Mac mini M2 PRO vs M2 vs M1 vs Mac Studio | Pro Photo & FCP Tests! What is the best configuration?
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- čas přidán 15. 06. 2024
- Mac mini M2 PRO vs M2 vs M1 | Pro Photo & FCP Tests! What is the best configuration? This test will look at many of the new Mac mini with M2 PRO, M2 and compare these machines with the previous generation M1that gave a really impressive performance compared to intel macs of the past. You'll see a comparison between all of these machines, which will give you a good idea of how each performs. Each of the graphs will go over various workflow and needs. At the end I'll go over should you upgrade if you already have the M1? To which Mac mini, M2 or M2 Pro or Mac Studio. And if you are buying one now, what is the best configuration that you can customize to get the most performance out of your mac. These tests includes Lightroom Classic, Lightroom, Capture One, Photoshop, and light Final Cut Pro work.
M2 MAX vs M1 MAX | Pro Photo & FCP Tests! Should you upgrade? How much faster is M2 Max?
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SSD Speed • Should you buy the fas...
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Mac mini M2 PRO vs Mac Studio M1 MAX | Tough Choice - Pro Photo Test!
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Top M2 PRO vs Base M2 PRO | Intense Photo Workflow, is it worth the extra $300?
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Every Laptop M2 PRO/MAX SoC Real World Photo Test, what is the best config for Pro Photo?
• Every Laptop M2 PRO/MA...
Top M2 PRO vs Top M1 PRO | Pro Photography Test, which one to choose & should you upgrade?
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Top M2 MAX vs Top M1 MAX Real World Pro Photo Test. Which one to choose?
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M2 MAX 38GPU vs 30GPU Real World Photo Test, is it worth the extra $200?
• M2 MAX 38GPU vs 30GPU ...
Mac mini M2 PRO vs M2 vs M1 vs Mac Studio | Pro Photo & FCP Tests! What is the best configuration?
• Mac mini M2 PRO vs M2 ...
M2 MAX vs M1 MAX | Pro Photo & FCP Tests! Should you upgrade? How much faster is M2 Max?
• M2 MAX vs M1 MAX | Pro...
Multiple Displays & Multi Tasking Playlist
• M1 PRO/MAX Multiple Di...
SSD Speed • Should you buy the fas...
32GB vs 16GB for Pro • Why Photographer shoul...
Everything you need to know about Apple XDR display, including how to use and create custom preset for pro color workflow, fine-tune calibration and thoughts on calibration
• Apple XDR Display & Re...
iStat Menu bjango.com/mac/istatmenus/
Diglloyd Photoshop Test macperformanceguide.com/Optim...
BenQ EX480UZ www.benq.com/en-us/monitor/ga...
Tip Jar
If you find this video useful please consider contributing to my computer purchase find via the super thanks or my tip jar
www.paypal.com/donate/?busine...
00:00 Intro
00:12 Preface & Welcome
01:02 Test Systems
02:11 Test Systems Price
02:48 Test Configs
03:43 Chip Segmentation
04:35 Pro Photographer Perspective
05:05 Single App Test
05:19 Retest Everything
05:55 Initial Impressions / Design
06:04 Displays & Calibration
06:38 M2 TB4 Ports & Displays
07:14 Reading the Spec
07:29 SSD Speed Does not matter
09:00 SSD Speed vs Size
09:26 RAM & How Much?
10:35 Activity Monitor - Memory Pressure
11:09 iStat Menu 6
11:35 16GB for Pro?
11:44 32GB Best for Pro
12:01 Lightroom Classic LRC
12:14 LRC 1K 1:1 Preview
14:18 LRC 1K Export
16:13 LRC HDR Merge
16:40 LRC Pano Merge
18:34 Lightroom LR 1L Export
20:12 CaptureOne C1 Preview
22:52 C1 Export
24:46 Photoshop PS
25:09 PS Speed
25:30 PS Medium 15.7GB Test
27:03 PS Huge 56GB
28:00 FCP H.264
28:13 FCP HEVC 8Bit
29:06 FCP ProRes 422
29:36 Should you upgrade?
