Another simple but good example of server evolution. A personal computer sitting in a rack does not become a true enterprise class server.
The best kind of server is the one that you can rely on.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
First Mac Mini Benchmark Surfaces Ahead of November 7 Launch
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Another simple but good example of server evolution. A personal computer sitting in a rack does not become a true enterprise class server.
The best kind of server is the one that you can rely on.
That should be entirely transparent to the CPU and any software/OS.
[doublepost=1541198412][/doublepost]
You will likely see it in SUSTAINED high-load, where a better cooling system can make a desktop perform at those levels for long/indefinite periods.
It is all about Apple's gross margin. The "old" Mac Mini had a lower gross margin than the iPhone. Every Mac mini sold actually reduced Apple's gross margin. The new Mac Mini with anything but the stock 128GB SSD has a considerably higher gross margin (you pay US$200 more for an additional 128GB, and US$800 more for getting an internal 1TB SSD, whereas the street price for a WD or Samsung 1TB M.2 SSD is around $150). Nice profit...
These are not actual issues anymore. They figured that stuff out a long time ago - even for Mac Mini farms.
I’m going t order the mini soon. was waiting to see what this update brings. There is just one thing that’s making me consider the iMac instead, and that’s the lack of a discrete GPU. I know one can attach an eGPU but I believe that doesn’t work in bootcamp. I would want to occasionally use windows just to access my steam library of windows only games.
I find it odd that Apple provided the capability to add an eGPU but no way to use it in windows. I know professionals don’t need it for gaming, but casual users would definitely like to have the option. I wish they would release bootcamp drivers soon.
I find it odd that Apple provided the capability to add an eGPU but no way to use it in windows. I know professionals don’t need it for gaming, but casual users would definitely like to have the option. I wish they would release bootcamp drivers soon.
Do it! I am Hackintosher since 2010 and very glad with my current X99 rig. Everything works flawless, no Apple tax to pay, and if any part of my Hackintosh dies, then I can easily switch it out in a single day!
Just be carefully with the parts you choose.
While I haven't done it myself, I've read that it's a relatively trivial matter to get an egpu working in Windows. There are discussions in various threads here, and I believe that https://egpu.io has everything you would need to get this working.
I'm sure you can make any newly-released Apple product look like a good performer by comparing it to a prior version that is six years old. While we're at it, I wonder if the iPhone XR offers better performance than an iPhone 5.
But seriously, though this refresh is definitely better than the one we got in 2014, a soldered quad-core i3 instead of a hex-core i5 at $799 is a bit of a disappointment. All the other specs (128 GB SSD and 8 GB RAM) are fine, IMHO (yes, 128 GB is a bit on the small side, but fine at the price point, and external expansion is easy).
I don't think so? The Geekbench pic shows a Core i7-8700B processor, which Intels site says is targeted at mobile https://ark.intel.com/products/134905/Intel-Core-i7-8700B-Processor-12M-Cache-up-to-4-60-GHz-.
I don't follow Intel CPU technologies very closely, so I might be mistaken, but I can't imagine a Intel desktop processor housed in a mini case, with the mini PSU.
Thanks. It seems promising. I’ll definitely check it out. Still wish there were a natively supported plug and play solution though.
Well I've gone down that road. I've owned an iMac, Macbook Pro's, Macbook Airs and now am on a Hackintosh. Will be going to to the Mini now. When I built my Hackintosh back in 2011, I poured over forums and made sure I had the most compatible components of the time. And still, over the years I've come to realize that despite whatever might say, is still a headache to maintain. Every major update can become a pain. And major OS releases can become nightmarish. Even with small issues one is never sure whether it's an issue with your rig, or the Hackintosh work-around in general, or an actual Mac OS bug. People in the Hackintosh community are generally helpful, but finding solutions is still difficult. There are just too many variables. In the end, it's definitely an enthusiast hobby.
If you a bachelor playing around with technical stuff and have time on your hands, it's a great hobby. Building a rig that works perfectly is fun. But eventually, with every OS release you will need to invest time to maintain it. And as the rig becomes old, the time needed to keep it up grows. Many enthusiasts on forums keep upgrading their motherboards and CPU's. So the basic install instructions may not work for you. You'll need to be aware of which kext is for you and which is not. And every few years apple switches from NVidia GPUs to AMD GPUs and so on. Your 'golden build' will not remain golden 3 OS's down. Till now folks with Nvidia GPU's cannot install the latest OS, cause they are waiting for drivers.
