VM question about Mojave. Is an Intel OS volume possible on M1/M2 Mac

[mikeshep]

Sorry if that question isn't precise. What I mean is, can I do the following: Put VM on an M2 Pro Mini, to allow me to
run Mojave OS in that volume for a legacy recording software app that is Intel-native and 32-bit..(2018 Mini with Mojave
is the end of the line for it). In other words, can Intel machine environment with Mojave - exist on a silicon chip Mini,
and, be accessible - that is, if i create an audio file in that partition/volume, could i just drag it easily over to my newest
OS volume...and...vice versa..? Hope this q makes sense. THANKS!!! Greatly appreciate any input! Want to get an M2 Pro
but keep using a legacy app... trying to simply rather than having to network/share to & from a separate Intel Mini.

 

[chrfr]

Sorry if that question isn't precise. What I mean is, can I do the following: Put VM on an M2 Pro Mini, to allow me to
run Mojave OS in that volume for a legacy recording software app that is Intel-native and 32-bit..(2018 Mini with Mojave
is the end of the line for it). In other words, can Intel machine environment with Mojave - exist on a silicon chip Mini,
and, be accessible - that is, if i create an audio file in that partition/volume, could i just drag it easily over to my newest
OS volume...and...vice versa..? Hope this q makes sense. THANKS!!! Greatly appreciate any input! Want to get an M2 Pro
but keep using a legacy app... trying to simply rather than having to network/share to & from a separate Intel Mini.

You cannot virtualize any version of Intel macOS on an Apple Silicon Mac. Audio apps in particular are very fussy about the environment where they run, so just keep the Intel mini specifically for that use. What app, specifically, are you talking about?
If you just want to record on the Intel mini and then open those files on a new computer that should work.

 

[Yebubbleman]

Sorry if that question isn't precise. What I mean is, can I do the following: Put VM on an M2 Pro Mini, to allow me to
run Mojave OS in that volume for a legacy recording software app that is Intel-native and 32-bit..(2018 Mini with Mojave
is the end of the line for it). In other words, can Intel machine environment with Mojave - exist on a silicon chip Mini,
and, be accessible - that is, if i create an audio file in that partition/volume, could i just drag it easily over to my newest
OS volume...and...vice versa..? Hope this q makes sense. THANKS!!! Greatly appreciate any input! Want to get an M2 Pro
but keep using a legacy app... trying to simply rather than having to network/share to & from a separate Intel Mini.

No.

You can only virtualize x86-64 operating systems on x86-64 hardware and you can only virtualize ARM operating systems on ARM hardware. This is true regardless of whether or not your hardware is made by Apple.

You theoretically could run macOS Mojave with an x86/x86-64 emulator, but then you're emulating (at a performance penalty) and not virtualizing and, at that point, you might as well find a Mojave capable Mac.

 

[chrfr]

You theoretically could run macOS Mojave with an x86/x86-64 emulator, but then you're emulating (at a performance penalty) and not virtualizing and, at that point, you might as well find a Mojave capable Mac.

There aren’t, though, any emulators that will actually do this and even if there were they would be wholly unsuitable for audio recording.

 

[mikeshep]

No.

You can only virtualize x86-64 operating systems on x86-64 hardware and you can only virtualize ARM operating systems on ARM hardware. This is true regardless of whether or not your hardware is made by Apple.

You theoretically could run macOS Mojave with an x86/x86-64 emulator, but then you're emulating (at a performance penalty) and not virtualizing and, at that point, you might as well find a Mojave capable Mac.

You cannot virtualize any version of Intel macOS on an Apple Silicon Mac. Audio apps in particular are very fussy about the environment where they run, so just keep the Intel mini specifically for that use. What app, specifically, are you talking about?
If you just want to record on the Intel mini and then open those files on a new computer that should work.

