BUY The M2 Mac mini! (It's basically a $599 Mac Pro...)
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- čas přidán 24. 01. 2023
- The M2 Mac mini update was supposed to be a pretty boring product refresh, and for the most part - it is. Because it's kind of the same Mac mini box that has existed for the past 10 years, but Apple did something kind of Insane that made this product make me examine it from an entirely different angle... they dropped the price by $100, put in a more powerful M2 chip, and by chance... they made this M2 Mac mini computationally stronger than the $5999 Mac Pro that they still sell on their website.
Buy The M2 Mac mini: amzn.to/3Y1lEFH - Věda a technologie
If you're thinking about buying an M2 Mac mini - consider using my affiliate link: amzn.to/3Y1lEFH Thank you!
I guess you are enjoying being an Apple ambassador
I just went from a 2014 MacBook Pro to a base M2 mini and the speeds in Lightroom are ridiculously fast. I’m more than happy with my purchase
Thanks for all your hard work.
Lots of good videos over the years.
Keep on going. 🙂
I agree. I received my base level M2 mini yesterday. This little machine if flying though what I use it for. Good for at least 4 years. A great value for the money.
Great post. Agreed with you on so many points. And yes, todays Mac's have gotten so fast the benchmark numbers are almost meaningless.
Fabulous review! Many thanks!
I always loved the Mac mini, and I'm happy to see it is alive and kicking.
It's thriving
Great content ! Is it better than mac studio ?
I am planning to start my youtube channel, and i am wondering if i should go for this or buy studio or wait for mac pro refresh which is expected in spring ?
Thanks for saying what the SSD speed actually translates to in real use. I ordered the base model when they first went live then I hear about other channels saying it’s so much slower than the upgraded storage options. I almost canceled my order to spend extra for the 512GB but I’m glad you showed the 256GB is just fine for the things I want to use it for
Agreed. The slower speed SSD with 256 GB is completely overblown on many reviews. It is still very fast, faster than any external USB 3.2 SSD (which are not slow!).
You will regret not getting the 512 drive - you will deny that fact but it is always the case
It if plenty fast.
BuT LoOk At ThE BeNChMarKS!
I want one for my dedicated desktop
Great review, I was given an old 2012 iMac that I'm working on and can feel the times it's sluggish. I always liked the look and compact design of the Mac mini and would love to get one (when I can afford it). One thing that I have not seen in any reviews (granted you're reviewing the Mac mini only) is the additional cost of having to purchase a monitor and possibly a new keyboard/mouse that can add to that cost.
right there with you. I have a similar 2012 27" iMac that has started to feel slow on occasion. An M2 Mac Mini & a Samsung M8 seems like at good way to go. Thinking I'll continue to use my old wireless keyboard and trackpad. They're still working great.
Good review. The base mac mini M2, as a minimalist system, is certainly an acceptable compromise at $600US and even less with student discounts. Simplicity is so rarely understood.
Great Video. What is your recommendation for a monitor (27 inch) to get a full set to work with?
I was looking for this real honest thanks
great video, if you have the time can you test the basic mac mini m2 for video games
I’d even argue the M1 stuff was insanely powerful as is. I still remember when their Intel products were still around. I’m so glad that Intel Mac Mini is finally gone from the site!
I am about to upgrade from my 27" 2010 iMac, so anything will be a great upgrade at this point. Just for some context, I have upgraded the memory to 8Gb on this machine and I also upgraded the hard drive to 3TB. It is however pretty slow so I am unable to really multitask much so I am looking forward to getting something I can listen to music while I edit photos. The Mac mini I am probably getting will be the middle tier with the 512GB SSD and upgraded to 16GB memory. I am still uncertain which monitor I am going to go with, but I don't want to down grade, so it will have to be at least 27" and perhaps 4K, but I don't know yet....
Very sensible advice. Kinda tired of hearing all the other CZcams creators saying "you need the M2 Pro Mac Mini to get a good computer" (based upon THEIR professional usage models, not the average user).
I’m using a 2017 21” iMac for the home office and looking at the M2 Mac mini base model as the upgrade if using the iMac as a display with Duet Display is a good solution.
Which software you used to for video editing M2 Mini ? How's the experience?
