Do you think there will be 32 GB of RAM options and more for the new Mac Mini?

[loby]

i'm coming off a 2013 trashcan macpro, bought 1st release. Both my 2007 tower and my 2013 trashcan lasted 7+ years for me. i went with the M1 Mini b/c i refused to buy a pro for $5-6k, cost/benefit not enough for me. I am in with the understanding that this is a 1-3 year machine for me and at the price point, I'm fortunate that sub-1,500 isn't an issue for me in that timeframe. I like the rumors of a 'smaller' MacPro in the works, hopefully in the $2-3k range, might be tempted. I've been running new M1 with 16GB ram for 2 weeks now and haven't had an issue. Handbrake maxes CPU but it's built to do that. even my mac pro got to over 90% with HB. same conversion time, so I am thrilled.

I have also a 12-Core Mac Pro 2013, 64 GB RAM and 1TB SSD nVMe Drive. The M1 Mac mini out performs the mac pro 2013 in many areas (not all of course) and is working better (generally) on FCPX projects. It does not totally blow away my mac pro 2013 or replaces it...but...generally it replaces it in many tasks.

"if" the mini pro comes out (I am a doubter) that will be the perfect "in-between", but clearly the iMac that comes out will blow away the Mac Pro 2013 for sure.

 

[rasputin666]

I have also a 12-Core Mac Pro 2013, 64 GB RAM and 1TB SSD nVMe Drive. The M1 Mac mini out performs the mac pro 2013 in many areas (not all of course) and is working better (generally) on FCPX projects. It does not totally blow away my mac pro 2013 or replaces it...but...generally it replaces it in many tasks.

"if" the mini pro comes out (I am a doubter) that will be the perfect "in-between", but clearly the iMac that comes out will blow away the Mac Pro 2013 for sure.

i've never been a fan of an all-in-one mac or pc for that matter, so I usually just window shop the imacs and the laptops as I have no use case for them. as for the M1 Mini, yeah, I wouldn't mind 32/64 ram but I needed to move from my macpro as i am 100% remote now and my power supply was dying and now has finally died. i couldn't go w/o so after reading/watching the reviews, best bang for the buck. i don't work high end video editing nor photo editing, so this should definitely last me 3 yrs unless my mental illness for the new shiny object wins out when the M2 Mini comes out

 

[ivnj]

I got the 8gb and its fine. But why did they decide to solder like 2014 and not make upgrade able like 2018.

 

[pldelisle]

I got the 8gb and its fine. But why did they decide to solder like 2014 and not make upgrade able like 2018.

It’s the principle of a SoC. Memory is on package.

 

[Micky Do]

I got the 8gb and its fine. But why did they decide to solder like 2014 and not make upgrade able like 2018.

They didn't solder the RAM. It, along with the storage, is included in the "system on a chip". Time for a rethink on how computers are put together and work.

 

[ivnj]

They didn't solder the RAM. It, along with the storage, is included in the "system on a chip". Time for a rethink on how computers are put together and work.

Solder or no solder the point is its not user upgrade able. And it should be.

 

[pldelisle]

Solder or no solder the point is its not user upgrade able. And it should be.

But then it wouldn't be a SoC with such a low TDP ............

 

[ivnj]

But then it wouldn't be a SoC with such a low TDP ............

Well I guess the average joe only needs so much ram. But what if the ram fails. Can't fix it.

 

[pldelisle]

Well I guess the average joe only needs so much ram. But what if the ram fails. Can't fix it.

RAM (almost) never fails. If it doesn't fail in the fist month, it will fail at the end of its usable life, well after the computer is obsolete.

 

[Micky Do]

Solder or no solder the point is its not user upgrade able. And it should be.

Why so?

"System on a chip" is a big jump (in power, reliability and efficiency) from olden days, when computers were assembled from components from a variety of sources. Gone are the days when upgrading the OS or installing new apps, or even driving some new gadget frequently required a hardware upgrade.

 

[ivnj]

Why so?

"System on a chip" is a big jump (in power, reliability and efficiency) from olden days, when computers were assembled from components from a variety of sources. Gone are the days when upgrading the OS or installing new apps, or even driving some new gadget frequently required a hardware upgrade.

Because 8gb is good enough for now. But someday if I need more I can not just add another 8gb. I have to buy a whole new mini.

 

[iAssimilated]

Because 8gb is good enough for now. But someday if I need more I can not just add another 8gb. I have to buy a whole new mini.

Then, I guess you should have bought the 16GB version.

 

[ivnj]

Well tradein should still be high in 1 or 2 years.

 

[iAssimilated]

I really hope Apple doesn't go out of its way to stop the ability to boot linux on their new systems. I know it is early, but I have high hopes the open source community can figure out a way to load linux on AS and make it a viable solution. Let those of us that would use them as a killer linux rig go ahead and do that if Apple wants to treat these systems as disposable commodities.

