Instead of this Mac Mini setup, would an iMac Pro make more sense?

[gadgetfreak98]

Hi. I’ve been reading a ton of impressions on the Mac Mini and just wonder if I’m being silly cobbling everything together — or if I should just buy an iMac Pro. More below, but first my current setup:

• 2009 Mac Pro (flashed to 2010)
• 36GB Ram
• 256 SSD for OS and apps (prior Acccelsior drive died)
• User file on 2x2TB WD Black drives raided
• GT120 GPU (Prior GTX285 died long ago and GTX770 unflashed card no longer works right)
• 30” Cinema Display and 24” Dell 1080P screen

My primary uses are typically office apps, email, media consumption (not creation) and modest photo editing with high resolution DSLR photos (but would like to do more). I would like to also set this up as a homebridge server, but haven’t been able to get it to work.

It’s clear there’s not a ton of life left in this and Mac Mini seemed like a good alternative. But as I spec this out, I’m just wondering if I’m making the right long-term decision, particularly as I hear about thermal issues, GPU issues, etc. Unlike my iOS devices, I’d plan to hold on to this for a handful of years.

Initially, I was thinking about buying the following setup:

• Mac Mini i7 with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD ($1699)
• LG Ultrafine 5K ($1299)
• Akitio Thunder 3 Quad X enclosure for external drives ($350)
• Keyboard ($150)
• Trackpad ($150)
• 2 x 2TB Samsung 860 EVO SSDs (~$500)
  • Total = ~ $4150
  • HOWEVER: This does not include an eGPU
  • ALSO: I could save money on RAM and probably get to 32 for similar price with third party, but am nervous about messing up the install

As I think about the compromises, I just wonder if it makes more sense to spend on the base iMac Pro, which is on sale for $4499. Here would be the necessary purchases:

• Base iMac Pro ($4499)
• Akitio Thunder 3 Quad X enclosure for external drives ($350)
• 2 x 2TB Samsung 860 EVO SSDs (~$500)
  
• Trackpad ($150)
  
  • Total = $5499

Yes, either of these is a lot of money, and may be overkill for my needs, but I plan on keeping it for a lot of years. My Mac Pro was overkill, but lasted me a decade because of the extra overhead.

I’ve read a lot about issues with the Mac Mini driving the LG (read all 8 pages this morning). The Blackmagic with a lesser card would add $699 to the first set up. And of course, the iMac has 32GB of RAM and 1TB drive — both of which are more than I may need right this moment.

Thoughts? Thanks!

 

[macdos]

My primary uses are typically office apps, email, media consumption (not creation) and modest photo editing with high resolution DSLR photos (but would like to do more). I would like to also set this up as a homebridge server, but haven’t been able to get it to work.

Then an Imac pro is overkill^3.

 

[Cashmonee]

You should look at a 27" iMac. That is the sweet spot for your needs and will last you as long as Apple supports it on macOS. You can get an i5 or i7 refurb with an SSD for a tad over $2000. Then add your 2 SSDs for $500 and you should be hovering around $3000 depending on which configuration you get.

Both the mini you are speccing and the iMac Pro you are speccing are way overkill for your needs, and that leads you to way overspending. Not to say you can't get either of those two, just understand you would be getting them because you want to have the extreme, not because you need it or would benefit any from it. The iMac would last you just as long and would do it for significantly less money.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Agreed with the normal (not Pro) 27" iMac. Nothing you're doing is going to benefit much from 6- or 8-core. Personally I'd configure it with i7 just to make it more viable over the number of years you plan to use it though.

 

[gadgetfreak98]

Agreed with the normal (not Pro) 27" iMac. Nothing you're doing is going to benefit much from 6- or 8-core. Personally I'd configure it with i7 just to make it more viable over the number of years you plan to use it though.

Thanks for the replies. Just a bit reluctant to spend on something that is clearly at the end of the line. Maybe I just make it work with the Mac Pro just a little while longer... ugh

 

[Sarpanch]

Thanks for the replies. Just a bit reluctant to spend on something that is clearly at the end of the line. Maybe I just make it work with the Mac Pro just a little while longer... ugh

That would be the best option, if you can make the Mac Pro work a little longer.
For anyone that needs the 27” 5k screen, the regular iMac offers the most value for money spent. With 6 core options guaranteed for the upcoming iMac, it’s really worth the wait.

 

[Ploki]

Thanks for the replies. Just a bit reluctant to spend on something that is clearly at the end of the line. Maybe I just make it work with the Mac Pro just a little while longer... ugh

Yeah just wait or get the mini.

 

[gadgetfreak98]

Yeah just wait or get the mini.

Conclusion. Returned the mini. Didn’t buy the iMac Pro. The 2009 soldiers on into decade two...

