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2018 Mac mini vs 2019 iMac
- Thread starter F-Train
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I believe the cost for the upper 2018 Mini setup to the upper 27" iMac are on par for each other.
I spent $1,700 for the 2018 Mini i7 16GB 500SSD, $940 Monitor, $750 Egpu and Card = $3390 plus some cables, I am easily over $3400.
The i9 iMac with 16GB 500SSD and Vega 48 comes up to $3134 on Apple edu store. Of course you would not get 16GB of ram from apple for a iMac but I just wanted to do apples to apples as close as possible.
You can fiddle all you want with what upgrades and how good a screen etc. But the way I see it is they are on par with each other and in the end the iMac will have a better screen and possible better through put of processes.
Both are Great Choices its up to the consumer what they want.
I spent $1,700 for the 2018 Mini i7 16GB 500SSD, $940 Monitor, $750 Egpu and Card = $3390 plus some cables, I am easily over $3400.
The i9 iMac with 16GB 500SSD and Vega 48 comes up to $3134 on Apple edu store. Of course you would not get 16GB of ram from apple for a iMac but I just wanted to do apples to apples as close as possible.
You can fiddle all you want with what upgrades and how good a screen etc. But the way I see it is they are on par with each other and in the end the iMac will have a better screen and possible better through put of processes.
Both are Great Choices its up to the consumer what they want.
As you probably know, the number one issue with X-Plane performance is strength of the CPU, with GPU second.
That said, I have used the 2018 Mac mini described in my signature with X-Plane with both RX 590 and RX Vega 56 video cards. The Vega makes a real difference.
Has anyone done any iMac with 580X vs. Mini w/ eGPU 580X with a longer stress tests that introduces thermal impact[?] I've seen the comparisons on a 4-5 minute video transcode/export, I really feel like isolating the GPU with it's own chassis and cooling would make a notable difference.
Heck, since the Mini has some options for cooling not available to the iMac, I would suspect you could make a big difference with the right Mini tweaks.
There seems to be pretty much a consensus that using an external card results in a 10%-12% performance hit. If that’s true, the testing that you’re talking about, even if it could be definitively done, wouldn’t appear to be useful.
well it would, because if external GPU takes 10% performance hit and still over-performs the iMac that means that iMac throttles severely.
As a practical matter, I think you’re talking about counting angels on a head of a pin.
Here is my cost comparison for what I would want for each setup
Mac mini $4,415
iMac $3,900
I will not have speakers for the mini so that will be a few extra dollars. I am still on the fence I think I may get a longer life out of the mini. Or I would feel better about upgrading. Not ready to pull the trigger on either one yet.
Mac mini $4,415
iMac $3,900
I will not have speakers for the mini so that will be a few extra dollars. I am still on the fence I think I may get a longer life out of the mini. Or I would feel better about upgrading. Not ready to pull the trigger on either one yet.
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Right, that was kind of my point, while the iMac may score a bit higher, there's likely __some__ performance hit due to the higher thermal effects, so it's probably a wash - or basically a non-consideration when comparing an iMac w/ 580x vs. a Mini w/ eGPU + 580X (which was sort of the original topic).
Of course, now the iMac can be optioned with the Vega 48/8 GB HBM2, but the Mini can easily be eGPU'ed with a Vega 56 (as F-Train obviously knows )
Like the OP, I too have a 2014 iMac 5K 27" with 32GB RAM. I had my eye on the Mac Mini 2018, which I plan to buy at the end of the month. Then I heard that they announced the updated iMac, which tbh, doesn't look that impressive, other than the i9. My 2014 model had thermal issues, which were fixed, but now it has screen ghosting issues & no longer under warranty.
Because of the issues I've had with the current iMac I have, I'm not interested in another all-in-one. My younger brother also has a newer iMac than mine & he's had a lot of issues with it. He also had an older model, which again, had issues.
I'm currently looking at roughly $2,500 for the Mac Mini I want, if I go with an eGPU (unsure if I'll need this or not). That part depends on if I ever decide I want to game on it. I could be wrong, but I don't think I'll need it for Photoshop or Clip Studio. Main thing I use my computer for is watching anywhere from 1-5 streams on Twitch. Which again, I don't think needs the eGPU...? That price is before I get 2 monitors though. Currently have this iMac resolution set to 3200x1800,so was thinking 2 4K monitors with the Mini, which I didn't price into that cost.
