What do you think? Is the 2012 quad core Mac mini a good value? Also, get Total AV for 80% off, just $19.99/year when you sign up today at totalav.com/lukemiani
I ended up getting mine for about 220 dollars after selling my 2010 for about 100. I put a 500 GB SSD in and 8gb of ram and it works flawlessly for my logic pro work. It was absolutely a steal in my opinion. I also got a housing for the old spinning hard drive that I use as extra storage! Perfect little machine
Few months back at my old job they were getting rid of old Macs (2010 - 2014 models) I got a Mac mini 2012 for my mom for $100. I already had a spare SSD and RAM . That worked out good.
I recently brought 2 2011 and one 2014 Mac Mini from a guy that grab a few from his job when they renewed the Macs they were using as surveillance monitors. I think i'm gonna keep a 2011 one, with 16gb of ram and a 500GB SSD it works great! And sell the other two and basically get to keep the 2011 for free or even make a little profit, only down size of the 2011 is that it doesn't have USB 3.0 and it only has 512mb of video. Other than that it's more than capable for everyday usage in 2020!
I just picked up this same exact model with processor for $300. I added the SSD and 16gb ram. I cannot agree with you more on new thermal paste. Will give you peace of mind after doing all the upgrades.
Joseph Frusci - you got very, very lucky. The owner didn’t do the research to see the value. I did the same a few years ago and got a good deal. DEFINITELY search eBay. Like really search. And set a notifier on eBay to tell you when a model is newly listed.
Just took my 2012 Mac mini 2.6Ghz i7 apart last week, swapped fusion drive for 2ssds, new PRAM battery and new thermal paste, upgraded to Catalina and might upgrade to Ventura in the ucoming weeks. This machine still rocks and is absolutely worth it!
I did this on a 2011 except I installed two SSD's in RAID-0 in addition to the 16GB RAM. It lives nicely in my recording studio keeping my outboard firewire gear alive. It's old but it still does the job after all these years!
I hope you have really good (and I mean bare-metal, like Carbon Copy Cloner) backups, because you'll be in a world of hurt if *either* of those RAID0 SSDs dies...
@@pedrofelck Apple remove raid boot support a while ago (since nvme is fast enough is my guess). I wrote a reddit post on how to boot from a Raid 0 volume on mojave and catalina. It takes some work and you have to take extra steps for updates. I did this on my 2012 mac mini with dual EVO SSDs. Got consistent 900MBs read and writes with that setup. Link to post: www.reddit.com/r/osx/comments/a2slwc/success_raid_0_boot_with_mojave/
I did this same mod after I bought my 2012 back in 2013. It was a great machine, but finally had to upgrade to the latest for the increased NVME drive speeds, since I do mobile development. I love these machines - can hide them under my desk, they are quiet, and easy to travel with.
I’m a designer and still using my Mac Mini late 2012, which I bought when I was in a university. I upgraded this just like same as yours (16gb ram w/ 1tb ssd) and connected to 34inch ultra wide monitor lol I use a company stuff for major works but my elder Mac still works perfect and it’s decent for small 2D graphics projects, short video editing, and high-res photo editing.
I did all of this on my late 2012 i7 mac mini and it flies-- unbelievable how it breathes life into what was a pretty slow machine. But I'm still thinking of getting a 2020 mac mini just so I can run big sur and future os updates for the next many years.
Great video Luke! Your videos motivated me to get into buying older Mac products. I recently got a late 2012 2.3GHz i7 Mac mini with 8GB Ram and 256GB of storage for $180. not too bad for the money.
These are an incredible value at that price point as you get a great, rock-solid machine, with very good CPU performance. I have used one as my work machine for the last 3 years and it's still my favorite machine.
Bought this very same quad core i7 Mac mini NEW in 2012, upgraded to 500GB SSD and 16 GB RAM in 2014. Still using it today (actually typing this comment on the Mac mini).... that where the value comes in. One computer in use for8 years that is still worth $600.
