i5 vs i7

[ArmouredBear]

I've decided to replace my dead iMacs (2009 and then replacement 2011 R.I.P) with a Mac Mini, I'll see how a redesigned AS IMac looks ina few years.
I use it mostly for standard stuff (Web, Email, office, Photos, Facetime) but might also do some coding, I've decided on 1.0TB (I need the space as I prefer to have photos on fast drive, video, music etc. is on my NAS and want the faster drive) and 8.0GB RAM (I'll add 2x16GB from Crucial myself).
What I'm trying to decide on is the CPU, I don't think I *need* an i7 and definitely don't want one if the machine is noisier but I'm usually tempted to future proof a bit.

Any help on deciding?

 

[frou]

Future-proofing just for the sake of it is a bit of a trap. You could just take that $200 and put it in the pot for the eventual AS iMac.

 

[xeux]

I'd go with the 6 core i5 and use the $200 towards more ram. With that said, the 2018/2020 Mac Mini is very quiet even under full load.

 

[ArmouredBear]

Sounds like the i5 is the way to go, plus something like a Logitech C920 Pro HD Webcam (if in stock anywhere).

 

[iAssimilated]

I, too, would recommend the i5 for your use case.

As for noise, my i7 has never been loud except for once when I was gaming for hours on end (with a CPU intensive game) and it finally ramped up the fans.

 

[timidpimpin]

As someone who has used both i5's and i7's, an i7 is always nice to have. The hyper threading allows you to always have room to breathe. They simply multi task better, and make the overall experience smoother than an i5.

 

[ArmouredBear]

As someone who has used both i5's and i7's, an i7 is always nice to have. The hyper threading allows you to always have room to breathe. They simply multi task better, and make the overall experience smoother than an i5.

Thanks, could you give examples of the smoother experience please?

 

[Boyd01]

For what you describe, I think the i5 would be fine. But I have the i7 and have not noticed any fan noise issues. I also have 2012 and 2014 Mini's, and if you push them with processor-intensive tasks then sure, the fan will be loud but that's to be expected IMO.

 

[timidpimpin]

Thanks, could you give examples of the smoother experience please?

Meaning that even when the system is under heavy load it will still run at a respectable level of performance for other things you're actively doing. And this will be with virtually any task. It just takes a lot more to bog down an i7.

 

[richmlow]

Hello ArmouredBear,


For your described needs, I would recommend the i5 6-core configuration.



richmlow

I've decided to replace my dead iMacs (2009 and then replacement 2011 R.I.P) with a Mac Mini, I'll see how a redesigned AS IMac looks ina few years.
I use it mostly for standard stuff (Web, Email, office, Photos, Facetime) but might also do some coding, I've decided on 1.0TB (I need the space as I prefer to have photos on fast drive, video, music etc. is on my NAS and want the faster drive) and 8.0GB RAM (I'll add 2x16GB from Crucial myself).
What I'm trying to decide on is the CPU, I don't think I *need* an i7 and definitely don't want one if the machine is noisier but I'm usually tempted to future proof a bit.

Any help on deciding?

 

[Monotremata]

Yeah i5 is probably fine. I haven't really run into a situation with Logic Pro here yet where I said 'Boy am I glad I got that i7'. I dont 'compose' with my Mac anymore so I probably could've done with an i5 myself.

Also another chime in from an i7 owner that still hasn't heard the fan come on once after almost a month and a half now. Ive gotten the case hot as f**k playing Baldur's Gate for a few hours or mixing in Logic all day but no fan yet. The Mini replaced a six core 2010 Mac Pro and I never realized after all these years how much ambient noise the Pro actually puts out. I thought the Pro was phenomenal as far as noise went, but the Mini is dead silent (even under load) and the room is eerie quiet now if Im not working on something in Logic or listening to music.

 

[Boyd01]

I haven't really run into a situation with Logic Pro here yet where I said 'Boy am I glad I got that i7'.

I've been saying that I'm happy I got the i7. I run Windows in a virtual machine, and it's dramatically faster than my 8-year-old dual core i5 PC. But the OP doesn't seem to need that kind of capability.

 

[ArmouredBear]

I ordered an i5, 32GB or RAM from Crucial and a Logitech C920 Pro HD Webcam.
Thanks to everyone for your help.

 

[timidpimpin]

I guess I'm a more hardcore user than most people in this thread, because I'm often reminded of how glad I am to have the extra reach of my i7.

 

[timidpimpin]

One last thought to share... The reason hyper threading is so beneficial, is that it literally adds approx. 25-30% performance to each core. So 4 cores 8 threads is about equal to 5+ cores. A hyper threaded 6 core i7 can easily match an 8 core without hyper threading.

But until the 10th gen, only the i7's and i9's had hyper threading. Early i3's had it also, but they were only 2 core 4 thread. The 2018 and 2020 mini use 8th gen.

 

[Krevnik]

One last thought to share... The reason hyper threading is so beneficial, is that it literally adds approx. 25-30% performance to each core. So 4 cores 8 threads is about equal to 5+ cores. A hyper threaded 6 core i7 can easily match an 8 core without hyper threading.

At least in practice though, my use cases were about ~10-15% faster on the i7 versus the i5. Depending on what folks are doing, they might not see the full benefit once I/O and other things come into play.

 

[timidpimpin]

At least in practice though, my use cases were about ~10-15% faster on the i7 versus the i5. Depending on what folks are doing, they might not see the full benefit once I/O and other things come into play.

I do a lot of code compiling and video encoding/transcoding. With those tasks I get the up to 30% increase I mention. But for day to day tasks it's more like 15-20%.