This is my intention exactly.....when the M2 / MX becomes available, I will use my current base M1 Mini as a Media server / HDTV-based computer with a bluetooth keyboard
Yep.. I returned my Base Mac mini and got the Mac Mini with 16GB and 500 GB Storage. Made ALL the difference for my daily use and I am extremely happy with it!
Thanks! This was really helpful. I’m not a tech person. Just a regular person looking to buy the best Mac that I can afford. You explain why it’s important to get the most ram at the beginning in order to have the unit perform for the longest time without issues.And equally important how to continue to utilize old technology.I really enjoyed the story about your folks. That made it more relatable.
Longevity is the main reason I purchased M1 Mac Mini with 1TB SSD and 16GB memory. I have owned a 2007 iMac and a 2012 Mac Mini. I did not purchase the max size for either the iMac or Mini and regretted that I didn't. I did not do that this time because there are no after-purchase upgrades and because of my age this could be my last Mac, thus I may not have the money to purchase another Mac later in life.
@@FairchlldMusic1 What DAW and interface are you using? And have you had any problems with latency or Bluetooth disconnect? Thank you for your time and have a nice day. Stay safe my friend and may God bless.... Jon
The additional storage also makes a difference in performance. The memory more so, but as storage fills up performance suffers. This is true on any device I have ever used.
My analogy is it’s like a restaurant, if the dinning room, kitchen, cash up, and service counter/stores, are all close to each other, then the step count of all the staff is lower, the kitchen gets dishes out faster and communicating between departments is clearer with less mistakes, and the staff are less tired than they would be if all the areas where spaced out or even on a different floor (throw a lift/elevator in to the equation for that one 😬) 🤔 of course there also the analogy that with everything in the restaurant so close then more customers can be shoved through in the same time frame and thus take more money 💴..... it’s a double advantages even when only one advantage is initially thought of
Not to be nit picky, but it just makes sense - especially if you're going to be using it for high resource workflows. Let's face it, these things are so inexpensive to start off with that cheaping out on the RAM or storage just doesn't make any sense. Sure they use memory much more efficiently - but data is data, and just because the process workflow within the system is so efficient simply doesn't change the fact that you're dealing with very large files and data which has to fit in memory while you're working with it. Never could understand why creators who paid 3, 4, maybe even 5 thousand dollars for their previous MacBooks were buying base models of these new spec-bumped ultrabook competitors expecting them to fit all that data into 8 GB while their old models required 32 GB or more for the same tasks. It's unified memory - not _magic_ memory. Most people are looking at these first Apple Silicon Macs wrong - these aren't Apple's powerhouse machines: they're simply the annual spec bump of the lowest end Apple computers with DCI-P3 displays, Wifi 6, and the new Apple Silicon M1 SoC. They have the same limitations as the machines they replace - 16 GB RAM and two Thunderbolt ports. These are the machines you give to a student or teacher or a lawyer or an accountant or a work-at-home information worker - folks who need a decently performing machine with decent build quality who don't want to lug around a huge powerhouse machine (or pay for one for that matter). They're still marketed at the same market segment, though they now have a vastly expanded compute power envelope. The real powerhouses will probably come later with the M1x (or whatever). Apple has yet to decide on an external memory interconnect and multichannel PCIe scheme, if they decide to move in that direction. Other CPU and GPU vendors and OEM computer makers take notice - your businesses are now on limited life support. These new Apple Silicon models can compete speed-wise up through the mid-high tier of computer purchases, and if as I expect Apple sells a ton of these many will be to your bread and butter customers. In fact, I suspect that Apple - once they recover their R&D costs - will be pushing the prices of these machines lower while still maintaining their margins - while competing computer makers will still have to pay Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, and nVidea for their expensive processors, whereas Apple's cost goes down the more they manufacture. Competing computer makers may soon be squeezed by Apple Silicon price/performance on one side and high component prices on the other. Expect them to be demanding lower processor prices from the above manufacturers so they can more readily compete, and processor manufacturers may have to comply because if OEM computer manufacturers go under or stop making competing models, the processor makers will see a diminishing customer base. I believe the biggest costs for a chip fab are startup costs - no matter what processor vendors would like you to believe. Design and fab startup are _expensive_ - but once you start getting decent yields, the additional costs are silicon wafers and QA. The more of these units Apple can move, the lower the per unit cost and the better the profits. So ... who should buy these M1 Macs? If you're in the target demographic - the student, teacher, lawyer, accountant, or work-at-home information worker - this is the Mac for you. If you're a heavy computer user like a creative and don't simply want a light and cheap computer with some additional video and sound editing capability for use on the go - I'd wait for the M1x (or whatever) later this year. You'll probably kick yourself when the machines targeted at _you_ finally appear.
@Gabriel Freitas Yeah, I do. Already the M1 Mac Mini is $100 lower than the corresponding Intel model, and AppleInsider seems to run a continuous discount offer through Adorama and other outlets appleinsider.com/articles/21/01/28/lowest-price-apple-m1-mac-mini-512gb-discounted-to-819. Once they pay down the R&D for Apple Silicon development (for M1 and possibly some startup costs of M1x), their costs will be low enough that they can still maintain their customary 30% margin and lower retail prices. This will allow them to get into more of the PC market and funnel more users into their services offerings. The Apple ecosystem is _very_ sticky - not because it's hard to get your data out but because all Apple devices work so well together - and users find it difficult to leave after having tasted the fruits of the interaction with such services as iMessage and interoperability features like handoff. The iPhone and iPad are their current halo devices, but Apple Silicon Macs could well be another gateway into the Apple ecosystem. While I'm sure Mac profits are welcome, the Mac market is and always will be dwarfed by sales of mobile devices - which are admittedly shrinking - thus the move to the emphasis on services. Take iPhones and Face ID: pre-pandemic a very nice biometric authentication system that just works seamlessly, but not so convenient nowadays at the grocery store. iOS 14.5 will feature Apple Watch unlock, so you can unlock your phone automagically if you are wearing a mask and an authenticated Apple Watch. Copy data on one Apple device, and you can paste it on another Apple device. Edit a Pages document or Numbers spreadsheet on your Mac and continue working on it on your iPhone or iPad. Accept and make calls on your Mac using your iPhone. The interoperability of Apple devices is unmatched in the rest of the industry, and once you're in the Apple ecosystem and you own two Apple devices you have to think seriously about buying a non-Apple replacement device, and if you're thinking of buying a third device which is also offered by Apple there will be positive interoperability features which will steer your towards _that_ Apple device. When I have to enter text on my set top box I _hate_ having to scroll through letters using a remote, but my Apple TV will offer to let me use my iPhone's on screen keyboard to enter the data. My HomePod knows who I am by my voice, so it allows me to work with text messages, by allowing me to send them and hear them read aloud - the same with all my other family members.
