MINOR CORRECTION: During the Input section of the video, I stated that the Mac Mini comes with 4 USB-C connections and though that is correct, it's also incomplete information. All USB-C ports are combined with Thunderbolt 3 for a single ultimate connection, Sorry if I didn't make that clear enough. As all USB-C ports in the Mac ecosystem are combination of USB-C & Thunderbolt 3. HIT THAT LIKE BUTTON! so more people can see this video and we can give the Mac Mini some Proper Review Justice!
TrustMacintosh hi, can you give a tip to by a Mac Mini, I’m only a simpler user, like mail and surfing on the web, some docs and spreadsheets, with a lot of music and pictures, we have iMac from 2008 and now is starts to be..... tired out, if you can send me an email joao.torres@icloud.com, well thanks best regards JT
@@jgmtt I am in the same boat as you. I am looking at the i7 model with 16gb of RAM and 256gb storage. I need it for casual internet browsing, watching youtube videos, and work (when I work from home) which would just be excel spreadsheets. I was wanting to pair this with a 49" monitor with a resolution of 5120x1440 but not sure if that will work with this as some have said I would need an eGPU which is something I would like to avoid.
Hi Puneet Kalhan thanks for reply to me, did you get it already? You go for what model, the entry level and later update the RAM memory, do you know if this Mac Mini can be update the storage? Best regards JT
João Torres I did not get it yet. Having trouble deciding. I was on a Mac mini forming last night and some people were having trouble getting the 4K monitors to work. I want to hook this up to a 49” dell monitor and don’t think it will be able to show 5120x1440. If it can’t I am not sure what I am going to do. If I do buy it, I will buy the i7 model, with 256GB of SSD storage, and probably 8GB of RAM which I will upgrade to 32GB of RAM later. Doing this will save a lot of money.
Puneet Kalhan ok, you are betting on a big monitor..... I went to check it and is big.... I was considering something more regular like 32” or 27”, but anyway still is a large investment..... is always the same thing, by a Mac mini, then a monitor, them memory, later on some external drive or the other way around..... I’m seeing spending almost 2.000,00€.... I’m not ready to do it..... let’s see, let’s talk, best regards JT
Whoa - an actual solid review of a Mac that "chooses" not to dive into rivalries, uses layman terms & whose reviewer seems hardware / software savvy enough, particularly in the Mac realm and its history. Bravo!
You mean warmest? With hot air outlet facing down it will retake some of warmed up air back inside the mini’s case, making things unnecessarily warmer. Better to direct it up or at least to side.
thank you for your review of this thing. I'm pretty tired of hearing people ragging on this machine because it doesn't meet their ridiculous standards. I'm currently running my entire office for a huge construction company on a Mac Mini and i absolutely love it. I specced it out with the best CPU they offered with the intent to upgrade RAM later on. It really was a no brainer for me to get it but for random people looking for reviews on it to see if they should buy it, I feel like they might be looking elsewhere because of all of the harsh reviews. Thanks again. I enjoyed the video very much
I agree on all points. It is unfair that most that critic this device focus on a specific standard (i.e Video Editing) . 4K video is really unnecessary for the most part. Your reviews are fantastic.
4k is necessary now that we are shooting in 8k, and have been for years. We are now transitioning to 16k production. This isn't an editing machine, however, and most think all Mac's should be. This machine is perfectly fine for what it was intended for.
If people thought about the Mini more as a motherboard in a box with a load of available PCI slots, they would eat it up. I just think people don't realise what Thunderbolt can do. Forget the soldered storage, this seems like a fantastic platform for customisation. Add a dock and you can basically build whatever Mac you like.
Wonderful honest review. I also don't like when many RUclipsrs ranting on Benchmarks. I could wait 5 more minutes for let my video gets rendered. Thanks a lot for talk about the reality!
Great review man! I love the fact that you focused on the actual timeline performance, rather than just render times. I'm exactly the same as you, as long as the editing process is smooth I'm not really concerned if the render takes a bit longer.
Thank you for your review. I am glad that there is someone who finally looks at the base model a good machine still. Many of the previous reviews use the higher end Mac Minis 2018 leaving us base model owners feeling sorry. I am not much into video editing although I do a few, but more on the regular Word/Pages encoding, surfing and research via Chrome or Safari, doing a few Keynote/Powerpoint, viewing movies and of course much GarageBand music making . . . . Thank you for making my ownership of the Mac Mini 2018 base model a proud one.
The thing I like most about the Mac Mini is it's modular. You can hook up any monitor you want. Not limited to an all-in-one unit, like an iMac. I've had 2 generations of the iMac. The early shaving mirror design & then now, the late 2014 model. That early design one I had was amazing for it's time. After that one, I got a Mac Mini, which again, I loved. Great little machine. Then I got the 2014 iMac, which I enjoy, but it doesn't seem as fun to use. It's always had overheating issues. Then more recently, ghosting in the monitor. I like that the new Mini has no dedicated GPU. Makes it the perfect modular system. If you don't need a dedicated GPU, it's perfect for you. If you later decide you want to game or do something that needs a GPU, hook up an eGPU. While the iMac has a beautiful 5K display, It might be difficult to get a matching 2nd or 3rd monitor to go with it of the same resolution. With the Mac Mini, that isn't a problem, though I think I'll go with 2 4K monitors myself.
Good to see you back making a video... I"m thinking about getting a mac mini. Using 16" macbook as my main computer in a docked set up just isn't ideal.
The Mac Mini is severely underrated among RUclipsrs despite having the bite of a mid-tier MacBook Pro. I just wished that Apple would update the hardware more frequently.
@Kevin The Tech Ninja, I have a 2019 MacMini. I upgraded to 36gb RAM (basically switched one of the 4gb for a 32gb) and it has worked great. Full disclosure, I am a teacher and not a RUclipsr, but I have used it to edit videos as lectures for my students, so nothing heavy. It has performed as good as I could've expected. I'm sure others need more performance heavy machines, but I just need decent performance and little extra space.
I needed this video. I’m an online Spanish teacher, and I can’t afford an iMac, nor I need it (my iMac is dying). So, I’m thinking about options, and the Mac Mini is becoming my first option now, thanks to this video. All I do is Pages documents and FaceTime/Skype classes, so, this is probably enough 🧐
Thank you, great review. I have been looking to upgrade my 2012 Mac Mini and being a photographer I noticed some reviews say to stay clear of the MacMini 2018 because of ( As they stated ) poor graphic performance. But you're precessing 4k videos so I think using photoshop etc. should be fine.
Extremely useful information in here, I think you've just made my mind up. I'm a music producer who dabbles in video editing, and I think I've finally found an upgrade to my 2008 Mac Pro. Edit: Yes, I am currently editing and rendering videos of over an hour and a half in length on a 2008 Mac. See if you can guess how long those take to render ;)
I still have a late 2014 Mac Mini and works beautifully and the new one looks even better. However Apple seem to have missed the point of the origin of the Mac Mini - affordability! That is what it was designed for.
A budget machine at a premium cost though. Anyways, I was helping my wife in choosing her next Mac. She has a mid 2011 iMac (i7 4 Core @3.5 GHz with 32 GB RAM), but unfortunately Apple no longer supports it and she can no longer update the OS which, as a consequence, prevents her from buying a new graphic tablet (yes, because the drivers/software for a Wacom or a Huion or whatever, only support Mac Os from 10.12 or later). Now the new iMacs are way too expensive for the same specs, so I was looking at the new 2019 Mac Mini, with the top of the line CPU (which should be an 8 Core i7 I guess?), with a 1TB SSD and the basic 8 GB RAM, which I will then upgrade to 32 GB for less than half the Apple price. She's a graphic designer, illustrator and does some 3D (3D Coat, Blender, Maya...) as well as some compositing and animation. I know that with this Mac Mini (the way I would configure it) editing 4K even with Premiere Pro is a breeze (I have seen it in action here where I work), though I am not sure about everything else.