 

[Fishrrman]

2017 iMac 3.5ghz with an SSD inside would be "more than you need".

You can wait for the 2019 iMacs, and they'll probably be quite nice, but they're gonna come with t2 chips inside.
The current iMac is the last of its kind that DOESN'T have the t2 inside...

 

[shaunp]

iMac Pro is overkill for photo editing. The mini would suffice, but if you are already considering an all-in-one then the 27" iMac would be a better option. It's plenty fast enough for photo editing and the other tasks you do, and it's much cheaper than the iMac Pro. You can also upgrade the RAM yourself and save some money there too. The only downside to the iMac it it's age and it's very likely to be upgraded in the first few months of 2019. Wait if you can

 

[netnothing]

I was in a similar situation to yourself. I was coming from a 2010 Mac Pro and looking to upgrade. After reading about the new Mac Mini and some of the issues related to the T2 chip as well as the under powered GPU I decided to get a very nice new iMac 5K.

I’m extremely happy with my decision. I ended up with the i7 version just to help future proof it. I do mostly web development work so I don’t need a ton of multicore processing. I was more interested in the higher overall single core clock speed. I also didn’t want to get involved with any T2 chip crashes as I use this as my primary business machine.

Good luck with whatever decision you make. I don’t think you’d be disappointed if you went with the current 2017 iMac. And I agree with what others have said that the iMac Pro is most likely over powered for your needs.

 

[gadgetfreak98]

I was in a similar situation to yourself. I was coming from a 2010 Mac Pro and looking to upgrade. After reading about the new Mac Mini and some of the issues related to the T2 chip as well as the under powered GPU I decided to get a very nice new iMac 5K.

I’m extremely happy with my decision. I ended up with the i7 version just to help future proof it. I do mostly web development work so I don’t need a ton of multicore processing. I was more interested in the higher overall single core clock speed. I also didn’t want to get involved with any T2 chip crashes as I use this as my primary business machine.

Good luck with whatever decision you make. I don’t think you’d be disappointed if you went with the current 2017 iMac. And I agree with what others have said that the iMac Pro is most likely over powered for your needs.

I was in a similar situation to yourself. I was coming from a 2010 Mac Pro and looking to upgrade. After reading about the new Mac Mini and some of the issues related to the T2 chip as well as the under powered GPU I decided to get a very nice new iMac 5K.

I’m extremely happy with my decision. I ended up with the i7 version just to help future proof it. I do mostly web development work so I don’t need a ton of multicore processing. I was more interested in the higher overall single core clock speed. I also didn’t want to get involved with any T2 chip crashes as I use this as my primary business machine.

Good luck with whatever decision you make. I don’t think you’d be disappointed if you went with the current 2017 iMac. And I agree with what others have said that the iMac Pro is most likely over powered for your needs.

Thanks all. I almost pulled the trigger on an i7 iMac that was well speced at B&H for $400 off. But I couldn’t quite stomach buying a device like that over a year old knowing something else is probably right around the corner. So what’s another few months after nearly 10 years.

 

[jinnyman]

If iMacs were updated, I would wholeheartedly recommend iMac 5k, but the internals, while they are still powerful enough for most of users, are too old to recommend. Try to find a nice discount deal.

 

[Fishrrman]

The OP proposes spending more than 4,000 on a new Mac Mini.
I just can't get my understandin' around why anyone would want to do this.
Especially for the use case he describes...

 

[Cashmonee]

The OP proposes spending more than 4,000 on a new Mac Mini.
I just can't get my understandin' around why anyone would want to do this.
Especially for the use case he describes...

Forum hype. All of the talk about people needing 6 cores and 32 GB of RAM leads others to believe everyone needs that stuff. There are very few that actually need most of the upgrades in a mini. However, in a forum like this you tend to have a high concentration of people that need it or want it, and so when a regular person comes in who is just trying to make sure they get a good enough spec to last, they see a lot of talking about anything less than 32 GB of RAM being insufficient and assume they need it too.

 

[Boyd01]

I agree... both of your options are massive over-kill for "office apps, email, media consumption (not creation) and modest photo editing". I understand the part about wanting to get something good that you will keep for a number of years, but this is just a waste of money IMO. I think you should buy something that meets your current needs and deal with the future when it arrives. Spending $5,000 on a computer that is much more powerful than you need doesn't make sense, especially since you haven't even suggested what things you'll do in the future that require that kind of power.

If your only options are an old 2009 computer or a $5,000 new computer then IMO you need to think this through again.