@@yalizhu6583 I don't believe there are really a lot of things wrong with the M1, so if you're someone who fit into the low end Mac demographic, this is pretty near an ideal computer for you. I believe the bluetooth issues may have been fixed with macOS 11.2, but that are probably issues with other things - for instance I've heard that some USB-C docks providing PD power are bricking some M1 Macs, so I'd be cautious using those devices to charge an M1 laptop until that issue is resolved. If you're someone looking for serious power and need a lot of memory for your tasks, M1x is probably coming in the second half of 2021 with 8-16 Firestorm cores, an increased number of graphic cores, probably an increased number of neural cores, and higher memory limitations. There will probably be more Thunderbolt ports - though the M1 has a Thunderbolt bus behind each of its two Thunderbolt ports giving a total aggregate throughput of 80 mbps - which is twice the throughput of my $4500 fully loaded 2020 iMac 5K's two Thunderbolt ports. I'm thinking the Mac SoC models M#a chip the '#' will keep pace with the A## Bionic evolution, so I expect M2a to be based on the A15 with the 'a' designating the SKU - the performance class of devices that are destined to receive that SoC. Basically, I expect future models to be based on current models - just with wildly evolved compute envelopes. I expect to see M1x in the replacement for the higher end 13" and 16" MacBook Pro, the replacement 21" iMac and possibly a higher end Mac Mini. They may use binning to also include the 5K iMac replacement in the mix with something closer to 16 Firestorm cores whereas laptops may have 8 cores to keep battery life high. All this is simply wild-ass guessing of course, but Apple Silicon will allow for much more efficient operation over corresponding x86-64 counterparts. As it stands, M1 pretty much beats all the Intel and all but a couple of AMD CPU's single core performance - and those models only win because of high clocks and suffer from all the heat generated by those high frequency clocks (which also require heroic cooling solutions to keep from burning up). To my knowledge, M1 multicore performance beats out all non-overclocked Intel models (including the 10 core 10910 in my iMac) and most any x86-64 CPU with an equivalent number of high performance cores (4 Firestorm cores in M1), so the thought of the multicore performance numbers for an 8-16 Firestorm core Mac SoC are a bit mind-blowing. So back to your question: if the M1 fits your demographic and compute profile - go for it. If you're a creative or a resource intense computer user and need more compute power and memory, wait for the model you would normally buy. I elected to ride out the transition on a loaded 16" MacBook Pro and a 2020 iMac 5K because I expected a much bumpier transition than actually happened - but those would be the models I will choose when it comes time for me to buy Apple Silicon Macs.
But you see? That’s what make this machine great! I am a Pro Filmmaker shooting high frame rate 6K footage. I just blew through a 6 minute timeline in less than 3 minutes. This is not marketed towards my user base and it still everything I need and more. My wife has a 32 gig Mac trash can and this blows right by it.
@@joanacollado8430 Well, if you're going to be using it for high resource tasks, get it with 16 GB RAM and an expanded SSD - there will be a lot less swapping/demand paging and a decent size SSD will come with more service life (more spare frames).
Awesome video! Great real world reasons for choosing the 16gb version. When the M1 came out there was so much confusion between the 8gb and 16gb with most tech CZcamsrs recommending the 8gb version.
running the base model M1 mini, I love it, it was an upgrade from the 11 year old iMac upgraded to 16gb memory and a SSD, as to ram, I edit a ton of photos, large 300-700 mega pixel scans of large format film shots. The mini loads them just fine in optimised Pixelmator pro, about twice as fast as the iMac. For life span, of the device or usability for the years to come, for the average user, either models will be fine, edit vids? then get more memory. Oh and look at the tear down vid, the case is half empty, I see some mods to come for adding an internal drive, even if you have to piggy back the cables from the socket.
@@michaeltrenier Around 1700 to 1800 usd after tax. Don't forget though that you'll need a display a keyboard and a mouse/ trackpad so it will roughly be around 2000 usd depending how expensive a display you want.
Thanks for the video. I was hoping you were going to say you had figured out a way to use the first Mac Mini as extra rendering power for the second one :D
The fact that going from 8 to 16 GB of "unified memory" made such a big difference in render times, makes me eager to see what happens with the Apple silicon iMac and Macbook Pro coming out in a few months. Whether they use the M1 chip, or some improved 'M1X', I'm sure they'll support higher amounts of RAM. Would an M1-based system with 32 or 64 GB of unified memory absolutely crush even the 16 GB M1 Mac Mini?
I was planning on getting the 16gb, 1tb Mac Mini M1 this week as my now out of date 2011 27in specked out iMac looks as it might be about to take it’s last breath (she has soldiered on almost non stop for 10 years a great rig, she will be missed). However with an ever increasing number of reports of Bluetooth, USB and some WiFi issues on both variants, I may hold off for awhile until Apple addresses these problems. I tend to refrain from adopting new tech for awhile just because of the issues and bugs, like the ones we are seeing on the M1 offerings.
my 16g Ram Mac mini came in yesterday... I got the 1TB option... I like it, but I'm used to Windows... sheesh, definitely a different operating system, but so far, I love it... I upgraded the options to be able to also have the option to do video editing.
Very good review! I am writing this on my 2010 27" iMac and that too has 16 GB RAM, which stops me from repacking it. I did buy a MacBook Pro 16" in 2017 as a replacement but use that for gaming only ... say no more. A properly spec'd Mac lasts a very long time.
I too got myself a second M1 mini as well, w/16GB and basic storage & apple care. I only did that because I only paid like $20 after trading my trash can. Gotta do it while that tragically old machine still has some value.
I've been going back and forth on the ram and storage issues for at least a month now. I have watched countless CZcams videos on this very subject and I have discovered that 99% of the recommendations to buy more ram or storage are because of video production issues. Since I rarely video, I can save $200-$400 by getting the base 8/256 model. Does anyone out there in CZcams land see any flaws in my logic?
The only issues I ran into with the Base model was if I had a ton of Browser Windows open ( probably 50 or more and I probably had a few programs open like Affinity Photo) then the performance started slowing down to a crawl...BUT if you just do not go overboard like me and close windows like you should then the M1 runs fantastic. I upgrade to 16GB memory and 500 Gb SSD, and that solved all my problems. HOWEver, if I only had enough cash flow to get the Base model, I still would 100%. I would just close excessive browser windows and close running programs if needed. AND I only ran into the performance issue a few times... If you early do video and don't frequently have 40 or more browser windows open while editing photos... You will be just fine and I would bet SUPER Happy with your purchase ... Don't sweat it!
Fantastic, clear, logical, cost/practical evidence based evaluation. Just what normal people need. Like your style. We need this sort of approach to help us decide to spend more for good reasons.
Really excellent video. I have used Mac's since around 1999, So the old G5 towers and several types of iMacs. I actually still use an iMac G5 from 2004 (antique) which just runs photoshop CS3 perfectly well. For the last 6 years I have used Mac Mini's with 16GB RAM and they work so well. However, I really like the new Mac Mini with the M1 chip purely because it will run apps such as the video editing app Lumafusion ;-) Game changer...
I get why we can't upgrade ram on a SOC like this, but they should really be 16 base and upgrade to 32. hopefully that's the next year or two plan at least. I"ve had 32 gigs of ram in my windows computers for the past 5 years its worth it!
Although most of my computing is working on spreadsheets, surfing the web, and watching movies/videos, and although many of the early reviews mentioned that 8GB RAM would suffice for my type of use of the computer, I found your review very helpful. Something just wasn't sitting right with me, to only have 8 GB RAM. Yes, I keep my computers for a long and everything you mentioned in your video were definitely running thru my mind; especially the fact that we're not able to upgrade the RAM. Thanks for the comparison and for your review. Awesome!
I too got the new M1 Mini....I did get the 16 GB Unified Memory and 1TB SSD for my Office....It now serves me with Roon Core as well as my office CPU. When they come up with something better /faster, I will move the current M1 to replace 2012 MAC Mini as my dedicated Roon Server as my Library is about 400GB. Nice to hear about this guys experience!
I have the base M1 8gb RAM/512gb SSD and I love it. I ditched my Lenovo desktop, which was a beast, BUT I am stoked with my new pick up. I don't render videos or use photo editing apps or game so for my use the thing is perfect. Loving it.
