The Amazing Performance of the base M2 mini

[marstan]

With a few more hours to go on my return window, one last real world test of the base mini.

I installed Parallels with Windows 11 while running Lightroom, Photoshop, Pixemator Pro and playing back a multitrack recording in Logic; half a dozen tabs open in Firefox with a local Time Machine backup running. At this point system using 6GB swap in yellow pressure zone. Using a bluetooth trackpad to rapidly switch between desktops. No beachballing, only an occasional slight hesitation in scrolling thumbnails in LR (which may have been due to reading from files on NAS and not swap related). The fan never changed from the base 1700rpm. Now I didn't have active processes running in every open app simultaneously but still pretty impressive performance for a base machine.

I would probably occasionally benefit from the M2Pro running an atypical workflow. But enough to justify double the cost (I do this for fun, not a living)? In the Intel era I would have upgraded without hesitation; but these silicon machines are so good that it is not an automatic choice anymore.

 

[stradify]

It's pretty amazing how powerful the bottom-of-the-line mac mini has become.
I'm still content with my maxed-out late 2015 27" iMac performance-wise and would
happily run it into the ground if it wasn't for the fact that it will stop getting security updates in late 2024.
To put it another way, the M2 base Mac Mini is overkill for my workflow.
Just the same I'd be tempted to buy the Mac Mini Pro entry-level model for the extra ports. I just wish it had an SD card
slot like the Intel models.

 

[Orizence]

I wouldnt go m2 pro, but 16gb of ram is always nice to have

 

[gusping]

It's pretty amazing how powerful the bottom-of-the-line mac mini has become.
I'm still content with my maxed-out late 2015 27" iMac performance-wise and would
happily run it into the ground if it wasn't for the fact that it will stop getting security updates in late 2024.
To put it another way, the M2 base Mac Mini is overkill for my workflow.
Just the same I'd be tempted to buy the Mac Mini Pro entry-level model for the extra ports. I just wish it had an SD card
slot like the Intel models.

I think a good chunk of people buying the base M2 Pro mini are doing it for the ports. I certainly was one of those before I returned it. Currently sticking with my 2018 mini wondering what to get next.

 

[gazwas]

I think a good chunk of people buying the base M2 Pro mini are doing it for the ports. I certainly was one of those before I returned it. Currently sticking with my 2018 mini wondering what to get next.

The ports are a big deciding factor but so many option to expand for a desktop machine.

I’m still amazed every day by the power of my base M1 MBP.

 

[Bacong]

I got one today and I'm loving it. Running two displays, one at 4k, another at 1080p @144hz, no problems.