Hi and thanks. Its Bias Peak. Very 'legacy' stuff and i am very attached to it. I figured this was probably the case re: VM but as it stands will just need to file share or whatever ...to bounce files back and forth from M series mac to the Mojave intel Mini i7 . Trying to figure out the most 'elegant' and simplistic way to accomplish that on a routine, daily basis, now. All of this also begging the question of what i really need a brand new refurb M2 Pro for at $1099 when
i could likely be fine with a refurb standard M1 for 500 less. Tho i know the M2 Pro does also offer some hardware
conveniences like extra TB ports and high def display .. honestly i'm inclined to believe the performance jump after using an i7 or i5 for years will be pretty impressive and robust enough for multitasking... i typically do need multiple audio files open at a time and other apps, browsers + a Universal Audio interface's software that needs a good deal of processing power so the i7 sometimes is taxed a bit. Gotta figure an M1 with 16g would handle all that with ease let alone an M2 Pro.

 

[Yebubbleman]

There aren’t, though, any emulators that will actually do this and even if there were they would be wholly unsuitable for audio recording.

Totally. I got wrapped up in the technical details of running Mojave on non-x86 hardware.

Hi and thanks. Its Bias Peak. Very 'legacy' stuff and i am very attached to it. I figured this was probably the case re: VM but as it stands will just need to file share or whatever ...to bounce files back and forth from M series mac to the Mojave intel Mini i7 . Trying to figure out the most 'elegant' and simplistic way to accomplish that on a routine, daily basis, now. All of this also begging the question of what i really need a brand new refurb M2 Pro for at $1099 when
i could likely be fine with a refurb standard M1 for 500 less. Tho i know the M2 Pro does also offer some hardware
conveniences like extra TB ports and high def display .. honestly i'm inclined to believe the performance jump after using an i7 or i5 for years will be pretty impressive and robust enough for multitasking... i typically do need multiple audio files open at a time and other apps, browsers + a Universal Audio interface's software that needs a good deal of processing power so the i7 sometimes is taxed a bit. Gotta figure an M1 with 16g would handle all that with ease let alone an M2 Pro.

I'm unsure what your power needs are on the Apple Silicon side of things. I have an M1 with 16GB of RAM and, while not the most powerful of all of the supported Apple Silicon offerings, it's still pretty great. Would 32GB of RAM and better graphics be awesome? You betcha. But, barring that, the CPU does everything I need.

On the Intel side of things, which Mac mini are you rocking? I might try to find a good Core i7-based 2018 Mac mini with whatever storage/Ethernet configuration you'll need (since those two are the only other options that are fixed past the point of purchase), and then max it out at 64GB with a good aftermarket kit. The nice thing about a 2018 Mac mini is that it will still run Mojave (whereas there are plenty of other T2-based Intel Macs that can't). A 2014 or 2012 Mac mini certainly can, but probably won't be as speedy.

 

[mikeshep]

Hi and thanks. Its Bias Peak. Very 'legacy' stuff and i am very attached to it. I figured this was probably the case re: VM but as it stands will just need to file share or whatever ...to bounce files back and forth from M series mac to the Mojave intel Mini i7 . Trying to figure out the most 'elegant' and simplistic way to accomplish that on a routine, daily basis, now. All of this also begging the question of what i really need a brand new refurb M2 Pro for at $1099 when
i could likely be fine with a refurb standard M1 for 500 less. Tho i know the M2 Pro does also offer some hardware
conveniences like extra TB ports and high def display .. honestly i'm inclined to believe the performance jump after using an i7 or i5 for years will be pretty impressive and robust enough for multitasking... i typically do need multiple audio files open at a time and other apps, browsers + a Universal Audio interface's software that needs a good deal of processing power so the i7 sometimes is taxed a bit. Gotta figure an M1 with 16g would handle all that with ease let alone an M2 Pro.

Totally. I got wrapped up in the technical details of running Mojave on non-x86 hardware.


I'm unsure what your power needs are on the Apple Silicon side of things. I have an M1 with 16GB of RAM and, while not the most powerful of all of the supported Apple Silicon offerings, it's still pretty great. Would 32GB of RAM and better graphics be awesome? You betcha. But, barring that, the CPU does everything I need.