 

[Ethosik]

Because 8gb is good enough for now. But someday if I need more I can not just add another 8gb. I have to buy a whole new mini.

Then get a new computer 1 or 2 years from now. You will be much better off with a much better CPU, probably better GPU with the M chip, more RAM and more space at a cheaper price, and many other enhancements .

You don't want to get a large computer to keep for 5+ years. Trust me, as someone that was using a 2010 Mac Pro until 2019, I was missing out on PCIe 3.0, m.2 NVME, SATA 3, USB-C, USB 3.0 and an Intel CPU that could not do HEVC

 

[Lemon Olive]

Hi people,

just wanted to check out if you have any new opinions in the mean time.

I'm still thinking of replacing my 12-core Mac Pro 5,1 with a Mac Mini, but I don't want to go for the 16 GB version of the M1. I also don't want to go with the (or any) Intel one.

I have 32 GB in my Mac Pro right now and according to Activity Monitor I am using around 9 GB of memory, but I'm really not doing anything (I'm here on Safari with several windows opened, have Mail and Notes opened as well and I'm running Little Snitch in the background to check all incoming/outgoing network connections).

I really hope they bring a 32 GB (or more) option for the M1 soon, as I would really like to change this Mac Pro now.

The Mac will use however much memory you throw at it. That's a good thing. It can also operate just fine with lower amounts of memory and swap more often, which is no big deal with the kind of SSDs we have now.

I'm am likewise sitting here on an iMac with 32 GB and 11 are free. I'm not actively doing anything besides typing in Safari, there are just apps open in the background.

I am seriously considering getting a M1 Mac mini right now because it is nearly 2 times as powerful as my iMac, and that would certainly be appreciated in my daily workflows. I highly doubt going to half the RAM and twice the processor speed would be a negative experience in any way.

But I've also waited this long and I know more M-series Macs are right around the corner...

 

[Fomalhaut]

Because 8gb is good enough for now. But someday if I need more I can not just add another 8gb. I have to buy a whole new mini.

Unfortunately, the trade-off to having high-performance, power-efficient designs like the M1 is reduced flexibility.

You now have to plan the expected life-cycle of your machines in advance. If your usage is likely to become more demanding (or you anticipate software demands to grow over time), you'll need to choose the required future specification up-front at purchase time, which is not always easy. It's great for manufacturers who benefit from consumers buying more than their immediate needs out of fear for the future. Not so good for consumers who can't buy a lower spec machine and plan for upgrades.

It's no different to other consumer technology...phones, TVs, cars etc. At one time, cars were simple enough for average hobbyists to play around with them and upgrade parts - these days that is a very specialized (complicated / expensive) undertaking at least on modern cars that are stuffed full of electronics and computers.

In the past, computer enthusiasts got used to the idea that computer components could be upgraded, and that is no longer the case for most laptops and many desktops.

 

[MacCheetah3]

You're correct @Fomalhaut, although, on the flip side, pressuring consumers to rein in their desires to purchase maxed out products can be equally beneficial. I know, I've made that mistake at least once in the past, and I'm certain many who visit this and similar forums have as well. For example, "I'll add that 64GB of RAM because it's only $200 more." How much does their current workflow actually use? 8 to 10GB. "32TB NAS? Why not?" "Gigabit Internet access?! Sure. I play games and stream 4K movies, shows, and YouTube videos." 100 to 200Mbps would suffice, but hey, with gigabit you don't need to stare at the download meter as long when getting those few gigabyte downloads. Indeed, there are cases in which delays of minutes are financially impactful and/or utilizing a system as long as possible is necessary. However, for most users, such upgrades are wasteful and rarely calculated.

 

[Silly John Fatty]

So I'm posting here for a little update, what do you people think?

I need a new computer and would buy the M1 Mac Mini IF it had 32 GB RAM. My current Mac Pro has 32 and I don't want to halve that. Even that isn't enough sometimes, because some apps take all of your RAM.

We should keep this topic alive to push Apple to release this option. I won't buy the Mini with 16 GB and I won't buy a Mac Pro or iMac, because it's not what I'm looking for.

If you held onto your Pro for as long as I did, you most likely have some 32 Bit or GPU requirements which the M1 does not meet. Think carefully about your needs before jumping the M1 ship.

I'm not doing any graphic-intensive stuff, and as far as 32 Bit goes, what could I need it for? I remember this occupied me at some point, but I don't remember why anymore. Is it because of some older applications?

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

So I'm posting here for a little update, what do you people think?

I need a new computer and would buy the M1 Mac Mini IF it had 32 GB RAM. My current Mac Pro has 32 and I don't want to halve that. Even that isn't enough sometimes, because some apps take all of your RAM.

