Which 2018 Mac mini?

[PrinterJelle]

Hello!

In addition to my beautiful Power Mac G5, I would like to use a Mac of this era for modern DTP software. I would like to use the Serif software (Affinity Publisher, Designer and Photo). For my work it is good to stay current. My eye fell on a new Mac mini i3, but is this the good choice? My budget is around the price of the i3 mini. Maybe a second-hand Mac Pro is also a good option? I'm curious about your vision.

Thanks for your help.

Greetings form Holland,
Jelle

 

[littlepud]

If you only have the budget for the i3, then that’s what you’re stuck with. Personally I think the sweet spot is i5/16/512 or i7/16/512.

 

[frou]

I think the Affinity applications are GPU-accelerated, and the only downside of the 2018 Mini is that its integrated GPU is rather weak unless you add an eGPU (expensive). [Maybe someone who uses these apps can share their thoughts on realistic hardware requirements].

i3 or i5 CPU is definitely the sensible way to go, because the HyperThreading feature of i7s is only getting less relevant over time because of Intel's security screwups.

Cylinder Mac Pros are rather nice, but the worries with them is that they are a bit prone to failure and you wouldn't want to be without a warranty. Also, it's uncertain how many more macOS releases Apple are going to support them with. Old tower Mac Pros are not supported any more so are a dead-end.

Finding a good deal on a recent-ish iMac (with a SSD and decent GPU) might be a good option.

 

[Fishrrman]

Get at least an i5.
I now suggest 16gb RAM as "the minimum configuration" for a Mini that will be used "long-term".
Get at least a 256gb SSD. 512 is better, but 1tb is too expensive.

 

[PrinterJelle]

Thanks for all the input. I have made my choice .

I still looked at a second-hand Mac Pro but it has become a brand new i3 mini (without upgrades). I am aware that the i5 or i7 is even better but that was a bridge too far for me. In The Netherlands the basic model is 899 euro, in dollars almost 1000 dollar. In my view a huge amount but I am very happy with it! The last 2 weeks I have used the mini with Affinity and it works beautifully.

At first I thought I would keep my 21.5" Full HD monitor, but I read also good stories about a Mac mini with 4K monitor on the internet. I chose the Philips 276E8VJSB to complete the picture. It's a good combination. Having said that I do notice to control all the pixels the mini is warmer than with my older Full HD display.