2012 Mac Mini vs 2018 Mac Mini..Which to get??!??

[MisterAndrew]

That says fourth quarter of 2020, not March 2020.

Mac Rumors says, "March is a common month for Apple product refreshes. The updated iMac and Mac mini models could be announced in a press release at any time." So if the OP doesn't need to purchase a new Mac within the next few weeks it doesn't hurt to wait. Of course it could be a delayed a bit due to the coronavirus.

 

[honestone33]

Mac Rumors says, "March is a common month for Apple product refreshes. The updated iMac and Mac mini models could be announced in a press release at any time." So if the OP doesn't need to purchase a new Mac within the next few weeks it doesn't hurt to wait. Of course it could be a delayed a bit due to the coronavirus.

That still does not say March 2020. But of course it does not hurt to wait, coronavirus or not.

As I have already mentioned, I very recently purchased a late 2018 Mac Mini, and I am MORE than pleased with it. But even if a newer one came out this month that was "better" than mine, I see no need to purchase one. Mine is only about 16 months old (was introduced on 10/31/2018). I'd be shocked to see a new model of the Mac Mini, especially since I have yet to see any bad reviews of it.

 

[throAU]

Having spent the past week screwing around with a 2012 non-retina macbook trying to repair it from a failed drive (it hadn't had any firmware updates or OS updates since mavericks) i'd say to avoid old machines unless you like self-abuse.

(efi was too old to do internet recovery, firmware was too old to install recent OS, etc. - and getting updated firmware onto it is proving to be a real pain)

It will be less hassle if your purchased 2012 has been kept up to date... but if it hasn't....

 

[MisterAndrew]

Having spent the past week screwing around with a 2012 non-retina macbook trying to repair it from a failed drive (it hadn't had any firmware updates or OS updates since mavericks) i'd say to avoid old machines unless you like self-abuse.

(efi was too old to do internet recovery, firmware was too old to install recent OS, etc. - and getting updated firmware onto it is proving to be a real pain)

It will be less hassle if your purchased 2012 has been kept up to date... but if it hasn't....

You must be doing something wrong. The 2012 non-retina MacBook Pro is the most repairable Mac laptop and officially supports Catalina. I love my 15" 2012 non-retina.

 

[Fishrrman]

throAU wrote:
"Having spent the past week screwing around with a 2012 non-retina macbook trying to repair it from a failed drive (it hadn't had any firmware updates or OS updates since mavericks) i'd say to avoid old machines unless you like self-abuse."

Have you tried replacing the drive ribbon cable?
Very common point of weakness on this particular model.

 

[honestone33]

throAU wrote:
"Having spent the past week screwing around with a 2012 non-retina macbook trying to repair it from a failed drive (it hadn't had any firmware updates or OS updates since mavericks) i'd say to avoid old machines unless you like self-abuse."

Have you tried replacing the drive ribbon cable?
Very common point of weakness on this particular model.

When I recently sold my late 2012 Mac Mini and the buyer received it, it would not boot up! He just got the infamous question mark. Before I sold it, I completely wiped the internal SSD clean, formatted it as APFS, and did a clean, fresh installation of the latest version of Catalina, OS 10.15.3. Also, the machine had always worked flawlessly for me (in no small part due to my extensive cleaning/repair efforts). He tried everything "externally" possible to try and resolve the problem, but no go. I did offer him a refund after he shipped it back to me (I am near Seattle, and he lives in Portland), but he did not want to give up (got to admire him for that!). So, he opened it up, and sure enough, the cable that ran from the SSD to the logic board had gotten disconnected at the logic board. He went ahead and replaced the cable, and of course securing the connection, and he has since been good to go.

So, something happened during the UPS shipment of the machine (I packed it very, very securely, including using the original box that 2010 model came in). I actually don't believe there was anything wrong with the cable that was inside the machine, but the individual still decided to use a new one.

 

[ianrip]

buying anything older is a risk, as future proofing can dictate your purchase.

Costs do matter, but if you buy an item, and then 12 months it stops getting support from manufacture, then your costs saving were short term, how long do you expect to use any device?. I didn’t dare to dream i would have a 2012 machine in 2020, no way thats crazy, 5 years max lifespan.

