Mac mini (Intel) (2018)
Apple announced the 2018 Mac mini on October 30, with orders that day and retail availability scheduled for November 7, starting at $799 in the US. This Intel revision brought eighth-generation quad- or six-core Core processors, SSD storage and the T2 security chip. Apple identifies it as Macmini8,1. It is the space gray mini before M1, not the 2020 Apple Silicon model.
© Derorgmas · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗ Resized, no crop or retouching.
Specs
| Key feature | Macmini8,1 |
| Chip | 8th-gen Intel Core · 4 / 6 cores |
| RAM | Up to 64 GB · 2666 MHz |
| Storage | SSD up to 2 TB |
| Ports | 4× Thunderbolt 3 · 2× USB-A · HDMI 2.0 · audio · Ethernet |
| Extras | Apple T2 |
| Price | From 799 USD · US launch |
| Availability | 2018-10-30 · retail availability announced 2018-11-07 |
Introduction and models
Apple announced the 2018 Mac mini on October 30, with orders that day and retail availability scheduled for November 7, starting at $799 in the US. This Intel revision brought eighth-generation quad- or six-core Core processors, SSD storage and the T2 security chip. Apple identifies it as Macmini8,1. It is the space gray mini before M1, not the 2020 Apple Silicon model.
Marketing, controls and accessories
The launch pitched a small desktop for professional work, including music production, code compilation and groups of machines. Apple advertised up to five times the performance, but its tests compared specific configurations: a six-core i7 with 64 GB and 2 TB SSD against a dual-core i7 with 16 GB and 1 TB SSD. This does not mean every model or task ran five times faster. The 100 percent recycled aluminum claim applied to the enclosure, not all computer materials.
Availability, evolution and photograph
Connectivity included four Thunderbolt 3, two USB-A, HDMI 2.0, audio and Gigabit Ethernet, with optional 10 Gb Ethernet. Up to 64 GB memory and 2 TB SSD were configuration maxima, not the $799 base system. Derorgmas’s original photo shows the back of a 2018 example photographed in 2019, without identifying CPU, memory or SSD. Compare the 2006 Intel mini and 2020 M1 mini for the platform change. Apple’s same-day feature described earlier Mac mini use at concerts and Finding Neverland; that is family context, not proof those installations already used the new model.