Could you please measure the Neural Engine speed by creating a MacOS Shortcuts shortcut with the following actions: (1) Repeat loop 10x, (2) Screen capture full screen 4K, (3) Extract Text using OCR. My M1 Mini can run this loop in 41 seconds. Can the M2 or M2 Pro go much faster? This test combines the SSD with the Neural Engine, which is what I need to know.
If I'm editing off of external SSDs in Final Cut, do I need to worry about slower performance with the base model M2 Mac mini?
I think it's really a very nice Mac Mini. However, upgrading it to 16 GB memory and a 512 SSD shouldn't be as expensive! In general these Mac upgrade prices are literally insane considering they cannot be upgraded later, anymore!
Seriously.
EXACTLY!!!!!
Meh. I’m an old geezer on a pension and I started saving when my original 2012 Mac Mini died a few months ago. I had enough for an M2 with 16GB RAM and a 1 TB internal drive, and next month I’m gonna get a 4K off-brand monitor, so…
I’ll spare you the tedious boomer rant about how kids nowadays just don’t know how to manage their money, eh?
This is my issue with all Apple products. I try to buy each item looking at 5 years of service (at least) so far I’ve been successful. The pay for it up the wahzoo now bcuz u can’t upgrade. Apple charges $1000 for 4TB ssd and a Samsung 870 evo 4TB is $325. Insane profit margin. But if I want to future proof my device I have to eat it now. My programs and photos take over 1 Tb so I don’t even look at less than 2TB
Overtime and my bonus for the win
Mac Studio for the expandability or the m2 mini for the processor upgrade. ? Why I’m here
I'm an old geezer too, who spent his retirement on keeping his mom alive and going. FWIW, the apple tax on memory etc is damn high. They should compete on value!
Will this be able to edit 4k footage?
I have a 2012 MacBook Pro. Everything works perfectly fine but the only problem is that it takes 1 hour to render/export 5 minutes of 4k footage.
Greg, great video and perspective on relative performance for the cost. Crushing a $6000 base Mac Pro's compute power with a $600 Mac Mini is nuts. Nicely done!
To be clear, on a large project, even a base MacPro would still handle that better than base MacMini as it has more resources (32 GB RAM, 512 GB...). But an upgraded MacMini (24 GB, 512 GB storage) would be very competitive for 1/6 of the price.
Great vid !
Is it hdmi 2.1 on this one or still 2.0 ? (heard hdmi 2.1 was only on the M2 PRO ) Thanks ! 👍
I think only 2.0. 2.1 will drive 8k monitor.
I wish Apple would show the SSD speeds on the upgrade tiers on their website. I'd like it to be simpler to tell how much of an upgrade you're getting for the money outside of just larger capacity.
I thought the same thing!
Man, I agree with all the points you make. Thank goodness they dropped the price for the base model Mac mini, probably because it didn't sell well for what they were offering. The M1 was great for price to performance, but that price is hard to swallow for someone who can also get a mini pc for less and does the job decently well (usually for light workloads). And I'm assuming competition is just gonna get fiercer, hence the drop in price.
Actual reason for price drop is that they have removed magic ssd which was used in M1 mac mini model
what touchpad are you using? i am planning to buy mac mini and trying to decide on touchpad
the question for me is upgrade to 512gb and 16gb ram or buy the m2 mini pro.......?? (for audio and 4k video) Any advice welcome. Unfortunately I'm paying in UK pounds
Greg, what keyboard and pad do you use? Thanks.
Greg can you run the Final Cut Pro on the base model without any hiccups?
I am still on Intel 4-th generation, 16GB ram, 1440p display, and still is fine :) you dont need 2K-6K machines to browse internet and watching Netflix :]
This is the best review about the Mac mini M2. I've just got the Mac mini M2 8Gb Ram and the 512Gb and, I love it! This is it!
Saw your video .very useful for common user👍👍👍
I’ve never owned a Mac before and I didn’t think I was going to start. But the value on this seemed too good to ignore. Got one on the way and I’m anxious to give it a shot. If I don’t like it, thank god for Costco and their awesome return policy.
Any updates?, im thinking about doing the same
@@calicancer661 I have one in my possession but I haven’t set it up yet. Pretty much just because the keyboard I ordered hasn’t arrived yet. Hopefully today or tomorrow.
@@christopheresser9330 I’d be on the same situation I’d have to buy the keyboard and mouse aswell
Looking for a Mac Mini for video editing with iMovie 4K 60fps HDR from iPhone. Do you think the base model should suffice?
i have a 2013 Mini now that still works wonderfully. I am getting ready to pull the trigger on a new one however and I'm wondering why you couldn't use a wireless Apple keyboard and track pad on it? Are you sure?