Another reason I want to go with the Mini is due to I think the iMac is limited on additional screens. Obviously it's default 5K monitor, but I don't think you can connect another 5K to it. I know I think I read the 2014 can't, so maybe that changed. The Mac Mini can do 2 4K monitors at 60Hz + an HDMI monitor. What I don't know is if this changes with adding an eGPU. Obviously it would be depending on the ports on the eGPU, but would an eGPU do something like... 2 5K monitors? Co-worker of mine, which is also a Mac user, suggested I looked into ultra-wide monitors instead of standard sized 4K monitors. Another thing I know nothing about is wide screen monitors. For now, I have a 27" 1080p (current 2nd monitor to the iMac) and I think a 23" 1080p monitor in storage.
So after all that rambling, I'm still not sure what monitors I'd go with for the Mac Mini, but is very likely the purchase I'll be going with.
Edit:
I see we have a 28 page thread all about the "best" monitor to get for the Mini. Suppose I have a lot of reading to do.
Because of the issues I've had with the current iMac I have, I'm not interested in another all-in-one. My younger brother also has a newer iMac than mine & he's had a lot of issues with it. He also had an older model, which again, had issues.
I'm currently looking at roughly $2,500 for the Mac Mini I want, if I go with an eGPU (unsure if I'll need this or not). That part depends on if I ever decide I want to game on it. I could be wrong, but I don't think I'll need it for Photoshop or Clip Studio. Main thing I use my computer for is watching anywhere from 1-5 streams on Twitch. Which again, I don't think needs the eGPU...? That price is before I get 2 monitors though. Currently have this iMac resolution set to 3200x1800,so was thinking 2 4K monitors with the Mini, which I didn't price into that cost.
Another reason I want to go with the Mini is due to I think the iMac is limited on additional screens. Obviously it's default 5K monitor, but I don't think you can connect another 5K to it. I know I think I read the 2014 can't, so maybe that changed. The Mac Mini can do 2 4K monitors at 60Hz + an HDMI monitor. What I don't know is if this changes with adding an eGPU. Obviously it would be depending on the ports on the eGPU, but would an eGPU do something like... 2 5K monitors? Co-worker of mine, which is also a Mac user, suggested I looked into ultra-wide monitors instead of standard sized 4K monitors. Another thing I know nothing about is wide screen monitors. For now, I have a 27" 1080p (current 2nd monitor to the iMac) and I think a 23" 1080p monitor in storage.
So after all that rambling, I'm still not sure what monitors I'd go with for the Mac Mini, but is very likely the purchase I'll be going with.
Edit:
I see we have a 28 page thread all about the "best" monitor to get for the Mini. Suppose I have a lot of reading to do.
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I had a 2014 iMac 27" with a second 5K display, so the newer ones should handle that as well I'd think.
Yep, still works...scroll down to Video Support and Camera to see what monitors/resolution are supported: https://www.apple.com/imac/specs/
That is the specs for the latest iMac, not the 2014 model. The late 2014 iMac with i7 could only support up to a 4K (3840x2160) resolution for a 2nd display, not a 5K.
https://everymac.com/systems/apple/...-inch-aluminum-retina-5k-late-2014-specs.html
That said though, I'm glad the newer ones do support a 5K 2nd monitor.
To all contemplating and iMac, I would wait for the pro. It will be expandable and offer ability to choose a display. The iMacs are very overpriced coming close to the iMac pro in price with inferior components. The Mac Pro should have all the great components of the iMac pro but in a modular system. These are meant to run all day and last long jus like the Mac Pro towers. Be patient it will be here by end of the year.
[doublepost=1553239286][/doublepost]
Keep in mind pice-4.0 will probably be introduced in the new Mac Pro which will provide a speed boost internally, the iMac still using old technology so WAIT !!!
[doublepost=1553239286][/doublepost]
Keep in mind pice-4.0 will probably be introduced in the new Mac Pro which will provide a speed boost internally, the iMac still using old technology so WAIT !!!