Hi my name is mark. I just received my 2020 mini with upgraded processor and 1TB SSD and 32gigs of ram. I paid over $2k for the unit but love it. It does generate a lot of heat but the processor, ssd, and ram have made this a very fast machine. I purchased a usb type C hub and stand that has the exact same footprint of the mini and makes a very nice companion for connecting peripherals and data cards. I also have a 2015 mini, 2012 iMac and a 2011 Mac Pro. My only complaint with Apple is the obsolescence issues with software, hardware and OS.
Loved your video. I'm looking into buying a Mac mini for music scoring and video. Your video review just gave me the thumbs up on which system to get. I Was about to get an expensive Macbook pro, but your review changed my mind especially with being able to get the upgrades I need to run the software I need. Thanks man.👍
Thank you for this review, every other review I've seen or searched for has been a review on "Video Editing on the Mac mini" - I'm a semi-retired graphic designer, I continue to have a few clients that I do "big jobs" for yearly (annual reports, corporate brochures, etc.) 1) I don't edit videos, 2) I've progressed from Adobe to Affinity software (awesome stuff), most of the photo workflow is completed by their own in-house "experts" and passed on to me for the final layout and typesetting. I've thought about a Mac Mini for ages, I currently use a high spec iMac ... but I'm "so over" not being able to add to it ... I've just purchased a 43" 4K LED TV, a bare bones, no "smart" options, 4K res at 60@hz (HDMI2), as I've also purchased a "multi-zone" DVD player" (I have heaps of DVD's from all over the world), will soon be purchasing an Apple TV 4K (for Apple, Netflix, Prime, etc.) ... I basically want a "one stop shop" ... work and play (no games whatsoever) ... my $64K questions is this ... should I go for the i5 model or the i7 ... I plan on specking out either with 32gb of ram and 512gb internal storage, I have heaps of external storage so that's not an issue ... your thoughts would be appreciated. Cheers!
Thank you for a good review. I couldn’t find any other review that talked about the thermals of the quad core version. Good to know it won’t cook itself or be too loud. I just won an auction for a used base model 2018. Needed something that would continue to be supported by Mac OS but cheaper than the M1 or M2 mini. I’ve tried windows and Linux for my daughter but the parental controls were terrible for those compared to Apple devices where it’s easy to set up good parental controls.
I would like to see a Mac Mini review that didn't mention Final Cut at all. That FinalCut app comes up with every RUclips review. Perhaps talk about using Virtualbox or Xcode or productivity applications and maybe some iMovie or Photos.
I would buy a new Mac Mini with the Apple chip if they allow me to update the ram and the storage. I would like a removable NVME so I can replace it if it breaks. The 2018 and 2020 Mac Mini’s don’t allow upgrading the storage. If that breaks you just have an expensive paperweight.
I didn't get a Mac Mini to get a WORSE display than the one in an iMac! Even if you're using the base model, spend $200-$250 for a decent 27" 1440p screen! That's the part you look at all day! It's really funny to hear someone say that a 23.8" 1080p screen is "enough for the Mac Mini." What's that even mean? I don't think 1080p is enough for any desktop. I had a 34" 3440x1440 display plugged into a 2-core 13" MBP with 16 GB / 512 SSD, and I got a Mac Mini because I don't take it places anyway. After the $590 trade-in for the MBP it was $833 to upgrade to a 6-core / 32 GB / 1TB SSD Mini since I put in the RAM myself. It's a really powerful machine for relatively cheap, and it renders 4K in iMovie / Resolve so much faster. It'd be a total waste to plug a 1080p screen into it!
Mac mini only works for budget if you already have a keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, microphone, etc. Other wise you are paying the same price all together for less powerful specs than an all in one.
Thanks for this review, man ;) You finallyl mention sth almost everyone misses, when losing themselves in benchmarks testing.. : How does it actually perform, how fluid is the experience ! ;) I am considering a i7 unit for a music workstation. I should be fine, I reckon.. Any suggestions/recommendations?
V4D2 , the base model i3 is more than enough for music editing. The i3 is quad-core with a more than decent multi-core score. It would be called a i5 right but I guess Intel is doing away with i3 dual-cores soon. Just as reference, I’m using Logic Pro X and Reaper and my fairly large project never really make my old 2011 Mac Mini (Dual-core) break its limits. I also use these DAWs efficiently though
Michael Ray thanks for the feedback ;) i’ve got an i5 (5th gen) on my Desktop PC, and it kind of stands it’s ground, with my Ableton Projects. but the PC experience for music sequencer drivers..is pretty lame. The same i5 just won’t handle lightroom. i even switched to Affinity, and although i noticed some improvements , i can see i need higher clock speeds, higher hyperthreading , and specially ..better single core performance. my trusty 2013 17” Macbook Pro just collapses when i open a few instruments & plugIns on Ableton. i’ve got a lot of USB MIDI peripherals plugged in..and although the USB Hub is a powered unit, the Mac just won’t be able to handle all the power demands....and the battery starts to run out, despite the magsafe being connected. So....i need a new Mac and sure as hell, not a laptop unit. i think i am over the macMini idea. too much stuff to consider... The iMac boasts an i9 processor , upgradable to 128G of RAM, features that great 5k 27” display..and in the end, it’s ‘only’ 1k€ more than the i7 Mini. it’s a no brainer...i reckon..and the investment will last me a few years i’m just very reluctant to spend over 3k€ on a computer..so i am trying to wait for the iMac update with the new GPUs.
I’m glad you like your Mac mini but those thermals really aren’t acceptable if I’m not mistaken you showed the cpu hit 93 degrees C which is 7 degree lower then its tjunktion and yes setting the fans to run at max rpm will drop the temp but now you have a jet engine on the back of your monitor. I don’t think the Mac mini is cooled adequately based on those numbers and I was hoping to see better info in a review.
After watching multiple reviews and reading a ton of comments regarding the mac mini, I've decided to just go with it. It seems to cover everything I will be using it for. Thanks for being the one RUclipsr that doesn't give this machine a complete biased review!!
Finally someone who is a good and thorough reviewer. I agree there are so many slackers out there, who just do a quick benchmark and put out the video like it will help anyone to determine whether they should buy or not buy. Do you recommend the Mac mini 2020 over the latest iMac?
This is the first video I have seen from you and I have to say I really enjoyed it. I really like your voice, you speak clear and direct, there is a nice curve in your speech, there is a logical line which I could follow during the whole video. You could also hold my attention. I think I have received all the information I wanted to get... In general just shortly you do recommend also the basic as well as the top mini mac for Final Cut Pro, don’t you? Now I’ve been using Lumafusion on my latest 12.9 iPad Pro and now I would like to have a desktop in addition with an external monitor. Rendering time is not an issue for me as video editing is just my hobby, it is not my primary job. Many thanks for your kind answer :) Edward
Loved your review as Mac Mini user! Same here, although haven’t gone for the 2018 version as I have got into After Effects and I still don’t know if it’s a good choice for it. Really want to but haven’t seen reviews supporting After Effects or Motion Graphics on Mac Mini. Hope it gets a big shot in the ARM!
It's also great for those that just need to code and compile, which is why they put out the new Apple Silicon out on the Mac Mini for the dev kit. And if you already have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, or want to use an external display like a large TV or something instead of a small 27" monitor, then it's fine since you'll have the four thunderbolt 3 ports to send thunderbolt 3 to HDMI. And later if you need more graphics processing, you can throw in an eGPU. But you have more flexibility on expansion and functionality since you can start small and add to it. Macbooks and iMacs have limited screen sizes, and Mac Pros are probably out of the price range if you're looking for a budget or starter Mac.
Thanks for the great review. Thinking of getting a 2020 Macbook Pro or a Mac Mini 2020 for home use - Video/Zoom calls, Chrome browsing, Office apps, RUclips, email, light photo editing and possibly maybe streaming and 4k editing. For the short term future proofing, which product can you recommend? Thinking of getting an i7 (or should I get an i9) , 16gb (or 32gb) RAM and 256/512GB storage. I plan to use 27' 2x 1080p monitors since I like working on big screens. I normally use laptops/desktops for at least 2 years based on past experience. Hope you can help me out. Thanks
GREAT REVIEW.... even in 2020!! Question.... i noticed you have a imc 5k in the background. Which do you prefer as an overall better computer for what YOU do.... a suped up mac mini... or the 2017 5k???
as someone who's currently trying to decide between a mac mini or an imac for the veery same tasks of basic video editing and rendering and now cannot decide between M1 or intel or whether to buy something lesser for now and hold out for Apple Silicon to get even more impressive - Thank you. this video was of great help! Im confident that I can more than do what I'd need on a current gen mini whether M1 or Intel and potentially get something more powerful in the future , saving the BIG purchase for later...
