Sad to say...but my old 2011 Mac Mini gets more action than my M1 Mac Mini. As a hobbyist, I'm...for the moment...addicted to testing Linux distributions on the ancient Macmini5,1. My perfectly wonderful M1 sits there too much playing my Apple Music for me in the background. However, when I ask more of that M1, it utterly crushes the 2011 model into dust! Frankly...I need to put on my big boy trousers so I can run and test Asahi Linux which is the only purpose-built Linux distro for Apple Silicon. I'm too nervous about "losing" my M1 Mac experience. So...do I pay for therapy? Or...do I just run out and by an M2 Mac MIni? Decisions, decisions...
I got the M2 pro. Basically because with my use the M1-8Gb version sometimes beachballed a bit. So, the extra money gave me the 16Gb RAM and 512 Gb of storage. I kept my docking station - including both an SSD-slot and a M2-slot, meaning that I've got about 6Gb of extra storage - and am very happy with it. My old M1 (8Gb/512Gb) I handed to my husband, who is new to Mac and is now happily using it, especially together with his Iphone and Ipad.
first use case for me is to have a dedicated machine to take all the photos off my iPhone. Totally seems overkill but my Windows laptop doesn't play nicely with the iPhone.
Just upgraded from an M1 to an M2 Mac Mini because the Bluetooth and network LAN port issues were driving me crazy. I can report the Bluetooth issues et al are fixed. I've noticed no performance differences between the two computers. Just the elimination of the Bluetooth problems was worth the upgrade. I did increase the storage on the new machine to 512 and stuck with 16 GB of RAM. I can't imagine a more ideal everyday computer that doubles as a music production powerhouse.
@@rehanjr.8602 Unless it's a demanding studio enviornment the vast majoriy of users would have no problem with the normal. I think I read that Logic can't really take advantage of the Pro chip (check that). You're paying for the 16GB and 512 SSD I don't think you need anything else. That's the spec that will work for 90% (?) of you hobbiest out there. Anything beyond that spec probably isn't needed. I would build an SSD external drive for icing on the cake.
I think the main problem with the mac mini m2 base model is the number of ports. I just recently bought the m2 pro. and I filled up the ports real quick I even had to use a 4x USB port hub and a USB C dongle. my connections are: Elgato HD60x (USB A) 4 port USB hub connections (USB A) -Audio interface - Camera dummy battery - Monitor LED strip USB C connections -2nd Monitor -External SSD -Keyboard -USB C dongle (for SD card reader and video capture card)
I recently switched from macbook air m1 2020 base model to mac mini m2 pro base model. honestly basic tasks feels the same. video editing and photo editing are a lot smoother. but also I could still do video editing work 4k footage in my macbook air m1 just fine. So if you have m1 devices and its going to hurt you financially to upgrade. I suggest stick with the m1 devices.
That was a fantastic straightforward review. Sick and tired of the reviewers trying to out-tech other reviewers, leaving those of us who just want uncomplicated advice/suggestions mystified and unsatisfied. Well done!
I’ve bought the base M2 with 256gb storage. Not bothered about speed transfer as it’s plenty fast enough for me. Will be getting a dock though which can take either sad or m.2 storage
Thanks, Mark, for another great video. One aspect that seems to be omitted from every comparison discussion here or by others is: how long does the purchaser intend to be able to effectively use the Mac? In my case, while my demands are low (eg personal photo editing) compared to someone such as yourself, I aim to do what I can to future-proof myself as much as possible, with the goal of getting something like 10 years from my purchase. (Call me "The 10 Year Man".) So, taking such a perspective -- relatively ordinary user with 10 year window -- how does that change the ideal specs? I'm thinking M2 Pro with 32 Unified Memory. Thanks again for your great content; it's been helpful.
Done. Base model Mac Mini M2 purchased will use with my existing HP monitors. HP Prodesk will go up for sale. Son had for Christmas my iPad Pro 12.9 (2018 model) he loves it. Went for the Logitec Mouse and Logitec minimalist keyboard too. Sold old AirPod Pros. 2s ordered. Sold old pair of AirPods. Out with the old tech and in with the new. Thank you Mark your reviews are solid everyman with no bull I love them. Plus the fact that my brother Mark Ashworth knows a fella who knows you. Small world and all that.
I got the base M2 mini, 8/256, paid $479 US from Amazon. With the money I saved off the regular price, I bought the Satechi USB hub that has an NVME M2 slot built into the bottom of it. I got that for $79, and put in a Samsung EVO 990 1TB SSD for $69. All in, I spent $630 & have a total of 1.2 terabytes of fast storage, in an attractive little stack. Running the system monitor shows no “swap pressure” 99% of the time, so 8 GB of memory is plenty for me.
Great video, thanks for posting. I just ordered the M2 mini from Amazon for $499 US plus sales tax. I finally had enough of the countless problems associated with Windows and look forward to a more intuitive and streamlined computing experience.
Thank you. I ended up buying the mac mini M2PRO 16GB Ram. I am planning on doing Video editing. I did purchase a high end BenQ monitor as well. I also have the Latest I Mac Pro M2MAX 32gb 1TB that I use often and I had thought about just buying another lap top. In the end, I am happy with my choice. Thanks Javier
Thanks mate, I definitely need at least 16gb of RAM though (music production & Cybersecurity). So now I’m just trying to find one that I can get the best deal.
Audio production might be a special use case. My understanding is that fastest single core performance is desireable Especially to reduce tracking latency. I think the Pro is the baseline for this. Great advice BTW.
I bought the refurb pro in 2024 for $1600 CDN. 16GB ram, 1TB ssd. I use it to edit videos obviously. it's my main machine and I also have a 2019 MBP 16" i9 but the mini will be mainly for editing at my desk and the MBP will be for editing on the road.
