M1 Mac mini vs 2019 i9 iMac

[Ethosik]

So I do a lot of graphical design work mostly related to video game development, websites, promos and more. I use Photoshop and Illustrator but I do not have thousands of layers. I do need to produce videos often, but I am still at 1080p resolution - no need for 4K. I produce some small 30 seconds or less, but a lot of effects in Adobe After Effects at 4K resolution just so I do not need to upscale it later.

The core of my work, 1080p 60fps editing and compressing to h.264 or HEVC for file size benefits, has not been much faster. I used to do all of my work on a 2010 Mac Pro 6-core. My 2019 i9 iMac compresses the files about the same speed, maybe 5-10% faster. Not much of an improvement over 9 years difference between computers. The only thing my iMac does that my old Mac Pro was not able to do is HEVC exporting.

I am wondering how much better the new Mac mini would be. Sure its 16GB of RAM right now but that might not be a problem for the type of work I do. My iMac is starting to experience image retention too so I would REALLY prefer to get a Mac without a screen, and the Mac Pro is certainly too expensive IMO. The only problem is I do prefer a three screen setup but I can get by for now as the Mac mini only supports two screens.

I do know that people have said that a Mac with the T2 chip would dramatically improve my video encoding times. Since this iMac does not have that, I wonder if the new Mac mini would be a significant improvements. Internal storage is not really an issue. I have nearly all my files and do my work on an external drives. Editing and exporting videos are done on my external SSD, and storing those files are on my external hard drives and NAS.

I have some really nice titles in Final Cut Pro X that sometimes brings my 2019 i9 iMac to a crawl, and this system has 64GB of RAM. I do not think its a RAM problem though, I think its just poor optimization on the creator of those titles. It causes my GPU to go to 100% and they are just titles!

16GB of RAM should be good for me, I like to have more but my testings show I do not really require more

 

[jayducharme]

As others have said, it's hard to judge the importance of RAM with the new M1 chip; it has its memory "baked in". Considering how fast an iPad is with just 3 or 4 gb of RAM, 16 seems like overkill right now. But we won't know for sure until reviewers have test units and can put the new mini through its paces. Given Apple's focus during their keynote, though, I expect the new mini will fly through Final Cut. They kept talking how smooth it was editing 8k footage. If all you're doing is 1080, it should have plenty of horsepower.

I'm really tempted to get one myself. I do a lot of 4k editing. But I've invested so much with my current 2018 mini and external GPU, I think I'll hold off and see what Apple's new Mac Pro will be like next year.

 

[Ethosik]

As others have said, it's hard to judge the importance of RAM with the new M1 chip; it has its memory "baked in". Considering how fast an iPad is with just 3 or 4 gb of RAM, 16 seems like overkill right now. But we won't know for sure until reviewers have test units and can put the new mini through its paces. Given Apple's focus during their keynote, though, I expect the new mini will fly through Final Cut. They kept talking how smooth it was editing 8k footage. If all you're doing is 1080, it should have plenty of horsepower.

I'm really tempted to get one myself. I do a lot of 4k editing. But I've invested so much with my current 2018 mini and external GPU, I think I'll hold off and see what Apple's new Mac Pro will be like next year.

Yes sorry I should have also clarified that in my post. For video and audio work I use Final Cut Pro, GarageBand and Logic Pro. Also, I do use Motion from time to time. I use Adobe software mostly for Photoshop, Illustrator and After Effects. I really prefer Final Cut over Premiere. Also, I do use Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer too, Illustrator has one feature that I need that is missing from Affinity though.

From my testing 1080p editing and production will be fine on 16GB even 8GB. Video Production professionals and educators like Larry Jordan also says 8GB is fine for HD footage, but I will get 16GB just because I like to have more than I need.

 

[jayducharme]

If I got the new mini, I'd definitely go for 16 gb and also get 1 tb of storage. Good luck!

