Mac mini (2018) review: connectivity ports galore, many CPU choices, upgradeable RAM, and varied multi-display setup options, but Intel graphics disappoint
Editors' Rating: — 4.00 — EXCELLENT — PCMag reviews products independently, but we may earn affiliate commissions from buying links on this page.
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple revived the long-dormant Mac mini line on October 30 with a space gray redesign built around Intel 8th-gen CPUs, four to six cores, up to 64GB of RAM, and a $799 starting price — the first Mac mini refresh in years. PCMag's verdict is Excellent overall, but the review lands on a telling caveat: the integrated Intel graphics disappoint.
That caveat matters because this machine turns out to be a hinge point. Two years later Apple replaced Intel with its own silicon, and the M1 Mac mini shipped with RAM capped at 16GB, non-upgradeable, with no external GPU support — erasing exactly the flexibility this 2018 review praises.
First-order effects
- Buyers get real configuration freedom for once: user-upgradeable RAM up to 64GB, varied multi-display setups, and a wide port selection — but anyone needing serious GPU throughput has to look past the mini's Intel graphics or add an external GPU.
Second-order effects
- The graphics weakness creates an opening for Apple's own chip program: when the M1 mini arrives, it fixes performance per dollar but locks the memory, leaving this 2018 model as the last mini a buyer could open up and upgrade.
Third-order effects
- If the pattern holds, the compact desktop settles into a sealed-SoC structure — upgradeability moves from a purchase-time decision to a buy-the-whole-machine decision, and Intel's role in the Mac line winds down as Apple Silicon takes over.
The trend: The Mac mini is transitioning from an upgradeable Intel box into a sealed Apple Silicon appliance, trading user-serviceable RAM for integrated graphics performance.