Bought the M2 Pro some time ago & am totally happy with it .. I plumped for 16GB Ram as I just didn't trust only 8gig. If speccing again I would probably go 32gb but not sure its necessary ... As you say its a great workhorse for Audio & Video production ,..,.Thank you Apple
Mac Mini M2... a fantastic computer in my studio. Mainly for music production and it's a big improvement over my Windows PC. Not just because of the noise level (inaudible), but because of the performance. The only thing I would do differently is buy a keyboard where the brackets also have keys ;) The little mini keyboards from Apple and Logitech don't have that... I need lots of ports for my stuff, external SSDs or a hub... no problem and the performance is excellent! The same goes for my Logitech MX Master. Not a single problem with my external hardware
Thanks this was exactly what I needed to hear, in terms of weighing up options. My type of work involves doing things like Ableton and Sibelius at the same time, and I know I need as much processing power as possible, and to also accomodate for soft ware updates etc. Also the type of stuff I do with Ableton involves performing live for which a laptop would normally be the best option, but I’m interested in the Mac mini pro for its portability, like the laptop. And you obviously get more bang comparing price points of Mac minis vs MacBooks 🎉
@@ali.sherif1- I’ve had a really great experience with my Mac. I would definitely max out your ram, especially if your like me and plan on keeping it for a while. Plus, get at least a 1 TB hard drive. The other benefit of maxing out your ram is because of AI. Now I use my Mac mainly for causal gaming, writing papers, and working with photos. Hope this helps 😊
I've been driving myself crazy trying to figure out what computer to buy for editing videos on my new action camera. I thought I'd be able to just buy a cheap laptop and it would be fine but obviously not. As someone who doesn't know anything about computers, it made my head spin. I think the m2 Mac mini is the way to go. Hopefully I'm making the right decision but your video makes me feel more at ease. Thank you
First, I would think that most people, in this day and age, already have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. So those "additional expenses" really don't apply. Second, if one already has an M1 Mac Mini, then a move to an M2 is sort of an indulgence. My 16GB/256GB Mac Mini is moving along nicely, with dongle added ports, doing whatever I want it to do. (Curiously enough, it refuses to clean the cat litter. Oh, well.) I enjoy your presentations.
They’ll apply to people who want to invest in a brand new setup or their first desktop Mac which, I’d imagine, is a significant chunk of the Mac mini market. It’s important for us all to broaden our horizons in tech. Thanks for the kind words 👍
After your excellent advice i think im going with the base model ( $599 ). My current Mac Pro 5,1 2012 is used for music, home video's etc. running Mojave. Love this machine and will use it till it dies but it is getting dated. I have an M1 air for work etc. I could go on and on. Thanks for your excellent advice.
Hi Mark. My 2012 27 inch Imac finally died 😢 so I took the plunge and got a refurbished M2 Mac Mini from Apple. I went for the 16gb memory model with the 256 gb storage. Planning on using my 1tb ssd as the external storage but need to update the OS on it as I was using it on the Imac. Great channel keep up the good work.
I have had my 2014 Mac Mini for almost 10 years now. It's the reason I stopped buying windows computers. Sadly, Apple will no longer be updating the MacOs for the 2014 Mac Mini anymore, and I'm pretty sure the hard drive is finally beginning to fail. I have used this thing with Adobe photoshop and premiere pro, had over twenty programs running at once, along with a cpu hogging internet browser with 70 tabs open. It's a hard working little thing and I have loved it dearly, but it's time to upgrade. Thank you for your reviews on the new Mac Mini M2. I'm trying to decide what newer Mac Mini is right for me, and I was really wanting to upgrade from the 2014's 8Gb of RAM, but if the M2 is more efficient then is sounds like 8 will be perfectly fine for it as well. Thanks so much!
This was great. I just an m2 and it does still have wonky Bluetooth problem - but I'm doing audio and I have like 12 usb things plugged in I'm guessing the electrical field is messing with it, cuz when I move it away sometimes it's better 🤷♂️
I currently have a 16GB(RM), 512 GB(SSD) Mac mini and I have no issues whatsoever. No Blue tooth issues, nada. I run Logic Pro on it and it runs smooth as butter. No need for the Mac mini M2 version upgrade. The macstudio is really an overkill for most users.
I'm starting an youtube channel pretty soon, and I've been looking for a decent-budget friendly computer for video editing. I think I'm gonna go for this macmini (I'm a windows and android guy) but I'm opting for the simplicity of Mac. I know I can get the job done with this little device, and $600 us dollars is a good deal.
Glad I found this video. I been thinking of getting a mac mini for music production. I probably will opt for the mac mini pro as i do a fair bit of music recording and video editing.
Thanks for the excellent review, which confirmed that I only need the basic Mini. I've been changing my mind for days now, but you succinctly established an essential fact for me. I'm not a gamer, nor an editor; I keep a lot of music on an external hard drive and edit photos a lot. I also write passages and am currently learning latin online.
I’m like you going back and forwards trying to decide which one to buy. I do like to keep mine for a long time. Like 5-10 years and also stay within my budget. I’m thinking the M1 with 16/512, but what about the Bluetooth issues. So may go the M2 16/512.
If you no longer want to have issues with Bluetooth dropouts, ban any connection of USB 3 devices to your computer. Intel issued an explicit warning over 10 years ago and I was able to verify its validity (Mac and PC). A Faraday cage can suppress interference, but it's not always easy to implement.
Love your reviews mate. I always get lowest possible SSD Mac mini as I use external drives like yourself and cloud backups. I spend the extra $$ on unified memory to run hungry apps like video editing software and the likes 💪👍
I got my base M2 with an Edu discount and an Apple voucher thrown in as a free gift. So now I have the savings and the voucher ready for the M3 one day maybe.
Went with 16/256 M2 MM. Had real awful wifi issues. Along with heaps of others. I managed to move the modem so I use Ethernet now, goes like a bullet, when on wifi, absolutely terrible.
