M2 Mac mini vs. M1 Mac mini: Full specs comparison

We have comprehensively analyzed the technical specifications for the M2 Mac mini and M1 Mac mini models. Our report includes intricate details such as the CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

M2 Mac mini Pros

Reasons that M2 Mac mini is better than M1 Mac mini.

Significantly newer manufacturing

2023 vs. 2020

Much faster CPU performance

Apple M2 Pro (12C, 19G) inside M2 Mac mini has a 100% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Apple M1 (8C, 8G) inside M1 Mac mini.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
M2 Mac mini - Apple M2 Pro (10C, 16G)
14,899
M2 Mac mini - Apple M2 Pro (12C, 19G)
14,899
M2 Mac mini - Apple M2 (8C, 10G)
8,819
M1 Mac mini - Apple M1 (8C, 8G)
7,414
Supports larger memory

M2 Mac mini supports a larger memory capacity than the M1 Mac mini. It supports up to 32GB versus 16GB of system memory on the M1 Mac mini.

Max system memory size
M2 Mac mini
32 GB
M1 Mac mini
16 GB
Has two more ports and slots

M2 Mac mini has more ports and slots count than the M1 Mac mini. It has ten versus eight amount of ports and slots on the M1 Mac mini.

PortsM2 Mac miniM1 Mac mini
HDMIYesYes
headphone jackYesYes
power portYesYes
RJ-45YesYes
Thunderbolt 3NoYes x2
Thunderbolt 4Yes x4No
USB-AYes x2Yes x2
Total108

M1 Mac mini Pros

We couldn't find any advantages of M1 Mac mini over M2 Mac mini.

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

M2 Mac mini Price
Apple 2023 Mac Mini Desktop Computer M2 chip with 8‑core CPU and 10‑core GPU, 8GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Gigabit Ethernet. Works with iPhone/iPad
Apple 2023 Mac Mini Desktop Computer M2 chip with 8‑core CPU and 10‑core GPU, 8GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Gigabit Ethernet. Works with iPhone/iPad
By Apple
$549.00
$599.00 8% OFF
2023 Apple Mac with Apple M2 Chip with 8-core CPU (8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Silver (Renewed)
2023 Apple Mac with Apple M2 Chip with 8-core CPU (8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Silver (Renewed)
By Apple
$489.47
Apple Mac Mini Desktop Computer, M2 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 10-Core GPU, 16GB Memory, 512GB SSD, Early 2023
Apple Mac Mini Desktop Computer, M2 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 10-Core GPU, 16GB Memory, 512GB SSD, Early 2023
By Apple
$997.43
M1 Mac mini Price
Mac mini Apple M1 chip 8GB Memory 256GB SSD MGNR3LL/A (Renewed)
Mac mini Apple M1 chip 8GB Memory 256GB SSD MGNR3LL/A (Renewed)
By Apple
$389.99
Apple 2023 Mac Mini Desktop Computer M2 chip with 8‑core CPU and 10‑core GPU, 8GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Gigabit Ethernet. Works with iPhone/iPad
Apple 2023 Mac Mini Desktop Computer M2 chip with 8‑core CPU and 10‑core GPU, 8GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Gigabit Ethernet. Works with iPhone/iPad
By Apple
$549.00
$599.00 8% OFF
Mac mini Desktop Apple M1 chip 8GB Memory 512GB SSD (Renewed)
Mac mini Desktop Apple M1 chip 8GB Memory 512GB SSD (Renewed)
By Apple
$414.94
$719.95 42% OFF

Availability

M2 Mac miniM1 Mac mini
Released20232020
Release Date
  • Announced on January 17, 2023.
  • Available on January 24, 2023.
Announced on November 10th, 2020
Pricing
  • $599
    M2, 8C CPU, 10C GPU, 8GB, 256GB
  • $799
    M2, 8C CPU, 10C GPU, 8GB, 512GB
  • $1,299
    M2 Pro, 10C CPU, 16C GPU, 16GB, 512GB
  • $1,599
    M2 Pro, 12C CPU, 19C GPU, 16GB, 512GB
  • $1,999
    M2 Pro, 12C CPU, 19C GPU, 32GB, 512GB
  • $2,199
    M2 Pro, 12C CPU, 19C GPU, 32GB, 1TB
  • $2,599
    M2 Pro, 12C CPU, 19C GPU, 32GB, 2TB
  • $3,199
    M2 Pro, 12C CPU, 19C GPU, 32GB, 2TB
  • $4,399
    M2 Pro, 12C CPU, 19C GPU, 32GB, 8TB
  • $4,499
    M2 Pro, 12C CPU, 19C GPU, 32GB, 8TB, 10GbE
  • $699
    Apple M1 Chip | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $899
    Apple M1 Chip | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD
Generations

Exterior

M2 Mac miniM1 Mac mini
Dimensions7.75” x 7.75” x 1.41” (197 mm x 197 mm x 35.8 mm)7.7” x 7.7” x 1.4” (197 mm x 197 mm x 36 mm)
Weight
  • 2.6 lbs. (1.18 kg)
    M2
  • 2.8 lbs. (1.28 kg)
    M2 Pro
2.6 lb (1.2 kg)
Colors
Silver
Silver