On the Intel side of things, which Mac mini are you rocking? I might try to find a good Core i7-based 2018 Mac mini with whatever storage/Ethernet configuration you'll need (since those two are the only other options that are fixed past the point of purchase), and then max it out at 64GB with a good aftermarket kit. The nice thing about a 2018 Mac mini is that it will still run Mojave (whereas there are plenty of other T2-based Intel Macs that can't). A 2014 or 2012 Mac mini certainly can, but probably won't be as speedy.

Totally. I got wrapped up in the technical details of running Mojave on non-x86 hardware.


I'm unsure what your power needs are on the Apple Silicon side of things. I have an M1 with 16GB of RAM and, while not the most powerful of all of the supported Apple Silicon offerings, it's still pretty great. Would 32GB of RAM and better graphics be awesome? You betcha. But, barring that, the CPU does everything I need.

On the Intel side of things, which Mac mini are you rocking? I might try to find a good Core i7-based 2018 Mac mini with whatever storage/Ethernet configuration you'll need (since those two are the only other options that are fixed past the point of purchase), and then max it out at 64GB with a good aftermarket kit. The nice thing about a 2018 Mac mini is that it will still run Mojave (whereas there are plenty of other T2-based Intel Macs that can't). A 2014 or 2012 Mac mini certainly can, but probably won't be as speedy.

Well I have a maxed a 2018- Mini i7 - and 2018 i5. Hadn't considered the 64GB expansion but I'm interested. And yes, as you say, to keep a Mojave platform that 2018 generation that's the end o' the line; ) - As far as my need for
a Silicon... i do need to have a newest or newer OS machine in the mix because of some browsers and apps becoming incompatible with Mojave. Hence i started looking at them and did order (returnable) an Apple $1099 refurb deal on an M2 Pro w/ 16gb RAM. Then, seeing M1s floating around refurbed for $500 - 600 started thinking twice. What i'm considering is making an M series Mini my "main' studio computer for recording, (and web-based stuff..browsers, uploads/downloads) but having the Intel machine tied in somehow, primarily for editing on that older app.

Honestly if I could stay on Mojave forever I'd be perfectly happy-- but...now with the change in architecture of all OS's and newer apps not Intel compatible.. i have to have at least one box running a current OS now; )
after that...it's just not feasible

 

[chrfr]

What i'm considering is making an M series Mini my "main' studio computer for recording, (and web-based stuff..browsers, uploads/downloads) but having the Intel machine tied in somehow, primarily for editing on that older app.

This seems like a perfectly good workflow and not that uncommon for people who work in audio. You can just copy files between the two computers via file sharing. I actually just bought a 2018 Intel mini that's new old stock just to be able to run an assortment of Intel virtual machines without taking up much space but that's all that computer is going to do. All of my regular work will happen on Apple Silicon computers.

 

[mikeshep]

Well I have a maxed a 2018- Mini i7 - and 2018 i5. Hadn't considered the 64GB expansion but I'm interested. And yes, as you say, to keep a Mojave platform that 2018 generation that's the end o' the line; ) - As far as my need for
a Silicon... i do need to have a newest or newer OS machine in the mix because of some browsers and apps becoming incompatible with Mojave. Hence i started looking at them and did order (returnable) an Apple $1099 refurb deal on an M2 Pro w/ 16gb RAM. Then, seeing M1s floating around refurbed for $500 - 600 started thinking twice. What i'm considering is making an M series Mini my "main' studio computer for recording, (and web-based stuff..browsers, uploads/downloads) but having the Intel machine tied in somehow, primarily for editing on that older app.

Honestly if I could stay on Mojave forever I'd be perfectly happy-- but...now with the change in architecture of all OS's and newer apps not Intel compatible.. i have to have at least one box running a current OS now; )
after that...it's just not feasible

This seems like a perfectly good workflow and not that uncommon for people who work in audio. You can just copy files between the two computers via file sharing. I actually just bought a 2018 Intel mini that's new old stock just to be able to run an assortment of Intel virtual machines without taking up much space but that's all that computer is going to do. All of my regular work will happen on Apple Silicon computers.

