With a little work you can turn your Mac mini into a powerful Windows gaming system. So why not?
I just heard something: A tectonic eruption of eye-rolling from PC gamers. Look, if you've got a custom rig with Nvidia Titan hardware and 4K displays to run Crysis 3 in ridiculous mode, move along. There's nothing for you here. If, on the other hand, you already have a Mac mini, or if you've been thinking about getting one but think it's underpowered for gaming, what I have to say may surprise you.
One of my kids wanted to play Windows games that weren't available on the Mac. He can certainly play plenty of games that are out for the Mac, but most stuff still isn't out for the Mac. That's not going to change. Apple accepts that, otherwise they wouldn't provide you with the Boot Camp Assistant utility to begin with.
Our victim is a 2010-era Mac mini. That's the last Mac mini model to sport a built-in SuperDrive. It has Nvidia GeForce 320M integrated graphics. Not as fast as the average gamer GPU card in a custom-built PC, granted. But enough to run a lot of games at acceptable frame rates.
Dec 09, 2019 The Mac mini is Apple's least expensive desktop computer and remained so even after a price hike with its latest refresh in 2018. Now a more capable competitor in the desktop landscape, the Mac mini is a great option for those that don't mind bringing their own monitor.
It may surprise you, but the Mac mini is an adept little Windows gaming system. Its graphics speed can't compare to a dedicated gaming rig, but it doesn't have to. Because while it spends some of its time running Windows, it's also a great general purpose Mac running the latest version of Mavericks.
Better at Windows games than Mac games
Whatever Mac mini you use will probably run Windows games faster than it is does Mac games. Windows graphics tend to run faster than OS X graphics do on the same hardware, thanks to more extensive Windows driver optimization and underlying differences in the way the OSes are structured.
It took a few afternoons to get everything squared away. This Mac's been well used since it was new, and its drive partition didn't pass muster with Boot Camp Assistant. Once Drive Utility patched things up I was able to get started.
I used Windows 7, which has broad game support and is available in Home Premium trim for $99 or less from online retailers.
The alternatives
Running Mac games natively and exclusively is always an option. There are a lot of good games on the Mac, games that will run well or decently on the Mac mini. They're available from the Mac App Store, Steam, MacGameStore.com and elsewhere.
If you're looking for a Windows game experience but are reluctant to have to reboot your Mac each time to do it, you can install software that bridges the Windows gap.
VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop get the lion's share of attention, partly because they broad appeal for Mac users who also want to run business software and specialty apps that won't run on OS X natively. Both continue to optimize their releases for the broadest and fastest driver support they can.
CodeWeavers' CrossOver is worth a special look from gamers. It's optimized for games, and unlike the other two or Boot Camp, doesn't require you to have a Windows license.
Putting the pedal to the medal
How well does it actually run, you ask?
A lot of it depends on the individual performance requirements of the game. Obviously some games employ enormously sophisticated 3D engines that want more horsepower than the Mac mini can muster. Many don't, and the relatively modest integrated graphics in the mini are perfectly sufficient to play them.
If you keep your expectations realistic, you can usually tweak settings and resolutions enough to get a really playable experience. For many games, that's frame rates of 20 to 30 frames per second; for others, it's even higher, with higher levels of detail possible.
I've played a combination of FPS, strategy and RPG games on our little Mac mini, and it's held up well. My 14 year old has been pretty happy; he's been dividing his time between various Steam games he couldn't play on the Mac and other fare; a particular favorite is Smite, a multiplayer online battle arena strategy game from Hi-Rez Studios. He also says that old favorites he could play on the Mac, like Valve's own Team Fortress 2, subjectively run better on Windows than on OS X.
The bottom line
I'm never going to ditch my Mac in favor of a Windows PC — I prefer the Mac user experience to the Windows user experience, that's all there is to it. But I can't dispute that there are a lot of fun Windows games to be played, and I'm grateful that Apple's made it easy to equip my Mac as a Windows PC.
As much as I love Sony and Microsoft's game consoles, they're just that — game consoles. The greatest thing about using a Mac for Windows gaming is that you're still using a Mac at the end of the day.