I got mine in 2012 with the i7 2.3. During all this years I've upgrade RAM and SSD. Prior APFS I was running MacOS on raid 0 and it was pretty fast. About two years ago I bought a 3440x1440p display but the iGPU in the Mac Mini only worked at 30fps while my display goes up to 100fps. I went eGPU route with a sonnet enclosure and a RX590 and I'm getting 41048 in metal geekbench and I can run my display at 100fps (this is totally unsupported by Apple, but not very difficult to achieve). This is the best value for money computer I've ever bought from Apple. Now I have also a MBP16", but I don't think it will ever be as valuable as the old mac mini.
Did the same for mine. Bought it in 2017 on eBay, put Samsung EVO 860 512 GB, WD 2TB and Crucial 16GB of RAM. Use it for photo editing and watching video. It does cope with both tasks well. And after checking the serial found out it was made in 2014, few weeks before 2014 Mac Mini was released. So, old model year, but when bought - only 3 years old. Thinking about upgrading, but maybe, few years later, as it still works great.
To buy a 2012 mac mini and upgrade it might not be worth it, but if you already have one, the upgrades are beneficial. I got one in 2012 (an i5 Version), and I've upgraded it to 16gb. I've yet to replace it with an SSD. It's still my daily iTunes and Media Server.
Taj Callender the RAM in the 2018 Mac Mini isn’t in the same place as in the 2012 Mac Mini. The problem is that you need a upgrade kit, which I wouldn’t buy
@@RodrigoFerreira-bs6hd You do not need an upgrade kit , just the new ram although Apple have made it more difficault to swop them its not a big deal . Apple have put a coven over them , god alone knows why because the original ones work fine without it . To upgrade the ram on the new ones you have to go as far as the stage where he removes the motherboard , remove the new cover that Apple decided to put over the ram , just 4 screws , swop the ram , put the cover on and reasemble . Granted its harder than the older ones but not rocket science
@@isaaclinzay8684 Yes , you are right , the ram is not bad to get to , only a partial strip down , no need to remove the charger. The ram is the only upgrade possible thanks to Apple and soldered down ssd
david thomas but I’m afraid of losing the screws. It’s not just four screws. It’s at least 10 and they use different kinds of screws. So I need new screwdrivers
A few years ago i bought a second hand 2,6 GHz i7 quadcore MacMini with a 250 Go SSD + 16 Go RAM. I'm still using it today for Photoshop (and i do 130x130cm 400 dpi images !) and it still works cool (well, not THAT cool, we all know it) as a breeze... I hooked up a 32" inch (2560x1440) Samsung monitor and 4 x 2To external drives. I recently updated my system to Catalina and it's the first time i ever see a few "limitations" (to say the least) in some of my apps due to obsolescence... I plan to buy a new Mac Mini (the hexacore one) next year, but i'll keep my 2012 mini and use it as a jukebox !
I ran my i5 mid 2012 Mini for years with the 4gb ram. Did a little video editing, but mostly browsing. After upgrading to 16gb ram and adding the dual drive kit (setup as a fusion drive) it is still a good machine today.
I bought about a year ago and put a 512gb ssd and 8gb of ram I already had. Got it for $400 and for that its a pretty good value. Does everything internet well. Great for getting started with XCode though 8gb ram isn't ideal. It does get by though and if you have some hardware lying around I would totally recommend this setup!
I have late 2012 mini. 16Gt ddr3, 2,3GHz i7 SSD + HDD. I clean the fan and put new thermal paste, but still temperatures are 70 - 95 Celsius when I only run Safari and mail + file backup.
I did this EXACT build 3 months ago and it has worked very well for me so far. Am only using it to surf the web and some basic stuff. It is absolutely not a powerhouse by any means but it does great for what it does. Great video.
Ive had one of these just spare for YEARS. Just used it as my streaming device in my LR. I have the the 2-core i5 but always wonder if there was a way to swap out the CPU for something beefier. Is it doable to swap out for a quad?