29:47 M1 to M2 Upgrade
30:22 M1 to M2 PRO
30:46 M2 PRO vs Mac Studio Price
33:00 Conclusions
#M2PRO #macminim2 - Věda a technologie
When I say base M2 Pro, I am referring to the SoC and not the entire machine configuration.
If you find this video useful please consider contributing to my computer purchase find via the super thanks or my tip jar here www.paypal.com/donate/?business=V3FRL8X9Y92QQ&no_recurring=0¤cy_code=USD Much appreciated!
Done! Hope you reach your goal and thanks for creating the videos! Great to watch with sound recommendations to help others make informed choices
And hope you don't hesitate to put ads in your videos, you deserve the revenue for such high quality content!
Thank you!
This is the best, most comprehensive Apple related video I’ve seen in a long time. No hyperbole. No childish slang. Bravo!
Fully agree
Agreed
100% honest and no yelling and screaming that some other reviewers do.
@@tommykjensen absolutely. You hit the nail right on the head, mate!
@@tommykjensen agreed some other channels feel like 10 minutes of commercial for 15 years old
Now you know the difference between an expert vs a CZcamsr when comparing! Very helpful, thanks!
My pleasure!
Art, this is my first time seeing one of your videos. GREAT analysis. I've been especially looking for a similarly specced M2 Pro mini vs M1 Max Studio comparison for days now. I appreciate the effort you put in to testing and the quality of your presentation.
Awesome, thank you!
Thanks for the diligent work! It's the exact review I have been searching for. Real-world tests using the softwares I'm going to use is far more meaningful comparing with the dry benchmark scores.
Agreed!
This is the video I have been searching for! Great analysis and in depth comparisons! Thank you very much!
You're very welcome!
Thank you Art, it's been a year since you helped me on deciding on the MBP 14in M1-Pro with 32 GB in a comment on one of your videos.
During the year, only once, I've heard the fans and it's because some random app crashed. Today, this computer still wows me.
Have a great weekend Art!
Awesome!
This is the way a pro does a product review - excellent in every way.
Thank you!
Amazing as always Art and a special thank you for retesting everything with the current software configs!! Massively appreciated and looks like the M2 pro Mac mini is where I’m at!! Thank you!
Thank you!
Nice! Been waiting to see these comparisons 😁👍
Thank you!
So much effort, what a fantastic indepth review.
Thank you.
Much appreciated!
Excellent comparison. The best I have seen so far.
Wow, thanks!
Best video available to help understand what we are walking into when deciding. Thank you.
Awesome!
Very thorough. Thanks for doing the comparisons.
:)
Amazing job!! Truly a diamond in the rough of a video!
Thank you!
Amazing as always, the most comprehensive and scientific comparison for Mac mini!!!
Thank you!
This is impressive! Thank you for this video. Cant imagine how much time for all the testing went into this!
Thank you! Too much time 😵💫
Excellent review thanks for the time it would have taken to do this. Makes me realise that my current set up is due for a refresh
Very welcome!
Finally, someone who slowed down and organized a clear explanation. Thank you.
You're welcome!
ART - Brilliant comparisons! Thank you ♥♥♥♥
Thank you! Cheers!
I’ve just discovered your channel, but it’s really useful. Thanks. :)
Welcome!
Great analysis. Thorough and thoughtful. Thanks
Very welcome!
Art, excellent review as usual. I have and M1 Pro laptop but thinking of adding a desktop. I was leaning towards the M2 Pro mini and now you have helped and enforced my reasoning as to why that is the best second choice for me.
Not going to lie it is a sweet machine. Better performance compared to the laptop varieties
Great clarity - Super helpful - I learnt a lot.
Many thanks......all the way from London !
You're very welcome!
@@ArtIsRight You really are so good at explaining this stuff.
Thank you!
Bravo, best comparaison I have seen on the subject!
Thank you!
Quite a thorough and informative video. Thanks!
Very welcome!
Amazing extensive tests and solid conclusions. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you!
Thank you for this detailed video. Everything brought to a point.
You're welcome!
Great comparison and analysis. Thank you!
:)
Thanks! very thorough and informative. Liked & subscribed.
Awesome, thank you!