In the past, working with Windows computers, I did experience Bluetooth lag and disconnects. It was due to Bluetooth being a radio frequency and walking all over my cube-mates who also used Bluetooth devices. Noticed it at home over the years with my MacBook Pro. Limiting the number of Bluetooth devices seemed to ‘fix’ it. Say I had 4 Bluetooth devices and lowered it to 3 or 2 it would go away. I did not know about the M1 having Bluetooth issues. Have experienced periodic disconnection of my Bluetooth keyboard. It would disconnect from my Mac Studio (M1) and connect to my M1 iPad Pro. I attributed it to the keyboard instead of the M1 Mac Studio. But maybe it is just plain old ugly Bluetooth rearing its ugly head? So maybe I will just directly wire the keyboard instead and not use it in Bluetooth mode? Glad Apple have fixed that issue in the M2!
My M2 Pro Mac mini has bluetooth issues. I use Apple's bluetooth keyboard and track pad and they work just fine. If I connect a pair of bluetooth headphones I get random trackpad clicks and erratic cursor movement behaviour. I have two pair os bluetooth headphones (Bose and Altek-Lansing). The problem is the same with either. How can it be in 2023 that I can't use bluetooth headphones while working on my computer?
My base level M2 arrives tomorrow. I don’t have any need for video or music editing apps so this will be enough. Purchase based on your videos on the Mini. Keep up the good work.
Mate, Cyberpunk requires A LOT of memory.... 32G is necessary for RDRII... If you pair it with 4070TiSUPER it plays 4K/60 very well. Plus this ARM is kinda futureproofed where as the Ryzen9HS/HX also has 32G RAM. GPU has 16G of it's own to play with.
Hi Mark. Thanks very much for your quick & great review. This is really helpful in deciding what Mac to get. I can't justify buying a Mac for £1,000+ but the Mini looks good. So, I can you use ANY display monitor and keyboard? I have the 2012 Mac book Pro and I'm thinking of trading this in for a Mac Mini. Thanks
Great video. thank you for clearing some issues that were playing on my mind, I now know to get the Mac Mini Pro. I am between being a graphic designer hobbyist to trying to make a living out of it.
I have a 2010 MacBook Pro that I desperately need to upgrade. Was wondering about a Mac mini and this video was very helpful. I just use it for basic needs: backup iPhone, music, word processing, etc. I want to venture into content creation. I think the basic M2 model with the accessories you mention would be plenty for me. Sound about right? Also, hoping to get quite a few years out of the setup
Thank you so much 🙏 for this video. You made my day at 3:03.I was under the table laughing. I bought, out of whatever desperation, the battery guzzling previous terrible mouse model. I had thrown that one out the window once. Unfortunately ground floor and landed very soft in the garden. Since then I use the Logi MX mouse, too. I'm writing these lines on a 2020 Mac mini M1 with 16 GB RAM and 256 SSD. Connected to it is an OWC Thunderbolt Dock and two Eizo 32 inch monitors. Two external hard drives, one external NVme and a grave of death for all other stuff. It's high time to do some cleaning up. Today, I would also go for the 16 GB and probably 1 TB internal SSD. Keep up the good work, please. Servus. An otherwise very quiet long-time subscriber from Bavaria.
Thanks for the great breakdown. I'm planning to buy an M2 at the end of the month. My current laptop has 8gb of ram and 256gb of storage and it's starting to struggle on me when I'm running TTRPG sessions with Roll 20, 2-3 Google sheets tabs, and Discord all going, so I'm thinking I'm going to upgrade to the 16gb of universal memory. I'm also thinking about upgrading the SSD. I know the external drives are good, but I saw that the internal one gets a processing upgrade if you go up one level, and I want this computer to last a long time. $1000 still seems like a pretty decent price to get this machine at, but I would love to hear if I might be wrong about that.
What about the fact that the 256gb version has REALLY slow ssd? Lots of other reviews mention that it does slow the whole thing down. Is this an issue or not?
Currently looking at replacing my laptop - I definitely want apple, but I could kind of do with a big-ish screen (15-inch plus), and all the apple macbooks are quite expensive. Would a Mac mini with a cheap-ish portable monitor (so I can still take it to libraries, etc) be a good solution? And any recommendations which monitor to get? Thanks!
@MarkEllisReviews Superb video for newbies who are planning to buy Mac Mini! All areas and doubts are covered. Got one question : "M2 mac Mini M2 Mac Mini both supports 3440p*1440p resolution?". Of course your video shows an ultrawide monitor .Just need to confirm whether it will support 21:9 aspect ratio where the monitor screen will not have any ugly stretches.
I really needed this video! So happy knowing I can connect any monitor and keyboard to this as well. So used to Apple only allowing their own products to work in unison. Does anyone have suggestions on monitors?
Great job! I have the base M1 mini. It drove my blue tooth mouse nuts and mademy BT sub woof drop out. I got a non BT wireless mouse and that helped. I don't need more computer but if an M2 mini solves the problem I can justify purchasing an M2! Right? Right? Right! :)
Will the Mac mini work with an old Mac computers please? Or, do you have to have a separate screen? I have various older Macs that still work, but won't update etc. I don't want to get rid of them even though I have an iMac M1 and MacBook M2. There are things I can do on my older Macs that I can't do on the newer ones.
Another great review! I bought the M2 Mac mini with 16 GB unified RAM and 512 GB storage. For me the perfect machine. Ports I don't care as I rarely use them.
I've been thinking about waiting for a new 27" iMac to come out to replace my late 2014 model. As a casual user; would I be better off choosing the Mac Mini with a decent monitor?
Last month, I went for a 16 GB RAM Mac Mini over an iMac to replace my 2013 iMac. It’s cheaper. I got decent an ergonomic monitor (on sale) which I can raise. Cheap speakers (with external power) do a great job. I will get a webcam when I need one. Get an external SSD and make sure it’s the default drive for Documents, Music and Photos. There’s a setting in Time Machine to ensure that external SSD are backed up as well. I got a small 1TB external SSD and a 6TB powered back up drive for Time Machine.