I bought one of these when it was new. It's been my daily driver, handling light recreational use and learning web development. I did, shortly after purchase, put in 16 GB ram and a 480GB SSD. I've been happy with the performance. I didn't do the two hard drives, so that I didn't have to take the whole thing apart. It's been very reliable for several years now. It just seems to struggle with connecting to other things; external hard drives and television. They work for a bit, then are lost and I have to start resetting things to get them back. Overall okay.
I was able to pick up on eBay a Late 2012 Mac mini Server with a 2.3 Ghz I-7 Quad-CORE processor, 12 GB DDR3 RAM, two 1-TB SSD Drives, running Catalina for $330.00 dollars. I am planning on using it as a mail server for my home office.
[edit] I just remembered the issue with UsB was NOT the Mac Mini but strange behavior from an aging wireless Logitech keyboard. This is apparently common among Logitech wireless dongles (whatever they’re called.)[/edit] Having this model for several years I can say they are solidly built. One excpetion is that the USB 3.0 system can sometimes flake out and stop devices from working. Sometimes the quick fix is unplug a device and move it to another USB port (unless you have all four ports filled then you’ll have to power off and restart unless you have remote access from another network computer and can shutdown remotely.) I intend to install Linux (distro recommendation?) on one of these to see if will work properly.
I only use my Mac Mini for word processing, games that still run on it, and a specialized software. Plus, I will use the external boot disk option, and keep my old Mac OS on the hard drive.
Last week I picked up a Mac mini Server (Late 2012) i7 2.3GHz, dual 1TB HDDs, 8GB of RAM and Apple Cinema Display 24" from a co-worker for $450 total. Swapped one of the failing 1TB HDDs with a 500GB SSD and upgraded the RAM from 8GB to 16GB (already had the RAM.) This machine replaced our aging Early 2009 Core 2 Duo iMac and is being used by my kids for school work. Speedy little machine, especially after the SSD and RAM upgrade. Doubt my kiddos will ever use the 1.5TB of space, but I'd rather have too much than not enough. I do use it hear and there, and don't really notice a difference between it and my 2019 MacBook Pro i5.
I just bought one with an i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, 2 x 1TB HDD and Mac server loaded for $350. Need it to rack mount on my network as a file and media server. I think it was a good deal and it looks almost brand new.
Very interesting. I’m just upgrading a late 2012 Mac mini with a 1 TB Samsung SSD and 16 GB of Crucial RAM. Both components will arrive today. At present this Mac mini is very slow! Hope it works!
I bought mine last year already upgraded for $200! The seller didn't know what they had! ;) With my ultrawide lg monitor its great for work/productivity
I've got what you ended up with and for me the value is there, but that's because, except for a new SSD, I bought it back in 2012 and quickly upgraded the RAM to 16GB. That means I've gotten eight years of value from it, which is quite a deal. But I agree with you that spending almost as much now to give myself that same performance makes little sense. That said, it does all I need it to do, so there's no pressure to upgrade.
Yes! I have late 2012 2.3 GHz Core i7 16GB RAM, was using prior a 1TB HDD and thought that it could not get any better, but during the pandemic, decided to upgrade to a 1TB SSD. Once everything was complete, started up the mini....man man, man!!! 22sec startup time (even with Catalina OSX) and how it was is now forgotten and only how it is, now???....DAMN FUDGING FAST!!!! for 2012...someone once said if you deduct the bottle neck, everything just flows....
This mac mini has a thunderbolt port, I think is possible to run it with a egpu using a thunderbolt to thunderbolt 3 adapter, you should try that, would give it a lot of new power.
Nice video! My 2012 mini 3720qm is connected to 34” Dell @3440x1440 @60Hz over tb1/minidisplay port and to Bose speakers over built in 3.5mm to TOSlink. Primarily used for media consumption machine, still running great. New mini does not provide built in TOSlink connections anymore.