I have a late 2012, and when I go for the a new I’ll buy the latest, not because I need the latest but as a future proof device.
i still have a TV from 2010, it was of the 1st to have an Lan port, and its still great, an upgrade is coming for that also

 

[honestone33]

buying anything older is a risk, as future proofing can dictate your purchase.

Costs do matter, but if you buy an item, and then 12 months it stops getting support from manufacture, then your costs saving were short term, how long do you expect to use any device?. I didn’t dare to dream i would have a 2012 machine in 2020, no way thats crazy, 5 years max lifespan.

Well, I did! As I mentioned above, I used my late 2012 Mac Mini until early February of 2020. And I am certain I could have used it for at least a couple of more years. Of course my extensive cleaning and maintenance efforts, along with keeping my Macs "lean, mean, and clean" definitely contributed to its longevity.

But in my case, given that I suspect Catalina will be the last Mac OS that can run on that late 2012 model, that is why I purchased the late 2018 model. And I bet I'll be able to use it until at least 2025 (suspect that whatever Mac OS comes out in September 2025 will not be able to run on that 2018 model).

Additionally, besides getting a decent price for my late 2012 model, two other financially-related matters came into play, resulting in about an additional $250 in savings.

In actuality, the same approach for both my wife and I has been used for our automobiles. We tend to keep our cars for quite a long time. But again, I take care of them. Plus, we don't put a gazillion miles on them either.

 

[Boyd01]

Of course my extensive cleaning and maintenance efforts, along with keeping my Macs "lean, mean, and clean" definitely contributed to its longevity.

I have never done any "extensive cleaning and maintenance" and my 2012 quad Mini still runs great. Not saying that it's a bad idea to do cleaning and maintenance, but there is also a risk that you should consider when opening up an old computer and messing around with it.

 

[honestone33]

I have never done any "extensive cleaning and maintenance" and my 2012 quad Mini still runs great. Not saying that it's a bad idea to do cleaning and maintenance, but there is also a risk that you should consider when opening up an old computer and messing around with it.

You misunderstood what I stated. I do not open either of my Macs for any purpose. In fact, I have never been inside my MacBook Air, and also my new late 2018 Mac Mini. Just to be clear, here are things I do to keep my machines "lean, mean, and clean":

1. I gently wipe the outside surfaces of each of my Macs with a damp, soft cloth, and then of course dry them with another soft cloth.

2. Every day, I always get "non-essential" EMails multiple times. I delete them right away, and then permanently remove them right before quitting my EMail program Thunderbird. It is quite easy to do. This happens about 98% of the time, primarily via my Mac Mini, as that is the machine I use most often. Given that I have a POP account via XFinity (my ISP), this "carries over" to my Mac Book Air.

3. I have two separate folders called "Updates" and "Useful Software", where I keep versions of just about all the software I use. For some of them, I keep two versions: the most current, and the prior one. Whenever a new version comes out, after downloading and installing it, I move that just downloaded file to the applicable folder, and get rid of either the prior version, or the version prior to that. Then of course I empty the trash to permanently get rid of them.

4. Every Saturday, I run Onyx and Tech Tool Pro to do some more cleaning, along with maintenance and "repairs". Most of the time, there is very little, if any, repairs needed. I then launch SuperDuper! and make 2 backups to 2 separate external SSDs for each of my Macs.

So, to be CLEAR, NONE of that involves opening either of my Macs.

Now, some folks might think I am paranoid. But I am just following the same practices I do for other cleaning/maintenance tasks, ie, cleaning our town home, cleaning both of our automobiles, etc. Better to be safe that sorry.

Finally, for the Mac-related tasks I mentioned above, they are not time consuming at all, and in fact are second nature for me. For those tasks I do in Saturdays, I am not just sitting at my desk, watching those tasks. I am actually cleaning our place at that same time, with of course some timing involved. But I ALWAYS complete those 3 Mac-related tasks before I am done cleaning our place.

