Which one performs the best? I currently have a mid 2012 Mac Mini base model(core i5) and thinking of getting the 13" Macbook Air to replace it as I might be given away my Mac Mini to a family member. I primarily use Photoshop, Lightroom and a few other softwares. I already have an external display which I can connect the Macbook Air. I wanted to know if performance wise, will this be a good move?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Macbook Air mid 2014 vs Mac Mini Mid 2012
- Thread starter Saileshbreaker
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I had a 2012 MacBook Pro i5 which is about the same as the 2012 MacMini and switched to a 2013 MBA, I think the Air is going to be considerably faster mainly because of the pci-e ssd. Also connect it to an external monitor and it works great. I have been using it for a few weeks and have no complaints so far, I think it was worth the change.
Last edited:
My mac mini has an SSD drive and 8GB RAM. Won't the 4GB on the Macbook air be little less?
Last edited:
I had the same doubt and also posted a thread here asking the same thing. My MacBook Pro had 8gb ram and SSD too, but I found out that in my case I did not need exactly 8gb ram. I am a web developer and the biggest app I use is Photoshop. I have been monitoring my ram pressure for a few weeks and it never went yellow with my usage, but I am very careful about how I use my Mac and never leave any apps opened that I am not using.
Even though your Mini has an SSD, the Air will be faster because of the pci-e ssd. The 4gb ram will be a factor only if you use really big apps and files or future proofing is something that you really care about, otherwise you will be fine with the MBA
I agree with the general consensus here that you should be fine as long as you do not have any memory intensive apps or programs. My first mac was a 2011 mini with similar specs to yours. I then got a MBA (i still own and use) and honestly could not tell much difference in performance between the two. I now have a 27 in imac with 12 gb of ram and rarely think about what is running because it can handle it all, but when i go to my MBA i try to be much more careful. I only have one program that lags somewhat but it is a very large program and often needs to preform library indexes which sends the air into turboboost mode and takes up most of my ram (not something that any other program does). Still, the MBA runs this program fine as well as everything else. Unless you have something large (doesn't sound like it), i would recommend the MBA as a great (and faster) option especially with an external display.