I am thinking about getting the base level model. I use a deskside Windows/Ubuntu system with 2 2K monitors. I have MBPs, but it is kind of a hassle to connect disconnect them to my keyboard and mouse. I would probably see if I can mount the mini to the underside of my desk so all the cables are hidden.
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Who ordered a new Mac Mini then?
- Thread starter LeeW
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I just ordered one, maxed out, but it won't ship till the end of December. The tipping point came today when I was working on a 4k Final Cut project with my 2018 mini and I had to sit around twiddling my thumbs, waiting for sequences to render. Even with my eGPU, I'm just not getting the kind of speed I thought I would. My 2013 Mac Pro was faster. Since I have to crank out major videos each week, I'm hoping the M1 will save me a bit of time. The irony is that Big Sur finally fixed the eGPU boot problem, so I no longer have to swap cables. With the M1, things will be even more streamlined.
I read in other posts that the M1 will not support eGPU, it does not even support Apple Blackmagic eGPU???
But maybe that’s what you mean more streamlined? One less device on the desk.
Added photos that show the Intel Mac Mini supports BlackMagic eGPU and the M1 does not from the Apple website tech information.
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That's actually pretty low. My 8 gb Sapphire Radeon RX 5700 XT eGPU is benchmarking at about 59,000. But I consider those numbers to be pretty meaningless because my eGPU isn't pulling all its weight in real-world applications. Obviously, it's an enormous benefit compared with the 2018 mini's built-in Intel graphics. But with Final Cut, it's slower than the 2 gb pair of AMD FirePro d300s that were in my old Mac Pro. So I'm going to assume that Apple has optimized FCPX for the M1, which should give me a noticeable boost in performance over my current setup.
I'm waiting to see how angry people get. Figure I can squeeze another year or two out of my current collection of Minis; although the USB on my 2005 Mini just went south. Fried the keyboard and mouse at the same time. I've got it's minimal duties replaced with a Raspberry Pi 4, Ubuntu 20.10, Firefox, Libre Office and Audacious music software. With 2 120gB SSDs, It fills my needs, and cost $150 total. I'll get one of these new Minis in a year, but just not quite yet.
How much ram do you have on your 2018 and what is the intel processor, i3, i5, i7.
I have a i7, 32GB with a Vega 56 eGPU. My eGPU scores just over 50,000 on GB5 and 1200 and 6000 Single Cored Dual core.
Same as me. I will be checking back in with you when you had time to give it a full go around. Your current setup is no slouch.
That's what I thought myself, but it's just not performing up to my expectations. I think we've chatted about that before in other threads. For the amount of horsepower I have with my setup, I should be having no trouble flying through FCPX. But it's just not happening, even though FCPX is definitely using the eGPU. And with Handbrake, a 20 minute HD video takes about 7 minutes to convert. Again, that's not bad, but it's not as fast as I was expecting from this setup. My only real concern is Fusion, which I use a lot for running Windows virtually. I assume Rosetta will run for now but I suspect its days will be numbered.
Canceled my order for the Mac mini with 16mb ram and 1tb hard drive and ordered the base model after watc a video on someone editing with the base model using resolve
I am interested in feedback from the people who bought the base model. I am tempted to get one since it is so inexpensive (from an Apple perspective). I do a little editing here and there, my main every day memory hog is a lot of browser tabs, lol.
Would love for some people to report back after they have used it for a week or two. Seems like the base model is very powerful, more powerful than the Intels, even for things that usually require a lot of memory.
Also do you have a link to that video?
I got the base model as I wanted a secondary machine just to test my Catalyst app and it is really amazing. Xcode is fast and memory is enough at 8Gb for me. I don’t need it for video editing so that may be different for others. Oh and another thing is that some of the iOS app like Pythonista 3 run great.
I keep checking, and it keeps not changing. 😞Holding steady at 12/11 - 12/18. Looking forward to some comparisons of performance on 8GB vs 16GB configurations. But I suspect I need (and want) the 16, and so, I wait.
For sure, I'm keeping my eyes peeled also. I'm not a power-user as such, but for my business I regularly have multiple safari windows open (each with multiple tabs) whilst researching, which can easily get to 50+ tabs; and typically I'll also have Adobe Bridge, Adobe Photoshop and MS Excel open.
CPU and GPU isn't a huge concern, just so long as it does those things and runs a 4K monitor, so this version of the Mini will be ideal. But I realized that I definitely needed the 512gb hard drive, and likely would benefit from 16gb RAM.
