Opinion Needed- New 2014 Mini

[Scorned]

At Microcenter I found a New 2014 Mac mini 2.8/8gb/1tb Fusion for $529 + tax.

It is also available from B&H -same price.

Worth it?


I bought it and haven't opened it. I have 14 days to return it.

I am going to use it as a file/itunes/backup server.


Would you keep it or return it?

Thanks, Stan

 

[redheeler]

It'll work fine as an iTunes and file server, but these are not very demanding tasks even for a $150 used Core 2 Duo Mac mini. $529 seems like much, and I wouldn't call it a good deal considering your 2014 Mac mini only has a dual-core processor and is nearing 5 years old. The 2014 mini prices have been kept higher than they should be because of Apple's years-long refusal to refresh it and the increase in price of the newer models.

 

[ivnj]

Well considering its fusion and new minis start at 799 that is not bad. Yes its 5 years old but who cares I got a 14 mini also in august 2018 and it runs fine. A little slow because no fusion and its mechanical only. But its still works for basic email and web.

 

[Boyd01]

I got one of these for $529 from the B&H sale about a month ago. A week later, they dropped the price to $499 and they happily refunded me $30 for the asking. I use mine for an iTunes and file server, it runs 24/7 and replaces a base 1.4ghz/4gb 2014 Mini. I split the 128gb SSD from the fusion drive, since it's a server and only has about 30gb on the system drive (all my files and media are on a 4tb USB3 external disk). Works very well and was a great deal for 500 bucks IMO.

Only thing is, I was running El Capitan on the old Mini and decided to upgrade the new Mini to Mojave. It seems to run fine, but filesharing appears to be much slower under Mojave. I haven't taken the time to really investigate this, but a quick test only showed about 80MB/sec writing to the 128gb SSD over the network, and I'm pretty sure I saw speeds closer to 100MB/sec with the old Mini on El Capitan. The internal SSD clocks about 700MB/sec, so no problems there.

Regardless, for 500 bucks these 2014 mini's are great, as long as you understand its limitations and don't expect something it can't deliver. Apple was selling the same model for $1000 less than a year ago, and they are still selling refurbs for something crazy like $750 IIRC. It should be more than adequate for a server IMO.

 

[treekram]

The difference between the base 2014 Mini and the 1TB fusion drive is the 128GB SSD. You can get a 3rd-party 128GB SSD for under $30 and an adapter/cable for under $20. Better yet, if you search hard enough, you can get a 1TB SSD for $100 or less. The Mini when new sold for $699. [OOPS - meant to say base 2.6 Ghz] I got one open-box (non-fusion) from MacMall in June 2015 for $541. I would think you could get a better deal but if you don't want to deal with the hassle of searching for that better deal or if the 2018 model isn't an option and you don't want to deal with a used computer, it's not an outrageous price to pay.

To me, fusion drives seem to be more trouble than the cost savings you gain.

 

[EdwardC]

Micro Center usually has the base 2018 Mini for $699.00, that's what I would use as the very minimum for an entry Mac.

 

[Boyd01]

The difference between the base 2014 Mini and the 1TB fusion drive is the 128GB SSD.

We are not talking about the base 2014 Mini. The base Mini was a 1.4ghz i5, then there was a 2.6 ghz i5, 2.8 ghz i5 and a 3.0 ghz i7. The OP and I are talking about the 2.8ghz i5, which also has 8gb RAM and Iris graphics instead of HD5000. This machine is a huge ugrade from the base 2014 mini. I was wrong about Apple's price before - they are still selling this same Mini as a refurb for $849!

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/FGEQ2LL/A/Refurbished-Mac-Mini-28GHz-Dual-core-Intel-Core-i5

If you split the 128gb SSD from the fusion drive, you have a pretty fast machine. IMO that is more than adequate for a "file/itunes/backup server", which is what the OP said they wanted. I don't know how the OP uses his server, but I have all my media and files on a big external drive, so having a big internal SSD would just be a waste of money. I - seriously - only have about about 30gb on my internal SSD

Now I agree it's not as good as the base 2018 mini, which has twice the geekbench rating, better graphics, faster ports and other improvements. But I'd be surprised if any of those things would make it better suited for the OP's use, and $699 is 40% more more than they paid. If you want the newest technology and money isn't a concern, then sure, get a base 2018 Mini. But I think these 2014's are a good deal at $500 (with full warranty and Applecare eligibility).

 

[Fishrrman]

RETURN IT and get a 2018 Mini.
There is simply no comparison between them, other than they are the same size.

 

[Scorned]

Much appreciated on all of the responses. I haven't opened it and will return it. I have a 2011 Mac mini which I was going to upgrade with this one. As I am learning, it is not much of an upgrade.

Thanks again for the good advice

 

[ivnj]

I had an 2011 also. 2014 is so much better. Mainly 2011 stops at high Sierra. And 2014 takes the latest Catalina beta.

 

[dogslobber]

Don’t buy it as you can get an Apple refurb 2018 Mini for $679.

 

[tibas92013]

Last month I purchased a Refurbished MM 2018, 8GB Ram, 256GB SSD from the Apple Veterans On-line store with Apple Care for a net price of $1000. The fusion Drive would be the deal-breaker for me as I will now not buy any computer without an SSD. My advice; Return it and buy the MM 2018 with an SSD.

That said; I am now typing from a Refurbished MM 2014, 8GB Ram, 256 GB SSD that I purchased from the Apple On-Line Store in the year 2015 and I am still one-happy Apple Customer with this purchase!

Also, I also have a Refurbished MM(Late 2012), 16GB Ram,500GB Hard Drive that I purchased form the Apple On-line Store in the year 2013 which still serves me well. However, not having the SSD is one big negative difference in my first MM experience.

 

[Boyd01]

Last month I purchased a Refurbished MM 2018, 8GB Ram, 256GB SSD from the Apple Veterans On-line store with Apple Care for a net price of $1000. The fusion Drive would be the deal-breaker for me as I will now not buy any computer without an SSD.

THis 2014 Mini has a 128gb SSD and 8gb RAM, just like the 2018 Mini. You can easily separate the SSD and hard drive from the Fusion drive and use them separately, I am doing this with my 2014 Mini. The SSD clocks about 700MB/sec write and 750MB/sec read with the Blackmagic disk test. And the attraction of this model is that it costs $500, not $1000 and not $679.

I agree, the 2018 Mini is a much better computer all-around. But I think these 2014 models are a good deal at the sale price, if you have an application (such as an iTunes and file server) that runs well on this kind of hardware.