My point is - know what you are getting into. If you have the time and inclination it's great. I now have a toddler and between a busy job, and family commitments I wouldn't dream of building a Hackintosh again.
i7-8700B is a desktop processor (65 W). Only listed as mobile because it is a BGA soldered part (confirming the Mac mini doesn't have an upgradable CPU, as expected), and most desktops have a socketed CPU.
Lol - I think the Apple tax I paid with my Hackintosh was the extra time spent to get everything working, and the multple rebuilds that were required after system updates. When it ran it was the best MacOS system I ever owned, but the on-going issues and time wasted with maintaining it become a drag. Now it's a Fedora Linux system (and I still love it).
Have to agree here - I hated the worry of whether or not a point update was going to take me down...
At $999 CAD for the entry-level Mac mini, I'll be buying zero of them. Sorry Apple. Not a budget computer. Try again?
Right now i own a early 2009 iMac so any upgrade for me is going to be ridiculous. The current multi core score on my iMac is 2993 LOL
I'm debating on a mac mini i7 128gb ssd and 8gb ram (to upgrade later)
However, the one thing i've been thinking is, if the mac mini is getting this kind of power (23500 multi core score), what will the new iMacs get? Can apple really kill their own iMac sales? I mean the mac mini with i7 upgrade only comes to $1099, yes a monitor around $150-200, so $1300 max. Can you can get a new iMac at price with the same performance of the mac mini i7? Im not so sure.
A part of me wants to bite the bullet for the mini since my computer is really old but a part of me wants to wait for the iMac update to see what they offer then make my decision at that point. Maybe a March/April release?
I'm debating on a mac mini i7 128gb ssd and 8gb ram (to upgrade later)
However, the one thing i've been thinking is, if the mac mini is getting this kind of power (23500 multi core score), what will the new iMacs get? Can apple really kill their own iMac sales? I mean the mac mini with i7 upgrade only comes to $1099, yes a monitor around $150-200, so $1300 max. Can you can get a new iMac at price with the same performance of the mac mini i7? Im not so sure.
A part of me wants to bite the bullet for the mini since my computer is really old but a part of me wants to wait for the iMac update to see what they offer then make my decision at that point. Maybe a March/April release?
That's correct, my mistake. I should have said two displays; one 5K display plus one 4K display.
The built-in display and GPU are what make the iMac a good value. If you've been using a 1080p or 1440p screen with your 2009 Mac mini then obviously a 4K or 5K screen will be a massive upgrade.
Since you've been using a 2009 Mac mini all this time, it doesn't seem like you really need the i7 CPU. In 2019 we should see a decent 21.5" iMac with a Coffee Lake hex-core i5, dedicated GPU and SSD for only a couple hundred more than the $1,099 i7 Mac mini, so that is definitely worth considering. 21.5" is a bit on the small side for a desktop display, but the excellent pixel density, brightness, and color reproduction make up for it.
Of course, the 27" models are worth it over the 21.5" if you can afford them.
I have a 2009 iMac 24in
The other thing too is that i'm use to this 24 inch screen and Im not sure I'm going to want to drop down to a 21.5in screen.
You do make good points with the dedicated gpu but i dont do gaming so a dedicated gpu wouldn't matter much to me.
Also yea ive been getting by but its been brutal. It's painfully slow on a lot of things. I have a mid 2012 macbook pro that i got for $380 and put a ssd in there, the guy put 8gb of ram in it, but that has been tying me over when i have to do some larger things and need a better computer but the screen is so small, its good for portability but i like desktops
@paulpet,
("Lol - I think the Apple tax I paid with my Hackintosh was the extra time spent to get everything working, and the multple rebuilds that were required after system updates. When it ran it was the best MacOS system I ever owned, but the on-going issues and time wasted with maintaining it become a drag. Now it's a Fedora Linux system (and I still love it)."