Amazing video really informative. I watched your other videos where you were trying to break the Mac mini with logic 😂 But I need help, I just want to record R&B vocals with pre brought instruments using logic so I want to know what specs I’d need for Mac mini or any other suggestions
Love your reviews however a couple of points. You are clearly not a Photoshop user as I had to return my MX Master mouse as I could never get all the functions/buttons to work so I’d recommend an Apple trackpad and or Wacom tablet. Also my Apple keyboard is great and most probably half the price of that Nuphy.
2005 was a long time ago, mate. If you're doing more than 'light' work, and relatively heavy production stuff, I agree - you need a higher config. As always - common sense wins.
Unfortunately that keyboard is more expensive than a genuine apple one as far as I can see. I would appreciate if you could adjust the recommendation (or add another one) to something that's a bit more in budget, maybe around the £50 mark? Thanks!
Hi Mark, great video, but one thing is confusing to me, at 4:44 min you're saying that the 8 Gb ram on the mac mini can be max out to 24 Gb and also on the M2 pro mac mini same idea. Never heard that before or can't find nothing online. Can you please clarify that? Thanks a lot.
Hey mate...big setup. I have been trading for over 40 years, mainly hard commodities along with soft. I am after 1 wide screen monitor to run on the latest Mac Mini. Its a mine field. Any suggestions on just 1 say maybe a 34 " or even jump into a 40" Dell maybe wide screen monitor ? Thanks man.....
Hi mate. cool vid. I'm after a new keyboard. Do you know if they have a UK distributer and what did you do about the USA key layout? Has the mouse been replaced too?
Great video Mark Ellis. I currently have an 2020 Macbook Pro (Intel) with 16GB ram. Would you suggest the M2 16GB or M2 Pro 16GB. I am doing photo editing (raw processing) and 4K video editing in Premiere. Thoughts?
I do a lot of VDC BIM modeling. I have an iMac (2020) right now w/64GB of RAM. I believe its the i5 chip. I am considering the mini but still unsure regarding specs. Seems like I will need the 32GB of unified memory. Any suggestions?
So, buying an MSI Ultra Wide monitor, will give the exact same reproduction of an iMac? I ask as I have a second monitor which is a BENQ, and spite them saying it gives the same reproduction, it does not!
Very informative Mark I am thinking of trading in my 27inch iMac late 2017 for a new M3 iMac, but after watching this video I am curious to know if I can use my existing iMac as a screen with the M2 Mac mini?
do you think its better than the m1 Mac? considering im moving country next September and don't wanna transfer a whole Mac and box etc to New Zealand.. its getting slow sometimes..
Looking at getting the m2 mini soon.....when I pull it out of the box to setup, do I have to connect a wired keyboard and mouse to get onto MacOS or can I use my Bluetooth ones straight away?
Hi Mark, If I had the means to do just ONE upgrade. Which would you recommend? Upgrading the RAM/SSD? Use case: emails, RUclips, Microsoft office, banking. I’m trying to future proof for the next 5 years when I assume kids will have assignments that require some computer work. Pls advice. Many thanks!
RAM over SSD Reason: you can extend an external SSD with Thunderbolt 3 or 4 (3Gbps to 7Gbps). RAM: at least 16GB or you are a donkey. Does anyone know if there are new Mac Mini with M3 chip for march 2024??? Maybe you should wait for this information before buying.....
thanks for the info its great. I currently own an M1 iMac 8gb 256 which was great until I upgraded my camera to a fuji XT5 which produces 40mp raw files. Then this M1 chip cannot handle these at all, it crawls. It can spend 30 seconds opening a file. Im hugely disappointed as Mac inferred that the M1 chip could handle photo editing easily. If I bought an M2 Mac mini 16gb and use the iMac as a monitor in your opinion would this be a good machine for my needs.?
I currently am using a iMac 27" (Late 2015) with 16 GB RAM, 3.2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 and 1 TB Storage. I am constantly dealing with the colorful circle always spinning when going from one web page to the next or even opening emails and any other tasks. Which Mac Mini would be better in eliminating these issues for me the Mac Mini M2 or the M2 Pro or should I wait for the Mac Mini M3?
Damn, I didn't realize that my M1 was bluetooth deficient. I actually got rid of my mechanical keyboard thinking Apple was doing their usual punish you for not using Apple products. So, I got an Apple keyboard and found that I had the same issue. Now I know why. I want to upgrade to get the 10G network port but I want 16GB of RAM. That puts you within spitting distance of the Pro model. I'll probably trade in and do that. I still think it's criminal that Apple screws us on the storage like they do.
What do you do with your Mac mini?
Sad to say...but my old 2011 Mac Mini gets more action than my M1 Mac Mini. As a hobbyist, I'm...for the moment...addicted to testing Linux distributions on the ancient Macmini5,1. My perfectly wonderful M1 sits there too much playing my Apple Music for me in the background. However, when I ask more of that M1, it utterly crushes the 2011 model into dust! Frankly...I need to put on my big boy trousers so I can run and test Asahi Linux which is the only purpose-built Linux distro for Apple Silicon. I'm too nervous about "losing" my M1 Mac experience. So...do I pay for therapy? Or...do I just run out and by an M2 Mac MIni? Decisions, decisions...
I got the M2 pro. Basically because with my use the M1-8Gb version sometimes beachballed a bit. So, the extra money gave me the 16Gb RAM and 512 Gb of storage. I kept my docking station - including both an SSD-slot and a M2-slot, meaning that I've got about 6Gb of extra storage - and am very happy with it. My old M1 (8Gb/512Gb) I handed to my husband, who is new to Mac and is now happily using it, especially together with his Iphone and Ipad.
I use mine mostly as a backup machine to play World of Warcraft on, I use an M2 16gb 256gb and a few usb4 external ssds for extra apps
I want to produce music with Ableton 11 and color grade videos
first use case for me is to have a dedicated machine to take all the photos off my iPhone. Totally seems overkill but my Windows laptop doesn't play nicely with the iPhone.
