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Which Mac

nrvna76

nrvna76

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Aug 4, 2010
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Hi all - wife is a photographer and has been using a 2019 16” MacBook Pro (2.3Ghz intel I9, 16gb memory) that is starting to slow down. Her workflow results in a lot of storage being used on the device (700gb right now). She sometimes photographs 10-12 families in one day. And I think that seriously plays in how it’s slowing down.

The internal HD is only 1tb and the Samsung T7 she uses to move photos too for long term storage often errors out and causes issues.

So I’m considering buying her a desktop (she doesn’t really move around) but not sure on a mini or if she needs a studio, also not sure if she needs something like a 2-4tb SSD and that gets expensive really quick.

Any recommendations to what a good setup would be and the best ROI for the few thousand were likely to spend is appreciated!
 
Wow 700 GB on 1TB SSD is really pushing the limits. One possibility is to go to a 4GB internal. You'll need a SATA to thunderbolt cable to transfer data from the old drive once the new drive is set-up. However if this is a business that's bringing in a reasonable return, then think seriously about new. If purchased now it could provide a sizeable tax deduction on her 2025 taxes.

A couple of thoughts on updating. I'd think in terms of doing most of my photo storage on external drives, which would allow a smaller drive on the new computer. Photos on the internal are best limited to current projects. Even so I would want to go with at least 1TB internally. I'd also think about at least doubling base RAM. A deciding factor on which model may come down to the number of USB-c and thunderbolt ports.
 
If you get a new machine I would recommend a Mac mini, even the base M4 is a lot faster than the Intel i9. Get it with 32GB of RAM and it should be good for a while. As for storage, you'll have to decide whether to pay for the internal upgrade or rely more on external SSDs.
 
Have not tried factory reset or clean install.. my thought was it has made it 6 years and her work has definitely expanded from when she started. She’s got 100 plus clients now so it’s bringing in a good return and making her workflow faster is worth some cost.

Just stuck on mini vs studio and internal vs external storage. Seems every Samsung external drive she gets has random errors when moving files over so idk if there’s a better external solution or if internal is worth the huge cost. And as mentioned above I would probably still stick with 1tb minimum, and use externals like she’s been doing (but not sure what externals are user friendly) or just bump it up to 4 internal and eat the cost.

Would the build in sd card reader be helpful on the studio or are the external readers the same speed?
 
nrvna76 said:
Have not tried factory reset or clean install.. my thought was it has made it 6 years and her work has definitely expanded from when she started. She’s got 100 plus clients now so it’s bringing in a good return and making her workflow faster is worth some cost.

Just stuck on mini vs studio and internal vs external storage. Seems every Samsung external drive she gets has random errors when moving files over so idk if there’s a better external solution or if internal is worth the huge cost. And as mentioned above I would probably still stick with 1tb minimum, and use externals like she’s been doing (but not sure what externals are user friendly) or just bump it up to 4 internal and eat the cost.

Would the build in sd card reader be helpful on the studio or are the external readers the same speed?
Click to expand...
External readers vary in speed (like the cards) so choose wisely.

Do you already have an external monitor? If not you’ll need to factor that into your costs.

Currently I’m on a 2018 Mac Mini and photo editing is horrible. A clean install will not change that (I tried!). Lightroom is my photo editing tool of choice and the machine (specs in signature) is no longer up to it. Each adjustment takes seconds or longer to show on the screen (if at all!).

I’m looking to replace with a Mac Studio. Personally I prefer a large internal drive + external. So I’ll be going for quite a high spec machine when I do upgrade.

Truth is there are no bad choices to make. Just want to make sure the machine you buy will last a reasonably long time. By the time I replace my Mini it will have done 8 years. Thats a good return on the premium price I paid in my opinion.
 
After 6 years a clean install might make a noticeable difference. Depends on the machine and what state it's in. I've seen everything from "feels the same" to "feels twice as fast" after installing the whole system from scratch.
 
Is her main focus doing still photos? (i.e., little or no video)

In that case, I'd suggest:
2024 m4 Mini
32gb RAM
2tb SSD
(you want "enough" RAM and SSD to "grow into" in the coming years)

If $$$ is a big factor, consider buying from the Apple online refurbished store.
Actually, I'd recommend the refurbished store anyway. I bought both my 2018 and 2024 Minis that way, very satisfied.

She'll also need a display.
Either 27" 4k
or
27" 5k

I have a Dell Ultrasharp 27" 4k, suits me fine.
 
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