The best comparative video i've seen! thanks!
Thanks!
In addition to all the other complements on the technical quality and very professional delivery, it’s great that you focus on the photo market with video performance being a secondary concern. It’s the other way around for the vast majority of CZcams reviewers.
Thank you and I know. Photo is a just a passing thought for others. But this is what I do!
Thanks for this, you've confirmed most of my suspicions. On Monday I ordered an M2 mini pro with 32 gigs of ram and a terabyte of hard disk. Happy to be subscribed!
Great to hear!
Great video, very detailed as always.
Much appreciated!
its a great video with in-depth review, thanks for making this video and all the time you have spent on it.
I appreciate that!
Give this man a medal(or two)!!! This is the most details and straigh-to-the-point review ever!!! Thank you mister, you've saved me a bunch of time and headache to choose the best fit Mac!
Thank you!
Fantastic review!
Thank you! Cheers!
Excellent comparisons!!! Thnaks for the research!!!!! I am a photographer and these are very interesting!!! THANKS
Thank you!
Great video! Very informative.
Thank you!
Really cool video, thanks man
Thank you
A nice, deep, review of practical differences.
Thank you!
I just made my choice after watching this video. Great work! Thank you.
Great to hear!
Thank you for your great work!
Thank you!
This is the video I needed!
Thank you!
hello, I've been watching your videos for 5 years now and even though I can't afford most of the reviewed models, thanks to you I have a much better overview of what bazaar model I'll buy and spend money on in the future... you're doing a great job, thank you for everything... :-)
Always great to have an idea.
Nice delivery, smooth, even paced, unlike a lot of CZcamsrs that speak as if they're emulating John Moschitta. Best of all, you know your material.
Thank you!
Absolutely wonderful video I really like how you laid it out for the photographer and what would be beneficial. I’m assuming blender would also greatly benefit from the M2 pro chip. A lot of data, but very well presented.
I would think so but 3D app don't work well on these silicon just yet, regardless of generation. PC tend to do better with 3D
Very useful video. Thanks!
You're welcome!
Nice with some real world testing. Super useful
Thank you! Cheers!
Thanks much for such a very details clip in the easy catching presentation. Good work and keep it up, bro!👍👌
Thanks, will do!
Very informative, thanks
Thanks for watching!
awesome review & testing
Thanks!
Wow, so helpful, thank you!!!
You're so welcome!
This helps. Thank you for your hard work.
You're very welcome!
It was such a pleasure to meet you 10 years ago at the SWPP conference in UK 🇬🇧 been following your teachings ever since, thank you Art!
Wow, that is a while back, thank you commenting, the pleasure is all mine. When I make it to UK again, either to SWPP or otherwise, we'll have to catch up!
@@ArtIsRight That would be great! Thank you for the lovely video!
Great breakdown, appreciate the effort. Do you have any recommendations for a Mac mini hub for the M2?
A few comes to mind, but I would make sure that you have all the ports that you need in a hub. There are some that shapes like a mini as well.
Very well done. Thank you
Thank you too!
GREAT video! Again
Thank you!
This is super helpful. I had to subscribe. You got me lost towards the end 31:36 , do you recommend studio over Pro 2 or the other way around?
I am on neutral ground based on use. For Photo Pro will work great! For video I still recommend Studio because of the Max chip.
Such a good video, I watched it twice
Thank you!
Good video man, thank you for sharing.
You bet
This is best review for photographer! cheer
Thanks!
The base M2 with an upgrade to 16gb ram seem like a killer value. Half of the Mac Studio specs but at almost 1/3 of the price and performs not too far off from it.
If you don't need the top speed that makes a lot of sense. If you are a pro, I would put in the money because it will pay itself off in no time.
Art, thank you for this analysis, it is the one I've been waiting for, and I also appreciate some of the comments other have made here. I am trying to decide between an M2 Pro VS an M1 Max Studio as the price is so close, and I go back and forth every day with each review I have seen. The performance advantage depends upon workflow and I do more photography than video, but I am concerned about future proofing also.