Thanks, makes sense to me...

Just curious, and I know it's a subjective choice but if it were you, would you go the extra $$ for the M2 Pro as described...or try to save the $ and get a refurb or new old stock, M1 ? I actually put an order in a couple of days ago for the M2 Pro (and i've rarely bought anything direct from Apple over several decades of Mac buys; this was said to be a good deal for 1100 bucks). But, just having some second thoughts on whether an M1 would be sufficient.

 

[chrfr]

Thanks, makes sense to me...

Just curious, and I know it's a subjective choice but if it were you, would you go the extra $$ for the M2 Pro as described...or try to save the $ and get a refurb or new old stock, M1 ? I actually put an order in a couple of days ago for the M2 Pro (and i've rarely bought anything direct from Apple over several decades of Mac buys; this was said to be a good deal for 1100 bucks). But, just having some second thoughts on whether an M1 would be sufficient.

I'd think the M1 would be sufficient, but it also depends on the complexity of what you're doing. The extra ports of the M2 Pro model are nice but you could just as easily add a Thunderbolt or USB-C dock to the M1 or M2 models and still spend less than you'd pay for the M2 Pro.

 

[Yebubbleman]

Well I have a maxed a 2018- Mini i7 - and 2018 i5. Hadn't considered the 64GB expansion but I'm interested. And yes, as you say, to keep a Mojave platform that 2018 generation that's the end o' the line; ) - As far as my need for
a Silicon... i do need to have a newest or newer OS machine in the mix because of some browsers and apps becoming incompatible with Mojave. Hence i started looking at them and did order (returnable) an Apple $1099 refurb deal on an M2 Pro w/ 16gb RAM. Then, seeing M1s floating around refurbed for $500 - 600 started thinking twice. What i'm considering is making an M series Mini my "main' studio computer for recording, (and web-based stuff..browsers, uploads/downloads) but having the Intel machine tied in somehow, primarily for editing on that older app.

Honestly if I could stay on Mojave forever I'd be perfectly happy-- but...now with the change in architecture of all OS's and newer apps not Intel compatible.. i have to have at least one box running a current OS now; )
after that...it's just not feasible

I have a maxed out 2014 MacBook Air for Mojave. I also have a maxed out 2015 MacBook Air and I'm debating if I want to upgrade myself over (the 2014 is in better physical shape) or if the performance benefit for what I'd be using it for (32-bit binaries and apps that are not and never will be optimized for HiDPI/retina displays). I'm guessing Intel HD 5000 vs 6000 isn't that large of a bump, nor is an Ultrabook Haswell i7 vs. an Ultrabook Broadwell i7, especially since I'm running software that is that old if not older. I guess it depends on the need for speed for Mojave. I can't imagine 2018 Mac minis won't be great though; especially if you've got a decent amount of RAM and aren't needing a discrete GPU for anything.

As for M1 vs. M2 vs. M2 Pro on a Mac mini, I'd consider the following:

- Do you need more than two Thunderbolt ports and more than two displays being output? If so, M2 Pro is your only option.

- Is the goal to have something newer so that it is more likely to last longer? If so, don't get an M1.

- Do you need more than 24GB of RAM? If so, M2 Pro is your only option.

- Is 16GB of RAM too small? If so, don't get an M1.

- Would an M1 Mac mini actually serve your needs? If so, then anything else will cost you more with the only current benefit being future proofing.

Regardless, I wouldn't get an M1 (or M2) with only 8GB of RAM and I especially wouldn't get an M2 with only 256GB of storage, nor an M2 with only 512GB of storage. In general, I'd try to get as much RAM and storage as you can reasonably afford on whatever it is you get because you can't upgrade it later. Otherwise, only you can answer which Mac mini best suits your needs.

Makes sense to me... Just curious, and I know it's a subjective choice but if it were you, would you go the extra $$
for the M2 Pro as described...or try to save the $$ on a recent vintage refurb or new old stock, M1 Mini?