@@najiaanne You should ask someone that has more recent schooling than my last day back in 1983 mate, I have no idea what it is like today :-) I do like the easy transportability of the Mini so it probably would lend itself to various situations.
Can you combine them to have DUAL M1 chips with 32GB of memory working on 1 Program? Also, I choose 5 minutes, I was hoping that the upgraded ram would run faster. Good Idea about telling your parents to upgrade to 16GB; That is great that your parents box lasted that long.
i am typing this on my 17" macbook pro from 2010 ... with 8gb Ram (max) from a time i did not really need it. Im glad i was 'extravagant' then. totally worth it. when the M1 16' MB pro comes out ... i will get 64mb ram :) these things lasts with no hardware hiccups. just needed to replace the battery twice and the magsafe thrice over the 11 years :) who says Macs are expensive?
Definitely memory and storage are such a big thing for me . With grad school/ gaming and work I need a lot of space . Thinking of purchasing one for my M1 MacBook Pro 💻.
Thank you. I would like to stamp the word fanboy on everyone who's been screaming "8Gb is enough" or "there is no difference". I knew it there must be a benefit, it was just the problem of Apple want to save on cost
1st gen mac mini M1 here. ive also got as old MBP just humming with Plex, that's all it does. Gunna replace that with the next version of the Mini when it comes out, and def will get more than 8gb of mem. I use camtasia and Luminar 4 for video/photo work... i cant imagine it getting any faster, but hey... after years of slow intel mac video churning, im sure to be amazed.
I couldn't agree more on the memory issue. I have a mid-2011, 21.5" iMac that came with 4GB of memory. Luckily, you can upgrade the memory on that machine. I added 16GB (2-8GB modules, the most you could add in the spare slots) and it has worked flawlessly and pretty fast for 10 years. I'm thinking about an M1 Mac Mini with 16GB memory to keep up with MacOS upgrades. I'm tired of waiting for the new M1 iMacs, plus the Mac Mini is pretty flexible with storage, peripherals, and monitors.
I accidentally spilled ice tea on my 2013 Mac Pro with 64gb and 16 cores last week and I took a 8gb 512gb Mac Mini while it's being repaired and I' blown away and I will sell the Mac Pro once it comes back from repairs
There's a massive MacRumors thread on 8 GB vs 16 GB and it just goes round and round and round. We got an Air with 16/1 because there's no downside to more RAM. I am still using a Late 2009 iMac 27" that I upgraded from 4 to 16 GB of RAM. It runs CZcams, Notes, VLC just fine and still has the original HDD. My Windows desktop has 64 GB of RAM and room for another 64 if I ever need it. RAM extends the life of computers.
Can you make a video linking both M1’s to make them perform as one machine and perform the rendering on that same file once again? I’m considering buying two base M1’s to chain them because 1) it’s cheaper, 2) double the ram and double the processing and double the gpu, and 3) I double the ports What do you think?
In 4 months time, at 2021 WWDC, they should be announcing the next crop of Apple Silicon Macs, a top of the line Mac Mini to replace the Intel Model is heavily rumored. If you can wait till June, definitely do it, as you will probably be able to get an M1X or M2 space gray Mac Mini with 32 or 64 GB of RAM.
Interesting. I actually looked at the specs on the M1 and knew that the RAM was the driving force behind both the CPU and GPU. I went to the apple store in early December and they told me I had to order 16GB online. I walked away and ordered online. There was no chance I was buying a computer that would need 2GB of video memory if it reduced the available CPU to 6GB. I understand a VLOGgers' need to get the review online ASAP and thus buying the base machine on hand. I watched the reviews that all said that the 8GB machine would meet the needs and was great, almost universal. Two reasons I went 16GB. The first I mentioned above. The second was future proofing, the introduction of the chip blew reviewers away so much that I knew companies like AMD and Intel would follow it, meaning program writers would write to the higher specs of the new tech. This review was great, I just wish the earliest reviews had all seen the writing on the wall before recommending buys go with the base 8GB model.
I’d add one thing to this review if I could. 8GB of RAM is fine for what I use it for now. It’s a media server that only has to transmit info over the network. But aside from that, yes. 8GB of RAM is not enough for much else. Maybe the M2 model will have 16GB on the base version.
I am also so happy to get rid of the butterfly keyboard. Huge relief! I bought the MacBook Pro 512GB M1 16GB ram. It's much faster than my iMac 27" with 24GB ram. I'm considering using a Mac Mini as a work station. After watching this video, I'll get the 16GB model. No question. Thank you.
Great review, very informative. Still don’t know what I’ll do though. My Mac Pro tower from 2008 finally just burned out thanks to the Texas storm. I have 12TB of external drives full of video files and FCPX projects. I’m torn between a Mac Mini or an M1 Macbook Air, either fully loaded. Both will need a hub to connect all my drives. Money is tight so these two are probably all I can afford.
I got the base model MacMini. I do not do video editing but I am still wishing I had got more memory...but just watched your video. Thank you! I am now subscribed.
Always good to invest on the RAM and storage. I am currently using an early 2011 15" Macbok Pro. It's had a few issues over the years, bt still works very well for what I need. I'm thinking of using my TV as a monitor and getting aMac Mini to use with it.
I'm the odd duck here. Long time Windows user (Windows 98-Latest version of 10) 1st time Mac user. I ordered the base M1 Mac Mini .(8/256) 90+% media consumption with light office work. It will be here today. Did I make the right decision based on my intended usage?
That was the best explanation and Mac comparison I have see concerning the new M1 chips and new Macs- I have a 27” 5K with 64GB Ram- but interesting that the new Mac houses that Ram as a part of the chip- I may trade in after seeing this video. 💯👍🏼 subscribed !
With the new upgrades to Monterey, you should be able to run both mac mini m1 side by side if you wanted right? Using the same mouse and keyboard? So you could like be rendering a video on the 16gb version and browsing thje web or whatever on the 8gb mac mini?
iMac 2011/ 8 GB RAM and still running Ableton 9 with tons of Plugins and no issues but thinking about upgrading to the Mac mini. This time with 16 GB RAM to do the next 10 years, then with Ableton 11
I have an Intel and an M1 16GB mini, and I've turned the old Intel mini into a file and Time Machine server. I also set up screen sharing to the M1 mini to run jobs on the Intel mini. Nice and snappy even viewing 3D.
I got the 16Gb/2Tb version back in December after cancelling the base model due to the Swap concerns. I figured I’ll probably get at least another 2 years out of the machine with these upgrades which makes it worth it. Time is money and time spent setting these up the way you want them is not insignificant.
Cool man. Hey, who is that black character with the white eyes up on the shelf there? There's one in my house and I don't know where he came from. I use him to gather the curtains sometimes
For ALL future Macs: Think of Memory and Storage in the same way you consider Storage in a potential iPad purchase..... I suspect that only the upcoming Pro "towers" will have any type of upgradability ... and that will likely be proprietary.
Great presentation sir! I've been a Mac user for 20 years now and have had so many machines... Have to say the 16GB Mini is a cracking piece of kit for the money. Exciting times ahead. Am looking forward to the performance ramping up even further with future generations. Massively disappointed with the performance of my 27" i9 iMac. The mini flies compared to that, and that machine has 64GB ram. Glitchy playback on 4k 50p c-LOG on the iMac, seamless on the Mini. Funny you talking about your parents, my folks inherited my old Mac Pro (Previous Generation). That was maxed out on RAM and graphics. They go on and on... Probably see em out!