The M2 Pro is very capable, but I'm a little concerned about the potential heating. The Studio's cooling system is stronger and the I/O is quicker, but it is also 1 generation older. 30 years of buying Macs and it is always amazing to have such choices to struggle with! I look forward to your direct comparison between the Studio Max and the M2 Pro. Thanks for all your work.
Yes that is a touch one, video on that should be coming sometime soon.
Thank you so much for this thorough review and comparative analysis! I’d be really interested to know how the M1 pro (as in the 14 inch MBP) compares with M2 pro because I’m considering to buy a refurbished M1 MBP.
Video on that coming soon....
great review!!!!!
Thank you! Cheers!
Thanks I was hoping you would do this comparison!
Glad to help!
@@ArtIsRight I basically got a used M1 16GB Mac mini which will help me wait for the M3. It makes no sense to invest now much more money. Thanks again 🙏
It is costly
You are a rock store! What quality!
Thank you!
first of all. great great job. welll done. simple, humble, clear... congrats really
Thank you so much 😀
@@ArtIsRight can you help me giving me an feedback?
sure
Exceptional review
Thank you!
you're so good at this! in art we trust!
Thank you!
Awesome Review!!!!
Thanks!
Hey, Art! Awesome video as always. Do the M1 still beats M2 on some tests? Any optimization released by Adobe? That was a really strange result!
I know, I have not done a test recently but I'll be firing up those test again soon now that new machines are coming out so stay tuned.
Excellent video. I commented on your other videos regarding brush lag in capture one. Which chip is best? Also how are all of these tests impacted by adding additional displays. What's the correlation between GPU cores and external displays. How does each additional display impact available GPU cores for app use if at all?
Watch this:
czcams.com/play/PLjlr8rlxl_q65mOyASWU2naUlPCr78nxi.html
Depending on the programs, resolution and the number of displays. For most users which uses 1 external 4, 5 or 6K scale. It is no biggie for these SoC
Thank you for the Mini comparison! @15:30 you mention that the fans are running often... Is it quite audible? And is it on all the time? Fan noise is a deal breaker for me... I might have to consider the base Studio if that's the case. I read the M1 Mini rarely makes a noise...
Same question here. I made a very bad experience years ago when trying to move my Lightroom classic workflow to Mac mini I5 and it was screaming beast with Lightroom.
@ArtIsRight Could you please share your experience with the fans/noise especially for M2 non PRO version. My M2 24/512 is on the way already.
Fan runs consistently, but it ramp up a bit more. Audible wise, it is just a hum so no big deal and yes fan runs all the time similar to M1 mini before it. This is quieter than Mac Studio. And your M2 24/512 will be fine. It will work hard but the fan is not as loud as the laptop by any means.
@@ArtIsRight thanks a lot!
awesome thanks
You bet!
Great info video
Looking at the shipping dates on the custom M2 Pro you will have to wait until March
Man that date slipped, seems the machine is popular!
I've been following your videos since the M1 came out. Your workflow is very similar to mine and your tests are most useful to my situation. Thanks for all the detailed tests.
One question on the configuration of the M2 Pro, do you think that you will see any difference at all for those 2 performance cores in LR Classic (which is my main application for work)?
Probably, but it would only be minutes, so like I said, you are better off using that money to upgrade the RAM.
@@ArtIsRight thanks definitely upgrading the RAM to the 32GB maximum but just considering if I should pay a bit more for those few cores. Thanks again.
If you don't mind spending extra, I say go for it. My guide is more of where can you save some money if you are on a budget :D
Hi, great video. I'm looking for a Mac mini for music production, I'm just kind of starting out, I don't want to be upgrading every year a new Mac comes out, so I'm looking for something for a good few years,what would you recommend?
Thanks😊
No one really have to update every year. And a lot of it depends on your workflow, but I would venture M2 Pro mini will do just fine. It just depends on how much power and you need. That will dictate the machine that you should buy.
Thank you!
You're welcome!
Thank you. I was waiting for this test and comperations. 2 weeks before mini M2 pro was released I switched mini M1 to the Studio base model. And was curious if I made a good decision :)
Still a good decision. It is still a good machine.
Awesome & Thanks :)
Welcome 😊
Hello.
