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Originally Posted by rui-no-onna
Still just dual-core, though. More than enough for video playback HTPC and most folks but it makes for noticeable performance drop if you use it often for 7-zip, etc. Granted, it's impossible to build something DIY with the MacMini's form factor and power envelope.
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Don't underestimate the Mac Mini's Sandy dual-core. The mobile chip can give good ol' Core 2 Duo E8600 desktop a run for its money.
Hell, it runs stuffs like SupCom without so much as a choke, and I remember discussing with Schumi about how horrible the game was when it was on dual-core CPUs.
If you'd consider it, you're getting stock E8600 in an enclosure that's about the size of a Wii, and it comes complete with a discreet GPU that would easily match or wipe the floor with the XBox 360. And all that with power consumption possibly matching or even lower than that of the Wii.
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Nah, they don't have to conspire with Apple. I think Intel's just copying Apple's example now and purposely limiting CPU performance. They don't really have to compete with AMD so much like Apple does with their products, they're releasing marginal improvements to convince people to upgrade. Not that it's working.
As for the 4GHz Turbo, perhaps the issue is excess heat that will be generated and noise. I think for Apple, keeping the Mac Mini near silent is more important than the marginal performance increase 4GHz will bring.
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I can open up a new thread and talk about the various things Intel has been doing since... 2 years ago that have helped elevating Apple to the height they are at now. It's been that long. I have always suspected it, but with the release of Ivy Bridge, I'm more certain that it's the case.
But that aside, I meant 4GHz Turbo for Sandy desktops. Obviously desktops are not so constrained in terms of thermal envelope or power consumption. Intel could easily bin Sandy processors at higher Turbo by increasing TDP. But it seems like they are purposefully lowering Turbo on desktops instead.
Meanwhile, high-end mobile Sandy can Turbo to beyond stock desktop Sandy chips, and they perform about the same clock-for-clock.
If that's not an advantage given to mobile, I don't know what is. With Ivy, the line between desktop and mobile chips is going to be blurred even further.