Mac Mini vs iMac

[Scarboose]

Hey Everyone! I am in need of some input/advice. I currently have a late 2015 27" iMac. I love the display, speakers and overall design. I regret not putting in an SSD over the standard 1 TB hard drive..... I currently have a PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. I have been toying with the idea of selling the iMac and purchasing a Mac mini and one amazing monitor that can handle all 3 essentially. Hopefully I could take advantage of split screen too between the 3 devices.

I mainly use my computer to watch streams, videos, movies and play a few games though, so sound and display are important to me. I know I won't have a 5k monitor if I make the change and will most likely fall back to a 4k, which isn't a big deal.

Would it be best to purchase one amazing monitor for all 3 and upgrade my Mac or just purchase a more basic monitor for the PS4 and Switch?

 

[IowaLynn]

OWC Aura Pro X2 1.0TB SSD for iMac Models

Get all the tools and installation components you need to upgrade the SSD of your 27-inch or 21.5-inch iMac (Late 2013 - 2019).

eshop.macsales.com

 

[neoelectronaut]

The post-2012 iMacs are a little more of a hassle to get into but are easily upgradable once you do so.

I say crack 'er open, drop in a SSD, and get another two to three years out of the computer before you consider upgrading. If you have the desk space, grab a second display and set up as both a display you can use for the iMac and something you can plug in your other devices to.

 

[Spectrum]

The post-2012 iMacs are a little more of a hassle to get into but are easily upgradable once you do so.

I say crack 'er open, drop in a SSD, and get another two to three years out of the computer before you consider upgrading. If you have the desk space, grab a second display and set up as both a display you can use for the iMac and something you can plug in your other devices to.

Or just boot from a fast USB3 SSD external. It will make a MASSIVE difference. (Assuming you don't currently have a 1 TB Fusion drive).

 

[Scarboose]

I did not consider going with the external SSD route. The 1 TB hard drive (not a fusion, glad its not honestly) is my only regret with this machine.

What do you think then, should I get an SSD and put the OS on it or everything?

 

[Spectrum]

I did not consider going with the external SSD route. The 1 TB hard drive (not a fusion, glad its not honestly) is my only regret with this machine.

What do you think then, should I get an SSD and put the OS on it or everything?

Fusion drives are a lot better than people give them credit. For non-specialist use they are way better than a HDD only.

Depending on how much space you are using on your current 1TB HDD, I'd get soemthing like a USB3 Samsung T5, and install both the bootable OS, and all your user directory/files on it. Stick the drive to the back of the Mac with some velcro pads, and treat it just like it were an integral (internal) part of the machine.

You can use the internal HDD as a local Time Machine backup if you desire it, or for separate storage of large media files if you wnat to save space/price on the T5 external SSD.

Samsung T5 1TB External Portable Solid State Drive/SSD - Deep Black

Buy from Scan - 1TB Samsung T5 MU-PA1T0B/EU, Portable External SSD, USB 3.1 Gen2/Type-C, Bus Powered, Deep Black

www.scan.co.uk

This model comes with a USB-C type cable only (I think), so you will need an adapter, or a USB-C to USB-A cable. It comes with both cable types too!

 

[dogslobber]

Fusion drives are a lot better than people give them credit. For non-specialist use they are way better than a HDD only.

Anything is better than a spinner but today is almost 2020, not the 80s. Apple selling spinning disk contraptions in their flagship desktop is like a knee to the nads. It's simply painful.

 

[bigfatipod]

Fusion was great when it came out, but as the machine gets older I think they are more of a liability. My mini had a fusion that was great, but one of the drives started error'ing. The great part about fusion, of course, is their price. These days, I think it makes great sense to go with an SSD - external if its for an older machine like yours. Take a look around Black Friday / Cyber Monday and I bet they'll have good deals on 1 and 2tb ssd drives you could consider.

 

[oldtime]

I agree with the consensus here. Get an SSD and boot from it. The current MM is nice but has its problems, some not so insignificant. And that iMac display is really beautiful. Not too pricey to get the SSD now, enjoy the iMac for another year or so and then maybe upgrade to the latest iteration of the MM, one that hopefully irons out the wrinkles plaguing the 2018.

 

[ursamaior]

The only contraindication of the external SSD is that the USB ports A and C do not have TRIM support.
Over time, you will see a heavy performance degradation.
I periodically (about once every 7-8 months) am forced to format the SSD in NTFS on Windows 10 to restore the initial speed.
The alternative is to buy a samsung X5: it is much faster and uses TB

 

[Spectrum]

The only contraindication of the external SSD is that the USB ports A and C do not have TRIM support.
Over time, you will see a heavy performance degradation.
I periodically (about once every 7-8 months) am forced to format the SSD in NTFS on Windows 10 to restore the initial speed.
The alternative is to buy a samsung X5: it is much faster and uses TB

Interesting...I wasn't aware. Is this only an issue if the drive is relatively full? Or is it proportional to the total GB of writes being made?

 

[ursamaior]

The second one you said... Especially if you delete files
I monitor periodically the speed of my SSD with Blackmagic Speed Test.
The last time, before being forced to format it, it had reached 40 MB/s in writing... After Trimming it, it returned to its standard 480 MB/s