Apple’s M1 Mac mini with 10 Gigabit Ethernet Shines in Stress Test [VIDEO]

In a recently published Youtube video, renowned techie Linus “Tech Tips” Sebastian found that the recently released M1 Mac mini with 10 gigabit networking not only delivers on the specification, but is also throttle-proof.

The 6-month delay between the launch of the original M1 Mac mini and the new 10 gigabit variant left many wondering if Apple held off on launching the higher-end variant due to performance issues.

The delay gave way to questions as to whether the upgraded network port would operate at the rated speed at all times, or share bandwidth with other components and throttle network speeds when those components are in use.

The speed a computer’s I/O is rated for isn’t always an accurate representation of the speed it is able to consistently run at, since most ports on a computer usually share network bandwidth with other components, and the available bandwidth is distributed between the two when both are in use.

Through a series of stress tests, Linus found that the new M1 Mac mini’s 10 gigabit network adapter doesn’t throttle bandwidth regardless of how many devices and peripherals you connect to the other ports. The Ethernet controller runs at a consistent 9.3-9.5 Gbps regardless of load.

According to his analysis, the device is able to achieve this by having a dedicated 4th generation PCI Express lane running to the network adapter, with no other devices sharing that lane.

The newest Mac mini has 10-gigabit networking that will handle just about anything you throw at it, the powerhouse that is the M1 SoC, and a good bit of future-proofing, all for a mere $125 CAD more than the base M1 Mac mini.

Mac mini users’ wounds from having very little I/O on the device may go untreated, but at least the I/O they do have is top-of-the-line and makes no compromises.

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