Well, that's not exactly an "Apple tax", but a Hackintosh "extra set up time tax" - being one is specifically the amount of your big-bucks spent, and the other is the amount of your "free time spent tax". Either is a personal decision of what you have more of: money, or time - maybe both.
I've been Hackintoshing off and on for over a decade now. And what I've learned is that it gets exponentially easier as my knowledge of MacOS improves - especially as it relates to how it will (or won't) work on modern tech equipment. That's not to say that I don't encounter problems here and there, but in general, it's still the overall best experience to performance and most importantly, (for me) value. Hackintoshing is certainty not for everyone, or even for most MacOS users. But for those of us who want, or need the best computer we can get that will run MacOS on it and are willing to put in the effort (time), well then Apple's not necessarily going to offer the best option available - due to ongoing their propensity to let popular computers like the Mac Mini nearly die on the vine and still think that they can charge full retail price for it many years down the line.
So for all those who are considering the purchase of the 2018 Mac Mini, be forewarned, buy it with the best CPU specifications possible, because it may very well be another 4+ years (if ever) when Apple decides to 'upgrade' it again..
("Lol - I think the Apple tax I paid with my Hackintosh was the extra time spent to get everything working, and the multple rebuilds that were required after system updates. When it ran it was the best MacOS system I ever owned, but the on-going issues and time wasted with maintaining it become a drag. Now it's a Fedora Linux system (and I still love it)."
Well, that's not exactly an "Apple tax", but a Hackintosh "extra set up time tax" - being one is specifically the amount of your big-bucks spent, and the other is the amount of your "free time spent tax". Either is a personal decision of what you have more of: money, or time - maybe both.
I've been Hackintoshing off and on for over a decade now. And what I've learned is that it gets exponentially easier as my knowledge of MacOS improves - especially as it relates to how it will (or won't) work on modern tech equipment. That's not to say that I don't encounter problems here and there, but in general, it's still the overall best experience to performance and most importantly, (for me) value. Hackintoshing is certainty not for everyone, or even for most MacOS users. But for those of us who want, or need the best computer we can get that will run MacOS on it and are willing to put in the effort (time), well then Apple's not necessarily going to offer the best option available - due to ongoing their propensity to let popular computers like the Mac Mini nearly die on the vine and still think that they can charge full retail price for it many years down the line.
So for all those who are considering the purchase of the 2018 Mac Mini, be forewarned, buy it with the best CPU specifications possible, because it may very well be another 4+ years (if ever) when Apple decides to 'upgrade' it again..
Last edited:
You did say iMac, not Mac mini. Sorry, must've misread your post since this thread is about the Mac mini.
As I said, the 27" 5K models are worth it if you can afford them. No $200 monitor or even $800 monitor is going to offer the same kind of display quality.
Last edited:
Excellent advice. Paying a little extra (I think it might have been +$200) for the i7 upgrade on my late-2012 Mini turned out to be a very good decision. Though I believe future Mini updates will be more frequent, now.
@citysnaps
(" Though I believe future Mini updates will be more frequent, now.)
That may only be if Apple gets it's 30% ++ profit margins from it, and also that it doesn't cut into sales of their other popular desktop: the iMac.
Also, unless you really need a new computer (as many probably do while waiting so long for this MM
refresh), maybe waiting to purchase a well spec'ed out 2018 i7 Mac Mini in say 4-6 months from now - when they're being sold refurbished for several hundred $$$ discount, might be the best bang for you buck. I bought my 2012 Quad-core i7 Mac Mini in early 2013 for about $799.00 and maxed the ram for about $120 more. I sold it just last year for basically what I originally paid for it as well.
(" Though I believe future Mini updates will be more frequent, now.)
That may only be if Apple gets it's 30% ++ profit margins from it, and also that it doesn't cut into sales of their other popular desktop: the iMac.
Also, unless you really need a new computer (as many probably do while waiting so long for this MM
refresh), maybe waiting to purchase a well spec'ed out 2018 i7 Mac Mini in say 4-6 months from now - when they're being sold refurbished for several hundred $$$ discount, might be the best bang for you buck. I bought my 2012 Quad-core i7 Mac Mini in early 2013 for about $799.00 and maxed the ram for about $120 more. I sold it just last year for basically what I originally paid for it as well.
Last edited: