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Which Mac Mini recommended for my kind of Usage ?

M

marcusalwayswins

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 23, 2021
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Hi Guys,

Long time Windows User. I am looking to replace my old Windows 7 computer with a Mac mini. I have a 27 inch monitor already, so I am thinking instead of buying a laptop I would want to buy a Mac mini, now. Let me clarify a couple of things right at the beginning, though I have been a Windows user for most of my life that is purely because of the budget constraints that I had, because back in the days about 10 years back when I purchased this laptop I didn’t have the budget of afford a Mac computer let alone a Mac mini. So I want to make this thing very clear that I have a reasonable budget (Actually on the Lower Side) meaning I cannot have the latest and greatest meaning I cannot spend extravagantly on buying a Mac mini.

This also means that I am okay if the recommendation coming from you guys is a generation older model meaning 2021 or 2020 If I can squeeze in a M1 Model in it, nothing like it. But which ever model even if it is older that I go for, it should be able to upgrade with Forthcoming MacOS which are released for another 4 years if not more.

I know the obvious question which will be asked before making a recommendation would be what is my usage ? So I am an average user, who kind of does a little bit of every thing.From typical MS office, checking mails, media consumption which includes YouTube, watching movies, listening to music etc.. I also use affinity photo and sometimes Photoshop. This is only on a personal level to enhance my own photos as a hobby. So I do not earn a living out of using affinity photo or Photoshop and it is not for professional use just my personal use that I use Software like Affinity Photo. So I would want a hardware which runs affinity photo very smoothly and there are no jitters and Lags. So if you guys can tell me what is the basic minimum configuration of Mac mini and which generation and which year should I be looking to buy and most importantly with how much RAM? I know if I set my eyes on the current generation it is going to cost me a little higher.

So which is the generation that I should be looking at and most ? importantly how much RAM do you think for my usage is good enough ? like I said I am gonna use affinity photo so I would want a hardware which can run it without any jitters. Forum Members on the affinity photo recommend 32GB of RAM. But I think that’s way…way… too much. I think they are suggesting it from a future stand point and just to be on the safer side to make my hardware future proof. And to have 32 GB RAM on Mac Mini, which I am sure you cannot install 32GB RAM on Mac Mini but it will cost me a fortune. So anyways I would want to keep my RAM Aspirations to a reasonable level and a realistic level, as long as the hardware is able to run software like affinity photo and photoshop smoothly. So what do you suggest ? what configuration Mac mini and which year should and How much RAM should I be looking at?

Also if you guys can suggest me a place where I can buy older generation Mac mini which is like 2021 or 2020 a place where I can buy refurbished or even a used product but in a very good condition. I don’t mind I used product as well. I saw a couple of them on eBay the other day models like the 2021 M1 Mac mini with 8GB of RAM going for running $450-$500 but still I would like you guys to tell me where should I be looking at ? on which website ? where I can buy refurbished Mac mini or used or even open box Mac mini in extremely good condition.
 
Simple question:
What is your budget for the Mini, the most you're willing to spend?
 
16 GB RAM and whatever storage you think is appropriate. Remember you can expand storage with external USB drives if you want too, with decent storage performance. In terms of SoC performance, even a 2018 Intel model is fine, but since you want to keep it for a long time, M1 is the most appropriate. Just be careful buying off eBay (or anywhere else used). Only shop from respectable and well rated sellers.

32 GB is way, way too much, as you suspected, unless your photography hobby is way more involved than most people's. (You can't get 32 GB with M1 anyway.)
 
EugW said:
16 GB RAM and whatever storage you think is appropriate. Remember you can expand storage with external USB drives if you want too, with decent storage performance. In terms of SoC performance, even a 2018 Intel model is fine, but since you want to keep it for a long time, M1 is the most appropriate. Just be careful buying off eBay (or anywhere else used). Only shop from respectable and well rated sellers.

