Mac mini to run both os

[Wildblood]

So lets say we have a mac mini with 2 thunderbolt displays to run "os x" on the first and "windows through parallels" on the other.

If I understand correctly with os x mavericks we shouldn't have any problems running windows in fullscreen.

So how would a mac mini perform with this config? Considering I play starcraft on windows and do small transcoding with handbrake on os x while watching a movie.

-Should I get a macpro for this or the hightest end mac mini would do it?
-Is parallels that good?

 

[stuffradio]

So lets say we have a mac mini with 2 thunderbolt displays to run "os x" on the first and "windows through parallels" on the other.

If I understand correctly with os x mavericks we shouldn't have any problems running windows in fullscreen.

So how would a mac mini perform with this config? Considering I play starcraft on windows and do small transcoding with handbrake on os x while watching a movie.

-Should I get a macpro for this or the hightest end mac mini would do it?
-Is parallels that good?

I run Visual Studio 2012 on Parallels while doing stuff on my mini.You will probably need the highest end mac mini if you want to play something like starcraft and do transcoding at the same time.

 

[Omnius]

So lets say we have a mac mini with 2 thunderbolt displays to run "os x" on the first and "windows through parallels" on the other.

If I understand correctly with os x mavericks we shouldn't have any problems running windows in fullscreen.

So how would a mac mini perform with this config? Considering I play starcraft on windows and do small transcoding with handbrake on os x while watching a movie.

-Should I get a macpro for this or the hightest end mac mini would do it?
-Is parallels that good?

You don't need parallels for starcraft 2. It will run fine in OSX. you can download the mac version from blizzards website for free since you already own starcraft 2.

 

[Wildblood]

You don't need parallels for starcraft 2. It will run fine in OSX. you can download the mac version from blizzards website for free since you already own starcraft 2.

Yeah I know and I noticed it after I did the post Thanks again.
Anyway, starcraft was just an example, I could have written bf3.

Actually the question is more like:
Can I get the hightest end mini to run both os at the same time, or should I go with a lowest end pro so the games can run smoother when doing stuff on os x.

 

[opinio]

So lets say we have a mac mini with 2 thunderbolt displays to run "os x" on the first and "windows through parallels" on the other.

If I understand correctly with os x mavericks we shouldn't have any problems running windows in fullscreen.

So how would a mac mini perform with this config? Considering I play starcraft on windows and do small transcoding with handbrake on os x while watching a movie.

-Should I get a macpro for this or the hightest end mac mini would do it?
-Is parallels that good?

Coding in handbrake while watching a movie while running a second OS in Parallels while playing a game on it... You forgot to add juggling and baking a cake...

First of all you are clearly multi-skilled

You can do what you want with a 2.6Ghz Mac mini, and also with the 2.3 I take it, although I do not have one of those. I do that all the time, although not so much the game side of it. I am usually running business applications in Windows in Parallels on the second screen. I have also run the same on a 2.0Ghz sandy quad no problem.

You will have to accept that the CPU will be running fairly hard so the fan will run. It is not an issue at all but it will definitely be running (mainly because of handbrake). At idle the CPU doesn't break 10% and the fan it minimal but with Handbrake the CPU hits 100% and the fan max's out. I have been running at that speed for years on a number of minis with no problems. It just some people freak when they hear the fan. It is the sound of a work horse to my ears. Kind of like a V8 being given a push

You will also definitely need 16GB ram. I use Corsair Vengeance.

I do recall once trying to see what would happen on the 2012 when I ran two virtual machines (Win 8 and Linux Mint), Handbrake (MKV HD AT3 encode), Aunsoft Media (same as Handbrake) and two monitors with the virtuals on the second monitor. The mini just chugged along for hours. It took a little longer to process the transcoding due to the sharing of the CPU but other wise it was fine.

As for a comparison with the new Mac Pro... Clearly the Mac Pro is (or will be) streets ahead in its capability, but will also be a lot more cost as well. I have a 2.6Ghz quad mini and it can handle what you want to do day in day out. Not problem.

I am not a gamer though so I cannot confirm that side of it.

P.S. Parallels is very good.

 

[scbond]

probably gonna be a whole lot easier and cheaper to not do all those tasks at the very same time lol. I mean, surely you aren't playing a game while watching a movie and transcoding at the same time at all?!