Hi bro. Thanks for the video. As a fellow RUclips I can suggest a couple of things that will improve your sound. 1. Use a de-esser to take out some of the sibilance in your voice, or try a simple equalization cut in the 6-8k range. 2. Look into DIY sound absorption panels. They’re inexpensive but will drastically help take the “room sound” out of your audio. Hope this information has been helpful. Cheers
@@TrustMacintosh For sure, The sound quality of the mic is good, no plosives or anything, just a tiny bit bright/harsh on the top end. And you'll notice a night and day difference with regards to room noise if you make and put up even 4 DIY absorption panels (Rock Wool Safe N Sound and 1x4s and some cheap breatheable fabric). Avoid the really cheap foam options out there though, it doesn't do much at all. Cheers!!
Whilst I agreed with everything you said and thought the video was a very thorough and in depth review, I grew tired of the dialogue as things were repeated three times over the length of the video
In public speaking a review of the material at the end is encouraged. If he was reading from a script - it was flawless unlike some evening network newscasters. If the dialog was edited, I did not hear or detect it with headphones. And yes, it was long with four or five commercials adding to it, however, I too have two Mac minis (2009 and 2012) and am shopping for information on a possible new $ocial $ecurity budget machine.
I've just got a base model (256 ssd) for coding, and it is a AMAZING machine! I also have a MacBook Pro Retina 2014 base model (i5, 8GB and 256 SSD) and the performance difference is HUGE, Mac mini is WAY better for coding native iOS apps and Flutter. I want to upgrade the ram in the near future, but being honest, 8Gb is being enough and I'm totally suprised
The first time I did a video for fun to post on RUclips back in 2014 was on a 2011 Mac Mini (the version with AMD Radeon HD 6630M). Though I did eventually move on to an iMac later on. I tried the base model 2014 Mac Mini for a short while too, but that was severely underpowered even for my type of usage. Decided to give the "new" Mac Mini a try again (6 core i5), and liking it so far (other than the lack of SD card slot :/). It now has enough power for my needs (which is probably not as heavy since I'm just using iMovie and FHD), and it runs way cooler than the 2011 used to. Nice review!
It’s not overpriced when you consider the lack of bloatware on a cheap Windows machine, the fact that you don’t have to pay for antivirus software, and you don’t have to pay for an office suite, plus updates are free. In addition sometimes the seemingly lower hardware specs are compensated for by Apple software, although not always.
If you have an iMac you can use it as a monitor for your Mini, via Thunderbolt. I've a Thunderbolt dislpay, a 2012 15" Macbook Pro Retina and a 2011 21,5" iMac. I'm looking for the Mini as a processor update to use it with the Thunderbolt display + magic keyboard 2 + trackpad 2. I'm an art director, work mostly with Photoshop. InDesign and Illustrator. Do some occasional video editing with Final Cut 10 (1080, not 4k). I'll probably buy a Mac Mini with the 6 core i7 and add 32 GB RAM later. I really believe I'll spend much less than buying an iMac or Macbook Pro and have a system that'll serve me very well for years to come. You're right when you say other RUclipsrs do not compare it fairly with other systems.
Thank for the review. I'm considering buying mac mini 2018. As much as Mac system is always overpriced, I have to say Mac can last longer than PC. I have so many cheap PC laying around because after 2 year they are just got slowed down. Especially with so many crap loaded to the computer with windows 10. Every time I updated windows 10, It seemed to make my PC gets even slower and slower. Even My 2008 Mac Tower still work faster than my PC and it still can handle video editing. I'm looking for a cheap Mac for a specific use. So thanks for your review.
I've got the 6 core i7 with 64gb ram and the Blackmagic EGPU, I do a lot of 4k raw editing in Premiere and After Effects, the performance is amazing with the EGPU. I chose this over the iMac because of its portability and flexibilities, I've got a 16 inch portable monitor when I need to take my machine on set to do some same day edits.
Great review! I have loved the Mac Mini for a long time and I have never understood why it gets such bad press. I am a college student and just am looking for a cheap Mac to use for the four years I will be in school. I will primarily just use it for Microsoft Office applications. Do you think the i3 base model will be fine? Thank you so much for your opinion :)
Kim Mathis Thank you so much. I am always worried that my processor won’t be fast enough but I guess it doesn’t take my processing power to write a report lol. Take care!
I like the look of the mac mini on the back of the monitor, but doesn't that increase the heat? I guess you don't have a problem with heat, but it seems like the heat from the monitor and the heat from the mini could add up.
I love this video. I just purchased the 2020/2018 Mac Mini and I was worried about its video handling ability. I also love the depth of that desk. Do you mind sharing a link or the name of that desk?
Awesome review, got myself a MacMini base model (2020) as well. I do have a kinda powerfull PC, but apart for gaming, cannot do any proper work. Windows is too unstable for me, installing Linux makes it unusable to edit my videos as a hobby. MacMini does tick all the boxes, maybe except gaming, but it seems, that I don't have enough time for that anyways :) handles programming without any problems, 1080p youtube videos as well.
Very nice video about the 2018 Mac mini and I can totally agree with you. It was in 2015 when I started my channel with the late 2012 Mac mini which - at this time - had a quad core i7 (Gen. 3) and even had hyper threading which was gorgeous. One of my first bigger projects on the channel was the upgrade of this Mac adding 16 GB of RAM instead of its initial 4 GB and replacing the HDD with an SSD. Especially after these upgrades it was a stunning small but powerful Mac for light video editing with iMovie and it made much fun to cut videos on it. The only downside was the integrated GPU which at this time was not really upgradable because of the older Thunderbolt 1. The new Mac mini though has Thunderbolt 3 and so it is finally possible to upgrade the GPU later on which makes it so nice in my opinion, too.
im trying to decide between the the mac mini and the macbook pro for music production. I think the mac mini might be better for the $. Pretty sure you can upgrade to a better cpu and ram than the 13 inch macbook for like around the same price. And it actually has enough ports to be viable in a studio without dongles.
At the affordable end the mini has ridiculously small storage. It's far too hard too upgrade RAM and storage. If Apple gave a crap about consumers it would produce an affordable tower that was easily upgradeable. I've owned Macs since 84, but I won't buy another desktop given what poor value they are. If this were not an Apple product, the review would be "Meh."
Glad I saw this video. I’ve seen a lot of videos before on this Mac mini especially with 2020 upgrades that it deserved. All of em focused on video editing but not everyone, like myself, uses Mac for that. I’m a graphic designer and I need a Mac for projects and it’s better than a pc in some ways that suit me.....plus my classes lol. I’ll be buying one so thank you for the info
WOW!! I was right! Mac Mini did really get the shot in the arM[1] NOW that the NEW Mac Mini M1 is here! Super excited to see the performance! What is your plan? Going for it or reviewing it?
Hyper threading needs to be standard to keep the Mac Mini at least on par and somewhat relevant, 3 - 5 years into the future. Not sure if I will buy as I don’t like how Apple ignores common sense.
I have a late 2012 mac mini. literally have to take the back off and flip it over to stay cool. And yes ive just cleaned it to see if that was the issue
If you need me to come over and help you hang up your posters, lemme know. 🤣 5:51 But I appreciated the video. Well shot, and very informative. Btw- there is a small (but growing) subset of 2018 Mac mini users successfully playing AAA games at ultra settings on the Mac mini right now using egpu’s. I would, however, like to see more mac mini reviewers mention how WiFi cuts in/out when you use the usb 3.0 ports, or how Bluetooth devices lag, displays randomly don’t recognize, 4 tb3 ports share only 2 buses or any other of the well documented issues with this model. I love my Mac mini, but it has also been a very frustrating thing to get it fine tuned.