 

[C3R2]

The 2012 i7 is still a decent machine but I don't know if I'd want to spend that much on something that is 8 years old. Those components are getting on now and could fail at some point.

From your use case, are you sure you even need the 2018 i7? It seems overkill as even the base model i3 is faster than that 2012 i7 and also benefits from significantly quicker DDR4 RAM. The SSD would be PCIe-based, too. I don't really see the 128gb SSD on the i3 as much of an issue as there are now Thunderbolt/USB-C ports to add as much fast external storage as you like.

Alternatively, the 6-core 2018 i5 would be cheaper and a significant upgrade over the 2012 i7. In all cases, I'd just get the base 8Gb and upgrade RAM yourself as it's much cheaper (16gb is the max on the 2012; you can go up to 64gb on the 2018).

Bear in mind that the 2012 models (and 2014) are effectively 1080p machines only. The graphics are pretty weak to say the least so forget using a 4k monitor now or in the future; the 2018 integrated graphics are decent enough for everyday use but at least you have the option of an eGPU down the line if needed.

Catalina could also well be the last OS version for the 2012. Just speculation, but it's something to consider. These threads might be useful: 1, 2, 3.

+++++++++++++++++++
2012 vs 2018 macmini

I have both the 2012 i7 and 2018 i7. Both with 16GB. The 2018 is really fast of course. You can do most anything on it. It will last me for years.

I bought a used 2012 i7 when I first entered Apple territory. I upped the RAM and put in SSD myself and used the original drive for storage. (How-to videos abound.) The 2012 holds TWO 2.5 inch drives and you can upgrade yourself.

2012 - Interesting there is still firewire port on it. Also built-in SD card reader. The SD reader is fast! (Think of cheap extra storage with 256GB SD card.) Direct tie into PCI somehow if I remember my research. I have an old camcorder I still got to get some things off of yet!
2018 - No SD Card reader, but of course 4 USB-C ports that are fast and multi-purpose. Cheap USB-C SD readers are around.

2012 - you can zip RAM and TWO hard drives in and out yourself. not much problem.
2018 - upgrading RAM yourself... maybe. No HD self-upgrade possible.

NOT EXACTLY!!!>>>****Above: "Bear in mind that the 2012 models (and 2014) are effectively 1080p machines only."****

**** The 2012 runs 2K monitors natively. I had a 4k I was only running at 1080p until i got the 2018, which is beautiful. But now I use the VIEWSONIC VG2455-2K (24") on the 2012. Almost "retina," big, bright and beautiful, great features and 2012 handles it great at its full 2K resolution at 60hz.. It makes me think Apple was thinking about a 2K monitor when 2012 was first designed. If you go 2012 be sure to check out this monitor... https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L55K67Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Get the 1440p 22 or 24 inch.

- 2012 today? probably not unless you have basic tasks, especially after the 2018 price reduction recently. but 2012 is still a great machine -- yet it came out 8 years ago...

See this video of a guy running Catalina on a used 2012 he got for $300 (but you will spend more upgrading to SSD, etc.)
Its pretty interesting if you are thinking about a 2012 Mac mini in 2020.

Yeah, I studied this topic... warning -- don't get a 2014. 2012 is better!
Cheers!

 

[honestone33]

Until very recently, I had a 2012 Mac Mini with a core i7 processor. I used the machine for over 7 years, and it always performed flawlessly. I did install a Samsung 840 Pro 256 gig SSD myself, and upgraded the Ram myself from 4 gig to 8 gig.

The machine was rock solid, and it ran Catalina like a champ! However, I suspect Catalina is the last Mac OS that machine will support, so for that reason, I purchased a late 2018 Core i5 model with 8 gig of Ram and a 256 gig SSD, and I am quite pleased with it. I also sold the 2012 model for a decent price.

One thing though is that I take care of my machines. You can read about what I do in post #60 above. I suspect doing those things definitely helped.

 

[Osamede]

Hi folks,

I'm new here so go easy on this newbie..lol.

