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Mac Mini VS Imac 27 !
- Thread starter RonMac1
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You might find a few useful comments in some of the many existing threads on the mini/iMac comparison, found by searching the forum:
Maxed-Out iMac vs Maxed-Out Mac Mini
27" iMac vs Mac Mini with TB Display - Opinions Wanted
Mac Mini vs IMac confusion..First Time Mac Buyer
Buying a mini vs buying an iMac?
Mac Mini vs iMac
iMac 27" base vs Mac Mini High end + 27" Monitor?
iMac vs Mac mini
Maxed-Out iMac vs Maxed-Out Mac Mini
27" iMac vs Mac Mini with TB Display - Opinions Wanted
Mac Mini vs IMac confusion..First Time Mac Buyer
Buying a mini vs buying an iMac?
Mac Mini vs iMac
iMac 27" base vs Mac Mini High end + 27" Monitor?
iMac vs Mac mini
Your thread title states, that you want to compare a Mac mini with an iMac, but your post states two iMacs and no Mac mini.
Anyway, since GPU is not needed for audio production, the Mac mini with an i7 should suffice, but know, that it only takes 16 GB as maximum currently, as it only has two RAM slots and there are no 16 GB SO-DIMM modules available yet.
An SSD can also be had for less than what Apple wants and is relatively easy to put into a Mac mini.
RAM should also be bought aftermarket for every Mac, as Apple still wants too much for their RAM upgrades and with an iMac or Mac mini or MacBook Pro it is easy to upgrade the RAM yourself (except with the Retina MBPs and 2012 21.5" iMac).
Anyway, since GPU is not needed for audio production, the Mac mini with an i7 should suffice, but know, that it only takes 16 GB as maximum currently, as it only has two RAM slots and there are no 16 GB SO-DIMM modules available yet.
An SSD can also be had for less than what Apple wants and is relatively easy to put into a Mac mini.
RAM should also be bought aftermarket for every Mac, as Apple still wants too much for their RAM upgrades and with an iMac or Mac mini or MacBook Pro it is easy to upgrade the RAM yourself (except with the Retina MBPs and 2012 21.5" iMac).
Mac Mini won't do 32GB RAM, it maxes at 16GB. If that's a requirement, there's your answer.
I recently faced the same decision, a loaded Mini vs mostly loaded iMac for a music production desktop. I bought the Mini 2.6 quad i7 with 256 GB SSD and will be installing a second SSD (256 GB Samsung 840 Pro) and 16 GB RAM this evening.
Reasons:
-I have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse already. While the iMac display would be very nice, I don't do graphics work and don't need it.
-Same goes for the discrete graphics card; I don't need it for music production, nor do I want the temptation to spend free time gaming.
-My audio interface uses Firewire; no need to buy a TB to Firewire adapter with the Mini or worry about any issues that might arise as a result.
-I would prefer to have two SSDs internally on SATA3 (one for system, one for audio data) than have a fusion drive for everything. Had I gone with the iMac, I would have wanted to buy an external SSD (USB 3 or TB) for audio data, which is yet another expense.
-Really the only thing tugging at me was the difference between the 2.6 i7 and the 3.4 i7... I rely heavily on software synthesizers and use some pretty processor-intensive plugins. I'm happy to report that the 2.6 GHz i7 is quite capable; it handles u-he Diva (a very demanding analog circuit modeled soft synth) fine at the highest quality setting with reasonable polyphony.
-Minis hold their value, and I can upgrade at any point if I feel I need more power.
It comes down to whether you need the display, and how much you're willing to spend. If money is no object and you think you'll need the power, then get that 3.4 quad i7... Otherwise, you'll be quite happy with the fully spec'd Mini and you can spend the money you save on something that will actually improve your sound.
Reasons:
-I have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse already. While the iMac display would be very nice, I don't do graphics work and don't need it.
-Same goes for the discrete graphics card; I don't need it for music production, nor do I want the temptation to spend free time gaming.
-My audio interface uses Firewire; no need to buy a TB to Firewire adapter with the Mini or worry about any issues that might arise as a result.
-I would prefer to have two SSDs internally on SATA3 (one for system, one for audio data) than have a fusion drive for everything. Had I gone with the iMac, I would have wanted to buy an external SSD (USB 3 or TB) for audio data, which is yet another expense.
-Really the only thing tugging at me was the difference between the 2.6 i7 and the 3.4 i7... I rely heavily on software synthesizers and use some pretty processor-intensive plugins. I'm happy to report that the 2.6 GHz i7 is quite capable; it handles u-he Diva (a very demanding analog circuit modeled soft synth) fine at the highest quality setting with reasonable polyphony.
-Minis hold their value, and I can upgrade at any point if I feel I need more power.
It comes down to whether you need the display, and how much you're willing to spend. If money is no object and you think you'll need the power, then get that 3.4 quad i7... Otherwise, you'll be quite happy with the fully spec'd Mini and you can spend the money you save on something that will actually improve your sound.
thank you so much .. if you can talk with me on skype or facebook or private message its will be great .. you can my friend ?
thanks !