Mac Pro 6,1 or MacMini 2018

[FirDerrig33]

Hello, everyone. I am in the market for a new computer now (well, new to me) and hoping for some advice. I am not a huge fan of the M architecture Macs at the moment just due to the way that memory is being handled to the point that it seems as though what it comes pre-installed with still isn't enough. And the upgrade to more unified memory is just ridiculously expensive.

I still like Intel machines and the ability to dual/triple boot and hoping for some insight here.

I can get a maxed out Mac Pro 6,1 for ~ $800 or I can get maxed out Mac mini 2018 for ~$550.

What do all of you think are the pros/cons of each?

I've thought of a few things of course:
1. No AVX2 support for the 6,1,
2. no SSD upgradeability or anything past 64GB RAM for the MM
3. the MM is still supported for the most recent MacOS

But I would also like to continue using the peripherals that I do have. I still love my 27" ACD w/mini Display port and don't want to get crazy with the need to buy a bunch of docks/dongles etc.

Thank you all for taking a look and I appreciate your time!

 

[joevt]

64 GB is a lot of RAM. Do you need 128GB?
The MacPro6,1 can be upgraded to 128GB for a couple hundred dollars.
MacPro6,1 is limited to 4K60 displays.

MacMini8,1 has Thunderbolt 3. You can get 2800 MB/s from Thunderbolt SSDs. You can software raid 4000 MB/s. You can connect an eGPU to support 4K240 or 8K60 displays.
Dongles are cheap. Docks are expensive. Maybe a Thunderbolt 4 or 5 Hub?

 

[Boyd01]

Still loving my maxxed-out 2018 Mini after 5 years of very heavy usage. I make extensive use of a 32gb Windows 10 VM with Parallels to run professional GIS software to make maps for my web app. This can involve 24/7 continuous export of map tiles and large raster imagery. For example, over the past week I crunched around 500gb of source .tif files into almost 6 million tiles (256x256 pixel .jpg files) that compressed down to 60gb. I continue running Mac apps at the same time, although sometimes it gets slow and memory becomes tight. Has been very stable though and has only crashed when I'm clearly pushing beyond the limit.

Now, I will say that it runs very hot - I swear you could boil a tea kettle on it. But I'm sure it was designed to do that. There have been a lot of posts from people concerned about the temperatures, but no big deal for me. The fans can also be pretty loud when you push it hard. Blends in well with other ambient indoor noises (and my tinnitus!) but I almost always have music playing anyway.

But if you're the sort of person who thinks computers should be quiet and cool, then you might not be happy with a 2018 Mini (unless your usage is really light). I had a 2012 quad Mini before this however, and it also ran hot... so, nothing really new for me.

The integrated Intel graphics are clearly a weak point, although not a problem for my usage. I normally work with a single 32" BenQ display at its native 2560x1440 resolution. There was considerable discussion of the 2018 Mini struggling with scaled resolutions in the past, so I intentionally bought a screen that I could use at its native resolution. I also have a Sony 1080p production monitor that I only use for video editing (which I haven't done much recently). As soon as I plug that in, I can tell the Mini has to work harder and it gets hotter. So, you might want to keep it simple with the screens. Of course, the 2018 Mini supports eGPU's, if you want to go that route.

 

[FirDerrig33]

Still loving my maxxed-out 2018 Mini after 5 years of very heavy usage. I make extensive use of a 32gb Windows 10 VM with Parallels to run professional GIS software to make maps for my web app. This can involve 24/7 continuous export of map tiles and large raster imagery. For example, over the past week I crunched around 500gb of source .tif files into almost 6 million tiles (256x256 pixel .jpg files) that compressed down to 60gb. I continue running Mac apps at the same time, although sometimes it gets slow and memory becomes tight. Has been very stable though and has only crashed when I'm clearly pushing beyond the limit.

Now, I will say that it runs very hot - I swear you could boil a tea kettle on it. But I'm sure it was designed to do that. There have been a lot of posts from people concerned about the temperatures, but no big deal for me. The fans can also be pretty loud when you push it hard. Blends in well with other ambient indoor noises (and my tinnitus!) but I almost always have music playing anyway.

But if you're the sort of person who thinks computers should be quiet and cool, then you might not be happy with a 2018 Mini (unless your usage is really light). I had a 2012 quad Mini before this however, and it also ran hot... so, nothing really new for me.

The integrated Intel graphics are clearly a weak point, although not a problem for my usage. I normally work with a single 32" BenQ display at its native 2560x1440 resolution. There was considerable discussion of the 2018 Mini struggling with scaled resolutions in the past, so I intentionally bought a screen that I could use at its native resolution. I also have a Sony 1080p production monitor that I only use for video editing (which I haven't done much recently). As soon as I plug that in, I can tell the Mini has to work harder and it gets hotter. So, you might want to keep it simple with the screens. Of course, the 2018 Mini supports eGPU's, if you want to go that route.