I've heard that x86 programs beachball for 20 seconds before opening, whilst Rosetta recompiles, but then once open they run at least as fast as on an Intel Mac. If that's correct, I'll probably just have my regular go-to x86 programs permanently open, which I'm assuming the extra RAM will be a benefit for.
Based on the posts that I am reading, it looks like 8gb RAM will be enough for my needs - web browsing, MS Office, Citrix and iTunes.
If I understand the benchmarks correctly this is more powerful than the the intel i7 version. I was thinking about get a refurbished model.
If I understand the benchmarks correctly this is more powerful than the the intel i7 version. I was thinking about get a refurbished model.
I was considering cancelling 16gig model to pick up a 8gig model locally. What really blew me away was this:
Final Cut Pro on a MacBook Air! The performance seems pretty amazing and Max was using the 8 gig model.
I guess everything but the standard configurations is bulid-to-order. If you choose the default options, you'll have it in a couple days. But make any changes to the defaults and you're into December.
That is a very, very fast Intel machine in a small package. Kudos!
You would have thought 16GB and 1TB would have been pretty popular. Guess not. I'm keeping my current Mini as a backup and if I need windows for anything.
It sounds like we have pretty similar use cases. Browser tabs are, for sure, my largest allocation of RAM, and then Mail. And pretty regularly Illustrator, Photoshop and ID are going for design projects. I read an article today where the author was using a base 8/256 MacBook Air and had a really difficult time getting it to noticeably slow down with tons of browser tabs and apps open. Worth a read for anyone on the fence about the $200 RAM upgrade.
I think I really might be just fine with 8 GB! I ordered one from Costco (can't beat that 4-year warranty when paying with the Citi Costco card!) and it should be here well before Apple prepares to ship the 16/256 I custom configured.
In the medium term, I'm planning on throwing down on the rumored 14" MBP, so the mini is likely a stopgap machine for me, which is part of what gives me pause about paying for upgrades. I'll likely configure that one out with extra RAM for future proofing, and I'll have to pony up for storage as external storage and a laptop is a bridge too far for me. But, there is also no sense paying for an upgrade if your use case isn't going to noticeably benefit from it, so I can see being quite comfortable not going beyond 16GB on that Mac. Looking forward to hearing more from 8GB M1 users!
Oh, and I think that delay for code translation is only on the first launch of a x86 app. It caches the translated code for future launches, so I think you can safely quit the Intel apps without fear of slow launches.
Ahh, I didn't realize that it caches the first launch of x86 apps, that's good to know. Yes, the Mini is likely a stopgap for me also. I currently have a 2017 12" 8gb 256gb Macbook, which I love the 0.92kg weight of, and hook that up to my 4K monitor. It's been fantastic for what it is, but I've been longing for an upgrade for a while.
Ideally, I was hoping that another ultralight Macbook would be released, but it didn't happen. So, I figured I might as well get a Mini to have a permanent desktop setup, and that way I can keep my 12" Macbook for couch work.
I'm going to see how the future pans out, but the M1 chips are ridiculously exciting, the potential for future machines is limitless. I'll always want an ultralight Macbook (what I personally consider < 1.1kg to be) as an alternative to an iPad, so if Apple doesn't even venture down that road again, I'll just keep that going until end of life. If they do release another ultralight, then I'll replace my current 12" Macbook with it, and perhaps keep my desktop setup as well.
If they release a 4 x thunderbolt version of the Mac Mini next year, I might upgrade to that. I'm also really hoping that they release a silicone version of their 21.5" 4K iMac, which I might ditch my whole desktop setup for. I never ventured down the iMac road because I always wanted a proper anti-glare monitor, but I think I've got over that now. I got a Dell 24" a few years ago, purely because it was the smallest anti-glare monitor on the market, but it's always felt a little too big for my preference.
Another thing that's always drove me crazy on the Dell is the fact that the settings, such as brightness etc, have to be done manually on the monitor. I started looking at the now-discontinued 21.5" LG Ultrafine, but then figured that if I was going to get that hooked up to a Mini, I might as well get an iMac (assuming that they make a 21.5" Silicone iMac).
But all in all, a Mac Mini is a great solution for now, which might end up being my main machine for years.
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The MM is a filler for me as well, the expectation is that I will be WFH for another 6 months at least so although I want another laptop it does not seem sensible to jump now when there will be something more powerful at the time I really need it.
I will always find a use for a MM though
I will always find a use for a MM though