New 1.66GHz Mac mini Core Duo--How Fast Is It?
We ordered the $799 1.66GHz Core Duo model completely stock, including the 512MB of RAM despite a nagging feeling that it just might need more. We felt it might need more RAM because it will be running Microsoft Office 2004, Adobe Photoshop Elements and iVisit in Rosetta, the Power PC emulation software, and Rosetta runs best with lots of RAM. In addition, the Mac mini Core Duo's graphics system "takes" 64MB of the 512MB system RAM. But we first wanted to see how well the Mac mini Core Duo would perform with the base level 512MB of RAM.
As a bit of an aside, the RAM modules in the Intel Mac minis are laptop SO-DIMM modules and their "slot" is a typical laptop dual stacked unit found in 15" and 17" PowerBook G4s, the new Intel iMac and MacBook Pro. The architecture is such that there are speed benefits to using matched pairs of RAM modules so Apple includes two 256MB modules in the base 512MB configuration. Of course, to go to 1Gb or 2GB one has to buy two modules.
Since we will use our Cube's 22" Cinema Display, keyboard, mouse, USB microphone and external FireWire hard drive, we only needed a $99 ADC to DVI adapter to set up our new Mac mini Core Duo. As another aside, we remain chagrinned over Apple dropping the excellent ADC graphics connector, one that combined graphics, power and USB into one simple snap-on connector and one cable. Since it meant special Mac-only graphics cards in Power Macs and it limited the market for Apple's displays, dropping the ADC connector was probably a necessary decision. The indifference of the computer industry to consumers in not adopting this very simple graphics connector really grates on us every time we have to use those really stupid thumbscrews to connect a monitor and not to mention the corresponding requisite USB cable and power cable and power brick.
We already mentioned the new things that come with the new Intel Mac mini in last Wednesday's introductory article. One additional observation is that the power brick is now rated at 110W rather than 85W so the Mac mini Core Duo will not run on the old power brick--those who tote their Mac minis between office and home are forewarned. It is worth mentioning that the combination of the Apple Remote, IR port, digital optical in/out audio and new graphics system greatly improve the Mac mini for use as a home media center.
Our new Mac mini Core Duo was cracked open using a very thin, tapered and wide-bladed putty knife just like the original Mac mini G4. The only two things worth emphasizing on the internals (there are already excellent internal photos on the Web, e.g. see MacCentral) are that the 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo CPU is on a board in a socket instead of being soldered in and that RAM is much more difficult to get to and install. Hopefully, as a result of the CPU socket, we will see some third-party CPU upgrades in the near future.
WARNING! Installing RAM requires removal of the optical drive/hard drive assembly and a small black 2-wired cable in front. The cable connector is difficult to remove and more difficult to put back--one could easily damage it. The cable is the temperature sensor's feed and if one forgets to reinstall it or damages it, the fan runs full blast and the Mac mini runs exceedingly slowly. In addition, the orange ribbon cable to the optical drive can easily slip out of its connector and it is very difficult to replace. We do not recommend that an average user attempt to install RAM nor a CPU upgrade if and when they become available.
Okay, so how fast is it? We ran our usual suite of speed tests on our Mac mini Core Duo and our upgraded G4 Cube that it replaced. Here's a comparison of the relevant specs of the two computers:
|
Spec
|
G4 Cube
|
Mac mini
Core Duo |
|
.