A direct cost comparison of a 2019 iMac to a similarly configured 2018 Mac Mini undervalues one of the Mini’s main features — the flexibility of selecting/upgrading/deleting the monitor. Any comparison of hardware costs/choices should consider the future sale or redeployment of that hardware. And for those of us who rarely/never sell their hardware, the Mini probably has the most future value.
So for me the choice is simple. I already own a usable monitor, keyboard and mouse that I’m currently using with my 2014 Mac Mini. So when I upgrade my 2014 Mini to a more modern Mini (or Mac Pro), I’ll probably start by using my existing monitor, keyboard and mouse and redeploy my 2014 Mini as a headless, keyboard-less, and mouse-less file server. That and no matter how beautiful the 5K iMac’s 27" screen is — it’s just too small for my old eyes.
GetRealBro
So for me the choice is simple. I already own a usable monitor, keyboard and mouse that I’m currently using with my 2014 Mac Mini. So when I upgrade my 2014 Mini to a more modern Mini (or Mac Pro), I’ll probably start by using my existing monitor, keyboard and mouse and redeploy my 2014 Mini as a headless, keyboard-less, and mouse-less file server. That and no matter how beautiful the 5K iMac’s 27" screen is — it’s just too small for my old eyes.
GetRealBro
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I ran a 5K Dell on the late 2014 27” iMac for years, worked great. I’m not sure why the tech specs for the 2014 don’t mention it. Maybe Apple added support for external 5k monitors after they were written, or the monitors weren’t available at the time.
This support doc does show the late 2014 27” iMac supports 5k external monitors, though:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206587
Dual-cable displays
Some displays with resolutions higher than 4K require two DisplayPort cables to connect the display at full resolution:
- The Dell UP2715K 27-inch 5K display is supported by iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014) and later and Mac Pro (Late 2013) running OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 and later.
- The HP Z27q 5K display is supported by iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014) and later and Mac Pro (Late 2013) running macOS Sierra.
The mini is more about choice and flexibility compared to the iMac. You can choose your own monitor, mouse/kb, and an optional egpu is you need one.
An iMac provides an easy AIO solution for people and comes with pretty much everything you need out of the box.
Before I bought my 2018 mini I already had a monitor/kb/m and egpu setup that I was using with my 2017 15" MBP. It was easy enough to swap in the mini in place of the MBP.
If I was to switch over to an iMac then I'd have to move to a smaller monitor; 27" iMac vs my current 32" 4K monitor (Eizo EV3237) and I do prefer matte monitors vs. glossy ones.
The egpu box also provides more flexibility as I can upgrade or downgrade as necessary, but with an iMac you are stuck with what you purchase it with. I did have a Vega 64 in my egpu box(Razer Core X), but mostly used it in Windows so switched over to a GTX 1080ti. I can always change that later as well. You can use an egpu box with the iMac as well, but it is more cost.
An iMac provides an easy AIO solution for people and comes with pretty much everything you need out of the box.
Before I bought my 2018 mini I already had a monitor/kb/m and egpu setup that I was using with my 2017 15" MBP. It was easy enough to swap in the mini in place of the MBP.
If I was to switch over to an iMac then I'd have to move to a smaller monitor; 27" iMac vs my current 32" 4K monitor (Eizo EV3237) and I do prefer matte monitors vs. glossy ones.
The egpu box also provides more flexibility as I can upgrade or downgrade as necessary, but with an iMac you are stuck with what you purchase it with. I did have a Vega 64 in my egpu box(Razer Core X), but mostly used it in Windows so switched over to a GTX 1080ti. I can always change that later as well. You can use an egpu box with the iMac as well, but it is more cost.
There is very little user information on this monitor. What do you think of it? Do you use it for sRGB colour correction (eg, for Lightroom)?
Same boat here. Just took delivery of a MM18 last week and still in the process of installing tons of SW, as well as within my return period. Then presto, would ya look at that? New iMacs with an 8 core i9!