I run Logic with heavy plugins on an old '13 DUO core and overload it every session haha. I am gonna buy a Mac mini next week, the 2020's added a lot more memory and still are much more reasonably priced than the powerful but expensive iMacs and MCP's. These things look like the real deal!
So here's something it seems like _nobody_ is covering: the Mac Mini as a dedicated machine for novelists, bloggers, and other professional writers. Now, some might wonder -- wouldn't the MacBook Air do just as well? Well, specs-wise, maybe so. But there's a thing about us writers that only we writers know. Well, some of us, because we don't all fit the stereotype of the messy, clumsy writer. But a lot of us do. On raw specs, the MacBook Air with its Retina display in some ways might actually outstrip the Mini. But for some of us, we don't want a computer that keeps its guts and its brains under the keyboard. A keyboard that might get coffee spilled on it sometime -- which in the case of a MacBook wouldn't kill the keyboard -- it'd kill the _whole computer._ So will a base model Mac Mini run web browsers, RUclips, VLC Player, and... well, all the media apps formerly known as iTunes? MORE IMPORTANTLY, will it run all of those things plus Scrivener and Ulysses? (The answer is almost certainly 'Yes'.) Do we need an i5 to run a writer's desk setup that gets daily use out of Scrivener, DevonThink, OmniFocus, Airmail 4, and Vivaldi? (The answer is... I actually don't know. And I wish somebody would chime in on *that* question. I don't do video editing. No offense to all the RUclipsrs who do, but video editing isn't what I need to know about.)
Mac Mini 2018 (and some Macbook Pro with four Thunderbolt ports) DOES NOT support more than TWO thunderbolt devices. No matter which port you use Mac Mini 2018 can't recognise third connected Thunderbolt device. Why there are four connectors if only two are working anyway? It is a good question. Yes it is weird.
Hi, just bought a 2018 i7 Mac Mini and love it. My only concern is that the case heats up like a frying pan. Do you know if the i5 runs cooler? I am only using this for basic operations - surfing the web, playing music, checking mail, etc.. This is much hotter than I thought it would be. Thanks for any help you can give.
Which Mac Mini would you recommend for an executive that needs a desktop for basic business needs, email, presentations, etc., does photo editing, no video editing, no gaming. Budget unlimited. But future proof, good for the next 5 years or so. Thanks.
Patrick Pray for your work, I would recommend the i5 quad core Mac mini with 8GB of ram. 16GB if you want a little more wiggle room. And minimal storage would be 256GB but 512GB is a safe bet for the future.
Just a question. Normally an ssd or lets just say any storage media is better in read than in write. Most of the times. But why is there such a big difference between read and write? AND writing is x times better than read.
@@TrustMacintosh i do music production i want to see how it performs. I'm going to upgrade the ram myself to 64gigs.. I will do a review when i've tested it. I totally agree, lot of you tube reviewers seem very biased. Thanks for this video.
I feel a lot of the negative reviews were fair. The cost for the base level wasn’t great and Apples upgrade prices are... What we expect. A 128gb SSD is embarrassing in this day and age. I know you can add USB storage, but what’s the point in such a small machine, and having to hang off a load of externals? The other side, well, hindered by Intel. Hoping Intel have a decent chip out soon with a GPU that isn’t 5 years old.
You did a PHENOMENAL job at reviewing the MM. I'm so hoping to buy one in this lifetime🤦🏾♂️. Thank You for such a thorough and honest review. Btw, next time, try better concealing/controlling your cable clutter before you start filming. Your camera skills are way too refined for such a distracting tangle of cords🙏🏾.
Hi after seeing uer vedio I wish ask a question ...... iam now using a 2011 Mac mini and iam a music producer but now a days I wish to upgrade from the previous Mac mini to new Mac mini so my question is .... is Mac mini a good for music production in 2020 .......... I love this Mac mini for it compact size........ I wish to buy another Mac system for my home studio wether I should go with a Mac mini or an iMac
Exactly as you said, try to find review on a good Mac for storing files and doing homework. Most youtubers don’t give this a real chance to actually review!!
I see you are using Final cut pro trial version is there a time limit to this version or is it cut down features? I am thinking of trying out a mac and maybe trying to pick up a second hand mac mini to start with, what year model should we be staying away from?
@TrustMacintosh, perhaps late to the game, or maybe you've even made a video on this, but I am interested on how you upgraded the SSD. I purchased a 2019 Mac mini, and I've upgraded the RAM (still working on getting it to 64gb budget willing). I had no idea the SSD could be upgrade and I'm very interested in learning. CoUld you make a video on this or share the link where you made a video on how to do this, please?
That’s where you really need a dedicated GPU. Still doable though, just get a eGPU and you should be set. Without the GPU any graphics intensive task will feel sluggish.
This is where I have a problem with the new Mac mini 2019 compare the 2013 model you were able to take out the ram and change it to 16 gigs second if you want to make it 2 TB ssd which was more better compared to a hard drive I'm using a i5 CPU with the ones now .The CPU they're using a less better quality. they soldered the ram onto the board so you can't change it! all I have to say !! is do your research companies want to make things disposable so you have to buy a new one but the old is better
Hook up is it's all you care about there's universal adapters you can use ! I'm saying is you can have better computer with a cheaper price tag compared to the new ones where they didn't the Conners
![iMac 5k 27 inch Review - Performance that is well Balanced! [One Year Later]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dxpdPHZ49To/mqdefault.jpg)
![iMac 5k 27 inch Review - Performance that is well Balanced! [One Year Later]](/img/tr.png)
MINOR CORRECTION: During the Input section of the video, I stated that the Mac Mini comes with 4 USB-C connections and though that is correct, it's also incomplete information. All USB-C ports are combined with Thunderbolt 3 for a single ultimate connection, Sorry if I didn't make that clear enough. As all USB-C ports in the Mac ecosystem are combination of USB-C & Thunderbolt 3.
HIT THAT LIKE BUTTON! so more people can see this video and we can give the Mac Mini some Proper Review Justice!
TrustMacintosh hi, can you give a tip to by a Mac Mini, I’m only a simpler user, like mail and surfing on the web, some docs and spreadsheets, with a lot of music and pictures, we have iMac from 2008 and now is starts to be..... tired out, if you can send me an email joao.torres@icloud.com, well thanks best regards JT
@@jgmtt I am in the same boat as you. I am looking at the i7 model with 16gb of RAM and 256gb storage. I need it for casual internet browsing, watching youtube videos, and work (when I work from home) which would just be excel spreadsheets. I was wanting to pair this with a 49" monitor with a resolution of 5120x1440 but not sure if that will work with this as some have said I would need an eGPU which is something I would like to avoid.
Hi Puneet Kalhan thanks for reply to me, did you get it already? You go for what model, the entry level and later update the RAM memory, do you know if this Mac Mini can be update the storage? Best regards JT
João Torres I did not get it yet. Having trouble deciding. I was on a Mac mini forming last night and some people were having trouble getting the 4K monitors to work. I want to hook this up to a 49” dell monitor and don’t think it will be able to show 5120x1440. If it can’t I am not sure what I am going to do. If I do buy it, I will buy the i7 model, with 256GB of SSD storage, and probably 8GB of RAM which I will upgrade to 32GB of RAM later. Doing this will save a lot of money.
Puneet Kalhan ok, you are betting on a big monitor..... I went to check it and is big.... I was considering something more regular like 32” or 27”, but anyway still is a large investment..... is always the same thing, by a Mac mini, then a monitor, them memory, later on some external drive or the other way around..... I’m seeing spending almost 2.000,00€.... I’m not ready to do it..... let’s see, let’s talk, best regards JT
Whoa - an actual solid review of a Mac that "chooses" not to dive into rivalries, uses layman terms & whose reviewer seems hardware / software savvy enough, particularly in the Mac realm and its history. Bravo!
Thank you very much for those kind words.
That Vesa mount is actually the coolest thing I've ever seen for the MacMini.
You mean warmest? With hot air outlet facing down it will retake some of warmed up air back inside the mini’s case, making things unnecessarily warmer. Better to direct it up or at least to side.
