still doesn't. I think we'll have to wait at least till 2012 for a quad-core Mac Mini. I think I'll try to resist the urge to upgrade this year. This year's update should give a nice performance gain, but the update to a quad-core should give another nice gain.
Been doing some Mac Mini quad core research.
I believe 2013 for the following reasons...
All the standard level Intel quad core processors have a TDP of 45w. At its peak the highest wattage Intel processor in a Mac Mini has been 34w. It's now 25w.
More wattage means more heat and a bigger fan to move it. Apple have been shrinking the Mac Mini.
There are no Ultra Low Voltage versions of Intel quad cores, right up to Sandy Bridge designs. The Ivy Bridge presentation said that TDPs would stay around the same for quad cores.
Apple could make a design with a thin height full width fan to accomodate for the heat. This is very unlikely as 45w quad core chips were around when the half height Unibody Mac Mini was released.
So that leaves a different manufacturer of the chips.. The Apple moving to ARM rumour would make sense. They have in-house designs for the A4 and A5. The base A6 could be quad core (based on the ARM Cortex-A15) but that would only be for iOS devices as it's 32bit / 40bit.
ARM have said that 64bit Cortex is a possibly but gave no more details. It is unlikely to be within the A15 design.
My prediction is the Apple A7 will be 64bit quad core. As 64bit has the memory addressing it can be used in the higher spec Macs. OSX 10.8 would carry support.
Windows 8 will have 32bit ARM support. Will Apple back track and let Lion have 32bit support?
Time will tell...
Research
ARM Cortex-A15
ARM CEO on 64bit
Windows 8 on ARM
TDPs
Legacy Quad Cores
2GHz Q9000 TDP 45w Core 2 Quad
2.26 GHz Q9100 TDP 45w Core 2 Quad
Mac Mini 1,1 Early 2006
1.5GHz T1200 TDP 27w Core Solo
1.66GHz T2300 TDP 31w Core Duo
Mac Mini 1,1 Late 2006
1.66GHz T2300 TDP 31w Core Duo
1.83GHz T2400 TDP 31w Core Duo
Mac Mini 2,1
1.83 GHz T5600 TDP 34w Core 2 Duo
2.0 GHz T7200 TDP 34w Core 2 Duo
Mac Mini 3,1 Early
2.0GHz P7350 TDP 25w Core 2 Duo
2.26GHz P8400 TDP 25w Core 2 Duo
Mac Mini 3,1 Late
2.26GHz P7550 TDP 25w Core 2 Duo
2.53GHz P8700 TDP 25w Core 2 Duo
Current Mac Mini 4,1
2.5 GHz P8600 TDP 25w Core 2 Duo
2.66GHz P8800 TDP 25w Core 2 Duo
Latest Macbook Pro
2.0 GHz 2635QM 15" TDP 45w Core i7 Quad
2.2 GHz 2720QM 15" 17" TDP 45w Core i7 Quad
2.3 GHz 2820QM 17" TDP 45w Core i7 Quad
I believe 2013 for the following reasons...
All the standard level Intel quad core processors have a TDP of 45w. At its peak the highest wattage Intel processor in a Mac Mini has been 34w. It's now 25w.
More wattage means more heat and a bigger fan to move it. Apple have been shrinking the Mac Mini.
There are no Ultra Low Voltage versions of Intel quad cores, right up to Sandy Bridge designs. The Ivy Bridge presentation said that TDPs would stay around the same for quad cores.
Apple could make a design with a thin height full width fan to accomodate for the heat. This is very unlikely as 45w quad core chips were around when the half height Unibody Mac Mini was released.
So that leaves a different manufacturer of the chips.. The Apple moving to ARM rumour would make sense. They have in-house designs for the A4 and A5. The base A6 could be quad core (based on the ARM Cortex-A15) but that would only be for iOS devices as it's 32bit / 40bit.
ARM have said that 64bit Cortex is a possibly but gave no more details. It is unlikely to be within the A15 design.
My prediction is the Apple A7 will be 64bit quad core. As 64bit has the memory addressing it can be used in the higher spec Macs. OSX 10.8 would carry support.
Windows 8 will have 32bit ARM support. Will Apple back track and let Lion have 32bit support?
Time will tell...
Research
ARM Cortex-A15
ARM CEO on 64bit
Windows 8 on ARM
TDPs
Legacy Quad Cores
2GHz Q9000 TDP 45w Core 2 Quad
2.26 GHz Q9100 TDP 45w Core 2 Quad
Mac Mini 1,1 Early 2006
1.5GHz T1200 TDP 27w Core Solo
1.66GHz T2300 TDP 31w Core Duo
Mac Mini 1,1 Late 2006
1.66GHz T2300 TDP 31w Core Duo
1.83GHz T2400 TDP 31w Core Duo
Mac Mini 2,1
1.83 GHz T5600 TDP 34w Core 2 Duo
2.0 GHz T7200 TDP 34w Core 2 Duo
Mac Mini 3,1 Early
2.0GHz P7350 TDP 25w Core 2 Duo
2.26GHz P8400 TDP 25w Core 2 Duo
Mac Mini 3,1 Late
2.26GHz P7550 TDP 25w Core 2 Duo
2.53GHz P8700 TDP 25w Core 2 Duo
Current Mac Mini 4,1
2.5 GHz P8600 TDP 25w Core 2 Duo
2.66GHz P8800 TDP 25w Core 2 Duo
Latest Macbook Pro
2.0 GHz 2635QM 15" TDP 45w Core i7 Quad
2.2 GHz 2720QM 15" 17" TDP 45w Core i7 Quad
2.3 GHz 2820QM 17" TDP 45w Core i7 Quad
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I get what you are saying about TDP and cooling concerns. What I don't get is how Apple can manage to cool these CPU's in a 15"MBP, but you think they would be unable to do so in the Mac Mini.