So I've been going back and forth for weeks between getting a used 2012 Mac mini or buying a new 2018 Mac mini and I really can't decide. The 2012 model is an i7 with 16gb Ram, 500gb SSD, 1 TB HDD, magic mouse, magic trackpad, apple keyboard, and 2 Newertech miniStack external FireWire/USB3.0/eSata HDD enclosures. He's selling it for $700 (might be able to get it a bit cheaper as it's been up for grabs for a while).

If I go with the 2018 model i was considering the i7 model, 8gm ram, and either 256/512 ssd. Roughly, I'm looking at $1800-$2000 after tax and depending on which SSD I go with.

For my purpose I don't anything too extreme: surfing, youtube watching, Excel/Word, occasional light video editing. The cost variance between the 2 is quite large in my opinion but at the same time I don't want to get stuck with something old and regret that I didn't buy the newer model epecially when the 2018 has more updated ports.

Any help you folks can send my way to help sway me in either direction would help soo much and would be appreciated.

Don’t overcomplicate things. The spec you have is totally normal life, nothing special, not to run a video production house.

The key to what you should buy is really the ports. Not the processor. The ports allow you to continue to addd new externals and to drive higher rez, higher refresh rates of screens.

This is why no 2012. It’s ports max out at yesterday’s displays: not more than 30hz 4 and only via thunderbolt 2 to display port adapter

2018 has four Thunderbolt 3 USB-c ports. That’s what will sustain the usable life in it for the.

Avoid 2012. And avoid 2014.

Buy 2018 model. i5. 256GB or more. After you buy it, open it, buy 2x16 Gb of RAM and sell the memory in it. Done for the next 5 years. Maybe even longer.

Much respect to the 2012 for ability to swap out the HDD and memory. But there is no reason to buy a computer maxing out at 4K 30Hz when we can see 8K on the horizon. In a few years using 40k 30 will feel like if I gave you today a computer that cannot output more that 1920x1200 res but it has an i7 processor .

 

[honestone33]

Yeah, Osamede is correct. As I mentioned above, the 2018 i5 256 gig SSD 8 gig Ram model is a very good machine. So far, 8 gig of Ram is plenty for me, but just to let you know, here is a description of how to upgrade the Ram yourself:

Mac mini Late 2018 Memory (RAM) Replacement

Learn how to upgrade or replace the memory in your 2018 Mac mini with this RAM replacement guide. The mini can support up to 64 GB of RAM, using...

www.ifixit.com

Too bad it's not easy to do it as it was with the late 2012 model.

 

[newellj]

+++++++++++++++++++
2012 vs 2018 macmini

I have both the 2012 i7 and 2018 i7. Both with 16GB. The 2018 is really fast of course. You can do most anything on it. It will last me for years.

I bought a used 2012 i7 when I first entered Apple territory. I upped the RAM and put in SSD myself and used the original drive for storage. (How-to videos abound.) The 2012 holds TWO 2.5 inch drives and you can upgrade yourself.

2012 - Interesting there is still firewire port on it. Also built-in SD card reader. The SD reader is fast! (Think of cheap extra storage with 256GB SD card.) Direct tie into PCI somehow if I remember my research. I have an old camcorder I still got to get some things off of yet!
2018 - No SD Card reader, but of course 4 USB-C ports that are fast and multi-purpose. Cheap USB-C SD readers are around.

2012 - you can zip RAM and TWO hard drives in and out yourself. not much problem.
2018 - upgrading RAM yourself... maybe. No HD self-upgrade possible.

NOT EXACTLY!!!>>>****Above: "Bear in mind that the 2012 models (and 2014) are effectively 1080p machines only."****

**** The 2012 runs 2K monitors natively. I had a 4k I was only running at 1080p until i got the 2018, which is beautiful. But now I use the VIEWSONIC VG2455-2K (24") on the 2012. Almost "retina," big, bright and beautiful, great features and 2012 handles it great at its full 2K resolution at 60hz.. It makes me think Apple was thinking about a 2K monitor when 2012 was first designed. If you go 2012 be sure to check out this monitor... https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L55K67Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Get the 1440p 22 or 24 inch.

- 2012 today? probably not unless you have basic tasks, especially after the 2018 price reduction recently. but 2012 is still a great machine -- yet it came out 8 years ago...