Nym Rieko good observation. Sure not 100% of the hot air wont re-enter the mini, but it does rise & would be best to dissipate it as much as possible
I will be getting 2
thank you for your review of this thing. I'm pretty tired of hearing people ragging on this machine because it doesn't meet their ridiculous standards. I'm currently running my entire office for a huge construction company on a Mac Mini and i absolutely love it. I specced it out with the best CPU they offered with the intent to upgrade RAM later on. It really was a no brainer for me to get it but for random people looking for reviews on it to see if they should buy it, I feel like they might be looking elsewhere because of all of the harsh reviews. Thanks again. I enjoyed the video very much
Thank you for the kind words. I greatly appreciate it.
I agree on all points. It is unfair that most that critic this device focus on a specific standard (i.e Video Editing) . 4K video is really unnecessary for the most part. Your reviews are fantastic.
Thanks Bryan!
4k is necessary now that we are shooting in 8k, and have been for years. We are now transitioning to 16k production. This isn't an editing machine, however, and most think all Mac's should be. This machine is perfectly fine for what it was intended for.
1080p is good enough in the majority of cases but 4K is 4K so many are going to it.
experiment54 I have no idea where you are getting that from. The leap from 1080 to 4K is astounding, even on a phone screen.
@@justinwalker7645 good 1080p is amazing.
If people thought about the Mini more as a motherboard in a box with a load of available PCI slots, they would eat it up. I just think people don't realise what Thunderbolt can do. Forget the soldered storage, this seems like a fantastic platform for customisation. Add a dock and you can basically build whatever Mac you like.
Wonderful honest review. I also don't like when many RUclipsrs ranting on Benchmarks. I could wait 5 more minutes for let my video gets rendered.
Thanks a lot for talk about the reality!
Great review man!
I love the fact that you focused on the actual timeline performance, rather than just render times.
I'm exactly the same as you, as long as the editing process is smooth I'm not really concerned if the render takes a bit longer.
Thank you for your review. I am glad that there is someone who finally looks at the base model a good machine still. Many of the previous reviews use the higher end Mac Minis 2018 leaving us base model owners feeling sorry. I am not much into video editing although I do a few, but more on the regular Word/Pages encoding, surfing and research via Chrome or Safari, doing a few Keynote/Powerpoint, viewing movies and of course much GarageBand music making . . . . Thank you for making my ownership of the Mac Mini 2018 base model a proud one.
The thing I like most about the Mac Mini is it's modular. You can hook up any monitor you want. Not limited to an all-in-one unit, like an iMac. I've had 2 generations of the iMac. The early shaving mirror design & then now, the late 2014 model. That early design one I had was amazing for it's time. After that one, I got a Mac Mini, which again, I loved. Great little machine. Then I got the 2014 iMac, which I enjoy, but it doesn't seem as fun to use. It's always had overheating issues. Then more recently, ghosting in the monitor.
I like that the new Mini has no dedicated GPU. Makes it the perfect modular system. If you don't need a dedicated GPU, it's perfect for you. If you later decide you want to game or do something that needs a GPU, hook up an eGPU. While the iMac has a beautiful 5K display, It might be difficult to get a matching 2nd or 3rd monitor to go with it of the same resolution. With the Mac Mini, that isn't a problem, though I think I'll go with 2 4K monitors myself.
Good to see you back making a video... I"m thinking about getting a mac mini. Using 16" macbook as my main computer in a docked set up just isn't ideal.
The Mac Mini is severely underrated among RUclipsrs despite having the bite of a mid-tier MacBook Pro. I just wished that Apple would update the hardware more frequently.
@Kevin The Tech Ninja, I have a 2019 MacMini. I upgraded to 36gb RAM (basically switched one of the 4gb for a 32gb) and it has worked great. Full disclosure, I am a teacher and not a RUclipsr, but I have used it to edit videos as lectures for my students, so nothing heavy. It has performed as good as I could've expected. I'm sure others need more performance heavy machines, but I just need decent performance and little extra space.
I'm no youtuber nor a video editor. This helps out a lot for a graphic designer. Thank you!
I needed this video. I’m an online Spanish teacher, and I can’t afford an iMac, nor I need it (my iMac is dying). So, I’m thinking about options, and the Mac Mini is becoming my first option now, thanks to this video. All I do is Pages documents and FaceTime/Skype classes, so, this is probably enough 🧐
Way more than enough. Besides, you can carry it if you need it.
Thank you, great review. I have been looking to upgrade my 2012 Mac Mini and being a photographer I noticed some reviews say to stay clear of the MacMini 2018 because of ( As they stated ) poor graphic performance. But you're precessing 4k videos so I think using photoshop etc. should be fine.
Extremely useful information in here, I think you've just made my mind up. I'm a music producer who dabbles in video editing, and I think I've finally found an upgrade to my 2008 Mac Pro. Edit: Yes, I am currently editing and rendering videos of over an hour and a half in length on a 2008 Mac. See if you can guess how long those take to render ;)
This video is exactly what I was looking for. Subscribing! Thanks for the thoughtful review.
Thank you Jon!
If they manage to sell a Mac mini that can upgrade the hard drive and ram with ease, I would buy it right away.
Ideally being able to upgrade both SSD & RAM would be great but I'll take RAM upgrades over SSD.
Thunderbolt makes the internal drive somewhat irrelevant tbh, and RAM can be upgraded.
You can connect an external SSD with Thunderbolt
I still have a late 2014 Mac Mini and works beautifully and the new one looks even better. However Apple seem to have missed the point of the origin of the Mac Mini - affordability! That is what it was designed for.
A budget machine at a premium cost though.
Anyways, I was helping my wife in choosing her next Mac. She has a mid 2011 iMac (i7 4 Core @3.5 GHz with 32 GB RAM), but unfortunately Apple no longer supports it and she can no longer update the OS which, as a consequence, prevents her from buying a new graphic tablet (yes, because the drivers/software for a Wacom or a Huion or whatever, only support Mac Os from 10.12 or later).
Now the new iMacs are way too expensive for the same specs, so I was looking at the new 2019 Mac Mini, with the top of the line CPU (which should be an 8 Core i7 I guess?), with a 1TB SSD and the basic 8 GB RAM, which I will then upgrade to 32 GB for less than half the Apple price.
She's a graphic designer, illustrator and does some 3D (3D Coat, Blender, Maya...) as well as some compositing and animation. I know that with this Mac Mini (the way I would configure it) editing 4K even with Premiere Pro is a breeze (I have seen it in action here where I work), though I am not sure about everything else.
Hi my name is mark. I just received my 2020 mini with upgraded processor and 1TB SSD and 32gigs of ram. I paid over $2k for the unit but love it. It does generate a lot of heat but the processor, ssd, and ram have made this a very fast machine. I purchased a usb type C hub and stand that has the exact same footprint of the mini and makes a very nice companion for connecting peripherals and data cards. I also have a 2015 mini, 2012 iMac and a 2011 Mac Pro. My only complaint with Apple is the obsolescence issues with software, hardware and OS.
Loved your video. I'm looking into buying a Mac mini for music scoring and video. Your video review just gave me the thumbs up on which system to get. I Was about to get an expensive Macbook pro, but your review changed my mind especially with being able to get the upgrades I need to run the software I need. Thanks man.👍
Thank you for this review, every other review I've seen or searched for has been a review on "Video Editing on the Mac mini" - I'm a semi-retired graphic designer, I continue to have a few clients that I do "big jobs" for yearly (annual reports, corporate brochures, etc.) 1) I don't edit videos, 2) I've progressed from Adobe to Affinity software (awesome stuff), most of the photo workflow is completed by their own in-house "experts" and passed on to me for the final layout and typesetting. I've thought about a Mac Mini for ages, I currently use a high spec iMac ... but I'm "so over" not being able to add to it ... I've just purchased a 43" 4K LED TV, a bare bones, no "smart" options, 4K res at 60@hz (HDMI2), as I've also purchased a "multi-zone" DVD player" (I have heaps of DVD's from all over the world), will soon be purchasing an Apple TV 4K (for Apple, Netflix, Prime, etc.) ... I basically want a "one stop shop" ... work and play (no games whatsoever) ... my $64K questions is this ... should I go for the i5 model or the i7 ... I plan on specking out either with 32gb of ram and 512gb internal storage, I have heaps of external storage so that's not an issue ... your thoughts would be appreciated. Cheers!
