What to do next? MM 2018 owner

[CC88]

Dear all,

I actually own an Intel MM2018 with 64gb of ram and a Razer Core X eGPU with MSI Radeon Vega 56 8gb.

I'm very happy with it, I use it with two thunderbolt RAID. I need also one usb port for sd card reader/iphone charging etc.

I'm using it with Blender/Modo for 3D design/rendering, Photoshop, Lightroom, FCP. I don't use other software at all (DaVinci for color via xml export some time but not always).

I'm also using VMWare Fusion with Linux occasionally (maybe I can live without it or find an alternative solution like a virtualized macOS - if possible).

Saw editing in FCP with the new M1 chip seems very smooth and fast so I thought I can connect my 4K monitor to the HDMI and use the two thunderbolt ports for my external RAID and I'm done.

But will 16gb be fine? I've been using 64gb for years in my work... Will the M1 mini use less memory or not? Will I be fine with it for my use case or not?

 

[Susurs]

I have MM 2018 as well. I’d wait for some time untill the next gen, or at least when all the software is updated and it is more clear what M1 can or cannot do. Especially if you say you are happy with your current setup...

 

[IowaLynn]

2022, maybe with some future pro specs. The need for 32GB+ isn’t going to disappear.

Inndepth testing reviews are starting to show up.

In 2006 I jumped for Mac Pro 1,1. Was happy to have. Was jealous of the 2,1 and those that came later. The 5,1 was and is refinement of that line.

I kept mine for full 10 years. Yearly upgrades too.
I assume a Pro model will show up - the m1 now seems like entry level intro taste and get into the hands to developers and yes us consumers. Shows it is worth investing resources and potential.

My 2020 Intel Mini runs Windows much better than Cat or BS did. Besides the best time to install a MacOS is the summer/fall. After it’s been out for 9 months.

 

[CC88]

2022, maybe with some future pro specs. The need for 32GB+ isn’t going to disappear.

Inndepth testing reviews are starting to show up.

In 2006 I jumped for Mac Pro 1,1. Was happy to have. Was jealous of the 2,1 and those that came later. The 5,1 was and is refinement of that line.

I kept mine for full 10 years. Yearly upgrades too.
I assume a Pro model will show up - the m1 now seems like entry level intro taste and get into the hands to developers and yes us consumers. Shows it is worth investing resources and potential.

My 2020 Intel Mini runs Windows much better than Cat or BS did. Besides the best time to install a MacOS is the summer/fall. After it’s been out for 9 months.

Very clear. Thank you so much.

 

[CC88]

I have MM 2018 as well. I’d wait for some time untill the next gen, or at least when all the software is updated and it is more clear what M1 can or cannot do. Especially if you say you are happy with your current setup...

Thank you very much for answering. Really appreciated.

 

[Susurs]

I think the i7 CPU in my MM 2018 is holding up pretty well:

M1: https://www.macrumors.com/2020/11/16/m1-macbook-pro-cinebench-benchmark/

 

[Fishrrman]

I can't see any reason why you'd want to abandon a well-equipped upper-end 2018 Mini for a "2020" m1 model that is definitely a downgrade...

 

[CC88]

I can't see any reason why you'd want to abandon a well-equipped upper-end 2018 Mini for a "2020" m1 model that is definitely a downgrade...

Looks like I can use FCP without an eGPU... I use a 4K monitor and without eGPU the actual mini isn't good both in FCP editing but also in normal use (I can see big difference when I have the eGPU also in PS, LR and the interface in general).

So I thought I can have a smooth machine without external GPU hardware (it's big, noisy and it use power).

 

[szczottie]

Looks like I can use FCP without an eGPU... I use a 4K monitor and without eGPU the actual mini isn't good both in FCP editing but also in normal use (I can see big difference when I have the eGPU also in PS, LR and the interface in general).

So I thought I can have a smooth machine without external GPU hardware (it's big, noisy and it use power).

I am on the same boat. It's really promising and tempting to get new Mini but in the end I think it's better to wait for next gen and even better jump in performance.

 

[IngerMan]

The M1 is very impressive on the MBA base youtube video reviews I saw. I have not seen any for the MM. It certainly the biggest leap forward maybe ever for one product to the next.

But my i7 32GB of ram and a Vega 56 eGPU is still a very capable machine. I have my eGPU under the desk and I seldom ever hear it. I will definitely wait at least till the next revision maybe 2 before I replace my 2018MM.

I think I might replace my 2020 11" iPP with a new M# laptop but I am going to wait for the LED screen revision maybe a 14" and better web cam.