Tune back in tomorrow as I walk you through installing Boot Camp yourself. In the interim, I'm curious to see what you think: Have you set up Windows using Boot Camp Assistant? Are you tempted to?
Concepts everywhereAnother day, another iPhone 12 Pro concept. How much would you pay?
If reports are accurate we might be waiting a little while longer than normal for iPhone 12 Pro. But would you care if it looked like this?
Apple Mac mini 'Core i7' 3.0 (Late 2014) Specs
Identifiers: Late 2014 - BTO/CTO - Macmini7,1 - A1347 - 2840
All Mac mini Models | All 2014 Models | Dynamically Compare This Mac to Others
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The Mac mini 'Core i7' 3.0 (Late 2014/Aluminum Unibody) technically is a 'configure-to-order' option for the MGEN2LL/A Mac mini 'Core i5' 2.6 (Late 2014) and MGEQ2LL/A Mac mini 'Core i5' 2.8 (Late 2014), but also is documented as a separate model for reader convenience. Other than the processor (and its corresponding level 3 cache), this model can be identical to its 'stock' counterparts.
The Apple Mac mini 'Core i7' 3.0 (Late 2014/Aluminum Unibody) features a 22 nm 'Haswell' 3.0 GHz Intel 'Core i7' (4578U) processor with two independent processor 'cores' on a single chip, a 4 MB shared level 3 cache, 8 GB of onboard 1600 MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM (which could be upgraded to 16 GB at the initial time of system purchase, but cannot be upgraded later), either a 1 TB hard drive or a 1 TB 'Fusion Drive' (which combines a 1 TB hard drive and a 128 GB SSD), and an 'integrated' Intel Iris 5100 graphics processor that shares system memory.
Connectivity includes two Thunderbolt 2 ports, four USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n compatible), and Bluetooth 4.0 as well as an SDXC card slot.
Compared to its predecessor, this model looks identical, but it has a more advanced architecture and graphics, Thunderbolt 2 capability, and faster Wi-Fi. On the other hand, it has a processor with half the number of cores, no longer supports Firewire, has RAM that can no longer be upgraded, and no longer supports two 2.5' drives.
All Mac mini systems are configured by default without a display, keyboard, or mouse, but numerous Apple and third-party options are available.
Also see:
- What are all the differences between the 'Late 2014' Aluminum Mac mini models? Which is best for my needs?
- What are all the differences between the 'Late 2014' Aluminum Mac mini models and the models replaced?
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- Tech Specs
- Ports
- Global Original Prices
- Popular Q&As
Click on a category for related details. The most commonly needed info is 'open' by default, but all info is important. Asterisks (*) reference data in details fields.
| Introduction Date: | October 16, 2014 | Discontinued Date: | October 30, 2018 |
| Details: | The 'Introduction Date' refers to the date a model was introduced via press release. The 'Discontinued Date' refers to the date a model either was replaced by a subsequent system or production otherwise ended. Also see: All Macs introduced in 2014. |
| Details: | Also see: All models with a 64-Bit processor courtesy of EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Sort. |
| Details: | Geekbench 2 benchmarks are in 32-bit and 64-bit modes, respectively. These numbers reflect an average of user provided 32-bit and 64-bit results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all 32-bit and 64-bit Geekbench 2 user submissions for Macs with the Macmini7,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare Geekbench 2 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
| Details: | These Geekbench 3 benchmarks are in 32-bit mode and are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all 32-bit single core and multicore Geekbench 3 user submissions for Macs with the Macmini7,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare 32-bit Geekbench 3 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
| Details: | These Geekbench 3 benchmarks are in 64-bit mode and are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all 64-bit single core and multicore Geekbench 3 user submissions for Macs with the Macmini7,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare 64-bit Geekbench 3 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