I don't think so. Not because Apple is holding on to form over function, or that the quads are just too hot, but because of what the mini is and has always been intended to be. Their "budget" offering. It's not supposed to be a powerhouse, it was never intended to be a high-end gamer or workstation. It is a computer intended to perform the tasks that the typical basic computer user would want, and do them well. That's not to say the mini can't game or do video editing, etc.
If they put a quad in the mini, iMac sales could take a giant dump, given that the mobile i7s benchmark around where the iMac CPUs do. That said, I don't think we'll see a quad mini until there is a 6-core or better iMac.
If they put a quad in the mini, iMac sales could take a giant dump, given that the mobile i7s benchmark around where the iMac CPUs do. That said, I don't think we'll see a quad mini until there is a 6-core or better iMac.
The new refresh this year will for sure have older i3s in it, same goes for the Macbooks. Whenever the iMacs jump to Ivy Bridge the Mini and Macbook will get i5.
The Mini and Macbook are years behind the iMacs and MPBs.
The Mini and Macbook are years behind the iMacs and MPBs.
Reebzor,
What I was aiming at was the real estate that the fan would have to take to deal with 45w. The one in the Mac Mini is tiny compared to the ones in a MacBook Pro, hence the discussion that Apple would have to redesign the physical Mini to get near the venting needed.
alust2013
I can see your point but I think Apple are missing a trick here. There really should be a Mac Mini Pro
For instance :
I have existing rigs and monitor so I don't need an iMac.
I don't want / need to base my work around a laptop.
I don't need an 8/16 core behemoth Mac Pro
I'd like an 2.0GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 MacBook Pro without the screen, squeezed into a Mac Mini form factor.
If they could do an iMac 2.5GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 without the screen but make it in a bigger box, the Mac Mini Pro, I'd still buy it. Would be cheaper too.
Sadly I doubt these will happen... *sad face*
Still interested in what Apple will do with the refresh in the next few months.
What I was aiming at was the real estate that the fan would have to take to deal with 45w. The one in the Mac Mini is tiny compared to the ones in a MacBook Pro, hence the discussion that Apple would have to redesign the physical Mini to get near the venting needed.
alust2013
I can see your point but I think Apple are missing a trick here. There really should be a Mac Mini Pro
For instance :
I have existing rigs and monitor so I don't need an iMac.
I don't want / need to base my work around a laptop.
I don't need an 8/16 core behemoth Mac Pro
I'd like an 2.0GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 MacBook Pro without the screen, squeezed into a Mac Mini form factor.
If they could do an iMac 2.5GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 without the screen but make it in a bigger box, the Mac Mini Pro, I'd still buy it. Would be cheaper too.
Sadly I doubt these will happen... *sad face*
Still interested in what Apple will do with the refresh in the next few months.
They are basically last year's spec, so I'm guessing they will get sandy bridge i3s (probably i5 for the mini, maybe i7) There's no sense in putting the Arrandale i3 or i5 in, as the reason they didn't in the first place was the sucky Intel HD graphics (which really do suck), but the HD 3000 is much better, and comes with the Sandy Bridge CPUs
I'm not saying having a monitor-less iMac wouldn't be an awesome idea (which it would, for the record), I'm just saying that's Apple's philosophy with it, as evidenced in their product lines since the mini was introduced.
I agree with you.
Let's lobby Apple and make awesome happen...
http://www.apple.com/feedback/macmini.html
At this point, a basic Mac mini in mid to late 2011 would do well with a Sandy Bridge i3 to replace Core 2 Duo, and there could be a BTO option for a Mac mini with a quad Core i5 but have the Core i5 be a higher end Mac mini.
$599 Mac mini ... Core i3
$799 Mac mini ... dual Core i5
BTO Mac mini ... quad Core i5
$599 Mac mini ... Core i3
$799 Mac mini ... dual Core i5
BTO Mac mini ... quad Core i5
Would be nice if they bring out a mobile i5 quad core that has under 45w. Given the proximity to the Ivy Bridge release, it's unlikely for 2011.
The Ivy Bridge 22nm process would generate less heat with the same design though.
I've been using Macs for 18 years. But the Mac I have now is so old that I'm not married to Apple. It's a PowerMac G4 so nothing on it will run on a new Mac anyway.
I've been holding out so long because what I want from a Mac is in that range Apple won't build.
A mid range mid size Mac that is not an all in one. Apple could put iMac parts in a mid size case and I would buy it for $1500. Just make it easy to get into, have room for 2 hard drives and an optical drive and I would be cheering and beating the door down with money in hand.
But honestly I doubt Apple will do it. Too simple, makes too much sense.
I've been holding out so long because what I want from a Mac is in that range Apple won't build.
A mid range mid size Mac that is not an all in one. Apple could put iMac parts in a mid size case and I would buy it for $1500. Just make it easy to get into, have room for 2 hard drives and an optical drive and I would be cheering and beating the door down with money in hand.
But honestly I doubt Apple will do it. Too simple, makes too much sense.
After doing some thinking you're right, it wouldn't make any sense to keep the Mini Server without adding Thunderbolt ports to it. Don't the i3s come with HD 2000 instead of 3000?
Nope, all the sandy bridges come with the HD 3000, it's just a matter of clock speed for the GPU. The i3 uses the same as the i5s and i7s in the MBPs in terms of graphics, only the turbo graphics clock is slightly different.