32 GB is way, way too much, as you suspected, unless your photography hobby is way more involved than most people's. (You can't get 32 GB with M1 anyway.)
Click to expand...

I have bought Apple iPad Pro Magic Keyboard from eBay so you do get used or refurbished genuine products there at good price. I know iPad Pro Magic Keyboard is a very simple equation to be be able to judge a brutal conspiracy of luck and fate to get cheated. But nevertheless an anecdote.
 
EugW said:
16 GB RAM and whatever storage you think is appropriate. Remember you can expand storage with external USB drives if you want too, with decent storage performance. In terms of SoC performance, even a 2018 Intel model is fine, but since you want to keep it for a long time, M1 is the most appropriate. Just be careful buying off eBay (or anywhere else used). Only shop from respectable and well rated sellers.

32 GB is way, way too much, as you suspected, unless your photography hobby is way more involved than most people's. (You can't get 32 GB with M1 anyway.)
Click to expand...

Will 8GB of RAM be far too less even for my kind of average usage ?
 
marcusalwayswins said:
Will 8GB of RAM be far too less even for my kind of average usage ?
Click to expand...
8 GB would probably work just fine for what you describe, but you might run into its limitations if you multitask a lot, especially if you're multitasking while editing pictures. This may also be more noticeable in the future if you keep the Mac a very long time (as memory requirements tend to increase on average over the years).

Check out my thread here on the subject:

 
EugW said:
8 GB would probably work just fine for what you describe, but you might run into its limitations if you multitask a lot, especially if you're multitasking while editing pictures. This may also be more noticeable in the future if you keep the Mac a very long time (as memory requirements tend to increase on average over the years).

Check out my thread here on the subject:

Click to expand...

Also does it matter if it is a 2020 Model with M1 or 2021 M1 ? As long as I get 16GB RAM ?
 
marcusalwayswins said:
Also does it matter if it is a 2020 Model with M1 or 2021 M1 ? As long as I get 16GB RAM ?
Click to expand...
There's no such thing as a 2021 M1, according to Mactracker. The most recent MacMini is a 2020 M1.

In my opinion, a Mac mini, M1, with 8GB of Ram would be fine. That's the configuration I have (except in a MacBook Air), and it's perfectly acceptable for my needs, which are similar to yours. The hard drive can be expanded easily with an external drive.
 
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marcusalwayswins said:
Also if you guys can suggest me a place where I can buy older generation Mac mini which is like 2021 or 2020 a place where I can buy refurbished or even a used product but in a very good condition.
Click to expand...

In case you haven't already figured this out, the newest Mini is 2020, there is no 2021 or 2022 Mini. Lots of speculation on when/if a new one will be released but nothing definite yet. Could be later this year or not until next.

The previous model has an Intel CPU and was introduced in 2018, although the higher-spec versions are still being sold as new by Apple. Here's a complete list of all the Mini's. I would not recommend going any farther back than 2018.

All Apple Mac mini Specs (2005-Current): EveryMac.com

Tech specs for all Apple Mac mini from the original to the latest (2005-Current). Dates sold, processor type, memory info, storage details, configuration options and more.
everymac.com everymac.com
 
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marcusalwayswins said:
I am an average user, who kind of does a little bit of every thing.From typical MS office, checking mails, media consumption which includes YouTube, watching movies, listening to music etc.. I also use affinity photo and sometimes Photoshop
Click to expand...
First off, you talk about "future proofing" a $500 Mac. I would ask, would you rather spend $1000 today on a Mac and have it last 5 years, or spend $500 today and have it last 2.5 years, and spend another $500 in 2.5 years on a newer model, and also lasts 2.5 years. My point is either scenerio would be $1000 over a 5 year period for your machine.

From what you describe, I truly think 8GB RAM is enough. Newer Mac OS is very good at allocating ram, and with SSD even using SWAP (using hard drive space as pseudo RAM) is exponentially quicker than it was back in the day with spinny disks. RAM is all about the apps you use. VMWARE, and Moderate to Heavy photoshop usage would be much happier with 16GB. But you will still be able to USE photoshop, its not like you will double-click on the app and your computer will just crash because you "only" have 8GB RAM.