Thank you for a good review. I couldn’t find any other review that talked about the thermals of the quad core version. Good to know it won’t cook itself or be too loud. I just won an auction for a used base model 2018. Needed something that would continue to be supported by Mac OS but cheaper than the M1 or M2 mini. I’ve tried windows and Linux for my daughter but the parental controls were terrible for those compared to Apple devices where it’s easy to set up good parental controls.
I would like to see a Mac Mini review that didn't mention Final Cut at all. That FinalCut app comes up with every RUclips review. Perhaps talk about using Virtualbox or Xcode or productivity applications and maybe some iMovie or Photos.
That would be tough. Within my video I did acknowledge other applications (music, coding, audio work etc) that the Mac mini can be successful in.
iMovie works well in virtually every Mac because of the way the timeline works.
Make one
Great video. Thank you. How good it is ( without eGPU)for basic 2D and 3D games creating using Unity?
I would buy a new Mac Mini with the Apple chip if they allow me to update the ram and the storage. I would like a removable NVME so I can replace it if it breaks. The 2018 and 2020 Mac Mini’s don’t allow upgrading the storage. If that breaks you just have an expensive paperweight.
Im using a 2019 MacBook Air in my desk setup. It works great for productivity and everyday use!
I didn't get a Mac Mini to get a WORSE display than the one in an iMac! Even if you're using the base model, spend $200-$250 for a decent 27" 1440p screen! That's the part you look at all day!
It's really funny to hear someone say that a 23.8" 1080p screen is "enough for the Mac Mini." What's that even mean? I don't think 1080p is enough for any desktop. I had a 34" 3440x1440 display plugged into a 2-core 13" MBP with 16 GB / 512 SSD, and I got a Mac Mini because I don't take it places anyway. After the $590 trade-in for the MBP it was $833 to upgrade to a 6-core / 32 GB / 1TB SSD Mini since I put in the RAM myself. It's a really powerful machine for relatively cheap, and it renders 4K in iMovie / Resolve so much faster. It'd be a total waste to plug a 1080p screen into it!
Mac mini only works for budget if you already have a keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, microphone, etc. Other wise you are paying the same price all together for less powerful specs than an all in one.
Thanks for this review, man ;)
You finallyl mention sth almost everyone misses, when losing themselves in benchmarks testing.. :
How does it actually perform, how fluid is the experience ! ;)
I am considering a i7 unit for a music workstation.
I should be fine, I reckon..
Any suggestions/recommendations?
V4D2 , the base model i3 is more than enough for music editing. The i3 is quad-core with a more than decent multi-core score. It would be called a i5 right but I guess Intel is doing away with i3 dual-cores soon. Just as reference, I’m using Logic Pro X and Reaper and my fairly large project never really make my old 2011 Mac Mini (Dual-core) break its limits. I also use these DAWs efficiently though
Michael Ray thanks for the feedback ;)
i’ve got an i5 (5th gen) on my Desktop PC, and it kind of stands it’s ground, with my Ableton Projects.
but the PC experience for music sequencer drivers..is pretty lame.
The same i5 just won’t handle lightroom. i even switched to Affinity, and although i noticed some improvements , i can see i need higher clock speeds, higher hyperthreading , and specially ..better single core performance.
my trusty 2013 17” Macbook Pro just collapses when i open a few instruments & plugIns on Ableton.
i’ve got a lot of USB MIDI peripherals plugged in..and although the USB Hub is a powered unit, the Mac just won’t be able to handle all the power demands....and the battery starts to run out, despite the magsafe being connected.
So....i need a new Mac and sure as hell, not a laptop unit.
i think i am over the macMini idea.
too much stuff to consider...
The iMac boasts an i9 processor , upgradable to 128G of RAM, features that great 5k 27” display..and in the end, it’s ‘only’ 1k€ more than the i7 Mini.
it’s a no brainer...i reckon..and the investment will last me a few years
i’m just very reluctant to spend over 3k€ on a computer..so i am trying to wait for the iMac update with the new GPUs.
Thanks for the video, didn't you face Bluetooth issues, wifi?
I’m glad you like your Mac mini but those thermals really aren’t acceptable if I’m not mistaken you showed the cpu hit 93 degrees C which is 7 degree lower then its tjunktion and yes setting the fans to run at max rpm will drop the temp but now you have a jet engine on the back of your monitor. I don’t think the Mac mini is cooled adequately based on those numbers and I was hoping to see better info in a review.
max fan speed isnt that loud actually. Less loud then a macbook pro on full speed for sure.
After watching multiple reviews and reading a ton of comments regarding the mac mini, I've decided to just go with it. It seems to cover everything I will be using it for. Thanks for being the one RUclipsr that doesn't give this machine a complete biased review!!
Finally someone who is a good and thorough reviewer. I agree there are so many slackers out there, who just do a quick benchmark and put out the video like it will help anyone to determine whether they should buy or not buy. Do you recommend the Mac mini 2020 over the latest iMac?
This is the first video I have seen from you and I have to say I really enjoyed it. I really like your voice, you speak clear and direct, there is a nice curve in your speech, there is a logical line which I could follow during the whole video. You could also hold my attention. I think I have received all the information I wanted to get...
In general just shortly you do recommend also the basic as well as the top mini mac for Final Cut Pro, don’t you? Now I’ve been using Lumafusion on my latest 12.9 iPad Pro and now I would like to have a desktop in addition with an external monitor. Rendering time is not an issue for me as video editing is just my hobby, it is not my primary job. Many thanks for your kind answer :) Edward
Thank you very much for the kind words.
Base Mac mini or high-end, that’s what I always recommend. Ignore the middle of the road mini.
Loved your review as Mac Mini user! Same here, although haven’t gone for the 2018 version as I have got into After Effects and I still don’t know if it’s a good choice for it. Really want to but haven’t seen reviews supporting After Effects or Motion Graphics on Mac Mini.
Hope it gets a big shot in the ARM!
It's also great for those that just need to code and compile, which is why they put out the new Apple Silicon out on the Mac Mini for the dev kit. And if you already have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, or want to use an external display like a large TV or something instead of a small 27" monitor, then it's fine since you'll have the four thunderbolt 3 ports to send thunderbolt 3 to HDMI. And later if you need more graphics processing, you can throw in an eGPU. But you have more flexibility on expansion and functionality since you can start small and add to it. Macbooks and iMacs have limited screen sizes, and Mac Pros are probably out of the price range if you're looking for a budget or starter Mac.
Last year, I also upgraded from the 2011 Mac mini to the 2018 Mac mini!
You could upgrade the ram if you want to....
Thanks for the great review. Thinking of getting a 2020 Macbook Pro or a Mac Mini 2020 for home use - Video/Zoom calls, Chrome browsing, Office apps, RUclips, email, light photo editing and possibly maybe streaming and 4k editing. For the short term future proofing, which product can you recommend? Thinking of getting an i7 (or should I get an i9) , 16gb (or 32gb) RAM and 256/512GB storage. I plan to use 27' 2x 1080p monitors since I like working on big screens. I normally use laptops/desktops for at least 2 years based on past experience. Hope you can help me out. Thanks
Which model of Mac Mini is the most upgradable? 2012 is better than 2014 but what about the more recent ones?
GREAT REVIEW.... even in 2020!! Question.... i noticed you have a imc 5k in the background. Which do you prefer as an overall better computer for what YOU do.... a suped up mac mini... or the 2017 5k???
5k iMac is my main squeeze. But Mac mini has always been special. (That’s where I started)
as someone who's currently trying to decide between a mac mini or an imac for the veery same tasks of basic video editing and rendering and now cannot decide between M1 or intel or whether to buy something lesser for now and hold out for Apple Silicon to get even more impressive - Thank you.
this video was of great help! Im confident that I can more than do what I'd need on a current gen mini whether M1 or Intel and potentially get something more powerful in the future , saving the BIG purchase for later...
I have an i7 on the way. 16gb ram. I wager it will dwarf my 2012 MM. And I still love my 12'.