| Details: | These Geekbench 4 benchmarks are are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. All Geekbench 4 benchmarks are 64-bit. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all single core and multicore Geekbench 4 user submissions for Macs with the Macmini7,1 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare Geekbench 4 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
| Processor Speed: | 3.0 GHz | Processor Type: | Core i7 (I7-4578U) |
| Details: | This model is powered by a 22 nm, 64-bit 'Fourth Generation' Intel Mobile Core i7 'Haswell ULT' (I7-4578U) processor which includes two independent processor 'cores' on a single silicon chip. Each core has a dedicated 256k level 2 cache, shares 4 MB of level 3 cache, and has an integrated memory controller (dual channel). This system also supports 'Turbo Boost 2.0' -- which 'automatically increases the speed of the active cores' to improve performance when needed (up to 3.5 GHz for this model) -- and 'Hyper Threading' -- which allows the system to recognize four total 'cores' or 'threads' (two real and two virtual. Also see: How fast are the 'Late 2014' Aluminum 'Unibody' Mac mini models compared to the 'Late 2012' models replaced? |
| Details: | N/A |
Mac Mini Update
| Details: | The processor is soldered directly to the motherboard. |
| System Bus Speed: | 5 GT/s* | Cache Bus Speed: | 3.0 GHz (Built-in) |
| Details: | *This system has a 'Direct Media Interface' -- specifically DMI2 -- that 'connects between the processor and chipset' in lieu of a traditional system bus. Intel reports that it runs at 5 GT/s. |
| Details: | N/A |
| Details: | Each core has its own dedicated 256k level 2 cache and the system has 4 MB of shared level 3 cache. |
| Details: | *Shipped standard with 8 GB of 1600 MHz 'Low Power' LPDDR3 SDRAM onboard. |
| Details: | *By default, 8 GB of RAM is onboard. As first confirmed by MacminiColo, this RAM is soldered onboard and cannot be upgraded at all. However, at the initial time of system purchase, this model could be configured with 16 GB of RAM for an additional US$200. Also see: Actual Max RAM of All G3 & Later Macs. |
| Details: | *There are no RAM slots. 8 GB of RAM is onboard by default. It can be upgraded to 16 GB, but only at the initial time of system purchase. The RAM cannot be upgraded after system purchase at all. |
| Details: | This model has an Intel Iris 5100 graphics processor that shares memory with the system. Also see: What type of video system is provided by the Aluminum Mac mini models? Which are integrated and which are dedicated? Can the video be upgraded? |
| Details: | *Apple reports that this model uses 'Intel Iris Graphics' and allocates up to 1.5 GB of system memory for video function. Intel more specifically reports that this processor is packaged with a Intel Iris 5100 graphics processor. |
| Display Support: | Dual Displays | Resolution Support: | 2560x1600* |
| Details: | *This model supports 'up to two displays' at 2560x1600, both at millions of colors, via the two Thunderbolt 2 ports. It supports Thunderbolt digital video output and native Mini DisplayPort output as well as DVI, VGA, and Dual-link DVI using Mini DisplayPort to DVI, Mini DisplayPort to VGA, and Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI adapters. It also supports 1080p at up to 60 Hz via the HDMI port. DVI output additionally is supported using an HDMI to DVI adapter. All adapters are sold separately. |
| 2nd Display Support: | Dual/Mirroring* | 2nd Max. Resolution: | 2560x1600* |
| Details: | *This model supports 'up to two displays' at 2560x1600. |
| Standard Storage: | 1 TB (HD, Fusion*) | Std. Storage Speed: | N/A |
