which mac mini 2020 should i get based on my usage

[ipos]

mainly for surfing net, light ms office and intensive watching movies
should i get the i3 model top up to 16gb ram or go for the 15 model without any upgrade

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I would get the i3 unless you can get the i5 with a good discount. I purchased the i5 in mid 2019 only because it came with 256GB of storage. Amazon had priced matched BH Photo and I bought it for $929. If it wasn’t for that deal, I would have gone with the i3. Keep in mind that the SSD on the i5 (512GB) will be somewhat faster vs 256GB SSD.

The same applied when I was considering the i3 vs the i5 last year 128 vs 256GB. The i3 CPU is still fast today, it’s a quad core.

 

[ipos]

get i3 without topping up the ram?

for future proof is it better tog et the 15 model?

 

[lazy_desi_]

go for i5, keep an eye on refurb store.

 

[im_to_hyper]

Since the storage can’t be upgraded, look for one with 1TB storage IMHO to future proof. i5 preferred as 6 cores will age better than 4.... theoretically. (Kinda like how a Core 2 Quad is still a decent CPU for surfing)

Set up an alert with refurbtracker.com

 

[lazy_desi_]

going external ssd or nvme will be cheaper option when compared to get upgrade from apple.

 

[ipos]

going external ssd or nvme will be cheaper option when compared to get upgrade from apple.

that's my plan. am undecided whether to upgrade to 16gb ram based on usage as u can see my daily tasks are not memory unlike extensive like video editing and i dun play games.

it's just that my current mac mini 2014 also has 8gb, will occasionally see the beach ball.

 

[lazy_desi_]

go with 8gb and if you need more RAM, self install to 32 gb

 

[Heat_Fan89]

get i3 without topping up the ram?

for future proof is it better tog et the 15 model?

Based on what you plan on doing with it, i'd say NO. You would not benefit from an i5, the i3 is fast enough. I have a Lenovo ThinkCentre Tiny that has an i3 CPU, it's the mobile version whereas the Mini's i3 is a desktop CPU. The ThinkCentre Tiny screams. It came paired with a PCIe SSD and the damn thing boots to the Windows Login screen in 6.5 seconds. Windows and Apps load almost instantly without any waiting. The i3 in the Mini is equally as fast maybe a little faster but you wouldn't notice the difference in real world speed between the two.

Now where I would say you need to upgrade is the RAM. The standard 8GB in the Mini is much too low, 16GB is preferred and if you want to future proof it 32GB is what I would put in. My i5 2018 Mini has 32GB of RAM, so I don't have to upgrade later and take the chance I break something.

 

[teksurv]

For your use case, the i3 would be fine. If you are comfortable following the ifixit guide to open the machine and upgrade ram, then go with the base 8gb. I went with the i5 version, base storage and base ram. I upgraded the ram to 32gb myself. I have a 4tb Sammy SSD in a usb 3 enclosure storing my movies. I upgraded the ram and to the i5 because hardware wise I don't want to touch the machine for years.