I've still got my i5 2012 currently running two SSDs and 16Gb - I use it for coding and Lightroom / Photoshop (stills) and really have a problem justifying an upgrade. You are correct about the graphics - zero games, zero acceleration options for software but colour matches great and is fast enough for a 1080p monitor with zero lag. It would be nice to connect the iPad as a second screen natively but it's not vital. Only thing I would say that you missed in the video is that TRIM is not set on by default and each time I reload (I never upgrade the OS) I have to remember to turn it on. As for ROI - amazing compared to any other machine I have bought 👍
I have the 2012 quad core I7 with two SSDs and 16gb and I use if for iPhone software development and Unix integration testing. People forget that macOS is a pure Unix system that goes through the same certification program that AIX, HP/UX etc adhere to from the OpenGroup in order to be able to use the Unix trademark. This is great for Unix to Linux integration testing. All the compilers C, C++, Swift are all there so its a super nice and relatively cheap environment for the work I'm doing. I've had it since it was new so its more than paid for itself. I upgrade my system all the time and TRIM is always turned on, I've never had to turn it on other that the very first time I installed the SSDs.
I got a late 2012 i5 Mac mini for free, I threw a brand new 256gb ssd in it with 8gb of ram. I’m trying to use it as my secondary WFH system with two monitors. I find I’m maxing out the ram when I have everything I need open. (Which is mostly web brower tabs) I’m considering upgrading the ram to 16gb. To help alleviate some of the slow down, but not sure it’s worth it really because I’m not really sure if it’s the ram usage or cpu usage that is ultimately my problem.
im gettting one to learn on this will be my first computer from them i have everything else might upgrade a later point especially since the new one cant really be upgraded
the prices on this get a little steep but that's still a great value for the performance you get. Bought mine at 450 euros in 2018 with 256 Gb ssd / 4 Gb; with 8 Gb of ram it's about 500; I don't think there's a mac with these performances for this price. even if the prices seem weirdly to go up. Besides an used laptop from this era means all sorts of problem; the battery will probably be dead or close to it; it will very probably need a deep clean / thermal repaste for it to be usable without heating and throttling; and there are all sorts of graphical problems with 15" models from 2011 and above. Mac minis are a lot less prone to overheating than laptops. You could even argue it can replace a laptop and become a "transportable" computer; with a portable screen; bluetooth mouse and a small keyboard (I've been meaning to try it; it's a good setup for a multimedia piece sitting in an exhibition for a few weeks).
$200 Mac mini 2012 (i7 quad core) $50 16gb $50 256ssd $300 total (November 2021) Dual drive (kept the 1TB HDD for storage) Using it for office stuff. Up next, I’ll bootcamp the SSD so I can use ArcGIS pro.
lol... That's for u. Last week i got mine on eBay for $251 + TAX + Free shipping = $273.28. specs are: 512GB SSD 4GB memory i5 quad core 2.5 GHz processor. I only upgraded the RAM to 16GB, and it cost me an extra $40 + TAX + Free shipping = $43.55. Maybe not the best deal, but I think it's worth it.
I upgraded an old one (same as yours here) laying around to the max 16GB and 2x 250GB SSDs...and put them in RAID 0 mode. Wonderful. Great speed almost 1000. Great as media center and for usual tasks at home... OF course nothing compared to the new Macs... and hopefully the next generation of Mac Minis, which I hope will more like a modular Mac Pro Mini...
Thanks for the vid, but u spent so long talking to people who might buy a used mini 2012, but what about us who already have one and are trying to decide whether or not to upgrade the drive? I bought mine new back in 2012
In Brazil, I found the same Mac Mini without upgrades, costs about $430! Unthinkable to make the same upgrade here, because it costs in total, about $1000... It's not a good deal here
No Big Sur support so I expect resale value to drop. The fastest 2012 had a 2.6 GHz i7-3720qm. It might seem strange, but a lot of people bought these to run vmware esxi like I did. Dual internal HDs, dual GB ethernet, it would boot off of the SD card and easily fit into a briefcase.