Well that's good to know and see. I am no longer a "power user" and really looking for something stable that will handle basically a home user+ idea. Mostly streaming iTunes/AppleTV, multiple windows in Safari and other browsers, perhaps Linux booting along with Windows, etc. Nothing too serious. I've sen though that a M1 iMac w/ 16GB Unified memory isn't enough and I do not have the 2k+ budget to get into the M-series Macs at this point.

And I'm fine with a machine running hot, I just want something that performs well and will continue to I don't think that my usage will result in the 2018 Mini going crazy. My Goa was also not to load up my desk with adapters and dongles and things like that. My current machines are a 2014 Mini dual i5 with 8GB of RAM that just can't keep up with things, and my Mac Pro 5,1 with OCLP running Monterey that just uses too much energy doing things that a different machine could. I do love this machine though but my electric bill is never something to be happy about.

The display resolution would most likely be fine since the 27" ACD is already 2560x1440, and even going down to a single display for me would most likely be fine.

Is the 2013 Mac Pro just a machine that doesn't really fit anywhere within the ecosystem any more? I considered at one point getting that machine and splitting the 12 cores and 128GB Memory between the boot OS and a VM just for fun and it would still run the OS that I'm already satisfied with.

 

[Fishrrman]

I predict that if you buy an Intel-based Mac TODAY, within 2 years you are going to very much regret having done so.

Get something with an m-series CPU, properly-equipped, that will last you a good 5-7 years (at least).

 

[FirDerrig33]

I predict that if you buy an Intel-based Mac TODAY, within 2 years you are going to very much regret having done so.

Get something with an m-series CPU, properly-equipped, that will last you a good 5-7 years (at least).

I might be regretting it but I've been using a a Mac Pro 5,1 for a few years now and that machine is old and technically not supported anymore. Luckily for me others have done lots of work to continue making things that allow into keep working with modifications and upgrades. And I don't really do that much anyway anymore that would require me to spend a lot of money on something. I might regret it but I hope not.

I was just getting quotes by building out different versions of the M-series Macs and they just cost too much for what I think would actually last 5-7 years. If a phone can last almost 5 years that can do most basic things as well (even some not basic things) then I think making less costly purchases should be fine.

 

[picpicmac]

I was just getting quotes by building out different versions of the M-series Macs and they just cost too much for what I think would actually last 5-7 years.

A Mac Mini M4 with 32GB RAM and 512GB storage costs $1,079 at the Apple discount store. MicroCenter has it for $1020 when they have it in stock. That's half of your "2k+ budget" you mentioned earlier and only $200 more than the old Mac 6,1 you listed.

 

[chrfr]

How did you decide that 16GB wasn’t enough RAM? Unless you have a very specific case for still needing an Intel Mac, it’s a fool’s errand to buy one today.

 

[benwiggy]

For non-professional home use, there's no contest. Get the Mini. The Trashcan MP has old-style Thunderbolt 2 connectors, not USB-C-style TB 3.

But for between $800 and $550, you could get an M2 Mac Mini from Apple's Refurbished store.

 

[FirDerrig33]

A Mac Mini M4 with 32GB RAM and 512GB storage costs $1,079 at the Apple discount store. MicroCenter has it for $1020 when they have it in stock. That's half of your "2k+ budget" you mentioned earlier and only $200 more than the old Mac 6,1 you listed.

My budget isn't actually 2K at ALL. it's actually significantly less than that and why I actually decided on the 2018 Mini.

How did you decide that 16GB wasn’t enough RAM? Unless you have a very specific case for still needing an Intel Mac, it’s a fool’s errand to buy one today.

I based that simply on how I see the various browsers using more and more memory. My M1 iMac is using a lot, and even the machines in the Apple Store would show high memory usage. if 16GB was actually enough then the decision would lead me more to the M series, but not at the cost of upgrading the memory.

It might be foolish to a degree but I did buy one anyway and it is pretty amazing. I went back and forth based on the responses I got here but did decide on the 2018 i7/64GB. I feel like I got a lot more for my money and the performance compared to my Mac Pro, the 2014 mini, and the M1 iMac is Very noticeable.

For non-professional home use, there's no contest. Get the Mini. The Trashcan MP has old-style Thunderbolt 2 connectors, not USB-C-style TB 3.

But for between $800 and $550, you could get an M2 Mac Mini from Apple's Refurbished store.

I kept checking the refurbished/clearance section and never saw anything with more than 16GB for less than 1K. I looked at the new ones and yeah, I could definitely get the base model for $599, but I got the 2018 top tier model for less and I think it's better. It might not be, but being able to dual boot other OSes is pretty great.

All in, I spent $600 for the Mac mini and a TB3 dock and I get to keep using all of my existing peripherals.

 

[benwiggy]

I spent $600 for the Mac mini

The 2018 Mini is a nice machine -- particularly the i5 and i7 versions. I had the i5 with 32Gb. The only reason I traded up was because the GPU was struggling with 2 large displays.