Hi bro. Thanks for the video. As a fellow RUclips I can suggest a couple of things that will improve your sound. 1. Use a de-esser to take out some of the sibilance in your voice, or try a simple equalization cut in the 6-8k range. 2. Look into DIY sound absorption panels. They’re inexpensive but will drastically help take the “room sound” out of your audio. Hope this information has been helpful. Cheers
Thanks for the tips. Audio has always been a tough area, but I’m gonna look into this.
@@TrustMacintosh For sure, The sound quality of the mic is good, no plosives or anything, just a tiny bit bright/harsh on the top end. And you'll notice a night and day difference with regards to room noise if you make and put up even 4 DIY absorption panels (Rock Wool Safe N Sound and 1x4s and some cheap breatheable fabric). Avoid the really cheap foam options out there though, it doesn't do much at all. Cheers!!
You are on point; Ive been using mid 2011 mac mini with 16gb; and I do everything...
Whilst I agreed with everything you said and thought the video was a very thorough and in depth review, I grew tired of the dialogue as things were repeated three times over the length of the video
It’s something I’m working on.
I heared no dialogue, just monologue ... 🧐
In public speaking a review of the material at the end is encouraged. If he was reading from a script - it was flawless unlike some evening network newscasters. If the dialog was edited, I did not hear or detect it with headphones. And yes, it was long with four or five commercials adding to it, however, I too have two Mac minis (2009 and 2012) and am shopping for information on a possible new $ocial $ecurity budget machine.
I've just got a base model (256 ssd) for coding, and it is a AMAZING machine! I also have a MacBook Pro Retina 2014 base model (i5, 8GB and 256 SSD) and the performance difference is HUGE, Mac mini is WAY better for coding native iOS apps and Flutter. I want to upgrade the ram in the near future, but being honest, 8Gb is being enough and I'm totally suprised
The first time I did a video for fun to post on RUclips back in 2014 was on a 2011 Mac Mini (the version with AMD Radeon HD 6630M). Though I did eventually move on to an iMac later on. I tried the base model 2014 Mac Mini for a short while too, but that was severely underpowered even for my type of usage. Decided to give the "new" Mac Mini a try again (6 core i5), and liking it so far (other than the lack of SD card slot :/). It now has enough power for my needs (which is probably not as heavy since I'm just using iMovie and FHD), and it runs way cooler than the 2011 used to. Nice review!
Exceptional review. Finally, a fair review of the Mac mini that provides just the info we need to make up our own minds. Thank you.
It’s not overpriced when you consider the lack of bloatware on a cheap Windows machine, the fact that you don’t have to pay for antivirus software, and you don’t have to pay for an office suite, plus updates are free. In addition sometimes the seemingly lower hardware specs are compensated for by Apple software, although not always.
That argument can be made for sure.
Still use my Mac Mini 2012 for video editing although only up to 1080p - still good enough with 16gigs of ram and 500gb ssd..... I love it. 👌👌👍👍✔✔😊😊
you can edit 4k on a 2012 perfectly fine, not native but transcoded to ProRes
If you have an iMac you can use it as a monitor for your Mini, via Thunderbolt. I've a Thunderbolt dislpay, a 2012 15" Macbook Pro Retina and a 2011 21,5" iMac. I'm looking for the Mini as a processor update to use it with the Thunderbolt display + magic keyboard 2 + trackpad 2. I'm an art director, work mostly with Photoshop. InDesign and Illustrator. Do some occasional video editing with Final Cut 10 (1080, not 4k).
I'll probably buy a Mac Mini with the 6 core i7 and add 32 GB RAM later. I really believe I'll spend much less than buying an iMac or Macbook Pro and have a system that'll serve me very well for years to come.
You're right when you say other RUclipsrs do not compare it fairly with other systems.
Thank for the review. I'm considering buying mac mini 2018. As much as Mac system is always overpriced, I have to say Mac can last longer than PC. I have so many cheap PC laying around because after 2 year they are just got slowed down. Especially with so many crap loaded to the computer with windows 10. Every time I updated windows 10, It seemed to make my PC gets even slower and slower. Even My 2008 Mac Tower still work faster than my PC and it still can handle video editing. I'm looking for a cheap Mac for a specific use. So thanks for your review.
I've got the 6 core i7 with 64gb ram and the Blackmagic EGPU, I do a lot of 4k raw editing in Premiere and After Effects, the performance is amazing with the EGPU. I chose this over the iMac because of its portability and flexibilities, I've got a 16 inch portable monitor when I need to take my machine on set to do some same day edits.
I love my 2014 Mac Mini....
Great review! I have loved the Mac Mini for a long time and I have never understood why it gets such bad press. I am a college student and just am looking for a cheap Mac to use for the four years I will be in school. I will primarily just use it for Microsoft Office applications. Do you think the i3 base model will be fine? Thank you so much for your opinion :)
Kim Mathis Thank you so much. I am always worried that my processor won’t be fast enough but I guess it doesn’t take my processing power to write a report lol. Take care!
I like the look of the mac mini on the back of the monitor, but doesn't that increase the heat? I guess you don't have a problem with heat, but it seems like the heat from the monitor and the heat from the mini could add up.
i like your desk setup. completely clutter free.
I just gotta organize the cables under the Mac mini.
I love this video. I just purchased the 2020/2018 Mac Mini and I was worried about its video handling ability. I also love the depth of that desk. Do you mind sharing a link or the name of that desk?
How is that Mac mini? Same I need it more for video editing, is it worth it?
Awesome review, got myself a MacMini base model (2020) as well. I do have a kinda powerfull PC, but apart for gaming, cannot do any proper work. Windows is too unstable for me, installing Linux makes it unusable to edit my videos as a hobby.
MacMini does tick all the boxes, maybe except gaming, but it seems, that I don't have enough time for that anyways :) handles programming without any problems, 1080p youtube videos as well.
great thanks i have a 2011 mac mini i do music composing and don't need all the graphics power
Very nice video about the 2018 Mac mini and I can totally agree with you. It was in 2015 when I started my channel with the late 2012 Mac mini which - at this time - had a quad core i7 (Gen. 3) and even had hyper threading which was gorgeous. One of my first bigger projects on the channel was the upgrade of this Mac adding 16 GB of RAM instead of its initial 4 GB and replacing the HDD with an SSD. Especially after these upgrades it was a stunning small but powerful Mac for light video editing with iMovie and it made much fun to cut videos on it. The only downside was the integrated GPU which at this time was not really upgradable because of the older Thunderbolt 1. The new Mac mini though has Thunderbolt 3 and so it is finally possible to upgrade the GPU later on which makes it so nice in my opinion, too.
im trying to decide between the the mac mini and the macbook pro for music production. I think the mac mini might be better for the $. Pretty sure you can upgrade to a better cpu and ram than the 13 inch macbook for like around the same price. And it actually has enough ports to be viable in a studio without dongles.
One of the best videos of the mac minii for sure, do more videos of macs pls
thanks for tor the video .how fast can a External SSD be connected on Thunderbolt ? is reliable and fast to use it as your boot drive ?
At the affordable end the mini has ridiculously small storage. It's far too hard too upgrade RAM and storage. If Apple gave a crap about consumers it would produce an affordable tower that was easily upgradeable. I've owned Macs since 84, but I won't buy another desktop given what poor value they are. If this were not an Apple product, the review would be "Meh."
Glad I saw this video. I’ve seen a lot of videos before on this Mac mini especially with 2020 upgrades that it deserved. All of em focused on video editing but not everyone, like myself, uses Mac for that. I’m a graphic designer and I need a Mac for projects and it’s better than a pc in some ways that suit me.....plus my classes lol. I’ll be buying one so thank you for the info
This is a great review thank you man! I’m getting one and a egpu
WOW!! I was right! Mac Mini did really get the shot in the arM[1]
NOW that the NEW Mac Mini M1 is here! Super excited to see the performance! What is your plan? Going for it or reviewing it?
Hyper threading needs to be standard to keep the Mac Mini at least on par and somewhat relevant, 3 - 5 years into the future. Not sure if I will buy as I don’t like how Apple ignores common sense.
Agreed. HT should be the standard.
Intel is also at fault for this.