I'd probably do one of three options:

- M1 16GB RAM; 1TB or 2TB
- M2 24GB RAM; 1TB or 2TB
- M2 Pro (10 CPU Cores; 16 GPU Cores); 32GB RAM; 1-4TB

And the two determining factors would be "how beefy do I need this sucker to be" and "am I cool with spending less (and possibly having less support time) for the M1 or do I want the newer generation".

 

[mikeshep]

I'd think the M1 would be sufficient, but it also depends on the complexity of what you're doing. The extra ports of the M2 Pro model are nice but you could just as easily add a Thunderbolt or USB-C dock to the M1 or M2 models and still spend less than you'd pay for the M2 Pro.

Yeah agreed the TB dock is no big deal to add on cheaply... I'm really on the fence about this one!

 

[mikeshep]

I have a maxed out 2014 MacBook Air for Mojave. I also have a maxed out 2015 MacBook Air and I'm debating if I want to upgrade myself over (the 2014 is in better physical shape) or if the performance benefit for what I'd be using it for (32-bit binaries and apps that are not and never will be optimized for HiDPI/retina displays). I'm guessing Intel HD 5000 vs 6000 isn't that large of a bump, nor is an Ultrabook Haswell i7 vs. an Ultrabook Broadwell i7, especially since I'm running software that is that old if not older. I guess it depends on the need for speed for Mojave. I can't imagine 2018 Mac minis won't be great though; especially if you've got a decent amount of RAM and aren't needing a discrete GPU for anything.

As for M1 vs. M2 vs. M2 Pro on a Mac mini, I'd consider the following:

- Do you need more than two Thunderbolt ports and more than two displays being output? If so, M2 Pro is your only option.

- Is the goal to have something newer so that it is more likely to last longer? If so, don't get an M1.

- Do you need more than 24GB of RAM? If so, M2 Pro is your only option.

- Is 16GB of RAM too small? If so, don't get an M1.

- Would an M1 Mac mini actually serve your needs? If so, then anything else will cost you more with the only current benefit being future proofing.

Regardless, I wouldn't get an M1 (or M2) with only 8GB of RAM and I especially wouldn't get an M2 with only 256GB of storage, nor an M2 with only 512GB of storage. In general, I'd try to get as much RAM and storage as you can reasonably afford on whatever it is you get because you can't upgrade it later. Otherwise, only you can answer which Mac mini best suits your needs.



I'd probably do one of three options:

- M1 16GB RAM; 1TB or 2TB
- M2 24GB RAM; 1TB or 2TB
- M2 Pro (10 CPU Cores; 16 GPU Cores); 32GB RAM; 1-4TB

And the two determining factors would be "how beefy do I need this sucker to be" and "am I cool with spending less (and possibly having less support time) for the M1 or do I want the newer generation".

All good points and reasoning, thanks! As far as RAM demand for what i'd be doing...yes, my ideal choice would be at least 32g...tho i realize too that that 16g is the limit on the M1. The M2 Pro I'm looking at would be 16gb as well. Since i have no experience with the differences in the M Series vs Intel, I have no point of reference as to whether i'd be ok with 16gb on an M2 Pro....and whether the silicon chip doesn't rely as heavily on RAM capacity for performance as the Intels I'm accustomed to. Somehow I forgot to add that i do in fact have 64gb in my 2018 Mini 3.2g i7 - and that the primary machine i work on with Mojave and editing software mentioned. I don't think i've seen that 'taxed' very often. That said, if i'm continuing to use that in combo with the M2 Pro i've been led to think 16g is 'enough' - for like, recording/editing on a typical DAW and running say, a Universal Audio interface.

 

[chrfr]

All good points and reasoning, thanks! As far as RAM demand for what i'd be doing...yes, my ideal choice would be at least 32g...tho i realize too that that 16g is the limit on the M1. The M2 Pro I'm looking at would be 16gb as well. Since i have no experience with the differences in the M Series vs Intel, I have no point of reference as to whether i'd be ok with 16gb on an M2 Pro....and whether the silicon chip doesn't rely as heavily on RAM capacity for performance as the Intels I'm accustomed to. Somehow I forgot to add that i do in fact have 64gb in my 2018 Mini 3.2g i7 - and that the primary machine i work on with Mojave and editing software mentioned. I don't think i've seen that 'taxed' very often. That said, if i'm continuing to use that in combo with the M2 Pro i've been led to think 16g is 'enough' - for like, recording/editing on a typical DAW and running say, a Universal Audio interface.