 

[djjeff]

As others have said, it's hard to judge the importance of RAM with the new M1 chip; it has its memory "baked in". Considering how fast an iPad is with just 3 or 4 gb of RAM, 16 seems like overkill right now. But we won't know for sure until reviewers have test units and can put the new mini through its paces. Given Apple's focus during their keynote, though, I expect the new mini will fly through Final Cut. They kept talking how smooth it was editing 8k footage. If all you're doing is 1080, it should have plenty of horsepower.

I'm really tempted to get one myself. I do a lot of 4k editing. But I've invested so much with my current 2018 mini and external GPU, I think I'll hold off and see what Apple's new Mac Pro will be like next year.

The M1 chip changes nothing wrt the amount of RAM someone needs. I don't know how this "rumor" got started but the M1 chip didn't magically change the fundamentals of RAM requirements. If a workflow requires 32 or 64 GB of RAM that same workflow will still require 32 or 64 GB of RAM on an M1 Mac.

Can we now let this myth die?

 

[djjeff]

If I relied on my Mac for a living then I wouldn't risk changing to the M1 Mac until the software you rely on has been natively ported to it and that software reviewed on one. That said the M1 Mini is inexpensive enough you may wish to consider buying one to evaluate it but I wouldn't buy one as a replacement, at least not at this time.

 

[Ethosik]

The M1 chip changes nothing wrt the amount of RAM someone needs. I don't know how this "rumor" got started but the M1 chip didn't magically change the fundamentals of RAM requirements. If a workflow requires 32 or 64 GB of RAM that same workflow will still require 32 or 64 GB of RAM on an M1 Mac.

Can we now let this myth die?

Some people don't really NEED the memory they think they do. There is a comparison video on the 2020 iMac testing 8GB, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. Sure video exporting on 8GB vs 16GB was twice as slow, but if you are on a budget OR you don't need it to be 2x faster, than you don't NEED more than 8GB. If you are fine with the slower render speed, then 8GB is fine.

People often use the term NEED incorrectly here. Its based on time constraints, budget and more. Most stuff people are using can be done, while very slowly, on an i3 with 8GB of RAM. Sure there are workflows that require even 1.5 TB of RAM.

However, I do think these people have a point to some degree. I have stressed Affinity Photo with many many layers on the iPad Pro just to benchmark the performance and it performed really well. Doing the same thing on my 2019 iMac with 64 GB of RAM shows it is taking up WAY MORE RAM than the iPad even has in total...by three times.

 

[djjeff]

Some people don't really NEED the memory they think they do. There is a comparison video on the 2020 iMac testing 8GB, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. Sure video exporting on 8GB vs 16GB was twice as slow, but if you are on a budget OR you don't need it to be 2x faster, than you don't NEED more than 8GB. If you are fine with the slower render speed, then 8GB is fine.

People often use the term NEED incorrectly here. Its based on time constraints, budget and more. Most stuff people are using can be done, while very slowly, on an i3 with 8GB of RAM. Sure there are workflows that require even 1.5 TB of RAM.

However, I do think these people have a point to some degree. I have stressed Affinity Photo with many many layers on the iPad Pro just to benchmark the performance and it performed really well. Doing the same thing on my 2019 iMac with 64 GB of RAM shows it is taking up WAY MORE RAM than the iPad even has in total...by three times.

What people need and what they think they need is irrelevant to the false notion being pushed that the M1 processor miraculously reduces the amount of RAM someone needs. I have seen this narrative brought up numerous times since the release of the M1 Macs and I find it ridiculous.

If you want to make the argument someone who states they need 32 or 64 GB of memory really doesn't then that's awful presumptuous of you but a completely unrelated argument.

And no, they don't have a point. At least no one has been able to demonstrate it as anything more than wishful thinking. Comparisons between the iPad Pro and Macintosh are irrelevant, they're two different types of systems.

 

[Ethosik]

What people need and what they think they need is irrelevant to the false notion being pushed that the M1 processor miraculously reduces the amount of RAM someone needs. I have seen this narrative brought up numerous times since the release of the M1 Macs and I find it ridiculous.

If you want to make the argument someone who states they need 32 or 64 GB of memory really doesn't then that's awful presumptuous of you but a completely unrelated argument.

