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Mac mini (M2, 2023) vs Mac mini (M1, 2020)

Mac mini (M2, 2023)1Mac mini (M1, 2020)2

Quick look

Quick look: Mac mini M2 against Mac mini M1
FigureMac mini M21Mac mini M12
Price£6493launch price£6994launch price
ChipM2chipM1chip
CPU8-coreCPU8-coreCPU
GPU10-coreGPU8-coreGPU
Memory8GBunified memory, base8GBunified memory, base
Storage256GBstorage, base256GBstorage, base
Released24 January 20233ReleasedIn Apple Stores; orderable online from 17 January 2023.10 November 20205Available online; Apple gave no in-store day
Security updatesNot available6Security updatesNot available6Security updates
Price
The Mac mini M2 is £649 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK); the Mac mini M1 is £699 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK).

True to scale

Mac mini (M2, 2023) · 197 × 35.8 mm frontMac mini (M1, 2020) · 197 × 36 mm front

Front faces, from Apple’s published dimensions, drawn to one scale and superposed. Corner rounding is our drawing convention, not a measurement.

Specifications

Each figure is from the source marked by its Mac’s name unless it carries its own small number, which links to where that figure was read.

Body

Body: Apple Mac mini (M2, 2023) against Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020)
SpecificationMac mini M21Mac mini M12
Dimensions35.8 x 197 x 197 mm36 x 197 x 197 mm
Weight1.18 kg1.2 kg
ColoursSilverSilver
PortsTwo Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports (up to 5Gb/s), HDMI port, Gigabit Ethernet port (configurable to 10Gb Ethernet), 3.5mm headphone jack7Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, two USB-A ports (up to 5 Gb/s), HDMI port, Gigabit Ethernet port (configurable to 10Gb Ethernet), 3.5 mm headphone jack
Thunderbolt ports822
Thunderbolt versionThunderbolt 4Thunderbolt 3
USB-A ports22
HDMIHDMI portHDMI port
SD card slotNo SD card slot.9No SD card slot.10
Headphone jackYesYes

Chip and memory

Chip and memory: Apple Mac mini (M2, 2023) against Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020)
SpecificationMac mini M21Mac mini M12
ChipApple M2 chipApple M1 chip
Apple siliconYesYes
CPU cores88
Performance cores44
Efficiency cores44
GPU cores108
Neural Engine cores1616
Chip optionsM2 with 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU7M1 with 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU
Memory (base)8GB8GB
Memory (maximum)24GB716GB
Memory options8GB, 16GB or 24GB78GB or 16GB
Memory upgradeable by userNo, as Apple documents11No, as Apple documents11
Memory bandwidth100 GB/sNot available12
Storage (base)256GB256GB
Storage (maximum)2TB72TB
Storage options256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB7256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB
Media engineHardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAWvideo decode enginevideo encode engineProRes encode and decode engineNot available12

Battery and power

Battery and power: Apple Mac mini (M2, 2023) against Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020)
SpecificationMac mini M21Mac mini M12
Maximum continuous power150 W150 W

Connectivity

Connectivity: Apple Mac mini (M2, 2023) against Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020)
SpecificationMac mini M21Mac mini M12
Wi-FiWi‑Fi 6E (802.11ax)Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Bluetooth5.35.0
EthernetGigabit Ethernet (configurable to 10Gb Ethernet)Gigabit Ethernet (configurable to 10Gb Ethernet)
External displays (base)22

Camera and audio

Camera and audio: Apple Mac mini (M2, 2023) against Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020)
SpecificationMac mini M21Mac mini M12
SpeakersBuilt-in speaker13Built-in speaker14

Platform

Platform: Apple Mac mini (M2, 2023) against Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020)
SpecificationMac mini M21Mac mini M12
Shipped withNot available15macOS Big Sur16
Newest macOSmacOS 27 Golden Gate17macOS 27 Golden Gate17
Model identifierMac14,318Macmini9,119
Model year20232020

Benchmarks

Benchmarks: Apple Mac mini (M2, 2023) against Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020)
SpecificationMac mini M21Mac mini M12
Geekbench 7 (CPU, single-core)2,400202,19120
Geekbench 7 (CPU, multi-core)9,755208,58620
Geekbench 7 (Metal)43,7022028,36120

Sources

  1. Apple Support (UK) — Mac mini (2023) - Tech Specs · Default for Mac mini M2 · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  2. Apple Support (UK) — Mac mini (M1, 2020) - Tech Specs · Default for Mac mini M1 · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  3. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces new Mac mini with M2 and M2 Pro — more powerful, capable, and versatile than ever · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  4. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Introducing the next generation of Mac · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  5. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Introducing the next generation of Mac · Apple’s figure · read 22 Sep 2026

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  6. Security updates: no end date published. Checked: endoflife.date. Read 22 Sep 2026

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  7. Apple Support (UK) — Mac mini (2023) - Tech Specs · Apple’s figure · read 2 Oct 2026

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  8. Different Thunderbolt generations. Mac mini M2: Thunderbolt 4. Mac mini M1: Thunderbolt 3.

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  9. Mac mini (M2, 2023): No SD card slot. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — Mac mini (2023) - Tech Specs. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  10. Mac mini (M1, 2020): No SD card slot. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — Mac mini (M1, 2020) - Tech Specs. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  11. Apple Support (UK) — Upgrade or install memory in your Mac mini · Apple’s figure · read 18 Oct 2026

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  12. Not published by Apple. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — Mac mini (M1, 2020) - Tech Specs; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your Mac mini model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Introducing the next generation of Mac. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  13. Apple Support (UK) — Mac mini (2023) - Tech Specs · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

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  14. Apple Support (UK) — Mac mini (M1, 2020) - Tech Specs · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

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  15. Not published by Apple. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — Mac mini (2023) - Tech Specs; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your Mac mini model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces new Mac mini with M2 and M2 Pro — more powerful, capable, and versatile than ever. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  16. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Introducing the next generation of Mac · Apple’s figure · read 14 Oct 2026

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  17. Apple Support (UK) — macOS 27 Golden Gate is compatible with these computers · Apple’s figure · read 22 Sep 2026

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  18. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your Mac mini model · Apple’s figure · read 2 Oct 2026

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  19. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your Mac mini model · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  20. Geekbench Browser (Primate Labs) · third-party figure · read 11 Oct 2026

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Not published by Apple

Mac mini M2. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: storage upgradeable by user, microphones. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — Mac mini (2023) - Tech Specs; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your Mac mini model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces new Mac mini with M2 and M2 Pro — more powerful, capable, and versatile than ever, read 9 Oct 2026.

Mac mini M1. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: storage upgradeable by user, microphones. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — Mac mini (M1, 2020) - Tech Specs; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your Mac mini model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Introducing the next generation of Mac, read 9 Oct 2026.

If you own one of them

Whether to move is a different question from which is better. Each Mac has a page on it: what its successor changes (the newest Mac in its line where Apple sells one, otherwise the Mac this site treats as its replacement, which can be in another line), what it fetches and whether it still gets updates. Should I upgrade my Mac mini M2 (2023)? · Should I upgrade my Mac mini M1 (2020)?

The pairs a buyer of either Mac would also weigh. Any two Macs in the catalogue can be compared from the chooser.