You definitely can use one. I use my old keyboard and trackpad Bluetooth no problem.
Have the bluetooth connectivity issues been resolved?
3D modeling is important to me and one spec review I find a hard time finding on CZcams.
I was editing my photos with a 2010 i5 750. I think I will be fine with an M2 and 16 GB
Well done, Greg. Nice video, mate.
Can you use a mid 2011 21.5 iMac as a display for the new m2 base model Mac mini?
100% agree with everything Greg said in this video. I have yet to talk to someone that was disappointed getting an Apple Silicon Mac - even the recent controversial ones.
SOLD! Ok, so I’ve been on the fence for a few weeks. If I wait a little longer I can budget out adding 16gb of ram as oppose to the 8gb BUT as you mentioned this is still the best bang for you buck. Coming from an Early 2011 MBP. I appreciate this video thanks for the early BDAY motivation
What would be a good monitor to buy in the $500-600 range??
Greg, I love your videos and you do a great job. I am only subcribed to you (and my son’s channel) in the tech space, so I am picky. I use iPads and Windows desktops, but no Mac. Last machine like that I used was a Lisa in 1983. I find the Mac OS like a toy still, and doesn’t have the flexibility I like in Windows. Also I built my own Windows Desktop from parts, and it is so cheap to make a powerful machine, especially in Australia. The problem with Apple pricing here is that the US dollar prices are translated to nearly double here, roughly 1.5 times in real terms. Whereas a Taiwanese motherboard etc, much cheaper. Just makes Macs less of an impact, but iPhones and iPads have no peer so they do well.
" I find the Mac OS like a toy still, and doesn’t have the flexibility I like in Windows."
Yeah, people say that about certified Unix OSs (and macOS is the world's most popular certified Unix implementation) all the time…oh, wait… (Pssst, Mark-if you desperately want to feel like a tech he-man, feel free to use macOS's command line.)
I have been going back and forth for weeks, and your video
convinced me. You even convinced my wife, and that's something!
i feel sad that i don't want to get this product. It has most of the features which i want and also cheaper, but only downside is i have lg c1 tv which needs hdmi 2.1 spec for me to run 4k 120. I can't go back to 60hz anymore, feels too choppy.
As you have mentioned basic task will done with no problem. Will it be same in M1 Mac mini? If yes, then I might save some more money. At this point should I go for M1 or M2 mac mini. I work with one display. No heavy task as of today.
Yeah M1 handles all that no problem. Anything on apple silicon can handle basic stuff no sweat.
@@GregsGadgets Thank you for instant reply. How about the longevity? My current mid 2013 air, bought around April 2014, 8 years of service it has given me. Can I expect similar from M1 Mac mini? Because if I buy, I am buying after 2 years of it's launch.
Where did you buy your desk elevated unit from?
Why you are remind me of Indiana Jones? Good review! Thank you for your video!!!
I still wonder how this compares to Nvidia speeds. It's all hype about the M2Pro (Mini or 14/16 inch), but not sure how OpenCL scores reflect true performance in Davinci Resolve.
Unfortunately I do not have 4k$ to find this out myself :(.
It works just fine with Davinci Resolve and the ultrastudio monitor 3g for your monitor
I love the way you do your videos. Spot on, entertaining, informative. Thank you Greg.
I'm a developer, I'm using a macbook pro 2016 , i want a upgrade is 8 gigs for the m2 good? i am a mobile dev so i use android and iOS emulations
Is it better to buy Mac Mini M2 24/512 or Mac Mini M2 Pro 16/512. M2 Pro is a little more expensive but have 2 more ports and HDMI 2.1 instead of 2.0, but In base M2 you have 24 GB of RAM! Can someone please advise
Apple now has almost the perfect Mac line up covering all user requirements the last one of course is for those high end users who buy MacPro once that transition is done to Apple Silicon they have it nailed across the board Great video and really useful
yes, like you said - almost. For me, the issue with it is inability to play pretty much any games on a Mac. And then it does not make sense for me to switch from PC to Mac, since I would need the PC anyway to run newer games.
It’s not perfect because their monitors cost $1500+. You’ll need a magic keyboard and a Magic Mouse too. That’s already way over $2k. I’d be perfect if Apple had a cheaper monitor.