Just upgraded from an M1 to an M2 Mac Mini because the Bluetooth and network LAN port issues were driving me crazy. I can report the Bluetooth issues et al are fixed. I've noticed no performance differences between the two computers. Just the elimination of the Bluetooth problems was worth the upgrade. I did increase the storage on the new machine to 512 and stuck with 16 GB of RAM. I can't imagine a more ideal everyday computer that doubles as a music production powerhouse.
Do you have normal or pro m2
@@rehanjr.8602 Unless it's a demanding studio enviornment the vast majoriy of users would have no problem with the normal. I think I read that Logic can't really take advantage of the Pro chip (check that). You're paying for the 16GB and 512 SSD I don't think you need anything else. That's the spec that will work for 90% (?) of you hobbiest out there. Anything beyond that spec probably isn't needed. I would build an SSD external drive for icing on the cake.
I think the main problem with the mac mini m2 base model is the number of ports. I just recently bought the m2 pro. and I filled up the ports real quick I even had to use a 4x USB port hub and a USB C dongle.
my connections are:
Elgato HD60x (USB A)
4 port USB hub connections (USB A)
-Audio interface
- Camera dummy battery
- Monitor LED strip
USB C connections
-2nd Monitor
-External SSD
-Keyboard
-USB C dongle (for SD card reader and video capture card)
I recently switched from macbook air m1 2020 base model to mac mini m2 pro base model. honestly basic tasks feels the same. video editing and photo editing are a lot smoother. but also I could still do video editing work 4k footage in my macbook air m1 just fine. So if you have m1 devices and its going to hurt you financially to upgrade. I suggest stick with the m1 devices.
That was a fantastic straightforward review. Sick and tired of the reviewers trying to out-tech other reviewers, leaving those of us who just want uncomplicated advice/suggestions mystified and unsatisfied. Well done!
Much appreciated!
Indeed..
The 16/512 (both!) should be the regret-free minimum for most users for many reasons in many videos.
The regret is price - massively overpriced
Got my daughter an M2 Mac Mini for college. Love it!!
I’ve bought the base M2 with 256gb storage. Not bothered about speed transfer as it’s plenty fast enough for me. Will be getting a dock though which can take either sad or m.2 storage
Thanks, Mark, for another great video. One aspect that seems to be omitted from every comparison discussion here or by others is: how long does the purchaser intend to be able to effectively use the Mac? In my case, while my demands are low (eg personal photo editing) compared to someone such as yourself, I aim to do what I can to future-proof myself as much as possible, with the goal of getting something like 10 years from my purchase. (Call me "The 10 Year Man".) So, taking such a perspective -- relatively ordinary user with 10 year window -- how does that change the ideal specs? I'm thinking M2 Pro with 32 Unified Memory. Thanks again for your great content; it's been helpful.
Why? What do you actually plan on doing with it? That matters more than how long you want to have it for tbh.
My 2014 Mac mini is still kicking... though very slowly now. But you can't beat this kind of power and sustainability for that price.
Done. Base model Mac Mini M2 purchased will use with my existing HP monitors. HP Prodesk will go up for sale. Son had for Christmas my iPad Pro 12.9 (2018 model) he loves it. Went for the Logitec Mouse and Logitec minimalist keyboard too. Sold old AirPod Pros. 2s ordered. Sold old pair of AirPods. Out with the old tech and in with the new. Thank you Mark your reviews are solid everyman with no bull I love them. Plus the fact that my brother Mark Ashworth knows a fella who knows you. Small world and all that.
I got the base M2 mini, 8/256, paid $479 US from Amazon. With the money I saved off the regular price, I bought the Satechi USB hub that has an NVME M2 slot built into the bottom of it. I got that for $79, and put in a Samsung EVO 990 1TB SSD for $69. All in, I spent $630 & have a total of 1.2 terabytes of fast storage, in an attractive little stack.
Running the system monitor shows no “swap pressure” 99% of the time, so 8 GB of memory is plenty for me.
Great video, thanks for posting. I just ordered the M2 mini from Amazon for $499 US plus sales tax. I finally had enough of the countless problems associated with Windows and look forward to a more intuitive and streamlined computing experience.
Thank you. I ended up buying the mac mini M2PRO 16GB Ram. I am planning on doing Video editing.
I did purchase a high end BenQ monitor as well. I also have the Latest I Mac Pro M2MAX 32gb 1TB that I use often and I had thought about just buying another lap top. In the end, I am happy with my choice.
Thanks Javier
how is it going with you
I am confused between getting m2 with 24 gb or getting m2 pro with 16 gb
Thanks mate, I definitely need at least 16gb of RAM though (music production & Cybersecurity). So now I’m just trying to find one that I can get the best deal.
Audio production might be a special use case. My understanding is that fastest single core performance is desireable Especially to reduce tracking latency. I think the Pro is the baseline for this. Great advice BTW.
I bought the refurb pro in 2024 for $1600 CDN. 16GB ram, 1TB ssd. I use it to edit videos obviously. it's my main machine and I also have a 2019 MBP 16" i9 but the mini will be mainly for editing at my desk and the MBP will be for editing on the road.
Bought the M2 Pro some time ago & am totally happy with it .. I plumped for 16GB Ram as I just didn't trust only 8gig. If speccing again I would probably go 32gb but not sure its necessary ... As you say its a great workhorse for Audio & Video production ,..,.Thank you Apple
Mac Mini M2... a fantastic computer in my studio. Mainly for music production and it's a big improvement over my Windows PC. Not just because of the noise level (inaudible), but because of the performance. The only thing I would do differently is buy a keyboard where the brackets also have keys ;) The little mini keyboards from Apple and Logitech don't have that... I need lots of ports for my stuff, external SSDs or a hub... no problem and the performance is excellent! The same goes for my Logitech MX Master. Not a single problem with my external hardware
I’m jumping waaay up from a mid-2010 Mac Pro to this Mac Mini M2. I went with the 8/512 version. Fingers crossed it will work well for my needs. 😊
Last month, I found my Mom a refurbished MM2023 on Amazon (base model w/Apple warranty & still eligible for Apple Care!) for $483.12. Such a deal!
