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Mac Mini M6 or M5 Pro for my use?

VTGuy79

VTGuy79

macrumors regular
Original poster
I currently have a Mac Mini, M1, 8GB, 256GB drive.

I use it for: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, Canon Digitial Photo Processing (DPP), Pages and Numbers work, iMovie and Final Cut Pro.

The videos that I edit are 4k, recorded on an iphone (usually HVEC, rarely ProRes) or Canon 5D MKIV. Exported total video duration is 10-30minute 4k videos. I typically edit my videos and then export and walk away. I also use ffmpeg to convert videos when needed. I have a couple of external drives for editing.

Looking at the M6 Mini, 32GB, 1TB for $1500~ (trade in) vs M5 Pro Mini, 48GB, 1TB for $2339 (trade in).

I am buying to last 7+ years, if possible.
 
VTGuy79 said:
I currently have a Mac Mini, M1, 8GB, 256GB drive.

I use it for: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, Canon Digitial Photo Processing (DPP), Pages and Numbers work, iMovie and Final Cut Pro.

The videos that I edit are 4k, recorded on an iphone (usually HVEC, rarely ProRes) or Canon 5D MKIV. Exported total video duration is 10-30minute 4k videos. I typically edit my videos and then export and walk away. I also use ffmpeg to convert videos when needed. I have a couple of external drives for editing.

Looking at the M6 Mini, 32GB, 1TB for $1500~ (trade in) vs M5 Pro Mini, 48GB, 1TB for $2339 (trade in).

I am buying to last 7+ years, if possible.
Click to expand...

You don't say whether you're having any significant problems with your current set up....is it just thinking it's time to upgrade after getting good service out of the M1?

If things are currently kinda ok, then either system will be good....so maybe save the money?
 
Macky-Mac said:
You don't say whether you're having any significant problems with your current set up....is it just thinking it's time to upgrade after getting good service out of the M1?

If things are currently kinda ok, then either system will be good....so maybe save the money?
Click to expand...
I agree. The only reason I could maybe see upgrading is for a machine with more RAM. OP would be fine with any M1 Pro and above with more RAM. It is going to run all that stuff fine. I even wonder how much of an improvement you would notice going with the newer chips over an M1 Max. I work in Adobe CC (Indesign, Illustrator and Photoshop) and there is no noticeable difference with our other Macs that are M4's and M5's with similar RAM. Mine is 32 gigs, theirs is 24 gigs. I have an M1 Max and the others are M4/5 pros.
 
For Lightroom plus Final Cut HEVC that you walk away from, the M6 Mini at 32GB / 1TB is the better buy. You are paying for cores that sit in a background export, not for the extra unified memory the M5 Pro 48GB would give you, and that jump is about $800.

32GB is enough if you are not stacking huge Photoshop files on top of a 4K timeline at the same time. Get 48GB only if you already know you keep 50+ layer PSDs open during grade. 1TB is tight if Lightroom originals live on the internal drive; budget an external SSD for the catalog originals either way.

I would not spend the Pro tax unless you also need the extra GPU for continuous playback of heavy effects while exporting. Your workflow is walk-away encode, so the Mini wins.
 
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