🍏 Apple Mac Mini (Mid 2011) – Full Description

🧩 Overview

The Mac Mini (Mid 2011) is a compact desktop computer from Apple, designed as a powerful yet energy-efficient system in a small aluminum unibody enclosure.

It was targeted toward users who wanted Mac performance with their own display, keyboard, and mouse — ideal for office, media center, or light professional work.

⚙️ Specifications

💻 Model Information

1. Model Name: Mac mini (Mid 2011)
2. Model Identifier: Macmini5,1 / Macmini5,2 / Macmini5,3
3. Model Numbers: A1347
4. Release Date: July 20, 2011

🧠 Processor (CPU) Options

All CPUs are Intel 2nd Gen “Sandy Bridge” processors with Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost.

🎮 Graphics

1. Integrated GPU: Intel HD Graphics 3000 (shared memory up to 512 MB)
2. Discrete GPU (optional): AMD Radeon HD 6630M (256 MB GDDR5 VRAM – only in high-end 2.5 GHz model)

🧠 Memory (RAM)

1. Type: DDR3 1333 MHz SO-DIMM
2. Slots: 2
3. Base: 2 GB or 4 GB
4. Maximum Supported: 16 GB (2×8 GB)

💾 Storage

1. 500 GB or 750 GB 5400 RPM HDD
2. Optional 256 GB SSD
3. Mac Mini Server: Dual 500 GB or 750 GB HDDs (can be upgraded to dual SSDs)
4. SATA III 6 Gb/s support

🖥️ Display Support

1. Supports dual displays:
2. 1 × HDMI port (up to 1920×1200)
3. 1 × Thunderbolt port (Mini DisplayPort compatible, up to 2560×1600)
4. Can connect to HDMI TV or external monitors.

🔌 Ports & Connectivity

🔋 Power & Cooling

1. Power Supply: Built-in 85W PSU
2. Energy Efficient: Meets ENERGY STAR requirements
3. Very quiet, fan-controlled cooling system

🧱 Design & Build

1. Material: Precision-cut unibody aluminum enclosure
2. Dimensions: 1.4 inches (3.6 cm) height × 7.7 inches (19.7 cm) width/depth
3. Weight: 1.22 kg (2.7 lbs)
4. Easily serviceable bottom panel for RAM access

💿 Operating System

1. Originally shipped with: Mac OS X 10.7 Lion
2. Maximum macOS officially supported: macOS 10.13 High Sierra
3. (can be upgraded unofficially to macOS Catalina using patchers like dosdude1)

🔒 Other Features

1. Infrared (IR) receiver removed (compared to 2010 model)
2. Optical drive removed (replaced by more compact design)
3. Supports target disk mode, and boot from external USB drives.

🎯 Ideal Uses

1. Home media center (HDMI to TV)
2. Office or small business computer
3. Coding or light creative tasks
4. macOS testing machine
5. Server setup (in the Mac Mini Server version)

🧾 Quick Summary Table