 

[gadgetfreak98]

Frankly, after 10 years with my current Mac, I was looking for a new toy to take advantage of some of the new technologies available. Not that I wanted to throw money away, but it was kind of like buying a car with more power than you would ever need. Sometimes it's fun to know the power is there even if the fact is you rarely get to open it up and push the limits. Not that I have such a car, but think that's sort of the concept in my mind of why I was lusting after one or the other of these options. And also, I keep thinking that if I could ever find the time, I would love to do more video editing of my kids, etc.

Anyway, I ended up not spending the money, as I felt I couldn't really justify it as many have noted above. Instead, I've doubled down on the 2009 Mac Pro and bought a processor upgrade, put in a cheap M.2 drive now that NVMe works natively and upgraded to Mojave. So I think I have extended its life another couple of years and the changes make for a notably much snappier device for not a lot of money.

It did take an enormous amount of tinkering to get everything to work right, but that was part of the fun. And I suppose that fun of an open system runs counter to what would happen with either closed device like the Mac Mini or the iMac. So maybe that's for the best...

Thanks again for the reality check... And happy 10th to my Mac Pro!

 

[Hessel89]

i7 Mac Mini 1449
LG Ultrafine 1399
Blackmagic eGPU 699
Trackpad + Keyboard 248
_______________________

Total cost: 3795,-

That's assuming you have to buy everything new. Still cheaper then an iMac Pro.

 

[shaunp]

Frankly, after 10 years with my current Mac, I was looking for a new toy to take advantage of some of the new technologies available. Not that I wanted to throw money away, but it was kind of like buying a car with more power than you would ever need. Sometimes it's fun to know the power is there even if the fact is you rarely get to open it up and push the limits. Not that I have such a car, but think that's sort of the concept in my mind of why I was lusting after one or the other of these options. And also, I keep thinking that if I could ever find the time, I would love to do more video editing of my kids, etc.

Anyway, I ended up not spending the money, as I felt I couldn't really justify it as many have noted above. Instead, I've doubled down on the 2009 Mac Pro and bought a processor upgrade, put in a cheap M.2 drive now that NVMe works natively and upgraded to Mojave. So I think I have extended its life another couple of years and the changes make for a notably much snappier device for not a lot of money.

It did take an enormous amount of tinkering to get everything to work right, but that was part of the fun. And I suppose that fun of an open system runs counter to what would happen with either closed device like the Mac Mini or the iMac. So maybe that's for the best...

Thanks again for the reality check... And happy 10th to my Mac Pro!

There is another alternative if you just want to tinker and see what is possible. Build yourself a hackintosh. Seems like you might enjoy that kind of project.

 

[gadgetfreak98]

There is another alternative if you just want to tinker and see what is possible. Build yourself a hackintosh. Seems like you might enjoy that kind of project.

I definitely would enjoy that. Just not sure I have the time to support it through the twists and turns to come with each software update, etc. But if I ever do get around to it, one of the nice things, I suppose, about the Mac Pro setup is that many of the components I just invested a bit into can be used (like the GPU, which was the largest expense).

But for now, I'm pretty happy with the hours I did get to invest over the last week. It ain't perfect, but it certainly makes my computer feel mostly fresh again and hopefully will serve my needs for a bit...

 

[marclondon]

A lot of us are at this crossroads now. I have a 2012 Mini set up that's showing its age. Obviously the key is to wait for the new iMac - that will make a decision much easier. But spending more on a spec you don't technically need also has an intangible boost in wellbeing, as long as your partner doesn't kill/divorce you. There are ads for Alfa Romeo running at present in the UK - they play on desire for something nice and not necessarily cost effective.

 

[ElectronGuru]

But spending more on a spec you don't technically need also has an intangible boost in wellbeing,

I have a work Mac and a play Mac and started out wanting to replace my 2010 mini with a 2014. Well under $500 would get me years worth of fun. But I had a very rough year and wanted some kind of treat. Ended up spending twice that budget!

 

[grandM]

A lot of us are at this crossroads now. I have a 2012 Mini set up that's showing its age. Obviously the key is to wait for the new iMac - that will make a decision much easier. But spending more on a spec you don't technically need also has an intangible boost in wellbeing, as long as your partner doesn't kill/divorce you. There are ads for Alfa Romeo running at present in the UK - they play on desire for something nice and not necessarily cost effective.

I added a SSD to my mini 2012
Works fine on Mojave now

 

[fastlanephil]

I definitely would enjoy that. Just not sure I have the time to support it through the twists and turns to come with each software update, etc. But if I ever do get around to it, one of the nice things, I suppose, about the Mac Pro setup is that many of the components I just invested a bit into can be used (like the GPU, which was the largest expense).

But for now, I'm pretty happy with the hours I did get to invest over the last week. It ain't perfect, but it certainly makes my computer feel mostly fresh again and hopefully will serve my needs for a bit...

It sounds like you’re a little bit of a gadget freak but common sence prevailed.