How many external monitors this mac mini m2 base model can handle?
Can I use the Dell 24 inch touchscreen monitor on this ? Does touchscreen driver work ?
I see you have a Mac mini and what looks like another Apple laptop. How is it connected to the display? Is it via the USB-C port?
Iit can connect directly via thunderbolt port to either a monitor that support Thunderbolt (not common) or USBC (much more common these days). Display port monitor can work with a cable adapter USBC to display port. Or connect with HDMI from the HDMI port.
Q. Can a use a Mac Mini with an iPad Pro (12.9”) as the display and keyboard? Thanks
From what I see, upgrading the HD to the next level up to 1tb seems to be a lot faster.
So for general use going from an outdated late 2015 iMac to the base Mac mini is a no brainer?
Honesty is your best quality 😊
question? Could you just use the mac mini as an apple tv? since you could probably watch anything you want on it? and you would have to update the streaming services apps since you'd be using the actual websites
I have used an iMac mini for that in the past. It can be used but it is way les convenient. You need a keyboard and a mouse and the interface is not great for that purpose
It’s been used as that for many, particularly tech nerds that want to do things that the Apple TV can’t.
I ordered the base model with 16GB.
256 GB w/16 GB RAM vs. 512 GB w/8 GB RAM? which would you suggest?
You guys never mention if any of the Mac's will be good for trading platform (stocks).
U sir, convinced me to go buy one today.
I think people are using more apps and power than what we think an average person is using. All of this matters even for an entry level computer. I don’t remember being so aggravated 10 years ago with the amount of web pages open or apps open to run something. These tasks are so intense nowadays that you need more power to be an “average” person! I think this machine will work great, don’t get me wrong, but Apple really did us wrong with the current SSDs and memory $$ increase for what it costs them… ugh.
Finally a decent review for an average consumer
I love the Mac mini. I hope they never change the form factor. I already have 2 of them. An stacked they look great! Hahahaha... If I could make the Mac mini perfect I would use this form factor or the studio. The Studio form factor but then with a cheap M2 mini inside of it. Then you also have room for a battery and a good speaker. Then it would be perfect! Oh, and should have a option to remotely turn it on like you turn on a lamp...hehehe... hey, a guy can dream, right...
I would spec it out to 16GB Ram and that’s it… I would and am using all external drives
Oh heck yeah it does CAD! Calculates about 50x faster than my i7 PC with 32gigs of ram. 😊
Do you do music production, do you do music, do you make music, do you use a DAW, do you... come on people. Almost all these channels mention multiple usual tasks above the basic level, but for some reason are continuing to fail to mention music production. Yes, I would suspect that the basic spec model isn't going to get the job done nor run a multiple level of plugins at once, but I would still be interested to see about what it can actually accomplish within the base model for shicks and grins. I used an ancient iMac up to last summer when it finally gave up the ghost running Logic & REAPER. Thinking about grabbing the new mini with 16gb and 1TB SSD upgrades?!
I am a game developer should i go with Mac mini M2 ? My primary softwares are Unity game engine, blender 3d modeling, premier pro video editing, photoshop photo editing.
Get a newer Linux Laptop. The demand for Linux is crazy right now.
I bought the M1 base model in 2021 but within a few months I was down to like 140GB SSD remaining & hardly installed any apps. Have no idea where that space is going. I just wish Apple would do away with 256GB in 2023 - it's simply not enough.
Lol and yet it’s still so portable. Say for instance you take that with you visiting a friends’ or parents. So there’s already an external monitor set up there- perfect. Or, if you have iPad. Just use that as the monitor. Such a great machine!!
Was feeling buyer’s remorse as all the reviewers are trashing the base model. Just couldn’t justify the $200 more for 512. Don’t do heavy editing or development, just daily user. Would’ve liked to go huge but come on, include a monitor and your looking at well over $1K. Not in my budget.
Thank you, Greg. Appreciate your perspective.
I really like your background. Can you put your typewriter into the foreground :)
Thanks! Right in front? lol.
@@GregsGadgets yeah :) old school is cool.
i love that typewriter too 😊
@@rawmarrow I have a 1910 Underwood :)
@@GregsGadgets See Im not the only one :)
To avoid the SSD speeds and wear...get the largest core memory config.
