Nov 10, 2018 - Review: 2018 Mac mini – Apple's most versatile Mac [Video]. Add an external GPU, and enjoy better graphics for gaming, video editing, and much more. Even a UHS-II-enabled SD Card reader are featured on this dock. Outlook for mac schedule delivery. Outlook anywhere macbook.

The is back for 2018, regaining its rightful place as the most versatile Mac in Apple’s entire computer lineup. The long-rumored update, which was announced during the midway portion of last week’s iPad Pro event, is exciting for a number of reasons. For starters, the Mac mini 2018 gets brand-new, highly-capable 8th-generation Intel CPUs. The CPU lineup starts with a rather anemic, but still way faster than the last Mac mini, quad-core 3.6GHz Core i3. The mid-tier CPU option is a 3.0GHz 6-core Core i5 with 4.1GHz turbo boost, while the highest configuration adds a 3.2GHz 6-core Core i7 that turbos up to 4.6GHz. While the CPU upgrades were much needed, the chip enhancements are arguably not even the most exciting thing about the new Mac mini.

That award goes to the four Thunderbolt 3 ports on the machine’s rear. This opens up Apple’s smallest Mac to an ever-growing world of expandability, making it seem as if anything’s possible for what was once Apple’s forgotten Mac. Watch our hands-on video walkthrough as I explain why the Mac mini 2018 is the most versatile and adaptable Mac ever. The Mac mini 2018 finally brings Thunderbolt 3 The presence of four Thunderbolt 3 ports on the Mac mini means that it can grow substantially over time. Add a Thunderbolt 3 dock, and you instantly have a ton of other ports and I/O right at your fingertips. Add a Thunderbolt 3 display, like LG’s 5K UltraWide, and you have a high-resolution HDR-capable display. Add an external SSD, and you can instantly have more storage that’s even faster than the built-in SSD.

Add an external GPU, and enjoy better graphics for gaming, video editing, and much more. Needless to say, having Thunderbolt 3 on the Mac mini 2018 is a game-changer as far as expandability and versatility are concerned. Outside of the processor and memory, you can bolt on tons of different upgrades to your Mac mini, potentially saving money as you build it out over time. Video review Special thanks to Hyper — creator of the and USB-C Hub for MacBook Pro, and the — for sponsoring 9to5Mac on YouTube.

Upgradable memory The base model Mac mini 2018 ships with 8GB of faster 2666MHz DDR4. Users can configure up to 64GB of RAM if desired, but if you’re handy with an iFixIt toolkit, you may want to hold off on additional memory during the build-to-order process. That’s because Apple’s made a user-friendly decision to use standard SO-DIMM modules instead of soldered-on RAM, meaning that memory is now user-upgradable. That’s not to say that RAM upgrades will be as easy as they are on the 5K iMac, but at least they’re possible. Apple that you call on the help of an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider if you want to upgrade RAM.

Whenever possible, I prefer to upgrade memory myself, because Apple charges a ridiculous amount of money for its RAM upgrades. As I’ve previously shown, you can. For your convenience, we’ve put together a step-by-step. Tutorial: How to upgrade 2018 Mac mini RAM All-flash PCIe-based storage The 2018 Mac mini is the first of the line to adopt faster all-flash PCIe-based storage options for all configurations. If desired, you can build your Mac mini with up to 2TB of flash storage. From what I’ve seen.