I decided to post what I was able to determine from the references I mentioned previously. Please note that much of the text here is copied and pasted verbatim from the references listed at the bottom.
The purpose here is to try to determine the maximum resolution supported by the Mac mini (Late 2012) version.
First, you may find it helpful to see the specs for the Apple Thunderbolt Display. They are given below
Second, I am assuming you will use either the Thunderbolt port or HDMI port to connect a monitor or display. Each has a different maximum supported resolution.
Third, there are several adapters for the Thunderbolt port that can be used to connect a monitor or display to the Mac mini and this will also limit the maximum resolution that will be supported.
Fourth, I would recommend that you try to choose a display that supports your desired target resolution at a refresh rate of 60Hz or better. There is a lot of discussion on the internet and elsewhere that refresh rate does not matter with modern LCD monitors. This may or may not be true theoretically. However, I personally experienced flicker problems with totally different LCD monitors at home and at work. Both systems were totally different computers, monitors, and operating systems. Once I increased the refresh rate to 72 or 75 Hz, the flicker went away. My guess is that "crosstalk" was the source of the problem. I know that crosstalk is a common issue with 2GHz wireless devices and one reason for the popularity of the new generation of 5GHz wireless routers. You can decide for yourself.
Finally, don't forget to refer to the user manual for your display to determine the supported resolutions and refresh rates.
For reference, here are the specs for the Apple Thunderbolt Display at the time of this article.
27-inch (diagonal viewable image size) thin film transistor (TFT) active-matrix liquid crystal display (LCD) with in-plane switching (IPS)
Resolution: 2560 by 1440 pixels
Colors (maximum): 16.7 million
Aspect ratio: 16:9
Viewing angle: 178° horizontal; 178° vertical
Brightness: 375 cd/m2
Contrast ratio: 1000:1
Response time: 12 ms
Thunderbolt gives you two channels on the same connector with 10Gb/s of throughput in both directions.
You can connect a Thunderbolt device using the Apple Thunderbolt Cable (2 m).
The Mac mini (Late 2012) Thunderbolt port also supports other types of displays:
Mini DisplayPort output using a Mini DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort cable (optional)
A Mini DisplayPort display or a display connecting with a Mini DisplayPort to VGA, DVI, or HDMI adapter will work just like it was connecting to a Mini DisplayPort connector when plugging in directly to the Thunderbolt connector on your Apple computer.
When connecting a Mini DisplayPort display or a display using a Mini DisplayPort adapter to a Thunderbolt peripheral, make sure the display is connected at the end of the Thunderbolt chain. You can use only one Mini DisplayPort device in the Thunderbolt chain.
Note that Mini DisplayPort Monitors or Monitors connecting with Mini DisplayPort adapters will not function when connected through a Thunderbolt Display. They must be connected directly to the Thunderbolt port on the computer or to a non-display device as indicated in the previous paragraph.
DVI output using the Apple Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter (optional) for resolutions of 1920 x 1200 or lower.
NOTE: Why doesn't the DVI connector for my external display fit my Apple Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter?
.
Dual-Link DVI output using the Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter for resolutions above 1920 x 1200.
The product specs for the adapter mention a maximum resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels. I couldn't find a reference specifically mentioning the maximum value for the Mac mini.
HDMI audio and video output using a third-party Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter.
The HDMI port supports up to 1080p on HDMI connections. See below for more details.
The Mac mini (Mid 2010 and later supplies multichannel audio (up to 8 channels) and video signals over the Mini DisplayPort (now a Thunderbold port in the Late 2012 model). Of course, no additional adapter is necessary if you are connecting directly to the HDMI port.
Mac computers released after Mid 2010 are designed to work with HDMI devices complying with versions 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.2a, 1.3, 1.3a, and 1.4 of the HDMI specification.
1920 x 1080 for a 1080i HDTV (1080 interlaced scan)
The HDMI port supports up to 1080p on HDMI connections. With the HDMI to DVI Adapter, the HDMI port will work with resolutions up to 1920 x 1200.
Apple supports 8-channel, 24-bit audio at 192kHz, Dolby Surround 5.1, and traditional stereo output.
Mac mini (Early 2006) and later computers use a combo mini-plug connector to output both digital audio and analog audio signals. You can connect audio in a number of ways:
Digital Audio: Use an optical mini-plug cable with the audio output on these computers to connect A/V receivers and home theater audio systems with 5.1 surround sound and optical audio inputs. A mini-plug to toslink adapter may be needed to connect to some receivers.
Digital Audio to HDMI: Both Mac mini (Mid 2010) and Mac mini (Mid 2011) output digital audio to an HDMI capable receiver or television through the built-in HDMI port.
-------------------
Mac mini (Late 2012): External ports and connectors
Apple Mini DisplayPort adapters: Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Mac mini (Early 2006) and later: Connecting to a television
Thunderbolt ports and displays: Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Mac computers: Frequently asked questions about using HDMI
About Thunderbolt to Thunderbolt cable (2.0 m)
Acer K272HUL resolution terrible
Asus PB278Q resolution problem on mac mini 2012