I have a late 2012 mac mini. literally have to take the back off and flip it over to stay cool. And yes ive just cleaned it to see if that was the issue
If you need me to come over and help you hang up your posters, lemme know. 🤣 5:51
But I appreciated the video. Well shot, and very informative. Btw- there is a small (but growing) subset of 2018 Mac mini users successfully playing AAA games at ultra settings on the Mac mini right now using egpu’s. I would, however, like to see more mac mini reviewers mention how WiFi cuts in/out when you use the usb 3.0 ports, or how Bluetooth devices lag, displays randomly don’t recognize, 4 tb3 ports share only 2 buses or any other of the well documented issues with this model. I love my Mac mini, but it has also been a very frustrating thing to get it fine tuned.
Hahaha. It has been like that for YEARS.
I run Logic with heavy plugins on an old '13 DUO core and overload it every session haha. I am gonna buy a Mac mini next week, the 2020's added a lot more memory and still are much more reasonably priced than the powerful but expensive iMacs and MCP's. These things look like the real deal!
For a budget system Apple still overpriced it.
everything is overpriced compared to production costs. Windows budget system is also still overpriced.
You do realise a Mac will never cost as much as a PC with similar specs right
So here's something it seems like _nobody_ is covering: the Mac Mini as a dedicated machine for novelists, bloggers, and other professional writers.
Now, some might wonder -- wouldn't the MacBook Air do just as well? Well, specs-wise, maybe so. But there's a thing about us writers that only we writers know. Well, some of us, because we don't all fit the stereotype of the messy, clumsy writer. But a lot of us do. On raw specs, the MacBook Air with its Retina display in some ways might actually outstrip the Mini. But for some of us, we don't want a computer that keeps its guts and its brains under the keyboard. A keyboard that might get coffee spilled on it sometime -- which in the case of a MacBook wouldn't kill the keyboard -- it'd kill the _whole computer._
So will a base model Mac Mini run web browsers, RUclips, VLC Player, and... well, all the media apps formerly known as iTunes? MORE IMPORTANTLY, will it run all of those things plus Scrivener and Ulysses?
(The answer is almost certainly 'Yes'.)
Do we need an i5 to run a writer's desk setup that gets daily use out of Scrivener, DevonThink, OmniFocus, Airmail 4, and Vivaldi? (The answer is... I actually don't know. And I wish somebody would chime in on *that* question. I don't do video editing. No offense to all the RUclipsrs who do, but video editing isn't what I need to know about.)
Just subbed. Great honest review. Going for late 2014. The way my pockets are set up, I can afford the new Mac mini.
Mac Mini 2018 (and some Macbook Pro with four Thunderbolt ports) DOES NOT support more than TWO thunderbolt devices. No matter which port you use Mac Mini 2018 can't recognise third connected Thunderbolt device.
Why there are four connectors if only two are working anyway? It is a good question. Yes it is weird.
I’ve never heard of such a thing. Hmm.
Imma look into this.
Hi, just bought a 2018 i7 Mac Mini and love it. My only concern is that the case heats up like a frying pan. Do you know if the i5 runs cooler? I am only using this for basic operations - surfing the web, playing music, checking mail, etc.. This is much hotter than I thought it would be. Thanks for any help you can give.
The Mac mini is working as intended. Don’t worry about temperatures at all!
Great honest video. I think Apple made MacMini purposedly for none pro users, although pros can use it too. Thanks for this video man.
Thank you!
Great video, good job! Thanks a lot for this, the greatest review about the Mac Mini!!!
GREAT review, explaining with concise and logical thoughts,, excellent
Re: 2018 Mac Mini...Has Apple fixed the "Bluetooth & WiFi" connection issues?
Yes the 2020 version fixed it according to some videos
Thank you. I just ordered that Mac mini mount on the back of my monitor
Nice!
Which Mac Mini would you recommend for an executive that needs a desktop for basic business needs, email, presentations, etc., does photo editing, no video editing, no gaming. Budget unlimited. But future proof, good for the next 5 years or so. Thanks.
Patrick Pray for your work, I would recommend the i5 quad core Mac mini with 8GB of ram. 16GB if you want a little more wiggle room. And minimal storage would be 256GB but 512GB is a safe bet for the future.
Just a question. Normally an ssd or lets just say any storage media is better in read than in write. Most of the times. But why is there such a big difference between read and write? AND writing is x times better than read.
U ARE ON POINT..i ordered an i7 2018 version
No, U ARE ON POINT.
@@TrustMacintosh i do music production i want to see how it performs. I'm going to upgrade the ram myself to 64gigs.. I will do a review when i've tested it. I totally agree, lot of you tube reviewers seem very biased. Thanks for this video.
Any thoughts Steven? I'm planning to buy this for music production, I'm a songwriter. Thanks
I feel a lot of the negative reviews were fair. The cost for the base level wasn’t great and Apples upgrade prices are... What we expect. A 128gb SSD is embarrassing in this day and age. I know you can add USB storage, but what’s the point in such a small machine, and having to hang off a load of externals? The other side, well, hindered by Intel. Hoping Intel have a decent chip out soon with a GPU that isn’t 5 years old.
You did a PHENOMENAL job at reviewing the MM. I'm so hoping to buy one in this lifetime🤦🏾♂️. Thank You for such a thorough and honest review.
Btw, next time, try better concealing/controlling your cable clutter before you start filming. Your camera skills are way too refined for such a distracting tangle of cords🙏🏾.
Thank you! I will definitely take care of wires better next time. I promise.
TrustMacintosh 👏🏾👏🏾👍🏾
Hi after seeing uer vedio I wish ask a question ...... iam now using a 2011 Mac mini and iam a music producer but now a days I wish to upgrade from the previous Mac mini to new Mac mini so my question is .... is Mac mini a good for music production in 2020 .......... I love this Mac mini for it compact size........ I wish to buy another Mac system for my home studio wether I should go with a Mac mini or an iMac
Thanks for this I love my Mac mini but Radeon 5700 xt support is taking too long.
Exactly as you said, try to find review on a good Mac for storing files and doing homework. Most youtubers don’t give this a real chance to actually review!!
Thanks a lot for this review. It helped a lot. :-)
I see you are using Final cut pro trial version is there a time limit to this version or is it cut down features? I am thinking of trying out a mac and maybe trying to pick up a second hand mac mini to start with, what year model should we be staying away from?
It’s no different.
@@TrustMacintosh How so? I can only see it is a 30 day trial or are you resetting the trial after 30 days?
I bought fcpx but the license is on my iMac.
For testing, I was using the trial version (Mac mini)
Are the new minis compatible with the XDR display? Are they equipped to utilise its features?
@TrustMacintosh, perhaps late to the game, or maybe you've even made a video on this, but I am interested on how you upgraded the SSD. I purchased a 2019 Mac mini, and I've upgraded the RAM (still working on getting it to 64gb budget willing). I had no idea the SSD could be upgrade and I'm very interested in learning. CoUld you make a video on this or share the link where you made a video on how to do this, please?
Great review! How does mac mini work with Adobe aftereffects? I am looking to do basic graphics.
That’s where you really need a dedicated GPU. Still doable though, just get a eGPU and you should be set.
Without the GPU any graphics intensive task will feel sluggish.
@@TrustMacintosh Thanks for your reply. Also considering HP Z2 mini but the drawback is no Mac OS
This is where I have a problem with the new Mac mini 2019 compare the 2013 model you were able to take out the ram and change it to 16 gigs second if you want to make it 2 TB ssd which was more better compared to a hard drive I'm using a i5 CPU with the ones now .The CPU they're using a less better quality. they soldered the ram onto the board so you can't change it! all I have to say !! is do your research companies want to make things disposable so you have to buy a new one but the old is better
Hook up is it's all you care about there's universal adapters you can use ! I'm saying is you can have better computer with a cheaper price tag compared to the new ones where they didn't the Conners
What’s your take with Apple transitioning from Intel to in house ARM chips soon?
Edit: on their Mac line
Jason Ong their iPads and iPhones are very capable editing machines so it’s a great step.
If people think the 2019 Mac Mini is weak, the 2019 base iMac at $1099 is downright terrible.
can you take a mini out of the box and run a 4k monitor and get a "retina" level screen? weighing the pros and cons vs an imac