And no, they don't have a point. At least no one has been able to demonstrate it as anything more than wishful thinking. Comparisons between the iPad Pro and Macintosh are irrelevant, they're two different types of systems.

And can you explain how a similar workflow on an iPad Pro with hundreds of layers doesn't use the same amount of memory as the Mac does? It still performs the same. The more memory you have, the more memory things will use. That is a fact. My 30 second Adobe After Effects project on one of my computers with 16GB of RAM uses 11 GB. On one of my computers with 128GB of RAM it used 110 GB. That does not mean I NEED 110GB+ RAM even though that is what is being reported as being used.

MANY people say 16GB is the MINIMUM required RAM these days, but that is also false. Do you NEED that much RAM? Heck I see some people still doing graphic design work and video production on 4GB RAM systems.

And I bet you would tell me I don't need 1.5 TB of RAM if I only have 3 Chrome tabs open and produce 720p video content. I wouldn't even need 16GB either!

 

[djjeff]

And can you explain how a similar workflow on an iPad Pro with hundreds of layers doesn't use the same amount of memory as the Mac does? It still performs the same. The more memory you have, the more memory things will use. That is a fact. My 30 second Adobe After Effects project on one of my computers with 16GB of RAM uses 11 GB. On one of my computers with 128GB of RAM it used 110 GB. That does not mean I NEED 110GB+ RAM even though that is what is being reported as being used.

MANY people say 16GB is the MINIMUM required RAM these days, but that is also false. Do you NEED that much RAM? Heck I see some people still doing graphic design work and video production on 4GB RAM systems.

And I bet you would tell me I don't need 1.5 TB of RAM if I only have 3 Chrome tabs open and produce 720p video content. I wouldn't even need 16GB either!

Can I explain it? Sure...either the Mac doesn't really need more memory or they are two different platforms and therefore not directly comparable. The M1 processor is not some magical processor which negates the need for 32 or 64 GB of memory for workloads that require 32 or 64 GB of memory. How this idea got started is beyond me but it is utterly and completely wrong.

As for your 3 Chrome tabs I'd say you're probably lacking memory if all you have is 1.5 GB of memory. I am stunned how much memory web browsers require

 

[filterdecay]

when doing monster conforms in protools i get out of memory errors at 64gb of ram. I have to got to prefs and drop my undos down to 2 from 32 to not get the error. I dont see how this would get better with 16gb on a m1 chip.

 

[Ethosik]

when doing monster conforms in protools i get out of memory errors at 64gb of ram. I have to got to prefs and drop my undos down to 2 from 32 to not get the error. I dont see how this would get better with 16gb on a m1 chip.

I do not think people are saying there are certain workflows that will never require more RAM. Some things appear to be better though. Obviously some professional workflows will require 64GB. Heck there are some that require the full 1.5 TB Mac Pro option.

 

[djjeff]

I do not think people are saying there are certain workflows that will never require more RAM. Some things appear to be better though. Obviously some professional workflows will require 64GB. Heck there are some that require the full 1.5 TB Mac Pro option.

What does this mean?

 

[Ethosik]

What does this mean?

Like I said before. Same workflow iPad Pro vs iMac. iMac Affinity Photo itself takes up more RAM than the iPad Pro is even capable of. So something is clearly different there. Its holding the same amount of layers, same amount of graphical data in memory. But something is clearly different.

 

[iMi]

If I got the new mini, I'd definitely go for 16 gb and also get 1 tb of storage. Good luck!

That’s exactly what I’ve ordered. If it helps, I am myself returning the new 8-core, Pro 5700XT with 64GB or ram and getting the Mini. Given everything I’ve seen thus far, I am quite confident it will do just fine. I do similar work as the OP and even more. Some of my files are quite large.

 

[iMi]

The M1 chip changes nothing wrt the amount of RAM someone needs. I don't know how this "rumor" got started but the M1 chip didn't magically change the fundamentals of RAM requirements. If a workflow requires 32 or 64 GB of RAM that same workflow will still require 32 or 64 GB of RAM on an M1 Mac.

Can we now let this myth die?