Definitely pros and cons either way you slice it, especially for audio guys with all the T2 issues abound, myself being an audio guy. Didn't help that apple botched the ordering process and it took several days longer than it should for my mini to arrive, and to add insult to injury the fact that my mini wouldn't boot after its first 15 minutes of use once I installed my Universal Audio Apollo interface. Had to erase and reinstall Mojave, which of course I couldn't even do until I obtained a wired USB KB. So that made the iMac announcement even more tempting, frustrating, annoying, and glorious.
Overall, now thats its working, once all my SW is installed and I test some of my heavier projects if manages to perform well, then I think the Mini is a keeper.
Being able to choose any display, eGPU upgradability, easily accessible ram (already at 32GB) are all major pluses. Honestly, I think the fact that iMac was my upgrade path prior to the Minis being announced, coupled with the new i9, and the lack of a T2 chip are really the only reasons it rubbed me the wrong way. But the fact that Apple seems to have left the same cooling scenario in place for an 8core i9 is definitely concerning given their take on thermal dissipation vs noise. The 2013 MBP I upgraded from when connected to an external display (90% of the time) literally always ran around 180-210 degrees Fahrenheit. Horrifying! But I must admit, while it did throttle, it never turned off due to hitting the TjMax.
Definitely pros and cons either way you slice it, especially for audio guys with all the T2 issues abound, myself being an audio guy. Didn't help that apple botched the ordering process and it took several days longer than it should for my mini to arrive, and to add insult to injury the fact that my mini wouldn't boot after its first 15 minutes of use once I installed my Universal Audio Apollo interface. Had to erase and reinstall Mojave, which of course I couldn't even do until I obtained a wired USB KB. So that made the iMac announcement even more tempting, frustrating, annoying, and glorious.
Overall, now thats its working, once all my SW is installed and I test some of my heavier projects if manages to perform well, then I think the Mini is a keeper.
Being able to choose any display, eGPU upgradability, easily accessible ram (already at 32GB) are all major pluses. Honestly, I think the fact that iMac was my upgrade path prior to the Minis being announced, coupled with the new i9, and the lack of a T2 chip are really the only reasons it rubbed me the wrong way. But the fact that Apple seems to have left the same cooling scenario in place for an 8core i9 is definitely concerning given their take on thermal dissipation vs noise. The 2013 MBP I upgraded from when connected to an external display (90% of the time) literally always ran around 180-210 degrees Fahrenheit. Horrifying! But I must admit, while it did throttle, it never turned off due to hitting the TjMax.
One of the reasons the mini is the better proposition is that it comes with a stock SSD whereas the iMac has a Fusion Drive at best. If I had to order an iMac with a pre-installed SSD I’d be looking at 4-6 weeks delivery time. Besides, I don’t need an eGPU, both Sibelius and Cubase work fine without it.
And now the strongest argument - neither the 21.5” nor the 27” is 21:9 display and once I’ve used a 21:9 I cannot go back to 16:9.
Unless I choose at lesst a 1TB SSD at the time of purchase, I will always need an external SSDso the base mini with its 128GB is very fit for my needs.
The 21.5” is not something I would ever consider again. While I like the retina monitor of the 27”, I’d be looking at a computer that is 1000€ more expensive than my setup.
And now the strongest argument - neither the 21.5” nor the 27” is 21:9 display and once I’ve used a 21:9 I cannot go back to 16:9.
Unless I choose at lesst a 1TB SSD at the time of purchase, I will always need an external SSDso the base mini with its 128GB is very fit for my needs.
The 21.5” is not something I would ever consider again. While I like the retina monitor of the 27”, I’d be looking at a computer that is 1000€ more expensive than my setup.
I think I am going with the iMac, I am awaiting some reviews and benchmarks before I make my final decision on the configuration. For me the iMac is a better value. The mini setup I would want is coming in at $500 more. So we will see what barefeets says.
Curious abut the specifics of your eGPU set up?
It’s an Asus XG Station pro with an Asus brand Vega 56.
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Thanks, I'm internally debating all kinds of things right now. I have a 2012 mini that has generally been a great machine for me but it's showing it's age and the fusion drive is starting to fail. Not sure if I want to go with the 2018 Mini and then possibly add an eGPU or buy one of the updated iMacs. I've also considered just sticking a Samsung T5 on as a boot drive and using that to get by for another year or so.