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Is it a no brainer to top up $70 for a M2
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I use geekbench.com for comparing CPUs:
(The link is for single core performance results, there's a link on the page to multicore results.)
Mac mini (Late 2020) Apple M1 @ 3.2 GHz
Single core performance:
2355
Multi core performance:
8414
Mac mini (2023) Apple M2 @ 3.5 GHz
Single core performance:
2636
Multi core performance:
9760
The difference isn't very big.
Is this small percentage extra cpu power, most of it due to the 3.2/3.5 gHz difference, worth $70?
It's up to you.
I went from a M1 mini to a M2 mini and didn't notice much difference at all. Maybe a touch of extra snappiness overall, but no real difference in my cpu-demanding Pro Tools or Adobe apps.
The M2 Pro mini on the other hand, made a big difference; a couple of extra cores, allows for more ram, two more TB ports etc, but that's another story.
(The link is for single core performance results, there's a link on the page to multicore results.)
Mac mini (Late 2020) Apple M1 @ 3.2 GHz
Single core performance:
2355
Multi core performance:
8414
Mac mini (2023) Apple M2 @ 3.5 GHz
Single core performance:
2636
Multi core performance:
9760
The difference isn't very big.
Is this small percentage extra cpu power, most of it due to the 3.2/3.5 gHz difference, worth $70?
It's up to you.
I went from a M1 mini to a M2 mini and didn't notice much difference at all. Maybe a touch of extra snappiness overall, but no real difference in my cpu-demanding Pro Tools or Adobe apps.
The M2 Pro mini on the other hand, made a big difference; a couple of extra cores, allows for more ram, two more TB ports etc, but that's another story.
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All else being equal I would get the M2 over the M1 for the additional $70. Performance differences for many use cases may be indistingiushable but I bet the M2 will get at least one additional year of support. Of course it will be years before that's an issue. But unless you plan on replacing it much sooner anyway, I'd still say that's worth $70.
I would get the M2. Disclaimer, I have neither, but have watched a lot of M2 Mac Mini reviews. Many say the bluetooth in the M1 had constant dropouts, and the M2 model seems to have fixed that. Also Wifi 6E, maybe you don't need that now but it's nice to be future-proofed. Lastly, resale value. M1 models will probably start dropping in price faster when the rumoured M4 models get released.
Completely agree with the extra software supported years - that's the single biggest benefit, followed by Wifi 6e (although you might not gain full benefit unless wifi systems are upgraded accordingly). If an extra small outlay gets the M2 then go for that.