Many thanks for this helpful and super in-depth review of the new MM2. As a photographer, I was looking for a review like you did and you explained very well the majority of items I am interested in. In particular, your review is really helpful for understanding the difference between the MM2 PRO and MS1 MAX. At this time, I would go for the MM2 PRO, hands down.
May I ask you if you did any tests with LrC Super resolution task?
Thank you.
I have not done that test yet but that would be a great test to run. I didn't think of that, Thank you for the suggestion!
Thanks for sharing the information!
I was wondering which of the upgrades to apply for the base M2 Pro Mac Mini in order not to reach the Mac Studio’s base configuration price.
Almost anything that you do will bring it close, You can push it over but there are ways to remain below.
Thank you very much for your tests (also in the past). I use C1 and do similar tests (only export) with a reference session. So I can calculate based on your and my tests so I know how fast my reference session would bei exported.
Whats different with my test: I get identical results with my MBP M1 (base model, compares to your Mac Mini 8/8) and I have identical export results for C22/C23. Do you use the same pictures or just the same amount of D850 pictures? Or is MacOS Venture the reason? I didn't update yet.
Always the exact same set of pictures because changing it would introduced another variable. I think a lot of this is Ventura, even in LRC everything is slower on Ventura. And C22/23 export time are relatively the same, no improvement.
Hi thanks for the review, I mostly use Final cut pro and Logic Pro for film and audio production, so what would you say is a better option that would work for me please?
You do video I would look at the Mac Studio czcams.com/video/EnwqwouRVBA/video.html
Excellent work. Would be interesting to throw in there the 12-19core option as well to see how much of an incremental performance that would bring.
I have a similar test on that with the laptop variety coming. It is not the exact machine but the scaling would be similar.
SSD speed becomes relevant once the RAM is not sufficient anymore and the system needs to use swapfiles. Probably what you see at PS Medium test (25:45) where M2 is significant slower than M1, but M2 Pro with 32GB doesn't need to swap and therefore is 4x faster than the M2. So SSD speed is likely very relevant in this scenario.
Probably the Mac Mini M2 with 24 RAM and 512 would be better off than the 16 GB by having more memory space and not having to swap with the SSD.
Let me look into this further and do some more digging on this.
@@ArtIsRight the 256GB has been seen throttling to 200MB/s. Something to do with it's small cache
@@ArtIsRight this makes sense actually a good test for this would be to run your Ps swap/scratch disk on a faster external drive.
Art, is the MM M2 pro even faster than the 14MBP M2 max for Lightroom Classic Export 1K? Seems like 8m37s vs 13m7s from your other video 2 days ago? Do you think this is an optimization issue with the M2 Max?
Again, best review for the M2 mac mini(s) thus far. Thank you!
I think this could be partially optimization but more so I think this has to do with the thermo on a laptop vs desktop and know that M2 gen chip in general runs hotter relative to M1 gen, I think that might be a contributing factor.
You did God's work here, subscribed!
Thank you!
Great comparison, gives a good sense of what to expect in real world usage. Only other config I wish you had is the 32-core GPU M1 Max, but we can probably guess how it might scale based on your results.
What will you do with your MS M1 Max??
That video is up coming and as far as MAX GPU Export in LRC can benefit from this, also if one does video export item is 1/2 of Pro chip.
Amazing video thank you for your time and effort. In terms of gaming would you recommend m2 pro with only the 32gb ram upgrade or suggest upgrading both the ram to 32gb and the chip processor to 12/19 core? Thank you once again!
If you have the budget, upgrade both will bring the best result. If not, I think for gaming purpose upgrade the chip will give you better frame rate. I have looked at some tests with different games run with different m2 pro spec machines, the 12/19 core one will give you about 10% more frame rate compare to 10/16. The games will take 5~8G ram so I guess 16G or 32G will not make much a difference.
What @Idealman said for game.
The thumbnail is so dope
Thank you!
Thanks Art!
You bet!
Hi ArtIsRight,
Really enjoying your comprehensive reviews with too much detail and insights, thank you.
I recently saw some other videos of yours, and also some involving BenQ.
Have you tested HDMI for the Mac mini M1, M2 and M2pro?