We should keep this topic alive to push Apple to release this option. I won't buy the Mini with 16 GB and I won't buy a Mac Pro or iMac, because it's not what I'm looking for.

Honestly, I think Apple will keep the Mac mini lineup straightforward with just one SoC. The reason is because they need to create incentives for people to upgrade to more expensive hardware, which is especially important now given the M1 is so good. Whether justified or not, users are comparing this machine to the Mac Pro/high-end iMacs.

Take into account that this is only the beginning of the Apple Silicon journey, meaning more professional users who want to adopt Apple Silicon have few choices. But by the end of the transition, the choices will be greater and will make more sense. Potential customers just need to be patient.

Also, think about the Mac mini demographic. It's a very versatile machine no doubt - from digital signage, home media servers to audio production - but it's not really the master of any. If it was, other Macs wouldn't exist.

I imagine that Apple's next Mac Pro, which will be based entirely around Apple Silicon, will be an incredibly expandable product that fits the needs of both the prosumer and professional demographic, given it's low energy requirements and smaller footprint will be attractive to a broad range of customers. So let's wait and see 🙂

 

[InuNacho]

Why so?

"System on a chip" is a big jump (in power, reliability and efficiency) from olden days, when computers were assembled from components from a variety of sources. Gone are the days when upgrading the OS or installing new apps, or even driving some new gadget frequently required a hardware upgrade.

With every release Mac OS get chunkier and more graphically intensive for no reason. If Macs had user upgradable cards or RAM they'd be replaced when a new OS comes out instead chucking out the entire computer.

 

[4sallypat]

So I'm posting here for a little update, what do you people think?

I need a new computer and would buy the M1 Mac Mini IF it had 32 GB RAM. My current Mac Pro has 32 and I don't want to halve that. Even that isn't enough sometimes, because some apps take all of your RAM.

We should keep this topic alive to push Apple to release this option. I won't buy the Mini with 16 GB and I won't buy a Mac Pro or iMac, because it's not what I'm looking for.




I'm not doing any graphic-intensive stuff, and as far as 32 Bit goes, what could I need it for? I remember this occupied me at some point, but I don't remember why anymore. Is it because of some older applications?

Where I work, we bought a bunch of CTO / BTO Mac Mini 2018 with i7, 64GB RAM, 10GBe options. $1800 each was pricey!

They are configured as caching servers at our remote sites connected to 40TB external SSD for storing all users Mac OS and iOS data/documents.

 

[Lemon Olive]

instead chucking out the entire computer.

...except nobody chucks anything out. They sell it or trade it in for the extremely high value that Macs retain, and use it to fund their upgrade. Then that computer goes on to a whole new life being used by someone else. And then possibly someone else again. Eventually getting recycled many years down the road and made into another Mac.

 

[Lemon Olive]

So I'm posting here for a little update, what do you people think?

I need a new computer and would buy the M1 Mac Mini IF it had 32 GB RAM. My current Mac Pro has 32 and I don't want to halve that. Even that isn't enough sometimes, because some apps take all of your RAM.

We should keep this topic alive to push Apple to release this option. I won't buy the Mini with 16 GB and I won't buy a Mac Pro or iMac, because it's not what I'm looking for.




I'm not doing any graphic-intensive stuff, and as far as 32 Bit goes, what could I need it for? I remember this occupied me at some point, but I don't remember why anymore. Is it because of some older applications?

What are you doing now that needs 32 GB of RAM? I'm not asking if your machine uses it (it will use however much you throw at it), I'm asking what specific RAM intensive app are you running that requires 32 GB? If you only have 32 GB for the sake of multi tasking, then you probably wouldn't notice any difference with 16.

I don't see the mini getting 32 GB option any time soon. Apple is going to want to strategically introduce more capable Apple Silicon Macs. Starting with MacBook Pros, then iMac Pro. Once those are out of the way, we could see the mini get updated, but we also don't know what Apple has planned for the eventual Mac Pro.

 

[InuNacho]

...except nobody chucks anything out. They sell it or trade it in for the extremely high value that Macs retain, and use it to fund their upgrade. Then that computer goes on to a whole new life being used by someone else. And then possibly someone else again. Eventually getting recycled many years down the road and made into another Mac.

LOL!
That is Macrumors/Apple Kool-Aid at its finest. Having worked in ewaste and liquidation for over a decade, real world experience completely goes against everything you just said. I've refurbed at this point thousands of computers with only a tiny fraction being Apples. For every Apple that was successfully refurbed to the latest OS, there was a long line of them that couldn't go any higher due planned obsoleteness limitations or un-upgradable parts.

You seriously believe people walk back into Apple Stores with their Macs and have it recycled into another Mac? It's pure marketing BS. Educate yourself on how electronics recycling works.
This is America, we're a bunch of morons that dump everything in the trash.