There’s no significant difference in RAM usage between Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. In any case you could buy a computer from Apple to test, and return it if it doesn’t suit your needs.

 

[mikeshep]

There’s no significant difference in RAM usage between Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. In any case you could buy a computer from Apple to test, and return it if it doesn’t suit your needs.

Thanks. In the grand scheme of things, the M2 Pro cost isn't going to break the bank for me and i'm just thinking about going with the refurb deal and letting go of the indecision; )
It does give me some peace of mind that it'd be more than enough for whatever i may decide to do in the future and the 16gb base model ought to be fine. $1100 for the Apple Store deal. Thanks for all the perspectives here!

 

[mikeshep]

In the grand scheme of things, the M2 Pro cost isn't going to break the bank for me and i'm thinking I should just go with the refurb deal and letting go of the indecision; ) It does give me some peace of mind that it'd be more than enough for a few years.

Related question, if anyone here may have some knowledge on tactics for easy file sharing/transfer. Is there a simple straightforward way to like, drag and drop files, from, say, one Mac desktop to another...for example two Minis with separate monitors side by side. For example if i record a file on 2018-Mini/Intel...could i then, just drag it over to the M2 Mac desktop ? Seems I've seen some software that enables that...but not sure if it has to be between two Macs that have the same OS, or if it'd be universally compatible. I know of an app called ShareMouse -but it required both machines to be at least OS 12. Thanks

 

[steve123]

It is apparant that DAW is going to go through an inflection soon due to AI. Apple is hinting major changes in the pipeline and I would expect some new AI features to Logic are in the works. RipX is an example of the influence AI is having. If you do a lot of audio work you might consider the ANE capabilities and corresponding RAM requirements in your analysis.

 

[izzy0242mr]

There aren’t, though, any emulators that will actually do this and even if there were they would be wholly unsuitable for audio recording.

Only half true. You CAN emulate Intel versions of macOS (like High Sierra 10.14). It just will run very, very poorly.

How to run macOs 10.14 High Sierra on Mac M1 arm silicon (macOS Monterey 12.2)

First, this article is for everyone, who want to emulate run an old intel compatible program on Mac Silicon ARM. This can be the Mac M1 or…

walter-tscharf-development.medium.com

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"Its Bias Peak. Very 'legacy' stuff and i am very attached to it."

Well, no easy way to say this, but...
... if the software publisher shows no interest in porting this to Apple Silicon, then it's probably time for you to start searching for a replacement that DOES run on m-series Macs.

You can only keep those old Macs going for so long...

OP also wrote:
"Honestly if I could stay on Mojave forever I'd be perfectly happy"

You're not the only one in this position...
I, too, have a 2018 Mini.
And I, too, still use Mojave on it as my "daily OS".

I'm quite happy with it, for now. The reason I bought it (in 2019) was to have a "legacy Mac" that could keep running 32 bit software into the near future. And it still does that for me.

But... I know that at some point I'll replace it (probably with an m3pro or m4pro Mini when one shows up). Then it will get moved over to "the back table" where my 2012 Mini is now (that one will go to retirement).

 

[Yebubbleman]

All good points and reasoning, thanks! As far as RAM demand for what i'd be doing...yes, my ideal choice would be at least 32g...tho i realize too that that 16g is the limit on the M1. The M2 Pro I'm looking at would be 16gb as well. Since i have no experience with the differences in the M Series vs Intel, I have no point of reference as to whether i'd be ok with 16gb on an M2 Pro....and whether the silicon chip doesn't rely as heavily on RAM capacity for performance as the Intels I'm accustomed to. Somehow I forgot to add that i do in fact have 64gb in my 2018 Mini 3.2g i7 - and that the primary machine i work on with Mojave and editing software mentioned. I don't think i've seen that 'taxed' very often. That said, if i'm continuing to use that in combo with the M2 Pro i've been led to think 16g is 'enough' - for like, recording/editing on a typical DAW and running say, a Universal Audio interface.