@3:47 what are the connectors there? Was one that it is showing you disconnecting for the hard drive? Around 5 to 6 minutes in you said there are 2 hard drive connectors. So does that mean the mid 2012 guts can be put into a mid 2010 case and add an optical drive? You mention that this is not good for graphics. Is the mid 2011 better with the Radeon HD 6630, better and still upgradable?
I have mine since 2014, bought new, maxed out in the last 4 or 5 years (500gb ssd, 16gb of ram) and I´m still asking myself if I need a new computer. Actually I´d like to have something with more GPU power, but I have no clue what to buy without busting the bank. I really thought about 2018+EGPU, or a hackintosh with the same budget. But the overall budget (1500usd) is a lot of money for me...
Mu dear brother Luke. I am following your videos from last year and I loved it all. It's so satisfying and informative. As being an musician I really want to build one for my recording studio. Please make a video totally dedicated for musicians, how to setup and work. All the bare minimum needed to set up studio in apple ecosystem and benefits of using apple products. Love from India. God bless ❣️
@@jakubherdzik4722 yes it should handle that no problem. You might struggle with multiple virtual instruments though, although I was able to run enough for the electronic music I produce
Comparing it with a laptop is not really fair , its a mini desktop configuration . Who wants the hassle of hooking up thier laptop to the monitor or t.v every time you want to use it . The mac mini is ideal to have alongside a laptop , best of bothe worlds . Laptop for on the go and mac mini as a desktop / media player , and you can connect the laptop and transfer any work between the two
Interesting to contrast this with the 2009-2012 Mac Pro "cheesegrater"... I own that machine and have modestly upgraded pieces of it (the cpu, the memory, a new bluetooth 4/wifi b/n/g internal card, and 4 old ssds I had laying around. Obviously the mini is far better on power consumption. But as a repurposed machine overall... the Mac Pro 2010 is better because it does a lot more. But again, the two extreme approaches each machine offers intrigue me.
The Mac Pro 5, 1 is an amazing Mac. I have upgraded my processors 2 x5690 with 48 gig ram and blazing fast NVMe. I am running Big Sur with ease with the latest updates. The 2012 Mac mini is a fun capable machine that doesn’t consume a lot of power, but no match to the “cheesegrater”…
I grapped a 2011 just cause i don't care about having a good mac, i just need a place where i can test and compile code for my cross platform projects rather than snubbing mac owners.
Apple 2012 products are probably the most successful in history. All of them have tremendous value and were relevant for a very long time, even now they have not turned into a pumpkin. Only iPhone 4S was introduced in 2011.
The price of SSDs is negligible in some cases. Might as well upgraded to 1TB SSD than just do 500GB, especially if you get a super deal like $300 or less for the Mac Mini
So you're saying if my 2012 i5 Mac Mini just had the GPU bite the dust, I'd should buy one of these to upgrade, rather than going to one of the M1 Mac Mini, because my current one already has all the upgrades, or I could repair the GPU I guess. I do a little tiny bit of play with fusion360 and day trade a little.
Also I really think they are worth the upgrade if you find a good deal on a 2012, i bought one with same specs for 200 from a pawn shop a couple years ago but stupidly was in some financial trouble and had to sale it and never got to upgrade or use I guess maybe they wasn’t sure what they had or got the 2 mixed up that they had.
The late 2012 Mac mini is the modern version of the Macintosh SE/30. Only they saddled it with a slow hard disk, which is a pain. Mine is upgraded to 16GB of RAM but that hard disk! Whoo! It's also stupid that Apple decided to drop it with Big Sur, and it's really an insult that the garbage 2014 model is supported, but the markedly better 2012 model is dropped arbitrarily. Luckily the hackers will keep us up to date as long as possible! :D
its cool that they can be upgraded a little, but its the IOS we get shafted on, will a 2012 mini like this be able to run newer IOS in the future or like normal " 2012 items no longer supported with this IOS" i hate that!
