About the Video Card in a Mac Mini
Introduced in January 2005, the Mac Mini has been powered by a trio of video cards since its introduction. As a consumer model, the video cards used in Mac Mini computers have been geared toward cost effectiveness and performance in tasks like word processing and Web browsing. Since Apple transitioned to Intel processors in 2006, the video cards used in the Mini have mirrored those offered in Apple's consumer-level portable: the MacBook.
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G4 Models: ATI Radeon 9200
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With its 2005 introduction, the Mac Mini shipped with a dedicated graphics card: the ATI Radeon 9200. Entry-level Mac Mini models included a 1.25 GHz PowerPC G4 processor while upgraded models featured a 1.42 GHz PowerPC G4. Both were coupled to a Radeon 9200 with 32 MB of Video RAM (VRAM.) In September 2005, Apple introduced its final G4-based Mac Mini, with a 1.5 GHz G4 and the same ATI Radeon 9200, this time paired with 64 MB of VRAM. Upon release, the G4 Mac Mini models could play many recent video games and kept system memory free by having dedicated VRAM.
Intel Core Solo and Core Duo Models: Intel GMA 950
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Upon Apple's Intel transition in Early 2006, the first Intel-powered Mini models were released. These models used Intel Core Solo and Core Duo processors at 1.5 GHz and 1.83 GHz, respectively. However, the graphics card was changed to an Intel GMA 950 accelerator, which shared up to 64 MB of RAM from the main system RAM. This configuration severely limited the Mini's capabilities with video games and video rendering. The shared memory also reduced the total RAM available to Mac OS X and other programs.
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Intel Core 2 Duo Models: Intel GMA 950
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In 2007 the Mac Mini moved to the upgraded Core 2 Duo processor, and single-core models were dropped from the lineup. However, despite the processors being bumped to 1.83 GHz and 2.0 GHz, the same Intel GMA shared graphics system was retained, keeping the small Mac desktop from using the latest 3D games and software.
Intel Core 2 Duo Models: NVIDIA GeForce 9400M
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In March 2009, the Mac Mini was refreshed, and the aging Intel video card was replaced with the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, which was also used in the 2009 MacBook, MacBook Pro and iMac models. During 2009, the Mac Mini used Core 2 Duo processors running at 2.0 GHz, 2.26 GHz and 2.53 GHz. All but the 2.0 GHz entry model had 256 MB of VRAM; the 2.0 GHz model featured 128 MB of VRAM. In October, a Mac Mini server was introduced, also using the 9400M. The bump in graphics processing power allowed the Mini to play recent games for the first time since the G4 model. The bump in video card power and VRAM also allowed the Mac Mini to drive two monitors simultaneously. Despite the increase in performance from the NVIDIA graphics card, the new GeForce 9400M still "steals" memory from the system to allow the video card to function.
Identification
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As all Mac Minis use the same two-inch tall case and some processors have multiple video card options, you must use the "System Profiler" program to find the type of card installed on your Mac Mini. To launch the "System Profiler," click on the "Apple" in the upper-left corner of the screen. Select "About This Mac." Next, click on "More Info..." In the "Hardware" tab of the program, select "Graphics/Displays." The program will show the type of video card and the amount of VRAM on your computer. The information listed cannot be changed, as the video card is not user-serviceable on any Mac Mini model.
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