Thanks for the info. I currently own a 27” iMac w/1TB of storage & 8 GB of ram. So far, no problems. Will probably buy a new iMac with 16 GB RAM & 1TB storage when the new model is out with M1 chip, or maybe I’ll buy the M1 mini instead with suggested 16 GB of ram. Do you use an external SSD drive to store files since you Mini only has 512GB of storage?
compare the SSD speeds. Apple SSDs are almost always have Much faster read and write as storage goes up. The 16GB helps a LOT, but the storage is also speeds things up.
If the upcoming M1X/M2 Pro Mac Mini (replacing the high tier Intel version 1099), doesn't come with 16GB minimum, i'll never use an Apple product again, that is a promise.
Thank you, Captain Tsubasa! I plan to buy M1 Mac mini. Now, no longer struggle the RAM and storage. can you suggest some docking station, SSD storage / NAS and accessories for mini?
I'm a little less excited. Here's why I have an M1 Mac Mini 16GB 1TB Big Sur 11.1. When it arrived all I had was an HDMI cable. Hooked up my BenQ SW2700-B and got my normal max 2560x1440 resolution. Bought a Thunderbolt (USB-C) to Display Port 1.2 cable and when I hook up with it the best resolution I can get is 1920x1080. After a long talk with Apple support they said that hopefully Big Sur 11.2 would fix it. Well 11.2 came out and didn't fix the problem. Another long call with Apple and running "Capture_Data" and sending the resulting 396MB file I'm told this will be escalated to Engineering. Not a big deal today, but someday I may want to add a 6K monitor and I'm not confident the Mac Mini Thunderbolt port will drive 6K as advertised.
Hi Garrett, For your storage Mac mini, search for this video here in CZcams: M1 Mac Mini vs LaCie Rugged SSD Pro - Is it cheaper and faster than to buy more built-in storage? The guy managed to get a faster SSD than the original MacMini ones, and might help you a lot! Cheers
Is there a way to combine the two mac minis? To have two M1 chips working for you? I would love to be able to do that to give more capacity for music production
I’ve tried combining them for rendering projects in compressor, but the extra time it takes to distribute the files across the network for rendering is the biggest limiter at the moment. I can’t combine them for editing either. So I’m just leaving the one as my main machine until I find a better solution for sharing tasks like that.
I actually found that every OS upgrade each year on every Mac I've ever owned, runs slower and slower each year. Spinning beach balls become more and more prevalent. Even my top of the line 2017 iMac. I finally put my 2014 mac mini, 2017 27" iMac, and 2010 27" imac back to the OS they shipped with and now they run like they did when they were new and no spinning beach balls. By the way, I always do a clean install of each new OS so there's no reason for the constant slow down with every new OS upgrade. I now have an M1 Mac mini and will be very reluctant to get the new OS this coming fall. I wonder if it would suffer the same fate as every Mac I've owned to date?
8GB is enough (starring Dick Van Patten). If you're doing typical user activities (not video editing or high-end video games) 8GB is enough. SSD may be a bigger factor as our cloud storage capacity is often greater than our SSD capacity and there's no easy way to keep more in the cloud than on your SSD.
I got the M1 Mac Mini with the 16 gigs of Ram but the basic 256 gigs on the SSD (All I could afford). as I'm retired I thought the Ram was where I could afford to upgrade. Hope to snag an M1 MacBook Air next Tax time in 2022 to have as a backup using TimeMachine. Thanks for all the information.
Could you do a video on mac m1 crypto mining one the 2 of them ? I'm thinking of buying 20, making a mac mini mode, and Bit mining with them. I found some off lease M1 minis for dirt cheap.
Great video and thanks for the speed test comparison and the recommendation! I noticed you also have two monitors... can you tell me how you connect your monitors to the Mac Mini...I’m interested in purchasing and notice just one HDMI port....
For me i ended up getting the 8gb model as a refurbished mac so that I can try out macos, and my plan if I like macos is to get the m1x MacBook pro down the road and sell the mac mini for probably close to what I paid for it since the mac minis tend to hold their value really well, especially if it has an m1 in it. Plus worst case I would love to try to turn it into a small formfactor linux machine cause I can think of a ton of uses I could have with a Linux computer running on M1 architecture;
That's the question that never goes away. Whenever you buy, there will ALWAYS be a next generation coming along shortly afterward. If you need it now, buy it now.
The best way I can answer this question is: if this machine will save you time and allow you to be more productive in your work compared to your existing machine, how much is that worth to you? if you can be more productive and do more billable work in a day or it will save you hours per day, and will pay for itself before the new model comes out then the obvious answer is buy now, if on the other hand it wont make you any extra money or save you any extra time, wait for the next model or or even till your current machine fails and only buy then. It all depends on your situation.
wow 2:12 you got a second mac mini with only 512 storage ? mine is 2 tb .... im wondering if i should buy synergy ... ? ... but what other ways , can i link the 2012 mac mini with the new m1 mac mini ??
Reviews like this is what makes a review worth it! I want to hear user experience and reasoning, and this does it. Thanks!
Just ordered min yesterday.
16gb ram, 1tb HD and logic Pro.
Can't wait for arrival.
Great video
damn thats a heavy spec
This is my intention exactly.....when the M2 / MX becomes available, I will use my current base M1 Mini as a Media server / HDTV-based computer with a bluetooth keyboard
Yep.. I returned my Base Mac mini and got the Mac Mini with 16GB and 500 GB Storage. Made ALL the difference for my daily use and I am extremely happy with it!
@@RogansRatedCar Mainly Affinity photo/Designer and FCP. I also do a lot of research and many times will have a ton of Browser windows/Tabs open.
Dang I thought you were going to combine the two for one Big Mac. :)
Is it possible though?
Lol
@@nipaebrahim4800 you can do that with raspberry pies
Thanks! This was really helpful. I’m not a tech person. Just a regular person looking to buy the best Mac that I can afford. You explain why it’s important to get the most ram at the beginning in order to have the unit perform for the longest time without issues.And equally important how to continue to utilize old technology.I really enjoyed the story about your folks. That made it more relatable.
Garrett: I Bought a Second M1 Mac Mini
Me: I bought my first Macbook Pro Mid 2012
LOL me too, I got mine in 2011... and it's just now starting to show its age. Time for an upgrade for me, soon.
I have two old mbp, still run fine just no longer get os updates so can't add new plugin programs.
Longevity is the main reason I purchased M1 Mac Mini with 1TB SSD and 16GB memory. I have owned a 2007 iMac and a 2012 Mac Mini. I did not purchase the max size for either the iMac or Mini and regretted that I didn't. I did not do that this time because there are no after-purchase upgrades and because of my age this could be my last Mac, thus I may not have the money to purchase another Mac later in life.
Couldn’t be happier with my 16gb/1Tb mini m1
That’s the same exact spec that I have after retuning my entry level M1 Mac mini
Still mostly happy with my quad core i7, 1 TB SSD, 1 TD HDD, 16 GB Mac Mini. Once there is a more powerful M1x, M2 or whatever Mini, I'll jump ship.
@@kenf3539 for me it was a no brainer, because the new one is 3x more powerful, and I needed the extra juice for music prod. stuff
@@FairchlldMusic1 What DAW and interface are you using? And have you had any problems with latency or Bluetooth disconnect? Thank you for your time and have a nice day. Stay safe my friend and may God bless.... Jon
@@RavageEject84 Why did you return it? What is your usage case?
The additional storage also makes a difference in performance. The memory more so, but as storage fills up performance suffers. This is true on any device I have ever used.
