Is the Mini M2 Pro better than the MacBook Pro M1 Pro?

[Fozziebear40]

Do you think the Mini M2 Pro is better than the MacBook Pro M1 Pro (clamshell), both 16GB / 512GB?

I use my MacBook M1 Pro 14” as a desktop now 100% clamshell with dual 27” screens and it is silent, fans very rarely come on.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

Better in what regard? You need to be specific.

 

[tstafford]

For sure. It has a faster processor and more I/O.

But there is zero chance I would spend any money to change it out.

 

[mouthster]

At 512 it has a slower SSD compared to M1 Pro though. I would wait for 3nm chips to see big gains.

 

[Fozziebear40]

Better in what regard? You need to be specific.

Nothing in particular. They are roughly the same price in the UK. I may need to give my son the MacBook Pro so I would want to replace it with similar. As I am 99% going to use it as a desktop with dual screens, I was thinking of the Mac mini M2 Pro. I have an iPad Pro for away from the desk browsing etc.

 

[Betamagic]

The Mac mini M2 Pro is only slightly faster than MacBook Pro M1 Pro. The Mac mini M2 Pro I received yesterday is not as silent as the MacBook Pro 16" M1 Pro I have.

 

[Fozziebear40]

The fan noise would be a deal breaker for me. I liked the Studio until I heard about the fan noise. Might stick with the MacBook Pro, or, an M2 non pro might be good enough as it drives 2 monitors both at 60Hz if it’s silent.

 

[Fozziebear40]

Well I tried the Mac mini M2 base model and it doesn't drive two 4K displays at the required scaling that my MacBook Pro M1 Pro does. I've had it confirmed that the Mac mini M2 Pro does, but at £1399 I may keep my MacBook Pro running in clamshell mode. It is completely silent, fans at 0 rpm and with SSD speeds faster than the mini. It begs the question that a discounted MacBook Pro M1 Pro at £1400 maybe a better buy than the mini M2 Pro?

 

[Betamagic]

It begs the question that a discounted MacBook Pro M1 Pro at £1400 maybe a better buy than the mini M2 Pro?

I hate using a MacBook in clamshell mode, but I hate fan noise even more. So I returned the Mac mini M2 Pro. The mini was perhaps slightly faster, and the extra connections are really convenient, but I'm spoiled by 0 rpm fans.