The refurb is a good idea. Figure out how you will manage storage because 256GB SSD isn't a lot for photos and apps. Being on a budget you may want to consider a USB-C SSD BHPhoto has 1TB Samsung for $119 right now. You would just need to tell MacOS to put your photos library on the external drive.
 
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Before you think of getting a Mac Mini I would recommend waiting next month as we have a rumored refresh of the Mac Mini for an M2 model, as well as a possible M2 Pro Mac Mini option.
 
Just to be clear, Apple's published policy states they will provide hardware support for a minimum of 5 years after the device was discontinued. The i5 and i7 2018 Mini's are still being sold, so that "countdown" has not yet begun. As some have pointed out, hardware support is not the same as operating system support however, so you may not be able to install the newest operating system for that long, but you can still run a supported version.

Looking at history, the 2014 Mini was discontinued in 2018. It can run Monterey but not Ventura. But Monterey should still be supported until 2024, so that would be 6 years of operating system support after discontinuation (or 10 years after the 2014 Mini was introduced.

Also consider, the 2020 Mini may be discontinued at the same time as the 2018 Mini, so they might end up being supported for exactly the same amount of time. Regarding M1 vs Intel, there are good reasons to get either, for example, the 2018 Mini supports up to 64gb of RAM and you can upgrade it yourself while the 2020 only has 16gb and is not upgradeable. The 2018 can also boot directly into Windows with bootcamp and it can run legacy 32-bit apps natively under Mojave or in a virtual machine. This cannot be done on the 2020 Mini either.

For the usage you describe however, the M1 is probably the correct choice. But my point is, the choice may not be quite so cut-and-dried.
 
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Boyd01 said:
Also consider, the 2020 Mini may be discontinued at the same time as the 2018 Mini, so they might end up being supported for exactly the same amount of time.
Click to expand...
I don't have a crystal ball, but I think this is pretty unlikely. Well, you make be right with regards to hardware support, but I suspect the M1 will have longer OS support.

Mind you, all bets are off if Apple decides to keep selling one of both of them:

1. Apple might keep the M1 as a low cost model around after the M2 Mac mini is released.
2. Apple might keep the Intel model around for Intel diehards (small and medium sized businesses with mission critical Intel-specific workflows) even after the M2 Mac mini is released.

Spaceboi Scaphandre said:
Before you think of getting a Mac Mini I would recommend waiting next month as we have a rumored refresh of the Mac Mini for an M2 model, as well as a possible M2 Pro Mac Mini option.
Click to expand...
The more I read into the rumour mill tea leaves, the more I think there won't be an M2 Pro Mac mini option. However, that's moot anyway since it would be way out of the OP's budget. More important is the M2 Mac mini here, but I get the impression it won't get released right away. Maybe relatively soon, but not necessarily by November. Fingers crossed though.

The question though is what happens to the M1 at that point, and where the OP is located. A lot of places will see increases in the pricing of the Mac minis not only for the new ones but also the old ones, to account for forex changes. That said, I agree with the idea of waiting a bit if possible, just to see what will be released. An M2 release would also affect used M1 pricing, although in my experience the prices of the old stuff on the used market doesn't necessarily drop immediately after a new release. It usually takes a bit of time, if it's a relatively recent model. I wonder if the 2018 models might drop quicker though.
 
Since your budget is $500-600, I would recommend this amazing machine.
1666975399140.png

This is a total steal. Trust me bro.
 
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I would stay away from the Intel Mac Mini's. In the short-term you do get more bang for your buck, however, for the long haul, you'd be behind due to lack of support. The newest Intel mini came out in 2018 and while Apple is good at security supporting for about 7 years, you'd already be almost 5 years into that.