Ports

M2 Mac miniM1 Mac mini
M2 Mac mini Ports
Image Source: Apple
Back (10)
  • 1 x power port
  • 1 x RJ-45
    1 Gbps, Configurable to 10 Gbps
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery, M2 Pro only, Optional
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.0 on M2, v2.1 on M2 Pro
  • 2 x USB-A
    USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
M1 Mac mini Ports
Image Source: Apple
Back (8)
  • 1 x power port
  • 1 x RJ-45
    1 Gbps
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 3
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Power Delivery
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.0
  • 2 x USB-A
    USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone

Internal Specs

M2 Mac miniM1 Mac mini
Processor
  1. Apple M2 (8C, 10G)
    8 cores, 8 threads, 2.42 → 3.48 GHz,
  2. Apple M2 Pro (10C, 16G)
    10 cores, 10 threads, 2.42 → 3.50 GHz,
  3. Apple M2 Pro (12C, 19G)
    12 cores, 12 threads, 2.42 → 3.50 GHz,
  1. Apple M1
    8 cores, 8 threads, 3.20 GHz, 10W
Integrated Graphics
  1. Apple M2 (8C, 10G)
    Apple M2 iGPU
    10 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  2. Apple M2 Pro (10C, 16G)
    Apple M2 Pro iGPU
    16 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  3. Apple M2 Pro (12C, 19G)
    Apple M2 Pro iGPU
    19 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  1. Apple M1
    Apple M1 iGPU
    8 Graphics Cores, 1280 MHz
Memory
  • 8GB 16GB
    unified memory.
  • Configurable to 32GB
  • 8GB
    4266 MHz LPDDR4X onboard memory
  • Configurable to 16GB
Storage
  • 256GB 512GB
    SSD
  • Configurable to 8TB
  • 256GB 512GB
    SSD
  • Configurable to 1TB or 2TB

Connectivity

M2 Mac miniM1 Mac mini
Wi-Fi
  • 802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6E wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible
  • 802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6 wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible
BluetoothBluetooth 5.3 wireless technologyBluetooth 5.0 wireless technology
Ethernet
10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)
Configuration up to 10 Gbs
10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)

Battery

M2 Mac miniM1 Mac mini
Power Supply
  • 150W built-in power supply
    M2
  • 185W built-in power supply
    M2 Pro
150W built-in power supply

Software

M2 Mac miniM1 Mac mini
OSShipped with macOS VenturaShipped with macOS Catalina
Built-in Apps
Photos iMovie GarageBand Pages Numbers Keynote Siri Safari Mail FaceTime Messages Maps News Stocks Home Voice Memos Notes Calendar Contacts Reminders Photo Booth Preview Music Podcasts TV Books App Store Time Machine Find My QuickTime Player
Photos iMovie GarageBand Pages Numbers Keynote Siri Safari Mail FaceTime Messages Maps News Stocks Home Voice Memos Notes Calendar Contacts Reminders Photo Booth Preview Music Podcasts TV Books App Store Time Machine Find My QuickTime Player

Camera & Audio

M2 Mac miniM1 Mac mini
Audio
  • Built-in speaker
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • HDMI port supports multichannel audio output
  • Built-in speaker
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • HDMI 2.0 port supports multichannel audio output

Misc

M2 Mac miniM1 Mac mini
In the box
  • Mac mini
  • Power cord
  • Mac mini
  • Power cord
WarrantyYour Mac mini comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ for Mac to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $99 for external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.Your Mac mini comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ for Mac to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $99 for external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.
MoreM2 Mac mini: video supports
  • Simultaneously supports up to two displays:
    • One display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one display with up to 5K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt or 4K resolution at 60Hz over HDMI
  • Thunderbolt 3 digital video output supports
    • Support for native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
  • HDMI 2.0 display video output
    • Support for one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz
M2 Pro Mac mini: video supports
  • Simultaneously supports up to three displays:
    • Up to three displays: Two displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz over HDMI
    • Up to two displays: One display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI
    • One display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI
  • Thunderbolt 4 digital video output
    • Support for native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
  • HDMI display video output
    • Support for one display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or 4K resolution at 240Hz
Video Support
  • Simultaneously supports up to two displays:
    • One display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz connected via Thunderbolt and one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz connected via HDMI 2.0
  • Thunderbolt 3 digital video output supports
    • Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
    • Thunderbolt 2, DVI, and VGA output supported using adapters (sold separately)
  • HDMI 2.0 display video output
    • Support for one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz
    • DVI output using HDMI to DVI Adapter (sold separately)

Key Features

M2 Mac miniM1 Mac mini
At Glance
Released in Early
2023
Weight
2.6 lb
1.18 kg
Up to
Apple M2 Pro (12C, 19G)
12C/12T, 2.42 → 3.50 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,943
Single Core
Geekbench 5
14,899
Multi-Core
With integrated
Apple M2 Pro iGPU
19 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores
Configurable up to
32GB
LPDDR5 Memory
M2 Mac mini Ports
Released in Late
2020
Weight
2.6 lb
1.18 kg
Powered By
Apple M1 (8C, 8G)
8C/8T, 3.20 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,705
Single Core
Geekbench 5
7,414
Multi-Core
With integrated
Apple M1 iGPU
8 Graphics Cores, 1280 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
Unified Memory
M1 Mac mini Ports

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