|
||
|
CPU Speed
|
1.4GHz G4*
|
1.66GHz Core Duo
|
|
L2 Cache
|
512K*
|
2MB
|
|
L3 Cache
|
2MB*
|
0
|
|
System Bus
|
100MHz
|
667MHz
|
|
RAM
|
896MB*
|
512MB
|
|
Graphics
|
Nvidia Geforce MX2*
|
Intel GMA 950 Set
|
|
Graphics RAM
|
32MB*
|
64MB**
|
|
Hard drive
|
120MB 7200RPM Seagate Barracuda ATA*
|
80MB 5400RPM SATA
|
While we have a base 1.25GHz Mac mini G4, it wouldn't be a very instructive comparison since it is a low end model. We also included the recent results from our new 20" 2GHz iMac Core Duo. Here are the results:
| Test | Power Mac G4 Cube |
1.66GHz Mac mini
Core Duo |
20" 2 GHz iMac
Core Duo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benchmarks: | |||
|
AltiVec Fractal
|
4.9
|
3.3
|
3.8
|
|
Let1kWindowsBloom (sec)
|
12
|
19
|
12
|
|
Cinebench 9.5 - Rendering
|
143
|
256/464+
|
308/566+
|
|
- OpenGL Hardware Lighting
|
220
|
546
|
1681
|
| Xbench 1.2 - CPU |
55
|
64
|
77
|
| - Threading |
62
|
166
|
199
|
| - Memory |
18
|
97
|
108
|
| - Quartz Graphics |
56
|
60
|
72
|
| - OpenGL Graphics |
79
|
183
|
132
|
| - User Interface Graphics |
43
|
n/v
|
n/v
|
| - Hard Disk |
48
|
30
|
92
|
| "Real World" Tests: | |||
| Startup (sec) |
45
|
25
|
29
|
| Shutdown (sec) |
8
|
8
|
7
|
|
Duplicate 500MB folder of files (sec)
|
-
|
48
|
32
|
|
Duplicate 700MB folder of 3600 files (sec)
|
53
|
68
|
-
|
| Scroll File in Adobe Reader 7.0.7 (sec) |
-
|
78
|
38
|
|
Scroll File in Adobe Reader 5.1 (sec)
|
32
|
35
|
-
|
| Quake III Arena (frames/sec) |
57
|
44
|
-
|
+Using both cores. n/v=not valid
The 1.66GHz Mac mini Core Duo is much faster than the G4 Cube in most cases, except when it comes to applications running in Rosetta (AltiVec Fractal, Let1kWindowsBloom and Quake III Arena) and disk intensive tests (Xbench Hard Disk and Duplicate a 700MB folder). As expected, the 2GHz iMac Core Duo is mostly 20% or more faster than the Mac mini Core Duo due to its 20% faster CPU, superior graphics and faster hard drive. Curiously, the Mac mini Core Duo with its Intel GMA 950 graphics chip set scores much higher than the iMac Core Duo in Xbench's OpenGL graphics test. The Mac mini Core Duo is also the start up champ.
To further test the Intel GMA 950 graphics we tried streaming several high definition movie trailers from Apple's Web site at 1080p using QuickTime Pro. The movies' standard is 24 frames/second and all that we tried but one (IMAX Deep Sea 3D) played the entire trailer at 23.33 to 24.50 frames/sec. The IMAX Deep Sea 3D has one very short early segment with a school of very tiny fish where the frame rate dropped below 20. The Mac mini Core Duo handles high definition video very well.
The Intel GMA 950 graphics in the Mac mini have been suspect but we would say from our tests above and our use of our new Mac mini Core Duo, that the graphics system seems perfectly satisfactory for anything up to professional video processing and fast 3D gaming. Although some older or less demanding 3D games, like Quake III Arena as noted above or strategy games, may play acceptably well. Still, Mac mini is more of a general computer and home media center than a game machine.
What about RAM? Is 512MB enough? We haven't had the chance to explicitly test this yet so it will be the subject of another article. However, during our use and testing, the Mac mini seemed to be pretty spry on 512MB. The 1GB configuration costs an additional $100 and may be worth it if one's use is going to stretch the Mac mini Core Duo to it's limits. Expense-wise, the 1GB option is a good deal especially considering one does not have install it (see warning above). We withhold final judgement but we believe 2GB of RAM, given the capabilities of the Intel Mac mini, may be as useful and as wasteful as using premium gas in an entry level car with a standard-compression engine.
In summary, the 1.66GHz Mac mini Core Duo is an excellent replacement for our Power Mac G4 Cube as a daily workhorse general computer. We don't think we'd use it for image or video processing or 3D gaming or scientific computing but it looks very good for just about everything else.
The only thing that we do not like about the Mac mini Core Duo is its power connector. It is the same one used in the original Mac mini and the power cable slips out too easily. More than once we have knocked it loose while unplugging an ethernet or USB cable and shut down our Mac mini. The Mac mini Core Duo's power cable is even thicker and heavier than the Mac mini G4's and so is easier to inadvertently knock loose. The power connector needs a flange like an ethernet connector or little clasps like the now dead ADC connector. Apple, please fix this.
We thought (and still do) that the original Mac mini G4 makes a superb entry level computer, especially if one already has a display, keyboard and mouse. The Mac mini Core Duo "kicks it up a notch" and is more of an alternative to the iMac Core Duo if one's work is general computing and one wants to use a display larger 20" or smaller than 17" or if one already has an acceptable display, keyboard and mouse. [Bill Fox]
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