Thanks this was exactly what I needed to hear, in terms of weighing up options. My type of work involves doing things like Ableton and Sibelius at the same time, and I know I need as much processing power as possible, and to also accomodate for soft ware updates etc. Also the type of stuff I do with Ableton involves performing live for which a laptop would normally be the best option, but I’m interested in the Mac mini pro for its portability, like the laptop. And you obviously get more bang comparing price points of Mac minis vs MacBooks 🎉
Hey Mark, great video. I decided to get the M2 mini with 24GB of RAM and a 1TB HD. Just waiting for it to get delivered. 😁
I am thinking of buying this same option can you tell me your experience and what do u use the mac for
@@ali.sherif1- I’ve had a really great experience with my Mac. I would definitely max out your ram, especially if your like me and plan on keeping it for a while. Plus, get at least a 1 TB hard drive. The other benefit of maxing out your ram is because of AI. Now I use my Mac mainly for causal gaming, writing papers, and working with photos. Hope this helps 😊
I've been driving myself crazy trying to figure out what computer to buy for editing videos on my new action camera. I thought I'd be able to just buy a cheap laptop and it would be fine but obviously not. As someone who doesn't know anything about computers, it made my head spin. I think the m2 Mac mini is the way to go. Hopefully I'm making the right decision but your video makes me feel more at ease. Thank you
First, I would think that most people, in this day and age, already have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. So those "additional expenses" really don't apply. Second, if one already has an M1 Mac Mini, then a move to an M2 is sort of an indulgence. My 16GB/256GB Mac Mini is moving along nicely, with dongle added ports, doing whatever I want it to do. (Curiously enough, it refuses to clean the cat litter. Oh, well.) I enjoy your presentations.
They’ll apply to people who want to invest in a brand new setup or their first desktop Mac which, I’d imagine, is a significant chunk of the Mac mini market. It’s important for us all to broaden our horizons in tech. Thanks for the kind words 👍
After your excellent advice i think im going with the base model ( $599 ). My current Mac Pro 5,1 2012 is used for music, home video's etc. running Mojave. Love this machine and will use it till it dies but it is getting dated. I have an M1 air for work etc. I could go on and on. Thanks for your excellent advice.
Hi, pratik here,
If you are reading this can you please share your experience with Mac mini m2.
I am thinking of buying it.
Thank you.
Hi Mark. My 2012 27 inch Imac finally died 😢 so I took the plunge and got a refurbished M2 Mac Mini from Apple. I went for the 16gb memory model with the 256 gb storage. Planning on using my 1tb ssd as the external storage but need to update the OS on it as I was using it on the Imac. Great channel keep up the good work.
I have had my 2014 Mac Mini for almost 10 years now. It's the reason I stopped buying windows computers. Sadly, Apple will no longer be updating the MacOs for the 2014 Mac Mini anymore, and I'm pretty sure the hard drive is finally beginning to fail. I have used this thing with Adobe photoshop and premiere pro, had over twenty programs running at once, along with a cpu hogging internet browser with 70 tabs open. It's a hard working little thing and I have loved it dearly, but it's time to upgrade. Thank you for your reviews on the new Mac Mini M2. I'm trying to decide what newer Mac Mini is right for me, and I was really wanting to upgrade from the 2014's 8Gb of RAM, but if the M2 is more efficient then is sounds like 8 will be perfectly fine for it as well. Thanks so much!
another down to earth presentation, also good to get prices in £s and the proper pronunciation of ZED 🙂
This was great. I just an m2 and it does still have wonky Bluetooth problem - but I'm doing audio and I have like 12 usb things plugged in I'm guessing the electrical field is messing with it, cuz when I move it away sometimes it's better 🤷♂️
I currently have a 16GB(RM), 512 GB(SSD) Mac mini and I have no issues whatsoever. No Blue tooth issues, nada. I run Logic Pro on it and it runs smooth as butter. No need for the Mac mini M2 version upgrade. The macstudio is really an overkill for most users.
2:18 That unboxing reaction 😆
I'm starting an youtube channel pretty soon, and I've been looking for a decent-budget friendly computer for video editing. I think I'm gonna go for this macmini (I'm a windows and android guy) but I'm opting for the simplicity of Mac. I know I can get the job done with this little device, and $600 us dollars is a good deal.
Glad I found this video. I been thinking of getting a mac mini for music production. I probably will opt for the mac mini pro as i do a fair bit of music recording and video editing.
Glad I could help!
I am planning to purchase 16gb ram and 256 gb ssd m2 Mac mini for music production
Is it enough for music production ?
Thanks for the excellent review, which confirmed that I only need the basic Mini. I've been changing my mind for days now, but you succinctly established an essential fact for me. I'm not a gamer, nor an editor; I keep a lot of music on an external hard drive and edit photos a lot. I also write passages and am currently learning latin online.
I’m like you going back and forwards trying to decide which one to buy. I do like to keep mine for a long time. Like 5-10 years and also stay within my budget. I’m thinking the M1 with 16/512, but what about the Bluetooth issues. So may go the M2 16/512.
If you no longer want to have issues with Bluetooth dropouts, ban any connection of USB 3 devices to your computer. Intel issued an explicit warning over 10 years ago and I was able to verify its validity (Mac and PC). A Faraday cage can suppress interference, but it's not always easy to implement.
Love your reviews mate. I always get lowest possible SSD Mac mini as I use external drives like yourself and cloud backups. I spend the extra $$ on unified memory to run hungry apps like video editing software and the likes 💪👍
I got my base M2 with an Edu discount and an Apple voucher thrown in as a free gift. So now I have the savings and the voucher ready for the M3 one day maybe.
Def bought the base model with a new red dragon keyboard to start building my art site. Good info
Went with 16/256 M2 MM. Had real awful wifi issues. Along with heaps of others. I managed to move the modem so I use Ethernet now, goes like a bullet, when on wifi, absolutely terrible.
Is it a widely reported problem? Did you get it fixed?
