It uses a dual-core Intel Core i5 running at 2.3 GHz or 2.5 GHz, and the faster model also has a 2.7 GHz i7 build-to-order option for $100 additional. This is the first Mac mini to go beyond Intel Core 2 Duo. Also for the first time, there are two different graphics processors – the entry-level model uses integrated Intel HD 3000 Graphics, while the top-end Mac mini has an AMD Radeon HD 6630M GPU with dedicated video memory. The 2011 Mac mini can use the same $79 USB SuperDrive as the MacBook Air.
For the first time since the original G4 Mac mini was introduced in January 2005, there’s no optical drive in the Mac mini, which also helped Apple trim $100 from its base price – and $200 from the faster version.