| Details: | *If this BTO/CTO processor upgrade was selected alone for the MGEN2LL/A model, the system is configured with a 1 TB hard drive by default. If this BTO/CTO processor upgrade was selected alone for the MGEQ2LL/A model, the system is configured with a 1 TB 'Fusion Drive' (which combines a 1 TB hard drive and a 128 GB SSD) by default. The MGEN2LL/A model also could be configured at the time of purchase with a 256 GB SSD or a 1 TB Fusion Drive, either one, for an additional US$200. The MGEQ2LL/A model also could be configured at the time of purchase with a 256 GB SSD at no extra charge, a 512 GB SSD for an extra US$300 or a 1 TB SSD for an extra US$800. Starting January 13, 2015, Apple also added a 2 TB 'Fusion Drive' as an option for an extra US$100. On October 30, 2018, Apple discontinued this model entirely. Also see: How do you upgrade the hard drive(s) in the Aluminum 'Unibody' Mac mini models? What type of storage do they support? In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells storage upgrades for this Mac mini. In the UK, site sponsor Flexx sells storage upgrades for this Mac mini. In Australia, site sponsor Macfixit sells storage upgrades for this Mac mini. In Southeast Asia, site sponsor SimplyMac.sg sells storage upgrades for this Mac mini. Also see: SSD Compatibility Guide for All G3 & Later Macs. |
| Storage Dimensions: | 2.5' (9.5 mm)/Proprietary* | Storage Interface: | Serial ATA (6 Gb/s)/PCIe* |
| Details: | *This model has a Serial ATA III (6 Gb/s) connector for a 2.5' hard drive or SSD as well as a proprietary PCIe connector for a 'blade' SSD, although as noted by site sponsor OWC, the cable to connect a 'blade' SSD to the PCIe connector is not present unless the system is configured with a 'Fusion Drive' at the time of initial purchase. |
| Details: | *This Mac mini does not have an internal optical drive. Site sponsor Adorama offers the external Apple USB SuperDrive for US$79. It writes DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL at 4X, DVD-R and DVD+R at 8X, DVD-RW at 6X, DVD+RW at 8X, reads DVD at 8X, writes CD-R at 24X, writes CD-RW at 16X, and reads CD at 24X. Site sponsor Other World Computing also has a variety of compact external optical drive options that may be of interest, including some with Blu-ray capability. Also see: What are the full capabilities of the external SuperDrive? Can it be used with other Macs? |
| Standard Modem: | None | Standard Ethernet: | 10/100/1000Base-T |
| Standard AirPort: | 802.11ac* | Standard Bluetooth: | 4.0 |
| Details: | *802.11ac Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n backwards compatible) and Bluetooth 4.0 standard. |
| Details: | Four USB 3.0 ports, no Firewire port. |
| Details: | This model has an SDXC Card slot. In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells a wide variety of external expansion options and hand-picked accessories like external storage, stands, keyboards, cables, adapters, speakers, and more for this Mac mini. In Australia, site sponsor Macfixit offers an extensive selection of external expansion options and accessories like docks, stands, chargers, keyboards, security products, and more for this Mac mini. |
| Details: | No Mac mini systems ship with a keyboard or mouse. |
| Details: | Uses a tiny case -- milled from a single block of aluminum -- that is 7.7 inches wide and deep and 1.4 inches tall. |
| Details: | As this model technically is a custom configuration of the MGEN2LL/A Mac mini 'Core i5' 2.6 (Late 2014) or MGEQ2LL/A Mac mini 'Core i5' 2.8 (Late 2014), it does not have its own order number. |
| Apple Model No: | A1347 (EMC 2840) | Model ID: | Macmini7,1 |
| Details: | Please note that these identifiers refer to more than one model. Also see: All Macs with the A1347 Model Number, the 2840 EMC Number, and the Macmini7,1 Model Identifier. For more about these identifiers and how to locate them on each Mac, please refer to EveryMac.com's Mac Identification section. |
| Details: | N/A |
| Pre-Installed MacOS: | X 10.10 (14A389) | Maximum MacOS: | Current* |
| Details: | *This system fully supports the last version of OS X 10.10 'Yosemite' and OS X 10.11 'El Capitan' including Metal graphics acceleration. It is fully supported by the last version of macOS Sierra (10.12) and macOS High Sierra (10.13), also. Running macOS High Sierra (10.13), it supports HEVC (High-Efficiency Video Coding), but it does not support hardware accelerated HEVC. This model is compatible with the final version of macOS Mojave (10.14) and the current version of macOS Catalina (10.15), as well. Also see: Which Macs are compatible with macOS Catalina (10.15)? What are the system requirements? What are the major new features? Has anything been removed from previous versions of the macOS? |