 

[mainelyme]

Well, you'd be getting the best available SoC even in the $700 base model, so if I were in your shoes I'd pick one up just to see for myself. If you're seeing great improvements in FCP I'd expect the same in the Adobe apps once they're recompiled as universals.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I own an i5 2018 Mini and I really have no desire to replace it with the M1 Mini. I will eventually buy one but after my 2018 Mini is no longer supported which should take me to 2026/27. By then the M series Mini's should be pretty robust. My main problem with the new M series Mini's is the RAM is soldered much like the 2014 Mini's. Selling the new Mini's with a max of 16GB of RAM is a bad idea as future versions of macOS will probably stress that RAM out.

I upgraded my base RAM from 8GB to 32GB and I can already see how RAM levels have increased. Now Big Sur on a cold boot is sitting pretty close to 6-7GB. Open Safari or another App and it will start compressing RAM or swapping from the SSD if all you have is 8GB of memory.

But I am intrigued by the M series Macs. I no doubt will get one but my current Mini is still serving me well.

 

[coldsweat]

Just sold my 2018 i7 mini with eGpu (vega 56) and have ordered an M1 mini. I am sick & tired of the 2018’s bluetooth issues, constant crashing/beachballs, eGpu boot up problems etc. By selling now, the money covers the cost of the new machine which it won’t do in a few months time so I’m basically taking a punt that the new mini will have enough grunt for 4K multi cam editing in final cut (fingers crossed).

 

[CC88]

Just sold my 2018 i7 mini with eGpu (vega 56) and have ordered an M1 mini. I am sick & tired of the 2018’s bluetooth issues, constant crashing/beachballs, eGpu boot up problems etc. By selling now, the money covers the cost of the new machine which it won’t do in a few months time so I’m basically taking a punt that the new mini will have enough grunt for 4K multi cam editing in final cut (fingers crossed).

Please let us know in case. Thanks a lot.

After some trouble I have found a stable setup with mm 2018, razor core x and msi Vega 56. I can boot without problems and all is running fast and smooth now.

 

[Susurs]

Please let us know in case. Thanks a lot.

After some trouble I have found a stable setup with mm 2018, razor core x and msi Vega 56. I can boot without problems and all is running fast and smooth now.

Can you boot without issues in Cataina, or Big Sur?

 

[Darth.Titan]

Just sold my 2018 i7 mini with eGpu (vega 56) and have ordered an M1 mini. I am sick & tired of the 2018’s bluetooth issues, constant crashing/beachballs, eGpu boot up problems etc. By selling now, the money covers the cost of the new machine which it won’t do in a few months time so I’m basically taking a punt that the new mini will have enough grunt for 4K multi cam editing in final cut (fingers crossed).

Had some bluetooth issues with my 2018 Mini, but moving my hub to the other side of my desk solved them. My eGPU has been flawless with dual 4K displays. No issues from the get go.
The new Mini is interesting, but with no eGPU functionality and only 2 Thunderbolt ports, I'm going to wait for a future version.

 

[Mellofello808]

I would wait.

Next year is bound to have even better hardware for the GPU, and pro users.

 

[CC88]

Can you boot without issues in Cataina, or Big Sur?

I'm using 10.15.7. I got some trouble with Catalina and eGPU (see: https://appleinsider.com/articles/1...lina-causing-problems-with-select-egpu-setups I got the same problems described although I'm on the recent release).

Now I bought the one in my sign (an MSI Vega 56 card) and I have no problems at all (finger crossed).

I will go with Big Sur maybe on .4 or .5. Will see.

 

[tonyunreal]

I've got a similar EGPU setup, with 32GB of memory on the mini and a Sapphire Vega 64 gpu. I have skipped Catalina entirely and went from Mojave right to the release version of Big Sur, so far not a single issue at all.

My 16GB M1 mini will arrive early December and serve as a secondary test bench for apps development. However, I don't expect most of the development tools outside the Apple ecosystem to mature for at least another year or so, and I certainly wouldn't count on it to fully replace the intel mini as my main working machine. (Unless the intel one somehow breaks after warranty expires )

 

[Tankmaze]

The memory will be the bottleneck, if you are used to having 64GB RAM whether you utilized it fully or not, a memory is still a memory, not even big sur and M1 can optimize that much.

I think I saw some M1 Macbook pro benchmark in youtube (forgot who the youtuber was) and running da vinci and already took about 8 GB of RAM that it had and swapping it on the hard drive. Because the SSD is also fast in read & write, it doesnt seem to be an issue, but for me 32 GB or 64 GB RAM option would be far better.

But again this is the entry level mac mini, so I guess we will have to wait for the higher end spec mac mini.