My analogy is it’s like a restaurant, if the dinning room, kitchen, cash up, and service counter/stores, are all close to each other, then the step count of all the staff is lower, the kitchen gets dishes out faster and communicating between departments is clearer with less mistakes, and the staff are less tired than they would be if all the areas where spaced out or even on a different floor (throw a lift/elevator in to the equation for that one 😬)
🤔 of course there also the analogy that with everything in the restaurant so close then more customers can be shoved through in the same time frame and thus take more money 💴..... it’s a double advantages even when only one advantage is initially thought of
Not to be nit picky, but it just makes sense - especially if you're going to be using it for high resource workflows.
Let's face it, these things are so inexpensive to start off with that cheaping out on the RAM or storage just doesn't make any sense.
Sure they use memory much more efficiently - but data is data, and just because the process workflow within the system is so efficient simply doesn't change the fact that you're dealing with very large files and data which has to fit in memory while you're working with it.
Never could understand why creators who paid 3, 4, maybe even 5 thousand dollars for their previous MacBooks were buying base models of these new spec-bumped ultrabook competitors expecting them to fit all that data into 8 GB while their old models required 32 GB or more for the same tasks.
It's unified memory - not _magic_ memory.
Most people are looking at these first Apple Silicon Macs wrong - these aren't Apple's powerhouse machines: they're simply the annual spec bump of the lowest end Apple computers with DCI-P3 displays, Wifi 6, and the new Apple Silicon M1 SoC.
They have the same limitations as the machines they replace - 16 GB RAM and two Thunderbolt ports.
These are the machines you give to a student or teacher or a lawyer or an accountant or a work-at-home information worker - folks who need a decently performing machine with decent build quality who don't want to lug around a huge powerhouse machine (or pay for one for that matter). They're still marketed at the same market segment, though they now have a vastly expanded compute power envelope.
The real powerhouses will probably come later with the M1x (or whatever). Apple has yet to decide on an external memory interconnect and multichannel PCIe scheme, if they decide to move in that direction.
Other CPU and GPU vendors and OEM computer makers take notice - your businesses are now on limited life support. These new Apple Silicon models can compete speed-wise up through the mid-high tier of computer purchases, and if as I expect Apple sells a ton of these many will be to your bread and butter customers.
In fact, I suspect that Apple - once they recover their R&D costs - will be pushing the prices of these machines lower while still maintaining their margins - while competing computer makers will still have to pay Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, and nVidea for their expensive processors, whereas Apple's cost goes down the more they manufacture. Competing computer makers may soon be squeezed by Apple Silicon price/performance on one side and high component prices on the other. Expect them to be demanding lower processor prices from the above manufacturers so they can more readily compete, and processor manufacturers may have to comply because if OEM computer manufacturers go under or stop making competing models, the processor makers will see a diminishing customer base.
I believe the biggest costs for a chip fab are startup costs - no matter what processor vendors would like you to believe. Design and fab startup are _expensive_ - but once you start getting decent yields, the additional costs are silicon wafers and QA. The more of these units Apple can move, the lower the per unit cost and the better the profits.
So ... who should buy these M1 Macs?
If you're in the target demographic - the student, teacher, lawyer, accountant, or work-at-home information worker - this is the Mac for you.
If you're a heavy computer user like a creative and don't simply want a light and cheap computer with some additional video and sound editing capability for use on the go - I'd wait for the M1x (or whatever) later this year. You'll probably kick yourself when the machines targeted at _you_ finally appear.
@Gabriel Freitas Yeah, I do.
Already the M1 Mac Mini is $100 lower than the corresponding Intel model, and AppleInsider seems to run a continuous discount offer through Adorama and other outlets appleinsider.com/articles/21/01/28/lowest-price-apple-m1-mac-mini-512gb-discounted-to-819.
Once they pay down the R&D for Apple Silicon development (for M1 and possibly some startup costs of M1x), their costs will be low enough that they can still maintain their customary 30% margin and lower retail prices. This will allow them to get into more of the PC market and funnel more users into their services offerings.
The Apple ecosystem is _very_ sticky - not because it's hard to get your data out but because all Apple devices work so well together - and users find it difficult to leave after having tasted the fruits of the interaction with such services as iMessage and interoperability features like handoff. The iPhone and iPad are their current halo devices, but Apple Silicon Macs could well be another gateway into the Apple ecosystem.
While I'm sure Mac profits are welcome, the Mac market is and always will be dwarfed by sales of mobile devices - which are admittedly shrinking - thus the move to the emphasis on services.
Take iPhones and Face ID: pre-pandemic a very nice biometric authentication system that just works seamlessly, but not so convenient nowadays at the grocery store. iOS 14.5 will feature Apple Watch unlock, so you can unlock your phone automagically if you are wearing a mask and an authenticated Apple Watch. Copy data on one Apple device, and you can paste it on another Apple device. Edit a Pages document or Numbers spreadsheet on your Mac and continue working on it on your iPhone or iPad. Accept and make calls on your Mac using your iPhone. The interoperability of Apple devices is unmatched in the rest of the industry, and once you're in the Apple ecosystem and you own two Apple devices you have to think seriously about buying a non-Apple replacement device, and if you're thinking of buying a third device which is also offered by Apple there will be positive interoperability features which will steer your towards _that_ Apple device.
When I have to enter text on my set top box I _hate_ having to scroll through letters using a remote, but my Apple TV will offer to let me use my iPhone's on screen keyboard to enter the data. My HomePod knows who I am by my voice, so it allows me to work with text messages, by allowing me to send them and hear them read aloud - the same with all my other family members.
What about M2 chip, M2x, M3, .... ? should I continue waiting ?
@@yalizhu6583 I don't believe there are really a lot of things wrong with the M1, so if you're someone who fit into the low end Mac demographic, this is pretty near an ideal computer for you.
I believe the bluetooth issues may have been fixed with macOS 11.2, but that are probably issues with other things - for instance I've heard that some USB-C docks providing PD power are bricking some M1 Macs, so I'd be cautious using those devices to charge an M1 laptop until that issue is resolved.
If you're someone looking for serious power and need a lot of memory for your tasks, M1x is probably coming in the second half of 2021 with 8-16 Firestorm cores, an increased number of graphic cores, probably an increased number of neural cores, and higher memory limitations. There will probably be more Thunderbolt ports - though the M1 has a Thunderbolt bus behind each of its two Thunderbolt ports giving a total aggregate throughput of 80 mbps - which is twice the throughput of my $4500 fully loaded 2020 iMac 5K's two Thunderbolt ports.
I'm thinking the Mac SoC models M#a chip the '#' will keep pace with the A## Bionic evolution, so I expect M2a to be based on the A15 with the 'a' designating the SKU - the performance class of devices that are destined to receive that SoC.
Basically, I expect future models to be based on current models - just with wildly evolved compute envelopes.
I expect to see M1x in the replacement for the higher end 13" and 16" MacBook Pro, the replacement 21" iMac and possibly a higher end Mac Mini. They may use binning to also include the 5K iMac replacement in the mix with something closer to 16 Firestorm cores whereas laptops may have 8 cores to keep battery life high.
All this is simply wild-ass guessing of course, but Apple Silicon will allow for much more efficient operation over corresponding x86-64 counterparts.
As it stands, M1 pretty much beats all the Intel and all but a couple of AMD CPU's single core performance - and those models only win because of high clocks and suffer from all the heat generated by those high frequency clocks (which also require heroic cooling solutions to keep from burning up). To my knowledge, M1 multicore performance beats out all non-overclocked Intel models (including the 10 core 10910 in my iMac) and most any x86-64 CPU with an equivalent number of high performance cores (4 Firestorm cores in M1), so the thought of the multicore performance numbers for an 8-16 Firestorm core Mac SoC are a bit mind-blowing.