| Minimum Windows: | 7 (64-Bit)* | Maximum Windows: | 10 (64-Bit)* |
| Details: | *The pre-installed version of Apple's Boot Camp BCA supports the 64-bit version of Windows 7 and Windows 8. Boot Camp 6 supports the 64-bit version of Windows 10. Earlier versions of Windows are not supported. |
| MacOS 9 Support: | None | Windows Support: | Boot/Virtualization |
| Details: | Also see: Are there any third-party programs to run Mac OS 9/Classic applications on Intel Macs? Site sponsor OHS specializes in heavily upgraded Macs capable of running both Mac OS X and Mac OS 9 applications. For more on running Windows on Intel Macs, please refer to the exhaustive Windows on Mac Q&A. |
| Dimensions: | 1.4 x 7.7 x 7.7 | Avg. Weight: | 2.7 lbs. (1.22 kg) |
| Details: | In inches - height by width by depth, (3.6 cm, 19.7 cm, 19.7 cm) |
| Original Price (US): | US$999, US$1199* | Est. Current Retail: | US$600-US$800 |
| Details: | *This configure-to-order Mac mini originally was US$999 if equipped with a 1 TB hard drive (MGEN2LL/A with the processor upgrade option) and US$1199 if equipped with a 1 TB 'Fusion Drive' (MGEQ2LL/A with the processor upgrade option). Please note that on average the estimated current retail pricing of used systems is updated twice a year (please refer to the date on the bottom of the page for the date last updated). Photo Credit: Apple Computer. |
Click on a category for additional details. The most commonly needed info is 'open' by default, but all info is important. The icons correspond with the icons for each port on the computer.
| Video (Monitor): | 2 (Thunderbolt 2), 1 HDMI | Floppy (Ext.): | None |
| Details: | *One HDMI and two Thunderbolt 2 ports. It supports 'up to two displays' at 2560x1600, both at millions of colors, via the two Thunderbolt 2 ports. It supports Thunderbolt digital video output and native Mini DisplayPort output as well as DVI, VGA, and Dual-link DVI using Mini DisplayPort to DVI, Mini DisplayPort to VGA, and Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI adapters. It also supports 1080p at up to 60 Hz via the HDMI port. DVI output additionally is supported using an HDMI to DVI adapter. All adapters are sold separately. |
| Details: | N/A |
| Details: | N/A |
| Details: | Four USB 3.0 ports, no Firewire port. |
| Details: | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n backwards compatible) and Bluetooth 4.0 standard. |
| Details: | N/A |
| Details: | Combined 'audio line in minijack (digital/analog).' |
| Details: | Single combined 'audio line out/headphone minijack (digital/analog).' |
| Details: | N/A |
| Details: | 100V-240V, 50 Hz to 60 Hz single phase, 85W maximum. |
Global original prices for the Mac mini 'Core i7' 3.0 (Late 2014) in 34 different countries and territories follow; organized alphabetically by region.
For global original prices for Intel Macs in one particular country on a single page, please refer to EveryMac.com's Global Original Prices section.
Original Prices - North & South America
| Mexico: | MXN $16,983, $19,999 | United States: | US$999, US$1199* |
Original Prices - Europe
| Denmark: | DKK 7,799, 9,299 | Finland: | €1019, €1219 |
| Ireland: | €1019, €1219 | Italy: | €1019, €1219 |
| Luxembourg: | €949,46, €1139,55 | Netherlands: | €1019, €1219 |
| Spain: | €999, €1199 | Sweden: | SEK 9.535, 11.295 |
| Switzerland: | CHF 1'099, 1'319 | United Kingdom: | £799, £959 |
Original Prices - Asia
| China: | RMB 7,236, RMB 8,708 | Hong Kong: | HK$7,588, HK$9,148 |
| Japan: | ¥106,800, ¥126,400 | Korea: | KRW 1,250,000, 1,519,200 |
| Malaysia: | RM 3,199, 3,879 | The Philippines: | PHP 49,990, 59,990 |
| Singapore: | S$1,348, S$1,628 | Taiwan: | NT$31,820, NT$38,420 |
Original Prices - Australia & New Zealand
| Australia: | A$1249, A$1489 | New Zealand: | NZ$1499, NZ$1819 |
If you have additional original prices for this model, please get in touch. Thank you.
Ten of the most popular Q&As about the Mac mini models follow.
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