See this video of a guy running Catalina on a used 2012 he got for $300 (but you will spend more upgrading to SSD, etc.)
Its pretty interesting if you are thinking about a 2012 Mac mini in 2020.

Yeah, I studied this topic... warning -- don't get a 2014. 2012 is better!
Cheers!

I have both and am running them side by side. The 2018 has massively faster benchmarks, but otherwise both run Mojave very nicely. But unless I could get a machine as old as the 2012 very cheap, at this point I wouldn't spend money on a machine that old.

Edit to add: interesting suggestion on the display. I'm using an old-ish Dell 2410 that's 1200p and works very well for me. Going up to 1440 would be very nice indeed, but again, I'm not sure I personally would choose to put new money into a machine as old as the 2012, and newer Macs can drive a whole lot more display than 1440p.

 

[deviant]

forget about the 2012. best combo IMHO is the 2020 i5 (don't forget it's SIX cores, not four). 256gb ssd is the default now which is cool. leave ram at 8gb and upgrade yourself to 16 (70 bucks) or 32 (140 bucks, instead of apple's 600... LOL)
that's the sweet spot.

 

[honestone33]

forget about the 2012. best combo IMHO is the 2020 i5 (don't forget it's SIX cores, not four). 256gb ssd is the default now which is cool. leave ram at 8gb and upgrade yourself to 16 (70 bucks) or 32 (140 bucks, instead of apple's 600... LOL)
that's the sweet spot.

The other equivalent option is to purchase a late 2018 model with a core i5 processor, 8 gig of Ram, and a 256 gig SSD. Should be less than the same 2020 model.

 

[iAssimilated]

The other equivalent option is to purchase a late 2018 model with a core i5 processor, 8 gig of Ram, and a 256 gig SSD. Should be less than the same 2020 model.

Except for the fact they are the same machine and the 2020 is actually cheaper since they come with larger SSDs by default.

 

[honestone33]

Except for the fact they are the same machine and the 2020 is actually cheaper since they come with larger SSDs by default.

If there's too much inventory with the 2018 models, possibly they will be cheaper. Example:

2018 Mac Mini Core i5, 256 gig SSD, 8 gig of Ram
2020 Mac Mini Core i5, 256 gig SSD, 8 gig of Ram

If there is a "glut" of the 2018 models, one would think a merchant would want to clear them out. That is all I am saying.

 

[iAssimilated]

I understand your logic here. I just feel some people are getting overly confused about the whole "2020 mini vs. 2018 mini" and don't want to propagate that.

 

[honestone33]

I understand your logic here. I just feel some people are getting overly confused about the whole "2020 mini vs. 2018 mini" and don't want to propagate that.

It's actually quite simple: there are no differences, other than price, between the 2 models. I assume they are distinct in terms of when they were manufactured, but with the specs being the same, that is where some confusion can arrive. But a reasonable individual will, as one should usually do, carefully look at the specifications.

 

[deviant]

The other equivalent option is to purchase a late 2018 model with a core i5 processor, 8 gig of Ram, and a 256 gig SSD. Should be less than the same 2020 model.

that's literally the same thing.
just buy whatever has a size of SSD you want but is cheaper.

 

[newellj]

It looks like 2018 refurbs from Apple have been level-set with equivalent 2020 starting prices and then discounted for being refurbs. However, my local Best Buy has some 2018 models mixed in with the 2020 models, and hasn't priced the 2018s down to equal the same storage version 2020 model.

 

[honestone33]

that's literally the same thing.
just buy whatever has a size of SSD you want but is cheaper.

Exactly!
[automerge]1588803010[/automerge]

It looks like 2018 refurbs from Apple have been level-set with equivalent 2020 starting prices and then discounted for being refurbs. However, my local Best Buy has some 2018 models mixed in with the 2020 models, and hasn't priced the 2018s down to equal the same storage version 2020 model.

That's good to know.

 

[ashleykaryl]

I haven't read the entire thread but for me this is a no brainer to buy the new machine, because of ongoing OS compatibility and security updates for at least another 5 years. I would take a new i3 over a 2012 i7.