In the past, working with Windows computers, I did experience Bluetooth lag and disconnects. It was due to Bluetooth being a radio frequency and walking all over my cube-mates who also used Bluetooth devices. Noticed it at home over the years with my MacBook Pro. Limiting the number of Bluetooth devices seemed to ‘fix’ it. Say I had 4 Bluetooth devices and lowered it to 3 or 2 it would go away. I did not know about the M1 having Bluetooth issues. Have experienced periodic disconnection of my Bluetooth keyboard. It would disconnect from my Mac Studio (M1) and connect to my M1 iPad Pro. I attributed it to the keyboard instead of the M1 Mac Studio. But maybe it is just plain old ugly Bluetooth rearing its ugly head? So maybe I will just directly wire the keyboard instead and not use it in Bluetooth mode? Glad Apple have fixed that issue in the M2!
My M2 Pro Mac mini has bluetooth issues. I use Apple's bluetooth keyboard and track pad and they work just fine. If I connect a pair of bluetooth headphones I get random trackpad clicks and erratic cursor movement behaviour. I have two pair os bluetooth headphones (Bose and Altek-Lansing). The problem is the same with either. How can it be in 2023 that I can't use bluetooth headphones while working on my computer?
My base level M2 arrives tomorrow. I don’t have any need for video or music editing apps so this will be enough. Purchase based on your videos on the Mini. Keep up the good work.
Enjoy!
Mate, Cyberpunk requires A LOT of memory.... 32G is necessary for RDRII... If you pair it with 4070TiSUPER it plays 4K/60 very well. Plus this ARM is kinda futureproofed where as the Ryzen9HS/HX also has 32G RAM. GPU has 16G of it's own to play with.
M2 Mac Mini with 16GB RAM upgrade. SSD for Hard Disk/Samples for DAW. I tried a DAW on my 8GB Macbook Air M1 and it didn't quite work out with memory.
Hi Mark. Thanks very much for your quick & great review. This is really helpful in deciding what Mac to get. I can't justify buying a Mac for £1,000+ but the Mini looks good. So, I can you use ANY display monitor and keyboard? I have the 2012 Mac book Pro and I'm thinking of trading this in for a Mac Mini. Thanks
3:50 - im dying xD double the height so it must be double the better -- hell yea!! xD
The MX Master 3 is an _awesome_ mouse.
I missed the deadline for a proposal submission because the Mac Magic Mouse was busy being worthless.
Great video. thank you for clearing some issues that were playing on my mind, I now know to get the Mac Mini Pro. I am between being a graphic designer hobbyist to trying to make a living out of it.
Thank you so much Sir for the information... I am buying the Mac mini 2 and add the SSD
I have a 2010 MacBook Pro that I desperately need to upgrade. Was wondering about a Mac mini and this video was very helpful. I just use it for basic needs: backup iPhone, music, word processing, etc. I want to venture into content creation. I think the basic M2 model with the accessories you mention would be plenty for me. Sound about right? Also, hoping to get quite a few years out of the setup
Thank you so much 🙏 for this video. You made my day at 3:03.I was under the table laughing. I bought, out of whatever desperation, the battery guzzling previous terrible mouse model. I had thrown that one out the window once. Unfortunately ground floor and landed very soft in the garden. Since then I use the Logi MX mouse, too. I'm writing these lines on a 2020 Mac mini M1 with 16 GB RAM and 256 SSD. Connected to it is an OWC Thunderbolt Dock and two Eizo 32 inch monitors. Two external hard drives, one external NVme and a grave of death for all other stuff. It's high time to do some cleaning up. Today, I would also go for the 16 GB and probably 1 TB internal SSD. Keep up the good work, please. Servus. An otherwise very quiet long-time subscriber from Bavaria.
Haha - I will! Thank you for the lovely comment!
Thanks for the great breakdown. I'm planning to buy an M2 at the end of the month. My current laptop has 8gb of ram and 256gb of storage and it's starting to struggle on me when I'm running TTRPG sessions with Roll 20, 2-3 Google sheets tabs, and Discord all going, so I'm thinking I'm going to upgrade to the 16gb of universal memory. I'm also thinking about upgrading the SSD. I know the external drives are good, but I saw that the internal one gets a processing upgrade if you go up one level, and I want this computer to last a long time. $1000 still seems like a pretty decent price to get this machine at, but I would love to hear if I might be wrong about that.
What about the fact that the 256gb version has REALLY slow ssd?
Lots of other reviews mention that it does slow the whole thing down.
Is this an issue or not?
Spitting honest review. I like it. Thanks for sharing this. Subbed!
Welcome onboard!
Currently looking at replacing my laptop - I definitely want apple, but I could kind of do with a big-ish screen (15-inch plus), and all the apple macbooks are quite expensive. Would a Mac mini with a cheap-ish portable monitor (so I can still take it to libraries, etc) be a good solution? And any recommendations which monitor to get? Thanks!
@MarkEllisReviews Superb video for newbies who are planning to buy Mac Mini! All areas and doubts are covered. Got one question : "M2 mac Mini M2 Mac Mini both supports 3440p*1440p resolution?". Of course your video shows an ultrawide monitor .Just need to confirm whether it will support 21:9 aspect ratio where the monitor screen will not have any ugly stretches.
Hi Mark, I like your video and it's really helpful. I'm just wondering does your USB Hub affects the ventilation of your Mac Mini? Thank you. :)
I can tell you both the SSD and the hub I have hanging out the back get hot. The MacMini sometimes gets warm. Additional cooling isn't needed.
I really needed this video! So happy knowing I can connect any monitor and keyboard to this as well. So used to Apple only allowing their own products to work in unison. Does anyone have suggestions on monitors?
Great job! I have the base M1 mini. It drove my blue tooth mouse nuts and mademy BT sub woof drop out. I got a non BT wireless mouse and that helped. I don't need more computer but if an M2 mini solves the problem I can justify purchasing an M2! Right? Right? Right! :)
external of device finishing is very nice subject to preloaded software
Thank you for the info. It definitely helped me understand the basics. I am on the fence to buy the mini or new all in one m3 pc.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks, I think I really only need the basic Mac mini.
