Mac Mini noob here. Behold... questions inside ;)

[NoSeMac]

My wife has been a Mac user for 10 years, but she doesn't know hardware.
I know hardware, but I don't know software... or any MacOS capabilities.
I decided to leave Windows behind which is a hard thing to do for me since I'm so used to it.

That said, what is needed to run Final Cut Pro properly. Will 8GB of memory be enough or 16gb?
And I can't decide if the i5 CPU is enough or should I look at a more future proof CPU?
I edit mostly with 1080p 50fps, but occasionally with 4k 30fps. For now I only have one screen, but I wouldn't be surprised if I decided to get two.

Also, can I use my good ol' Samsung 27" monitor to do the job? It has a maximum resolution of 1920x1080

 

[macdos]

i5 will do, Final cut will use T2 anyway. 8 GB of RAM is way too little.

iGPU uses 1.5 GB of RAM, and so you are stuck with 6.5 GB. That is not enough for using Final cut properly. Up to 32 GB or more, preferably.

Your 2K monitor will work, but it is not optimal if you intend to make 4K videos or want some proper screen estate.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I can just tell you that the bare minimum amount of memory should be 16GB. I don't use FCP but I can say that even the i3 is extremely fast because it's a quad core CPU. I chose the base model i5 because of the extra storage and it was on sale at Amazon for $929. IMO, the i5 is the sweet spot and if you are custom ordering a new Mini, I'd consider 32GB of RAM which is currently in my Mini and at least 512GB of SSD storage.

 

[Fishrrman]

16gb of RAM should handle it. Maybe 32gb, but that costs more.
I'd spend the extra $200 for the i7 CPU.

That should handle Final Cut and 4k without problems.
You DO want to create "proxy media" when working with 4k in Final Cut.