I know that M1/2 inly has 2.0 and M2pro has the "newer" 2.1, but in your videos you instead talk about color science, and the full range vs. limit range in HDMI output. So have you tried how the three perform connecting to a BenQ monitor using HDMI?
Thanks in advance.
At the moment I am running a MacBook Air M1 through a dock to a PD3200 using the docks DisplayPort. Seems ok. But I am really thinking of buying a Mac mini to free up the Macbook Air, so I could use it more as intended (laptop). Mostly have been looking at deals for a Mac mini M1 with 16GB, but they rarely pops up in my country Denmark, so am considering to just buy a new Mac mini M2 pro instead as is already comes with "upgraded" RAM and Storage. Just doing day to day light tasks in general, also using Capture One for all my many Photos (FujilFilm and Sony), and have thinking about taking the whole Photo thing a bit more serious in the future instead of just using the jpgs - shoot both jpg and raw - so thinking about getting into more photo adjustments and more with Capture One in the near future.
Thanks :)
/Alexander
Have you tested HDMI for the Mac mini M1, M2 and M2pro?
Yes
I know that M1/2 inly has 2.0 and M2pro has the "newer" 2.1, but in your videos you instead talk about color science, and the full range vs. limit range in HDMI output. So have you tried how the three perform connecting to a BenQ monitor using HDMI?
That video was done way before Apple Silicon, so the information then was not relevance. And yes all 3 tested and works on BenQ. If you have a newer BenQ USB C to USB C would be better
Art, this is superb! I’ve seen almost all the MM reviews out there and this is the first that I’d actually recommend to a friend.
Please could you share your thoughts on whether a M2 Pro MM 16/512 is worth the extra cash compared to a M2 MM 16/512 for an exclusively FCP workflow, please? The Pro 32gb ram/MS base models are a bit too expensive for those of us between consumer and full time professionals, who are just starting out and need a cost effective machine.
Thanks!
For FCP exclusively, No. The better Jump would be to the MAX but at the price point that you are looking at MM will do just fine.
Thanks for sharing this extensive test. Very very clear and useful. I bought a base spec Mac mini with M2 Pro and I am trying to understand if I should return my purchase in favour of a 32gb RAM one. Will keep testing my unit based on the tests you did here. Thanks a lot!
look at the memory utilization and pressure. if you are a pro then 32GB is justifiable and I would argue the minimum
Thanks again for doing this Art. Super detailed comparison, especially with the new test versions.
Been hovering between deciding on the Mac Mini and the Macbook pro 16". Both options would be linked to an external monitor. The laptop would be nice for just being more mobile, the downside would be battery degrading over time. Whereas the mac mini would probably be a cheaper alternative without the mobility.
I hear you, but your car tires degrade over time as well, it is just a consumable component in the machine. For many by the time it degrade it is time to upgrade the machine anyways. So what I would do is consider your need, do you need mobility, if so then there's no choice other than laptop. But if mobility is a wishful thinking that it may happen, what I have found is that most of the time, that laptop would just sit on the desk permanently or at least 98% of it life, to which, in this situation you are better off with the mini desktop
@@ArtIsRight thanks Art. Wise words indeed. #Artisright haha
Thank you, well done this video. Maybe you can do one of the next comparisons with Affinity Apps and Pixelmator 2. Thanks.
We'll see, time investment is paramount on any test.
Wow, very detailed and clear presentation Art. Many thanks. Your general comments were most helpful to someone like myself that doesn't use these specialty programs. My most demanding use is downloading GoPro videos that usually take 7-10 minutes on my M1 Mac Air with 512GB SSD and 8GB of RAM. I am trying to figure out whether the M2 basic with 512SSD/16GB RAM is sufficient, or to go with the basic M2 Pro? And lastly should I be looking at the M2 Pro for "Future proofing" upgrades and port requirements/video outputs? Many thanks for any thoughts you may have.
From what you shared you don't need the pro. And there's really no "future proofing" just prolong usage, so get what you can use today and possibly will use tomorrow. These silicon aged well, I don't think you need the pro.
@@ArtIsRight Thank you so much for helping me out Art, and the quick reply! Much appreciated! Spencer