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Should I upgrade my Mac mini (M1, 2020)?

nearly 6 years old · Runs macOS 27 Golden Gate, the current macOS

Mac mini (M1, 2020)1Mac mini (M6)2

Quick look

Quick look: Mac mini M1 against Mac mini M6
FigureMac mini M11Mac mini M62
Price£6993launch price£8994Apple UK store
ChipM1chipM6chip
CPU8-coreCPU12-coreCPU
GPU8-coreGPU12-coreGPU
Memory8GBunified memory, base16GBunified memory, base
Storage256GBstorage, base256GBstorage, base
Released10 November 20205Available online; Apple gave no in-store day22 September 20266ReleasedIn Apple Stores; pre-order from 25 August 2026.
Security updatesNot available7Security updatesNot available7Security updates

Software support

Security updates
Not available7
macOS
macOS 27 Golden Gate, the current macOS

Mac mini M1 and the Mac mini M6

The newest base-tier Mac in this line that Apple still sells.

Specifications

Body

Body: Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020) against Apple Mac mini (M6)
SpecificationMac mini M11Mac mini M62
Dimensions36 x 197 x 197 mm50 x 127 x 127 mm
Weight1.2 kg0.67 kg
ColoursSilverSilver
PortsTwo 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 jackFront: two USB-C ports with support for USB 3 (up to 10Gb/s), 3.5mm headphone jack. Back (M6): 2.5Gb Ethernet port (configurable to 10Gb Ethernet), HDMI port, three Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports
Thunderbolt ports823
Thunderbolt versionThunderbolt 3Thunderbolt 4
USB-A ports2No USB-A ports.9
HDMIHDMI portHDMI port
SD card slotNo SD card slot.10No SD card slot.9
Headphone jackYesYes

Chip and memory

Chip and memory: Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020) against Apple Mac mini (M6)
SpecificationMac mini M11Mac mini M62
ChipApple M1 chipApple M6 chip
Apple siliconYesYes
CPU cores812
Super coresNot available112
Performance cores44
Efficiency cores46
GPU cores812
Neural Engine cores16Dual 16-core
Chip optionsM1 with 8-core CPU and 8-core GPUM6 with 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU
Memory (base)8GB16GB
Memory (maximum)16GB32GB
Memory options8GB or 16GB16GB, 24GB or 32GB
Memory upgradeable by userNo, as Apple documents12No, as Apple documents12
Memory bandwidthNot available13153 GB/s
Storage (base)256GB256GB
Storage (maximum)2TB2TB
Storage options256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB
Media engineNot available13Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAWvideo decode enginevideo encode engineProRes encode and decode engineAV1 decode

Battery and power

Battery and power: Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020) against Apple Mac mini (M6)
SpecificationMac mini M11Mac mini M62
Maximum continuous power150 W155 W

Connectivity

Connectivity: Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020) against Apple Mac mini (M6)
SpecificationMac mini M11Mac mini M62
Wi-FiWi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax)Wi‑Fi 7 (802.11be)
Bluetooth5.06
EthernetGigabit Ethernet (configurable to 10Gb Ethernet)2.5Gb Ethernet (100/1000/2500BASE-T Multi-Gigabit Ethernet, configurable to 10Gb Ethernet)
External displays (base)23

Camera and audio

Camera and audio: Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020) against Apple Mac mini (M6)
SpecificationMac mini M11Mac mini M62
SpeakersBuilt-in speaker14Built-in speaker

Platform

Platform: Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020) against Apple Mac mini (M6)
SpecificationMac mini M11Mac mini M62
Shipped withmacOS Big Sur15Not available16
Newest macOSmacOS 27 Golden Gate17macOS 27 Golden Gate17
Model identifierMacmini9,118Mac18,519
Model year2020202620

The rest of the range at the price

Macs from other lines with a price read from Apple’s UK store, released within a year of the Mac mini M6 and priced within a quarter of its £899 at Apple’s UK price as read on 22 September 2026, nearest price first. Each links to its side-by-side table, with your Mac mini M1 (2020) or, where that pair is not one this site indexes, with the Mac mini M6.

Trade-in and used prices

CeX pays, grade A
£272 cash / £314 voucher21Base configuration
CeX sells, grade A
£42521Base configuration, out of stock online and in store when read
The Mac mini M6 new, less CeX’s cash
£627£899 new at Apple’s UK price as read on 22 September 2026, less £272 cash CeX was offering on 3 November 2026 for a grade A Mac mini M1 (2020) in its base configuration

More

Sources

  1. 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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  2. Apple Support (UK) — Mac mini (M6 or M5 Pro) - Tech Specs · Default for Mac mini M6 · Apple’s figure · read 11 Oct 2026

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

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  4. Apple UK store — Mac mini M6, 12-core CPU, 12-core GPU, 16GB, 256GB — From £899 · Apple’s figure · read 22 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. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple unveils a more powerful Mac mini featuring the all-new M6 and M5 Pro · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  7. Apple publishes no date for the end of updates, and this site does not guess one. Checked: endoflife.date. Read 22 Sep 2026

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  8. Different Thunderbolt generations. Mac mini M1: Thunderbolt 3. Mac mini M6: Thunderbolt 4.

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  9. Mac mini (M6): No USB-A ports. No SD card slot. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — Mac mini (M6 or M5 Pro) - Tech Specs. Read 11 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. Doesn’t apply: this chip has no super cores

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

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

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

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  16. Not published by Apple. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — Mac mini (M6 or M5 Pro) - Tech Specs; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple unveils a more powerful Mac mini featuring the all-new M6 and M5 Pro. Read 9 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 15 Sep 2026

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

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  20. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your Mac mini model · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

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  21. CeX — Trade-in, Grade A, cash · third-party figure · read 3 Nov 2026

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Not published by Apple

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.

Mac mini M6. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: storage upgradeable by user, microphones. Geekbench 7: the Mac chart has no entry for this Mac, so no figures are shown (chart read 10 Oct 2026). Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — Mac mini (M6 or M5 Pro) - Tech Specs; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple unveils a more powerful Mac mini featuring the all-new M6 and M5 Pro, read 9 Oct 2026.

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