That being said, I'm not sure if a 16GB M1 is affordable for you; even used or refurbished. I recently bought a refurbished M1 8GB, as part of the Ebay Refurbished programfor my wife, who only does basic stuff-no photo editing on Ebay from itsworthmore for $530, plus tax, free shipping. The machine looks brand new and operates flawlessly (I have no connection with them, just pleased with the price, product and service). There is a listing on Ebay from another vendor for a refurbished 16GB at $649 plus tax

IMO, I would not worry about buying used, so long as it's from a reputable seller. My family has purchased 8 Macs (Mini's & iMacs) since 2007 and only bought one new; the rest from Ebay. Purchased both from individuals and companies without a problem. Look to see if the seller provides a 12 month warranty from an outside vendor. There also may be financing options to ease the pain of purchase. The same goes for buying new from Apple or some other vendors.

Good luck
 
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Basically if 8 GB is a hard ceiling, get the refurb 8/256 GB M1 model, as it should be fine.
However, if there is flexibility in that budget, then consider a 16/256 GB M1 model.

256 GB storage may not be a lot, but if necessary you can add external USB storage at a later date. You can't add RAM.
 
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marioman38 said:
First off, you talk about "future proofing" a $500 Mac. I would ask, would you rather spend $1000 today on a Mac and have it last 5 years, or spend $500 today and have it last 2.5 years, and spend another $500 in 2.5 years on a newer model, and also lasts 2.5 years. My point is either scenerio would be $1000 over a 5 year period for your machine.

From what you describe, I truly think 8GB RAM is enough. Newer Mac OS is very good at allocating ram, and with SSD even using SWAP (using hard drive space as pseudo RAM) is exponentially quicker than it was back in the day with spinny disks. RAM is all about the apps you use. VMWARE, and Moderate to Heavy photoshop usage would be much happier with 16GB. But you will still be able to USE photoshop, its not like you will double-click on the app and your computer will just crash because you "only" have 8GB RAM.

The refurb is a good idea. Figure out how you will manage storage because 256GB SSD isn't a lot for photos and apps. Being on a budget you may want to consider a USB-C SSD BHPhoto has 1TB Samsung for $119 right now. You would just need to tell MacOS to put your photos library on the external drive.
Click to expand...
You know I am in Splits about how much RAM would be enough for me. Some say a 16GB is the sweet spot, go for it if you can. 8GB and you will always be on the Edge.
 
Boyd01 said:
The Mini in that link was the current generation (2020). If you want an "older generation" that would be the 2018 or 2014 Intel Mini. Would definitely avoid the 2014.
Click to expand...

No I think I can afford a 2020 Mac Mini :) Question is How much RAM cant make up ?

Edit : I mean refurbished it used not Brand New.
 
Last edited:
I don't think you'll find an Apple-refurbished 16gb 2020 Mini for anywhere near $600. Look in the refurb store now, they have 2020 refurbs going for as much as $1359 and they all only have 8gb RAM

www.apple.com

Refurbished Mac - Mac mini

Save up to 15% on a refurbished Mac mini. Tested and certified by Apple including a 1-year warranty. Free delivery and returns.
www.apple.com

A new 2020 Mini with 256gb SSD and 16gb is $900. Refurbs are typically 15% off list price, which would be $765.
 
Last edited:
Boyd01 said:
I don't think you'll find an Apple-refurbished 16gb 2020 Mini for anywhere near $600. Look in the refurb store now, they have 2020 refurbs going for as much as $1359 and they all only have 8gb RAM

www.apple.com

Refurbished Mac - Mac mini

Save up to 15% on a refurbished Mac mini. Tested and certified by Apple including a 1-year warranty. Free delivery and returns.
www.apple.com

A new 2020 Mini with 256gb SSD and 16gb is $900. Refurbs are typically 15% off list price, which would be $765.
Click to expand...

I meant places like ebay or Swappa or those likes...
 
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