So back to your question: if the M1 fits your demographic and compute profile - go for it. If you're a creative or a resource intense computer user and need more compute power and memory, wait for the model you would normally buy.
I elected to ride out the transition on a loaded 16" MacBook Pro and a 2020 iMac 5K because I expected a much bumpier transition than actually happened - but those would be the models I will choose when it comes time for me to buy Apple Silicon Macs.
But you see? That’s what make this machine great! I am a Pro Filmmaker shooting high frame rate 6K footage. I just blew through a 6 minute timeline in less than 3 minutes. This is not marketed towards my user base and it still everything I need and more. My wife has a 32 gig Mac trash can and this blows right by it.
@@joanacollado8430 Well, if you're going to be using it for high resource tasks, get it with 16 GB RAM and an expanded SSD - there will be a lot less swapping/demand paging and a decent size SSD will come with more service life (more spare frames).
Awesome video! Great real world reasons for choosing the 16gb version. When the M1 came out there was so much confusion between the 8gb and 16gb with most tech CZcamsrs recommending the 8gb version.
running the base model M1 mini, I love it, it was an upgrade from the 11 year old iMac upgraded to 16gb memory and a SSD, as to ram, I edit a ton of photos, large 300-700 mega pixel scans of large format film shots. The mini loads them just fine in optimised Pixelmator pro, about twice as fast as the iMac. For life span, of the device or usability for the years to come, for the average user, either models will be fine, edit vids? then get more memory. Oh and look at the tear down vid, the case is half empty, I see some mods to come for adding an internal drive, even if you have to piggy back the cables from the socket.
When I bought the Mac mini M1 I got 16GB ran and 2TB so I Max it out.
About how much was that
@@michaeltrenier Around 1700 to 1800 usd after tax. Don't forget though that you'll need a display a keyboard and a mouse/ trackpad so it will roughly be around 2000 usd depending how expensive a display you want.
I did the same...
Thanks for the video. I was hoping you were going to say you had figured out a way to use the first Mac Mini as extra rendering power for the second one :D
Thanks for the vid, reinforces my decision to just spend more upfront for the 16gb.
Sure, read my article about not taking Apple laptop and instead of that take a mini and iPad. 16Gb is must.
The fact that going from 8 to 16 GB of "unified memory" made such a big difference in render times, makes me eager to see what happens with the Apple silicon iMac and Macbook Pro coming out in a few months. Whether they use the M1 chip, or some improved 'M1X', I'm sure they'll support higher amounts of RAM. Would an M1-based system with 32 or 64 GB of unified memory absolutely crush even the 16 GB M1 Mac Mini?
I was planning on getting the 16gb, 1tb Mac Mini M1 this week as my now out of date 2011 27in specked out iMac looks as it might be about to take it’s last breath (she has soldiered on almost non stop for 10 years a great rig, she will be missed). However with an ever increasing number of reports of Bluetooth, USB and some WiFi issues on both variants, I may hold off for awhile until Apple addresses these problems. I tend to refrain from adopting new tech for awhile just because of the issues and bugs, like the ones we are seeing on the M1 offerings.
I'd love to see a behind the scenes breakdown of you editing process!
my 16g Ram Mac mini came in yesterday... I got the 1TB option... I like it, but I'm used to Windows... sheesh, definitely a different operating system, but so far, I love it... I upgraded the options to be able to also have the option to do video editing.
Same configuration just arrived today. Very excited.
Very good review! I am writing this on my 2010 27" iMac and that too has 16 GB RAM, which stops me from repacking it. I did buy a MacBook Pro 16" in 2017 as a replacement but use that for gaming only ... say no more. A properly spec'd Mac lasts a very long time.
I too got myself a second M1 mini as well, w/16GB and basic storage & apple care. I only did that because I only paid like $20 after trading my trash can. Gotta do it while that tragically old machine still has some value.
I've been going back and forth on the ram and storage issues for at least a month now. I have watched countless CZcams videos on this very subject and I have discovered that 99% of the recommendations to buy more ram or storage are because of video production issues. Since I rarely video, I can save $200-$400 by getting the base 8/256 model. Does anyone out there in CZcams land see any flaws in my logic?
Nope. Sounds good to me and fits what I discovered.
The only issues I ran into with the Base model was if I had a ton of Browser Windows open ( probably 50 or more and I probably had a few programs open like Affinity Photo) then the performance started slowing down to a crawl...BUT if you just do not go overboard like me and close windows like you should then the M1 runs fantastic. I upgrade to 16GB memory and 500 Gb SSD, and that solved all my problems. HOWEver, if I only had enough cash flow to get the Base model, I still would 100%. I would just close excessive browser windows and close running programs if needed. AND I only ran into the performance issue a few times... If you early do video and don't frequently have 40 or more browser windows open while editing photos... You will be just fine and I would bet SUPER Happy with your purchase ... Don't sweat it!
exactly, buy more ram's model on M1 as you say it's benefit not only for internal ssd lifespan, but it increase gpu ram usage improvement also
Fantastic, clear, logical, cost/practical evidence based evaluation. Just what normal people need. Like your style. We need this sort of approach to help us decide to spend more for good reasons.
"Now when I make a video like this, I have to take 2 machines apart instead of one." It's a hard life, innit? :-D
Really excellent video. I have used Mac's since around 1999, So the old G5 towers and several types of iMacs. I actually still use an iMac G5 from 2004 (antique) which just runs photoshop CS3 perfectly well. For the last 6 years I have used Mac Mini's with 16GB RAM and they work so well. However, I really like the new Mac Mini with the M1 chip purely because it will run apps such as the video editing app Lumafusion ;-) Game changer...
I get why we can't upgrade ram on a SOC like this, but they should really be 16 base and upgrade to 32. hopefully that's the next year or two plan at least. I"ve had 32 gigs of ram in my windows computers for the past 5 years its worth it!
Most of the content creators reviewing the mac mini just echo each other. You really did your research and went pretty in-depth. Great video!
Although most of my computing is working on spreadsheets, surfing the web, and watching movies/videos, and although many of the early reviews mentioned that 8GB RAM would suffice for my type of use of the computer, I found your review very helpful. Something just wasn't sitting right with me, to only have 8 GB RAM. Yes, I keep my computers for a long and everything you mentioned in your video were definitely running thru my mind; especially the fact that we're not able to upgrade the RAM. Thanks for the comparison and for your review. Awesome!
I too got the new M1 Mini....I did get the 16 GB Unified Memory and 1TB SSD for my Office....It now serves me with Roon Core as well as my office CPU. When they come up with something better /faster, I will move the current M1 to replace 2012 MAC Mini as my dedicated Roon Server as my Library is about 400GB. Nice to hear about this guys experience!
Aren't the 512GB SDDs also faster than the smaller 256GB SSDs?
❓
what is your source here?
I have the base M1 8gb RAM/512gb SSD and I love it. I ditched my Lenovo desktop, which was a beast, BUT I am stoked with my new pick up. I don't render videos or use photo editing apps or game so for my use the thing is perfect. Loving it.
Do you recommend that for school purposes? Thinking of getting one for college
@@najiaanne You should ask someone that has more recent schooling than my last day back in 1983 mate, I have no idea what it is like today :-)
I do like the easy transportability of the Mini so it probably would lend itself to various situations.