RAM usage is more efficient on Apple Silicon because the data in RAM is accessible by multiple system components at the same time without having to move between them. However - and this is the big thing that a lot of people either get wrong or don't fully understand - this does not change the fact that RAM is still RAM and if you don't have enough RAM for what you're trying to do, it'll page to disk and slow you down.

Alll that to say that if you want 32GB of RAM, get an M2 Pro model. The M2 Pro Mac mini with the full 12 CPU Cores and full 19 GPU Cores isn't a great deal, especially when compared to the base model Mac Studio. The M2 Pro Mac mini with the 10 CPU Cores and 16 GPU cores, however, is. Though, I'd honestly look at the Apple Certified Refurbished Mac section of the Apple online store; you'll find fantastic deals on either configuration there (and they'll definitely have models with 32GB of RAM from time to time)!

 

[mikeshep]

RAM usage is more efficient on Apple Silicon because the data in RAM is accessible by multiple system components at the same time without having to move between them. However - and this is the big thing that a lot of people either get wrong or don't fully understand - this does not change the fact that RAM is still RAM and if you don't have enough RAM for what you're trying to do, it'll page to disk and slow you down.

Alll that to say that if you want 32GB of RAM, get an M2 Pro model. The M2 Pro Mac mini with the full 12 CPU Cores and full 19 GPU Cores isn't a great deal, especially when compared to the base model Mac Studio. The M2 Pro Mac mini with the 10 CPU Cores and 16 GPU cores, however, is. Though, I'd honestly look at the Apple Certified Refurbished Mac section of the Apple online store; you'll find fantastic deals on either configuration there (and they'll definitely have models with 32GB of RAM from time to time)!

Delayed response here. Thanks for the additional perspective. So I may have mentioned I pulled the trigger on a Mac M2 Pro Mini Refurb from Apple Store at about $1100 including tax. This happens to be a 16g RAM, 256g SSD model. Haven't opened the box yet...Still researching whether I'd be ok with an original M2 with 32g RAM.

Logic says i should just roll with what i bought but my OCD and frugality is still making me question this. Bottom line is that this M2 Pro is gonna be more than enough for what I'm doing and has some degree of 'future proofing' ...

 

[chrfr]

Delayed response here. Thanks for the additional perspective. So I may have mentioned I pulled the trigger on a Mac M2 Pro Mini Refurb from Apple Store at about $1100 including tax. This happens to be a 16g RAM, 256g SSD model. Haven't opened the box yet...Still researching whether I'd be ok with an original M2 with 32g RAM.

The base M2 Pro configuration has a 512GB disk, and the regular M2 has a max of 24GB of RAM.

 

[mikeshep]

The base M2 Pro configuration has a 512GB disk, and the regular M2 has a max of 24GB of RAM.

Hi, my mistake, yes this is a 512gb disk...RFB MAC MINI/10C CPU/16C GPU/16G/512.

If i were gonna seriously weigh the deal on this vs a refurb M2 with at least 16gb RAM and 512HD
it looks like i'd be within a couple of hundred dollars (with tax). (and of course better deals can be
had on M1 ) But vs the M2, i'd say i'm a little more confident this refurb deal isn't bad.

 

[chrfr]

Hi, my mistake, yes this is a 512gb disk...RFB MAC MINI/10C CPU/16C GPU/16G/512.

If i were gonna seriously weigh the deal on this vs a refurb M2 with at least 16gb RAM and 512HD
it looks like i'd be within a couple of hundred dollars (with tax). (and of course better deals can be
had on M1 ) But vs the M2, i'd say i'm a little more confident this refurb deal isn't bad.

I’m sure it’s fine. It’s when you start to add in the upgrades to the M2 Pro mini that it stops making as much sense.