Mac mini (Mid 2010)
A unibody aluminum redesign with HDMI and a built-in power supply.
Overview
The Mid 2010 Mac mini was the biggest redesign since 2005. The new body was a thin aluminum shell that slid off the bottom for access to memory, and the external power brick vanished because the power supply moved inside.
The model carried a 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo (2.66 GHz optional), an Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics chip, 2 GB of DDR3 and a 320 GB hard disk. HDMI joined the Mini DisplayPort for video, so it could plug straight into a television, and there was an SD card slot, four USB 2.0 ports and FireWire 800.
The optical drive was dropped, which Apple replaced with a Mac mini Server variant with two drives. The case shape stayed essentially the same until 2018.
Why it mattered
It established the slim aluminum Mac mini shape that lasted for eight years and made it a popular media-center computer.
At a glance
- Announced
- June 15, 2010
- Released
- June 15, 2010
- Discontinued
- July 20, 2011
- Launch price
- $699
- Chip / processor
- Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.4 GHz
- Storage
- 320 or 500 GB
- Status
- Vintage
Highlights
- Unibody aluminum enclosure
- HDMI and Mini DisplayPort video out
- Built-in power supply
- SD card slot
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Chip
- Chip
- Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.4 GHz (2.66 GHz option)
- CPU cores
- 2
Memory
- RAM
- 2 GB DDR3, expandable to 8 GB
- Storage options
- 320 or 500 GB 5400 rpm hard disk
Graphics
- GPU
- Nvidia GeForce 320M
Ports
- Ports
- 4 USB 2.0, FireWire 800, HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, SD card slot, Gigabit Ethernet, audio in and out
Connectivity
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11n
- Bluetooth
- 2.1+EDR
Design
- Dimensions
- 3.6 x 19.7 x 19.7 cm (1.4 x 7.7 x 7.7 in)
Software
- Launch OS
- Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
Availability
- Announced
- June 15, 2010
- Released
- June 15, 2010
- Discontinued
- July 20, 2011
- Launch price
- $699
Colors
- Finishes
- Aluminum
How it compares
More in the Mac mini family
Mac mini (G4)
The cheapest Mac ever: bring your own keyboard, mouse and display.
Mac mini (Early 2006)
The first Intel Mac mini, with a Core Solo or Core Duo inside.
Mac mini (Mid 2007)
Core 2 Duo power in the same small white box.
Mac mini (Early 2009)
Nvidia graphics, FireWire 800 and five USB ports.
Mac mini (Mid 2011)
Thunderbolt and Core i5 come to the Mac mini.
Mac mini (Late 2012)
USB 3.0 and Ivy Bridge arrive in the small aluminum box.
Mac mini (Late 2014)
Cheaper but with soldered memory and no quad-core option.
Mac mini (2018)
Space Gray, six cores and four Thunderbolt 3 ports for pros.
Mac mini (M1, 2020)
The first Apple silicon desktop, at $699.
Mac mini (M2, 2023)
M2 for $599, or M2 Pro for serious work.
Mac mini (M4, 2024)
Half the footprint: a 5-inch aluminum cube with M4 and M4 Pro.
Mac mini (M6, 2026)
M6 and M5 Pro, Wi-Fi 7 and faster storage in the 5-inch cube.