So can I connect up my 6 monitors into this thing? If not, then.. it really isn't the best
love your shirt
pretty crazy how we used to all need macs as musicians. nowadays we hate making music on a computer. i think its cool mac has come this far though. i can appreciate the tech for sure.
What do you use nowadays? I'm tempted to buy this computer just to be able to continue using Logic, cause these Mac Minis last and Logic is the best DAW for me. Because as my daily driver, I'd rather get a good PC with Linux and use Windows just for gaming. The ARM chips in the new Macs are really cool, but I don't really like using MacOS anymore, there are much better Linux distros out there and also miss being able to install whatever software I want in Windows.
the computers are inside the synthesisers now!
The disc read write speed drastically improves with the 512 GB SSD.
is that right? Awesome, I was worried about latency issues since I would be using for music production.
256 GB still doesn't seem like a whole lot of space.....Probably going to have to get at least a 1 TB SSD external drive to use them both together....or even replace the 256 GB SSD drive itself. I have that 21.5 in 2013 iMac you are talking about and it is BEYOND slow right now......I am tempted to just take out the HHD drive and switch it to a 1 TB SSD drive and the 8 GB of ram to the max 16 GB of ram......IDK i am nervous about tinkering lol but enough is enough with the speed and i really do not want to buy a whole new computer when i can "mod" my old one to work better than ever
In 2023, no one should have a 256 storage or 8 gigs of ram. The base should be 512 of storage and 16gigs of ram.
Just bought one. Will be here today. Sorry windows, this is a great deal
Can someone tell me the performance on Lightroom and Photoshop working at the same time with raw files
Can you play Starcraft II on Mac Mini M2?
But with a slower SSD? According to Max
Say you get the 512 GB M2 Mac Mini, then you upgrade the Ram to 16GB, your then like 300 bucks from the M2 Pro model... Would you go there for light gaming only? (Not for productivity)
No gaming. If you need gaming think of something else.
for gaming purpose, I would rather go with a Windows desktop setup. For video editing etc, definitely Mac, hands down!
Mac Mini M1 w/ 256g is $499 at costco. do i need the m2, or will the m1 be just fine? i only do office and web surf. no photo shop, rendering, etc.
Bro go on apple and education at the bottle and shop for college and it’s 499 for m2 528 with tax
@@Lub22 thanks!
@@MisterChris1978 I meant bottom instead of bottle btw
not 599$ - 649£ :) plus kayboard and mouse will be 800£ for 900£ you will get imac with m1 in perfect condition im not sure if this m2 is a good deal :/
My M1 ( 16/256) is still a beast.
Some videos saying not to buy this version and this video is opposite. Quite confused how to follow such CZcams videos and take decisions
Can someone explain thunderbolt. Can that be used as display I saw somewhere that it could go 4k 120hz using that ?.. since it doesn’t have hdmi 2.1 unless you spend much more
Thunderbolt is the best display tech on the market. Early 5K and 8K displays only supported Thunderbolt until HDMI was able to catch up. With that said… you’re not going to find many monitors that will support Thunderbolt. They’re very, very expensive. Most monitors will support DisplayPort over USB-C instead, which is just fine. It’s the exact same port. Just a different protocol on the wire. You just need to make sure the cable can support the data rate needed for 4K 120Hz.
Generally speaking, your best bet is to select the monitor you want and then ensure you have a way to connect it to your Mac. If you’re absolutely SURE you’re going to be getting a high end monitor and want the future proofing, get the M2 Pro Mac Mini. If you’re not willing to shell out for the M2 Pro Mac Mini, I very much doubt you’re shelling out for an 8K 60hz or 4K 240hz monitor.
@@thewiirocks good info coupled with some strange conclusions you jumped to.
I just want a small mini pc for work,browsing and such. I have a Gaming PC and a Samsung G8 OLED . I. Just want the Mac mini that draws the absolute least power wattage and if the old M1 can go high resolution and high refresh then I’m fine.. the display has USB-C Upstream: and as from my findings it should work
@@aliessa8515 Sounds like you know what you want then. I suspect you’ll be fine with any of the M-series Minis. The new M2 model is quite a good deal too.
Is it worth upgrading from Mi Mac mini to the M2 Mac mini?
M2 is only 10-12% faster and base model M2 has slower 256gb ssd than the M1s ssd. Not worth it.
No way to add expandable storage like the m1???
It's insane value!!!
That waas a great ad
insane power with crippled ssd?...