Do you think we will see one soon? Loving my 6-core i5 and eGPU but would love the extra power of an 8-core i7.
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8-core Mac Mini
- Thread starter SpitUK
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It’s natural to think: they introduced 6 cores when 6 where max and now 8 is max, therefore mini will also get 8. But Apple plans their cycles years at a time. They positioned low end boxes with 6 and high end boxes with 12 and other models in between.
We are unlikely that to see any updates this year and unlikely to see 8 cores until 8 is common on MBPs.
We are unlikely that to see any updates this year and unlikely to see 8 cores until 8 is common on MBPs.
They refreshed the 15" MBP fairly quickly to add the 8-core option when the 6-core had just come out months prior... I would hope they do the same to the Mini, especially since the recent batch of 8-core i9s in the MBP seem to run cooler than last years 6-core i9s in the same chassis.
If they put 8-core CPUs in the Mini I would be an instant buyer.
I'd get the Apple ARM chip before I buy anything else. In fact, I was thinking of picking up used laptop but I may hold off, just in case they go the ARM way.
I bought the 6 core and I think unless I start editing more video this will be enough for my audio needs
for a long long time to come!
for a long long time to come!
They could but I'm not really sure they will right now.
1. The Mac Mini doesn't sell as well as other Macs so it doesn't get much attention from Apple.
2. It hasn't been updated that frequently in the past.
3. Apple added a lot more to the new Mac Mini than many us expected. 10 Gbe, 6 cores i7, up to 64GB of Ram and 4 TB3 ports using two TB3 controllers and a pair of USB3 ports using their own controller is very significant to making it last for many years to come. The 6 core i7 is still one of the fastest Macs excluding the $5k + pro systems like the iMac Pro and Mac Pro or the top end MBP and iMac which costs a lot more.
I would love to see Apple give it more love but now that I have a 6 core Mac Mini I will not be in the market for an 8 core so it doesn't really matter to me. I do hope in three years however when the warranty is done on this that there is an 8 or 12 core to move to.
1. The Mac Mini doesn't sell as well as other Macs so it doesn't get much attention from Apple.
2. It hasn't been updated that frequently in the past.
3. Apple added a lot more to the new Mac Mini than many us expected. 10 Gbe, 6 cores i7, up to 64GB of Ram and 4 TB3 ports using two TB3 controllers and a pair of USB3 ports using their own controller is very significant to making it last for many years to come. The 6 core i7 is still one of the fastest Macs excluding the $5k + pro systems like the iMac Pro and Mac Pro or the top end MBP and iMac which costs a lot more.
I would love to see Apple give it more love but now that I have a 6 core Mac Mini I will not be in the market for an 8 core so it doesn't really matter to me. I do hope in three years however when the warranty is done on this that there is an 8 or 12 core to move to.
They changed so much about the Mini this last time around because it NEEDED to be done. The last iteration was 4 years ago... and the TB3 ports, 10GB ethernet, etc was to bring it up to date with the times. I wouldn't think it to be out of the realm of possibility for them to do a spec bump and keep the connectivity the same. That shouldn't be too costly for them to do (they've done the same thing with the iMacs and MBPs recently).
It seems as though the Mac Mini has the same CPU options as the 21.5" iMac... so maybe when Apple updates the iMac again, the Mac Mini will follow suit? Or maybe the Mini will be first like it was the last time around. Hard to say.
I purchased the i5 Mini this refresh... however, my wife quickly took ownership of it a few months after I bought it, and I don't see the i7 version as a significant upgrade to that machine to replace it. An 8-core machine, on the other hand, would absolutely be worth it to me.
It seems as though the Mac Mini has the same CPU options as the 21.5" iMac... so maybe when Apple updates the iMac again, the Mac Mini will follow suit? Or maybe the Mini will be first like it was the last time around. Hard to say.
I purchased the i5 Mini this refresh... however, my wife quickly took ownership of it a few months after I bought it, and I don't see the i7 version as a significant upgrade to that machine to replace it. An 8-core machine, on the other hand, would absolutely be worth it to me.
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I agree no reason why they couldn't. I'm just not sure they will. All really comes down to sales and demand. The Mini is one of my favorite Macs due to the flexibility it provides but they are far from popular. The iMac and MBP are Apples big sellers so it makes sense they get updated more frequently.
I do hope the Mini sees more frequent updates going forward but I'm not going to hold my breath either.
As far as the I5 vs the I7..The I7 is only about 20 percent faster but the big thing for me was hyper threading which i guess the I5 doesn't do? I'm just doing music but I want all the juice I can get and Most of the music apps make use of the hyper threading.
Oh and youre right that 2014 mini was a DOG! My 2011 was way faster!
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Heh Power corrupts!
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FWIW, on Amazon.it:
1) Current Mac Mini models have “(previous generation)” in the name since I guess the beginning of summer.
2) The i5 version has been not available for purchase for weeks on both Amazon and other major national electronic mega stores.
Only minor stores have the i5 model in stock here and there.
The i3 version on the other hand is available and discounted everywhere.
That to me points in two directions: either an 8 cores version or a Bluetooth-fixed one is coming at the end of the summer.
1) Current Mac Mini models have “(previous generation)” in the name since I guess the beginning of summer.
2) The i5 version has been not available for purchase for weeks on both Amazon and other major national electronic mega stores.
Only minor stores have the i5 model in stock here and there.
The i3 version on the other hand is available and discounted everywhere.
That to me points in two directions: either an 8 cores version or a Bluetooth-fixed one is coming at the end of the summer.
Correct about the i5 vs i7. The basic distinctions between the different processor types is that the i5 adds "turbo boost" over the i3 (temporarily run at a higher clock rate to speed up tasks - works well for single- or multi-threaded applications), and the i7 adds hyperthreading over the i5 (creates a "virtual" processor core for each real core - so programs see 12 cores instead of six; some sources estimate this provides up to 30% improved performance for applications that multithread well). There are some other differences - if I remember right, the i7 also has more CPU cache memory - but those are the big features people might be interested in between the processor lines.
Historically speaking Apple always put more resources on mbps than minis. It’s a known fact. Mbps always had a yearly refresh as far as I remember. But Apple did say in a recent press release in May that they are investing more in Macs than ever before. I hope it is true for minis. So short answer - nobody outside of Apple knows but let’s hope so.
Hope so! I bought my mini, the first new mac(not a refurb) in like 20 years, maybe longer because they lowered the price and it is a damn fast machine. SO maybe Apple finally understands that a solid Mac mini does not cannibalize iMac sales, that the mini, the iMac and MacBook pro can all co-exist? Not sure they will update the mini right off but who knows!
I have been waiting years for the right mini and it’s arrived, I also think lots of others feel the same. With the combination of an eGPU and high end displays you have the opportunity to construct a fantastic Mac experience. I think we will get a spec refresh for the mini.