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lol. my full spec 2018 Mac Mini's worth just got slashed in half.
- Thread starter Hessel89
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Eh, you can upgrade the RAM, it has more ports. If anything I think you might see a bump in value.
I see what you mean.
I've just bought a new 2018 8Gb/128Gb SSD i3 Mac mini in that lovely space grey 3 weeks ago for only £499 and its still within its return period. I know I can upgrade this to 32Gb RAM for £100 and I've already for a 1TB thunderbolt 3 SSD for it.
I was contemplating the return but then saw the M1 MacMini has less ports and no way to upgrade the RAM...and its costs more.
My brain is saying keep what I have, my lust is going for the latest shiny because its XXX times faster and can run iOS/iPad OS apps and pay £180 more (but be stuck with the 8GB RAM).
I've just bought a new 2018 8Gb/128Gb SSD i3 Mac mini in that lovely space grey 3 weeks ago for only £499 and its still within its return period. I know I can upgrade this to 32Gb RAM for £100 and I've already for a 1TB thunderbolt 3 SSD for it.
I was contemplating the return but then saw the M1 MacMini has less ports and no way to upgrade the RAM...and its costs more.
My brain is saying keep what I have, my lust is going for the latest shiny because its XXX times faster and can run iOS/iPad OS apps and pay £180 more (but be stuck with the 8GB RAM).
Honestly, when an iPhone has 6GB of Ram do you really wanna be stuck with a Mac that only has 8 in 2020? I found 8 woefully inadequate on both my MBP and my mini until I upgraded it.
Precisely which is why I plan to move to 32GB in the near future....but on the M1 Macs, that aftermarket activity is not available.
Is there a possibility for a thunderbolt driven RAM for these SOC chips? Just like we have managed to hook up GPU's to thin and tiny laptops?
I think the RAM will not be an issue for much longer, the SSDs are so fast now and combine that with an integrated architecture, this is a different class CPU.
It has been years since Apple has touted RAM as part of their specs. Because if RAM was so important in a new Apple Chip they would do their fair share of "5x faster RAM".
I think more and more RAM is only useful for Intel CPUs where the bottlenecks are more apparent at this point.
It has been years since Apple has touted RAM as part of their specs. Because if RAM was so important in a new Apple Chip they would do their fair share of "5x faster RAM".
I think more and more RAM is only useful for Intel CPUs where the bottlenecks are more apparent at this point.
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Depends what you’re doing. Working with large RAW files, 4K Video etc still need the same RAM considerations regardless of the CPU architecture. Those file types don’t suddenly become smaller or have a lower memory footprint.
Binaries will be handled more efficiently for sure.
Binaries will be handled more efficiently for sure.
Don't factor resale value into electronics purchases. Figure how much you can comfortably spend based on a 2-3 year use cycle and enjoy any additional years. It's a much safer analysis. Normally the mini lags everything else on updates. I think they're out early here, partly because they make cost effective dev kits.
the full spec one shouldn't get a decrease in price since the i5 and higher are still sold. the core i3 mini is where I think the price will tank. I'm super excited to see this new mini in action though. i so want to get my hands on one .
Personally, I see the 2018/2020 Mini as a better overall machine:
- Upgradable RAM
- Run Windows 10 natively
- More ports
- eGPU capability
- Can be found cheaper brand new through the channel
- Support 3 monitors rather than 2
- Space grey colour 😀
I can't see the price tanking when you can currently pick up an i3 Mini (which is more expandable) and can currently be had for between £/$ 400-500. Still a better value proposition in my book for entry level workloads.
I fully get that. For me though im on a 2017 Imac dual core i5 1080p screen. The budget model. To me it seems like a better option for future longevity then to buy a intel mini.
Still delighted with my 2018 i7 Mini:
* Has 64gb RAM and I regularly use more than 32gb
* Runs Windows 10 in Parallels faster than my old dual core i5 PC
* Runs thousands of dollars of legacy CAD, 3d and database apps in Mountain Lion and Sierra with Parallels
* Has 4 USB-C ports
* Has 10gb ethernet
* It's Space Grey.
I think these new Apple Silicon machines will be very nice when they mature, but at the moment they just don't fit my needs.
* Has 64gb RAM and I regularly use more than 32gb
* Runs Windows 10 in Parallels faster than my old dual core i5 PC
* Runs thousands of dollars of legacy CAD, 3d and database apps in Mountain Lion and Sierra with Parallels
* Has 4 USB-C ports
* Has 10gb ethernet
* It's Space Grey.
I think these new Apple Silicon machines will be very nice when they mature, but at the moment they just don't fit my needs.
It is (in some ways) but not for long, remember the new Mini is the new entry-level, different machine to the existing one still available to buy. Once the more 'Pro' model comes along that will be different. Wrong comparison.
Wait until Apple start putting their 'new features' for macOS into only the ARM version and the Intel version just becomes maintenance.
I bought my 2018 Mini SPECIFICALLY so I would NOT have to migrate to the ARM platform for quite some time.
I wanted an Intel "box" that would continue to run 32 bit software... for as long as I can keep it running.
Perhaps someday I'll get an ARM Mac.
But no plans to do so in the next 5-8 years (if I'm still around...)
I wanted an Intel "box" that would continue to run 32 bit software... for as long as I can keep it running.
Perhaps someday I'll get an ARM Mac.
But no plans to do so in the next 5-8 years (if I'm still around...)
Well i just purchased a Mac Mini 2011 16gb ram, samsung 256gb ssd for £160 off ebay. Will patch it so it can latest mac osx.
I'd run that 2018/2020 as long as you want/can. I am still on a 2012 and, although it would be nice to upgrade, I really cannot justify it for the cleaner interface, etc.