The new Mac mini

[mightyjabba]

I have a 2014 MacBook Pro (15" with 2.5Ghz Core i7 and 16GB RAM) that I use as a desktop and would like to upgrade with the new Mac Mini. Any idea how it would compare to the various processor options available for the mini? Would they all be faster, or would the entry-level machine be more of a lateral move? The only processor-intensive thing I do is editing video in Final Cut, but it's just 1080p.

 

[kevink2]

Agreed, but there's no way we would be getting them next week if they went 9th gen. Intel can hardly keep up supply as is and they've already stated their prioritizing manufacturing to the higher end chips (aka, not what's in these machines)

And if Apple had waited longer for the 9th gen to be out, it would have been next year and people still (rightly) complaining.

 

[WilliamG]

Yep. Just use a much cheaper atv. I ditched htpcs years ago and moved on to other streaming devices. Though prior to that I ran htpcs for more than a decade.

Same. I recommend the OSMC Vero 4K+.
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And if Apple had waited longer for the 9th gen to be out, it would have been next year and people still (rightly) complaining.

There’s no issue with the 8th gen. It’s a great system. It’s just that the pricing is completely madness. I’m definitely bummed because I absolutely want one. It’s just the price is bananas.

 

[kevink2]

I've been waiting a few months to buy. Nothing is perfect.

I wouldn't have bought the 2014 Mini, and if this hadn't been a good enough spec bump, I would probably have bought a 21" retina iMac.

I think I'll probably go with the i5, 256GB SSD, and 16GB of RAM. I have the habit of thinking just another $100 or so, get the next bump up.

But for my usage, the i5 vs i3 gives me longevity and some more speed headroom. But i7 another $200. And to make the storage worthwhile, I would probably have to go to 1TB to make it worthwhile. (enough space to hold my whole home directory including photos, music, etc).

But for VMs, and the power and RAM for that, I have my Windows computer (Skylake i7, 64GB RAM, bunch of SSD storage). It was my Hackintosh for a couple year until I got tired of fighting things like USB3 breaking earlier this year.

I'm just going to plug the Mini into my existing 27" 4K monitor using the available HDMI port on the monitor, and switch inputs depending on whether I want to view Windows or Mac. I'll put my home directory on an external USB-C enclosure, and leave the 256GB SSD as the OS and applications drive.

 

[tedson]

Does anyone sell 1x32GB 2666MHz DDR4 SO-DIMM's?
I'm not finding any.

I see 2x16GB for $281

I'm finding the same thing. Fortunately, I only need 2x8GB DIMMs for my needs at this time.

 

[FlyingTexan]

So does this make my 2014 2.6ghz 8gb ram obsolete? Or will my 2014 still be good for another couple years? How does apple decide which machines will be compatible with say 10.15 for example? Or is Mojave probably the last upgrade for 2014 minis?

Depends on what your definition is. If you're trying to step up to 4k then yes it does.

 

[inmnbob]

I dont know a ton about specs and what not, but I am considering buying the mac mini. It seems to me like it would suit my needs just fine. I do a little gaming and mostly web browsing, photo editing and watching videos otherwise.

Will the mac mini be powerful enough to use a Samsung 34" LED Curved QHD FreeSync Thunderbolt 3 Monitor with it? I considered just buying an iMac but I like this monitor much more than I do the iMac monitor.

I just have no idea if the mac mini is powerful enough to use a monitor like that with it. I assume it is but don't know a ton about these. I assume don't buy the base configuration and get more memory and storage. But not sure if the graphics on the mac mini are good enough for this monitor.

This might be a stupid question but I figured i would ask anyways, thanks for any help and advice.

I have that same monitor on order and was wondering the same as you. I think this graphic card supports Thunderbolt at 60hertz.

 

[FlyingTexan]

Interpolates and adapts? I give up...

One thing is the OS, One thing is the machine, One thing is the TV. I have zero chop or judder. Interpolate=to estimate the value of. The TV adjusts as needed so even though MacOS isn't wild about 23.976 the system adjusts and it's flawless playback.

 

[finchna]

Up to i7 6 core
64 GB memory that’s upgradable
1TB ssd

Yea I’ll take one thank you Apple!

memory/ram only upgradeable to 64 -- not enough -- get it to 128 or 256 (user upgrade) and that would make it much more useable as a total desktop package.

 

[jnachbar]

OWC is advertising memory for the new mac mini. I see one 32GB for $529.99

 

[bandits1]

Question: The only thing I do that seems to tax my old Macmini5,1 is use Handbrake, and I use it fairly frequently. Other than that I only use my computer for very basic tasks that your parents/grandparents use their computers for. Would the base i3 configuration easily be up to the task or should I spring for the i5 upgrade?

 

[ElectronGuru]

Would the base i3 configuration easily be up to the task or should I spring for the i5 upgrade?

That’s a time question. For the number of hours the extra cores will save you say per month, is it worth the extra say $10/mo those extra cores will cost you?

 

[bandits1]

That’s a time question. For the number of hours the extra cores will save you say per month, is it worth the extra say $10/mo those extra cores will cost you?

Gotcha. But even the base i3 quad-core should be noticeably faster transcoding video compared to the dual-core i5 in my 2011 Mini, right?

I guess I'm off to the Apple site to do some calculations then. Thanks for the quick reply, ElectronGuru.

 

[ElectronGuru]

Gotcha. But even the base i3 quad-core should be noticeably faster transcoding video compared to the dual-core i5 in my 2011 Mini, right?

Yes. Even if everything else were equal, doubling cores would make it much faster. The extra ram and much faster ssd and extra ghz (and maybe even T2 processor) all mean less waiting vs current setup.

So it’s wow faster vs WOW faster

 

[WilliamG]

One thing is the OS, One thing is the machine, One thing is the TV. I have zero chop or judder. Interpolate=to estimate the value of. The TV adjusts as needed so even though MacOS isn't wild about 23.976 the system adjusts and it's flawless playback.

If your TV and source collectively do not support 23.976 playback, it’s not flawless.

Also, HDR?

Using a mini these days is a poor choice for a media player. As a server, yes. I use one as a server with SoftRAID + Thunderbays.

 

[fokmik]

“Packing this much power into the same enclosure required an all-new thermal architecture — including all-flash storage, a bigger fan, expanded vents, and a redesigned power supply“

Thank you Apple that you thought about this

 

[Boil]

Apple needs to do a better version of this for the Space Grey Mac mini...