Search this forum. It’s not a myth and there are some folks here who are in the thick of it and there seems to be a consensus that the way RAM is utilized is in fact different.

 

[The Man]

Get a 16GB M1 Mac mini and internal SSD according to your needs. Don't buy any new Intel Mac. But you know Adobe always lags behind when it comes to updates, so maybe wait if you depend on Photoshop. If you think Rosetta 2 will do just fine, go for it, as I believe export times in FCP will be drastically cut, and it will just fly through renders. You'll be more productive, for sure, and have more Zen time as fan noise will probably be less.

 

[jayducharme]

That’s exactly what I’ve ordered. If it helps, I am myself returning the new 8-core, Pro 5700XT with 64GB or ram and getting the Mini. Given everything I’ve seen thus far, I am quite confident it will do just fine. I do similar work as the OP and even more. Some of my files are quite large.

Good luck with it! Let us know how it works out for you. If you’re impressed with it, I just might switch to one myself.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

You have a relatively late-model iMac now.
I would not even consider an m1 Mini until they've been "in circulation" for 3-4 months and until there are enough field tests and user reports to make a better evaluation...

 

[djjeff]

Like I said before. Same workflow iPad Pro vs iMac. iMac Affinity Photo itself takes up more RAM than the iPad Pro is even capable of. So something is clearly different there. Its holding the same amount of layers, same amount of graphical data in memory. But something is clearly different.

What do you think it is? Other than magic brought on by the M1 processor?

 

[djjeff]

Search this forum. It’s not a myth and there are some folks here who are in the thick of it and there seems to be a consensus that the way RAM is utilized is in fact different.

I am not interested in searching this thread for more examples of myth. I have yet to see anyone provide any reasonable explanation as to why a 16 GB M1 Mini would eliminate the need for 64 GB of memory for someone who has 64 GB memory requirements.

There is nothing magical wrt the M1 processor and memory requirements. Let it die already.

 

[Ethosik]

What do you think it is? Other than magic brought on by the M1 processor?

I don't know. This isn't a new x86 processor, it is a different architecture entirely. Perhaps there is some technical differences on how it works that x86 handles differently. Similarly, the argument could be made that is my iPad Pro magically generating more RAM than it has to do the work? Or are things just different? If so, there is reason to believe that those differences can be brought to macOS now. Simply put, all of the new Macs will just be enhanced iPad Pro systems since they will share the same processor. So any enhancements to iPad Pro apps to utilize memory better can be brought to macOS.

I do not really know why my iMac lists Affinity Photo using more RAM than the entire iPad can handle. I am not an engineer so I am not really sure. All I know is that Serif was able to make Affinity Photo on the iPad do the same work with RAM limitations that my Mac does differently.

 

[djjeff]

I don't know. This isn't a new x86 processor, it is a different architecture entirely. Perhaps there is some technical differences on how it works that x86 handles differently. Similarly, the argument could be made that is my iPad Pro magically generating more RAM than it has to do the work? Or are things just different? If so, there is reason to believe that those differences can be brought to macOS now. Simply put, all of the new Macs will just be enhanced iPad Pro systems since they will share the same processor. So any enhancements to iPad Pro apps to utilize memory better can be brought to macOS.

I do not really know why my iMac lists Affinity Photo using more RAM than the entire iPad can handle. I am not an engineer so I am not really sure. All I know is that Serif was able to make Affinity Photo on the iPad do the same work with RAM limitations that my Mac does differently.

Being a different architect makes no difference. The M1 is not some magic bullet. I know Apple fans think it is but it's not.

 

[Ethosik]

Being a different architect makes no difference. The M1 is not some magic bullet. I know Apple fans think it is but it's not.

Well clearly something is different if the iPad Pro can handle quite a bit thrown at it with its severe limitation on RAM. What is different, I do not know. But something is.

 

[iMi]

Being a different architect makes no difference. The M1 is not some magic bullet. I know Apple fans think it is but it's not.

You keep saying it, but why don’t you substantiate it. What do you know about it? Cite some sources or tell us what your background is and how it makes you a subject matter expert. Otherwise it’s just conjecture. Nothing more.