Both the Alienware and HP models have Core i3 processors, but offer other extras, such as the custom graphics card in the Alpha (which led to a much better gaming frame rate score) and the larger 1TB hard drive in the Pavilion Mini. The Mac Mini performed competitively with the two other small desktops in the same price range we tested recently, the Alienware Alpha and the HP Pavilion Mini, trading first place between them in multitasking and single-app tests, but not blowing each other out of the water. And they're not cheap: a simple jump from the base 4GB to 8GB is an extra $100, and adding a 1TB Fusion drive (with both SSD and HDD hardware) costs $250 over the slower 5400rpm 500GB hard drive in the least-expensive configuration. Instead, you need to plan your upgrades at the time of purchase. In other words: no more post-purchase upgrades. The late 2014 update adds dual Thunderbolt ports and faster 802.11ac Wi-Fi (as found on the rest of the current Mac line), but the RAM, which was previously user-accessible, is now permanently soldered to the motherboard. But if you go back to the last major Mac Mini update from 2012, you'll find quad-core Core i7 chips, a more powerful option now missing. Two more-expensive base configurations include faster Core i5 CPUs, with a dual-core Core i7 as a extra-cost add-on on top of that.

The processor in the $499 model (£399 in the UK and AU$619 in Australia) is a dual-core, low-voltage fourth-generation Intel Core i5. But, underneath the matte aluminum chassis, there are a few areas where the current iteration of the Mac Mini may not work for you.

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