Can you combine them to have DUAL M1 chips with 32GB of memory working on 1 Program? Also, I choose 5 minutes, I was hoping that the upgraded ram would run faster. Good Idea about telling your parents to upgrade to 16GB; That is great that your parents box lasted that long.
i am typing this on my 17" macbook pro from 2010 ... with 8gb Ram (max) from a time i did not really need it. Im glad i was 'extravagant' then. totally worth it. when the M1 16' MB pro comes out ... i will get 64mb ram :) these things lasts with no hardware hiccups. just needed to replace the battery twice and the magsafe thrice over the 11 years :) who says Macs are expensive?
Definitely memory and storage are such a big thing for me . With grad school/ gaming and work I need a lot of space . Thinking of purchasing one for my M1 MacBook Pro 💻.
Thank you. I would like to stamp the word fanboy on everyone who's been screaming "8Gb is enough" or "there is no difference". I knew it there must be a benefit, it was just the problem of Apple want to save on cost
8gb is enough for daily use and general purpose tasks, but for anyone looking to do more advance tasks will definitely need 16GB.
1st gen mac mini M1 here. ive also got as old MBP just humming with Plex, that's all it does. Gunna replace that with the next version of the Mini when it comes out, and def will get more than 8gb of mem. I use camtasia and Luminar 4 for video/photo work... i cant imagine it getting any faster, but hey... after years of slow intel mac video churning, im sure to be amazed.
I couldn't agree more on the memory issue. I have a mid-2011, 21.5" iMac that came with 4GB of memory. Luckily, you can upgrade the memory on that machine. I added 16GB (2-8GB modules, the most you could add in the spare slots) and it has worked flawlessly and pretty fast for 10 years. I'm thinking about an M1 Mac Mini with 16GB memory to keep up with MacOS upgrades. I'm tired of waiting for the new M1 iMacs, plus the Mac Mini is pretty flexible with storage, peripherals, and monitors.
I accidentally spilled ice tea on my 2013 Mac Pro with 64gb and 16 cores last week and I took a 8gb 512gb Mac Mini while it's being repaired and I' blown away and I will sell the Mac Pro once it comes back from repairs
It's understandable. The 2013 "trash can" mac pro was a major disaster.
@HoloKola 😂😂
I fall in love with this little beast
There's a massive MacRumors thread on 8 GB vs 16 GB and it just goes round and round and round. We got an Air with 16/1 because there's no downside to more RAM. I am still using a Late 2009 iMac 27" that I upgraded from 4 to 16 GB of RAM. It runs CZcams, Notes, VLC just fine and still has the original HDD. My Windows desktop has 64 GB of RAM and room for another 64 if I ever need it. RAM extends the life of computers.
Can you make a video linking both M1’s to make them perform as one machine and perform the rendering on that same file once again? I’m considering buying two base M1’s to chain them because 1) it’s cheaper, 2) double the ram and double the processing and double the gpu, and 3) I double the ports
What do you think?
Great, now I feel like my new computer sucks. Thanks.
In 4 months time, at 2021 WWDC, they should be announcing the next crop of Apple Silicon Macs, a top of the line Mac Mini to replace the Intel Model is heavily rumored. If you can wait till June, definitely do it, as you will probably be able to get an M1X or M2 space gray Mac Mini with 32 or 64 GB of RAM.
Waiting for the MX/M2 model. Also hoping there will be some serious progress for Linux + Windows ARM builds.
Interesting. I actually looked at the specs on the M1 and knew that the RAM was the driving force behind both the CPU and GPU. I went to the apple store in early December and they told me I had to order 16GB online. I walked away and ordered online. There was no chance I was buying a computer that would need 2GB of video memory if it reduced the available CPU to 6GB. I understand a VLOGgers' need to get the review online ASAP and thus buying the base machine on hand. I watched the reviews that all said that the 8GB machine would meet the needs and was great, almost universal. Two reasons I went 16GB. The first I mentioned above. The second was future proofing, the introduction of the chip blew reviewers away so much that I knew companies like AMD and Intel would follow it, meaning program writers would write to the higher specs of the new tech. This review was great, I just wish the earliest reviews had all seen the writing on the wall before recommending buys go with the base 8GB model.
Finally a tech reviewer or youtuber that doesn't fetishize base model 8gb ram machines. It's 2022 now and 8gb just will never cut it again.
I’d add one thing to this review if I could. 8GB of RAM is fine for what I use it for now. It’s a media server that only has to transmit info over the network. But aside from that, yes. 8GB of RAM is not enough for much else. Maybe the M2 model will have 16GB on the base version.
The render times are crazy. Very impressive.
I am also so happy to get rid of the butterfly keyboard. Huge relief!
I bought the MacBook Pro 512GB M1 16GB ram. It's much faster than my iMac 27" with 24GB ram.
I'm considering using a Mac Mini as a work station. After watching this video, I'll get the 16GB model. No question.
Thank you.
Hows the bluetooth on it? Any Issues?
Great review, very informative. Still don’t know what I’ll do though. My Mac Pro tower from 2008 finally just burned out thanks to the Texas storm. I have 12TB of external drives full of video files and FCPX projects. I’m torn between a Mac Mini or an M1 Macbook Air, either fully loaded. Both will need a hub to connect all my drives. Money is tight so these two are probably all I can afford.
I got the base model MacMini. I do not do video editing but I am still wishing I had got more memory...but just watched your video. Thank you! I am now subscribed.
Always good to invest on the RAM and storage. I am currently using an early 2011 15" Macbok Pro. It's had a few issues over the years, bt still works very well for what I need. I'm thinking of using my TV as a monitor and getting aMac Mini to use with it.
I'm the odd duck here. Long time Windows user (Windows 98-Latest version of 10) 1st time Mac user. I ordered the base M1 Mac Mini .(8/256) 90+% media consumption with light office work. It will be here today. Did I make the right decision based on my intended usage?
Well, if that’s all you’re using it for then it’s going to be around for quite a while because you won’t be working it super hard.
@@GarrettCrespo Thanks!👍
That was the best explanation and Mac comparison I have see concerning the new M1 chips and new Macs- I have a 27” 5K with 64GB Ram- but interesting that the new Mac houses that Ram as a part of the chip- I may trade in after seeing this video. 💯👍🏼 subscribed !
With the new upgrades to Monterey, you should be able to run both mac mini m1 side by side if you wanted right? Using the same mouse and keyboard? So you could like be rendering a video on the 16gb version and browsing thje web or whatever on the 8gb mac mini?
two mac minis? how bout a mac mini cluster experiment video?
Very thorough review. Thanks for sharing.
So you can use a 5gb switch to make them a cluster and call it super Mac mini?
Nice review! From the title I thought there was some way of clustering them. It sounds like Apple should have made a 32GB too
iMac 2011/ 8 GB RAM and still running Ableton 9 with tons of Plugins and no issues
but thinking about upgrading to the Mac mini. This time with 16 GB RAM to do the next 10 years, then with Ableton 11
I have an Intel and an M1 16GB mini, and I've turned the old Intel mini into a file and Time Machine server. I also set up screen sharing to the M1 mini to run jobs on the Intel mini. Nice and snappy even viewing 3D.
Got me a 16gb and 256GB drive plus 1tb Samsung external SSD.
I’ve done the same. Being on a budget I’ve brought a Samsung evo 1TB and put it in a TB3 enclosure. Works just fine!
I got the 16Gb/2Tb version back in December after cancelling the base model due to the Swap concerns. I figured I’ll probably get at least another 2 years out of the machine with these upgrades which makes it worth it. Time is money and time spent setting these up the way you want them is not insignificant.
Please can you reccomend a monitor for video editing on a mac mini?
I figured it would be like 21 minutes. That's a huge improvement.
