2014 Mac Mini w/ 16gb RAM or 2018 Mac Mini w/ 8mb RAM

[urbantea]

Looking at getting a mac mini for the office to do emails, scheduling , spotify, some youtube and simple stuff.
One is a 2014 Mac Mini with 16GB RAM and the other is a 2018 with 8gb RAM.

I'm just concerned about the Ram part of the 2018. Is 8gb enough? When I go full blast with all the stuff I do, my activity monitor on my macbook air M1 - reads 8-10gb used. I'll include links to the ones i'm considering below. Just wondering if the 2018 8gb RAM is a okay to get since it's a newew computer?

Apple Mac Mini Desktop Intel Core i7 3.0GHz 4th Generation (MGEQ2LL/A BTO-CTO), 16GB Onboard Memory, 256GB Solid State Drive, Thunderbolt (Renewed)

Apple Mac Mini Desktop Intel Core i7 3.0GHz 4th Generation (MGEQ2LL/A BTO-CTO), 16GB Onboard Memory, 256GB Solid State Drive, Thunderbolt (Renewed)

smile.amazon.com

or this one

Late 2018 Apple Mac Mini with 3.0GHz Intel Core i3 (8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) Space Gray (Renewed)

This pre-owned or refurbished product has been professionally inspected and tested to work and look like new. How a product becomes part of Amazon Renewed, your destination for pre-owned, refurbished products: A customer buys a new product and returns it or trades it in for a newer or different m...

smile.amazon.com

 

[Amethyst1]

The 2014 uses a dual-core CPU.
The 2018 uses a quad-core CPU.

You can upgrade the RAM yourself. The 2018 can take up to 64 GB.

I’d go for the 2018.

 

[chrfr]

The RAM in the 2018 is upgradable but the storage is not; the RAM in the 2014 is not upgradable, but the storage is. If I had to buy an Intel Mac mini, I would get the 2018 without a question. Personally, I wouldn't put any money into an Intel Mac anymore.

 

[urbantea]

The RAM in the 2018 is upgradable but the storage is not; the RAM in the 2014 is not upgradable, but the storage is. If I had to buy an Intel Mac mini, I would get the 2018 without a question. Personally, I wouldn't put any money into an Intel Mac anymore.

How do I upgrade the ram ? Is it easy to do

 

[Amethyst1]

How do I upgrade the ram ? Is it easy to do

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Mac+mini+Late+2018+Memory+(RAM)+Replacement/115309

 

[urbantea]

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Mac+mini+Late+2018+Memory+(RAM)+Replacement/115309

Thanks. I was just watching their youtube video. iFixit has a tool kit with the 16gb ram chip for $89. Do you guys feel it's a good deal and the ram is good quality? Or should I buy a different brand RAM and just buy a tool kit separately?

 

[Boyd01]

There is no question that the 2018 Mini is a far better computer than the 2014 in almost every way (aside from the non-upgradeable 128gb SSD). The 128gb version was the original bottom on the line 2018 Mini, but it was discontinued in 2020 and replaced with the 256gb version of the same computer.

IMO, purchasing and installing your own memory for $89 on that Mini makes no sense, the same seller on Amazon also shows a 16gb 2018 i3 Mini with a 256gb SSD for $479 which is actually cheaper PLUS it has the 256gb SSD. Personally, I would not buy the 128gb version, it is going to be very constraining for most people.

However, do you have any experience with that seller or Amazon "renewed" Macs? I don't, and they may be fine - the price looks good. However, there have been other threads here about problems with these "renewed" computers so Caveat Emptor!