The Late 2012 Mac mini is a great computer, but its GPU is not good enough for heavy games. The GPU is not designed for games and they may not work properly Additionally, there are still many Windows-only desktop apps that some users may want or need to run. The Late 2012 Mac mini is a great computer, but its GPU is not good enough for heavy games. One of the main reasons Mac users want to use Windows is for the superior gaming experience. You will note this if you try to install Windows on the external drive. Windows can't be installed on an external drive because Microsoft doesn't allow you to do it. Follow these steps to install Windows > 10.8.pdf The MacBook Pro with Retina display is compatible with 64-bit Windows 7 and 8 versions. I recommend you to install Windows on Boot Camp, so you can get the maximum performance. The problem of a virtual machine is that it doesn't use all the power of the GPU, and more in the case of the MacBook Pro with Retina display, which has got two GPUs (in the case of the 15-inch MacBook Pro), so it is possible that VirtualBox is only using the integrated GPU or that VirtualBox is using a virtual GPU. The GPU of the MacBook Pro with Retina display allows you to run games without any problem but in Boot Camp.