Cool man. Hey, who is that black character with the white eyes up on the shelf there? There's one in my house and I don't know where he came from. I use him to gather the curtains sometimes
It's a Minecraft Enderman plushie.
Hey thanks! Gives me an idea of how to employ it in the house.
For ALL future Macs: Think of Memory and Storage in the same way you consider Storage in a potential iPad purchase..... I suspect that only the upcoming Pro "towers" will have any type of upgradability ... and that will likely be proprietary.
good point that if you have more unified RAM, the GPU gets to use it as well. however in PC world, GDDR6 is faster than DDR4 RAM.
I agree, but PC optimization could still use a lot of work.
SWEET!! Thanks for putting this up!
Great presentation sir! I've been a Mac user for 20 years now and have had so many machines... Have to say the 16GB Mini is a cracking piece of kit for the money. Exciting times ahead. Am looking forward to the performance ramping up even further with future generations. Massively disappointed with the performance of my 27" i9 iMac. The mini flies compared to that, and that machine has 64GB ram. Glitchy playback on 4k 50p c-LOG on the iMac, seamless on the Mini. Funny you talking about your parents, my folks inherited my old Mac Pro (Previous Generation). That was maxed out on RAM and graphics. They go on and on... Probably see em out!
Tks a lot Garret for this nice video!
Thanks for yr honest review and experience ! 👍👍😍
Thanks for the info. I currently own a 27” iMac w/1TB of storage
& 8 GB of ram. So far, no problems. Will probably buy a new iMac with 16 GB RAM & 1TB storage when the new model is out with M1 chip, or maybe I’ll buy the M1 mini instead with suggested 16 GB of ram. Do you use an external SSD drive to store files since you Mini only has 512GB of storage?
compare the SSD speeds. Apple SSDs are almost always have Much faster read and write as storage goes up. The 16GB helps a LOT, but the storage is also speeds things up.
If the upcoming M1X/M2 Pro Mac Mini (replacing the high tier Intel version 1099), doesn't come with 16GB minimum, i'll never use an Apple product again, that is a promise.
Thank you, Captain Tsubasa! I plan to buy M1 Mac mini. Now, no longer struggle the RAM and storage. can you suggest some docking station, SSD storage / NAS and accessories for mini?
I'm a little less excited. Here's why
I have an M1 Mac Mini 16GB 1TB Big Sur 11.1. When it arrived all I had was an HDMI cable. Hooked up my BenQ SW2700-B and got my normal max 2560x1440 resolution.
Bought a Thunderbolt (USB-C) to Display Port 1.2 cable and when I hook up with it the best resolution I can get is 1920x1080.
After a long talk with Apple support they said that hopefully Big Sur 11.2 would fix it.
Well 11.2 came out and didn't fix the problem. Another long call with Apple and running "Capture_Data" and sending the resulting 396MB file I'm told this will be escalated to Engineering.
Not a big deal today, but someday I may want to add a 6K monitor and I'm not confident the Mac Mini Thunderbolt port will drive 6K as advertised.
Thanks for the input!
Hi Garrett,
For your storage Mac mini, search for this video here in CZcams:
M1 Mac Mini vs LaCie Rugged SSD Pro - Is it cheaper and faster than to buy more built-in storage?
The guy managed to get a faster SSD than the original MacMini ones, and might help you a lot!
Cheers
Is there a way to combine the two mac minis? To have two M1 chips working for you? I would love to be able to do that to give more capacity for music production
I know people have created render farms with mac minis. I was just thinking of 2 minis. What do you think?
I’ve tried combining them for rendering projects in compressor, but the extra time it takes to distribute the files across the network for rendering is the biggest limiter at the moment. I can’t combine them for editing either. So I’m just leaving the one as my main machine until I find a better solution for sharing tasks like that.
@@GarrettCrespo Thanks for the reply. Very helpful to know :)
I like your adidas jersey, where did you get it from? thanks!
I guessed it almost spot on... I guesstimated 18-20 min, and BOOM 18:12 was the answer. What do you use for your media server? Kodi? Plex?
At the moment it’s just set up with home sharing via Apple TV and Apple Music, but I’m looking into Plex.
I actually found that every OS upgrade each year on every Mac I've ever owned, runs slower and slower each year. Spinning beach balls become more and more prevalent. Even my top of the line 2017 iMac. I finally put my 2014 mac mini, 2017 27" iMac, and 2010 27" imac back to the OS they shipped with and now they run like they did when they were new and no spinning beach balls. By the way, I always do a clean install of each new OS so there's no reason for the constant slow down with every new OS upgrade. I now have an M1 Mac mini and will be very reluctant to get the new OS this coming fall. I wonder if it would suffer the same fate as every Mac I've owned to date?
I find 8gb memory to be efficient for my Mac mini m1. For storage I just got a 2tb Samsung t7. I love it.
I actually screamed WTF on that render time I will upgrade to 16 in definitely.
8GB is enough (starring Dick Van Patten). If you're doing typical user activities (not video editing or high-end video games) 8GB is enough. SSD may be a bigger factor as our cloud storage capacity is often greater than our SSD capacity and there's no easy way to keep more in the cloud than on your SSD.
Hmm, I was always wondering what a detail weights..... Now I know ----- one tonne. Question Imperial ton (2240 lb) or a metric ton (1000 kg)?????
I got the M1 Mac Mini with the 16 gigs of Ram but the basic 256 gigs on the SSD (All I could afford). as I'm retired I thought the Ram was where I could afford to upgrade. Hope to snag an M1 MacBook Air next Tax time in 2022 to have as a backup using TimeMachine. Thanks for all the information.
Could you do a video on mac m1 crypto mining one the 2 of them ?
I'm thinking of buying 20, making a mac mini mode, and Bit mining with them.
I found some off lease M1 minis for dirt cheap.
You could make the bigger one your server and the base model as your slave. Then you can free up even more GPU equivalent power. Maybe?
Even though much of what you shared is over my head, I get the RAM info and will use that info. Thank you for sharing!
I’ve everything I found online but Bluetooth does not really work, it is always bad.
Very helpful , thanks , and subbed .
Great video and thanks for the speed test comparison and the recommendation! I noticed you also have two monitors... can you tell me how you connect your monitors to the Mac Mini...I’m interested in purchasing and notice just one HDMI port....
I adapted one of my thunderbolt ports to HDMI
For me i ended up getting the 8gb model as a refurbished mac so that I can try out macos, and my plan if I like macos is to get the m1x MacBook pro down the road and sell the mac mini for probably close to what I paid for it since the mac minis tend to hold their value really well, especially if it has an m1 in it. Plus worst case I would love to try to turn it into a small formfactor linux machine cause I can think of a ton of uses I could have with a Linux computer running on M1 architecture;
Alright, thanks for putting this together. NOw the big question, do we wait for the next generation or do we buy now...
That's the question that never goes away. Whenever you buy, there will ALWAYS be a next generation coming along shortly afterward.
If you need it now, buy it now.
The best way I can answer this question is: if this machine will save you time and allow you to be more productive in your work compared to your existing machine, how much is that worth to you? if you can be more productive and do more billable work in a day or it will save you hours per day, and will pay for itself before the new model comes out then the obvious answer is buy now, if on the other hand it wont make you any extra money or save you any extra time, wait for the next model or or even till your current machine fails and only buy then. It all depends on your situation.
wow 2:12 you got a second mac mini with only 512 storage ? mine is 2 tb ....
im wondering if i should buy synergy ... ? ... but what other ways , can i link the 2012 mac mini with the new m1 mac mini ??