Will the Mac mini work with an old Mac computers please? Or, do you have to have a separate screen? I have various older Macs that still work, but won't update etc. I don't want to get rid of them even though I have an iMac M1 and MacBook M2. There are things I can do on my older Macs that I can't do on the newer ones.
Excellent advice, thank you.
Will the M2 Mac mini connect to my 2010 imac, i.e. to use as a monitor?
I like my apple mouse. Love its trackpad-ish functionality. And I actually use whole mouse as one big left click :)
Just base model for me, browsing streaming and home hub stuff.
Another great review! I bought the M2 Mac mini with 16 GB unified RAM and 512 GB storage. For me the perfect machine. Ports I don't care as I rarely use them.
Are you ķidding? For this stuff it will be in idle mode all the time. This machine is really very very fast.
Very Helpfully! Thanks.
I'm thinking to buy the M2 16gb ram - 256gb.. for video editing.
nope get the 512GB at minimum you will regret getting the 256GB.
If I do go for it, I'm getting the one with 16GB of RAM. Just in case and because it is only $719.99 @ Microcenter in the USA now. 🙂
The other must have is the 10GbE ethernet addition.
I am thinking of just waiting for the M3 Mac mini 16GB/512 if its gonna exist
CAN I USE MY OLD INTEL MACBBOK AIR AS DISPLAY FOR MY MAC MINI M2 ?
I've been thinking about waiting for a new 27" iMac to come out to replace my late 2014 model. As a casual user; would I be better off choosing the Mac Mini with a decent monitor?
You could be waiting a long time. Go for the Mac mini!
Last month, I went for a 16 GB RAM Mac Mini over an iMac to replace my 2013 iMac. It’s cheaper. I got decent an ergonomic monitor (on sale) which I can raise. Cheap speakers (with external power) do a great job. I will get a webcam when I need one. Get an external SSD and make sure it’s the default drive for Documents, Music and Photos. There’s a setting in Time Machine to ensure that external SSD are backed up as well. I got a small 1TB external SSD and a 6TB powered back up drive for Time Machine.
Amazing video really informative. I watched your other videos where you were trying to break the Mac mini with logic 😂 But I need help, I just want to record R&B vocals with pre brought instruments using logic so I want to know what specs I’d need for Mac mini or any other suggestions
Could I potentially use the Mac mini as a portable device and just connect it to any monitor at the locations I’m at
I am an aspiring software developer should I get a Mac mini or would a Apple laptop be a better fit for my needs.
Love your reviews however a couple of points. You are clearly not a Photoshop user as I had to return my MX Master mouse as I could never get all the functions/buttons to work so I’d recommend an Apple trackpad and or Wacom tablet. Also my Apple keyboard is great and most probably half the price of that Nuphy.
8 Gigs of Memory is So 2005 at best. Unified or not, 8 Gigs and not going to hold up unless you are just navigating the internet or light work.
2005 was a long time ago, mate. If you're doing more than 'light' work, and relatively heavy production stuff, I agree - you need a higher config. As always - common sense wins.
Unfortunately that keyboard is more expensive than a genuine apple one as far as I can see. I would appreciate if you could adjust the recommendation (or add another one) to something that's a bit more in budget, maybe around the £50 mark? Thanks!
New subscriber.Glad to find you. Thank you.
Welcome onboard!
Hi Mark, great video, but one thing is confusing to me, at 4:44 min you're saying that the 8 Gb ram on the mac mini can be max out to 24 Gb and also on the M2 pro mac mini same idea. Never heard that before or can't find nothing online. Can you please clarify that? Thanks a lot.
Hey mate...big setup. I have been trading for over 40 years, mainly hard commodities along with soft.
I am after 1 wide screen monitor to run on the latest Mac Mini.
Its a mine field.
Any suggestions on just 1 say maybe a 34 " or even jump into a 40" Dell maybe wide screen monitor ?
Thanks man.....
What's the mouse you recommend like if you are left handed?
Hi mate. cool vid. I'm after a new keyboard. Do you know if they have a UK distributer and what did you do about the USA key layout? Has the mouse been replaced too?
Great video Mark Ellis. I currently have an 2020 Macbook Pro (Intel) with 16GB ram. Would you suggest the M2 16GB or M2 Pro 16GB. I am doing photo editing (raw processing) and 4K video editing in Premiere. Thoughts?
Looking for a computer for our bike shop, and this seems like a good solution. 🙏 anything will be an update from our iPhones.😅
I do a lot of VDC BIM modeling. I have an iMac (2020) right now w/64GB of RAM. I believe its the i5 chip. I am considering the mini but still unsure regarding specs. Seems like I will need the 32GB of unified memory. Any suggestions?
My macbook air M1 mostly used on desk with external monitor, should I buy Mac Mini M2 to replace?
So, buying an MSI Ultra Wide monitor, will give the exact same reproduction of an iMac? I ask as I have a second monitor which is a BENQ, and spite them saying it gives the same reproduction, it does not!
Very informative Mark I am thinking of trading in my 27inch iMac late 2017 for a new M3 iMac, but after watching this video I am curious to know if I can use my existing iMac as a screen with the M2 Mac mini?
do you think its better than the m1 Mac? considering im moving country next September and don't wanna transfer a whole Mac and box etc to New Zealand.. its getting slow sometimes..
Looking at getting the m2 mini soon.....when I pull it out of the box to setup, do I have to connect a wired keyboard and mouse to get onto MacOS or can I use my Bluetooth ones straight away?
Can you stream (I mean upload) 4k live video using the base model M2? Come to think of it, can you do it on an M1?
Hi Mark,
If I had the means to do just ONE upgrade. Which would you recommend?
Upgrading the RAM/SSD?
Use case: emails, RUclips, Microsoft office, banking.
I’m trying to future proof for the next 5 years when I assume kids will have assignments that require some computer work. Pls advice. Many thanks!
RAM over SSD
Reason: you can extend an external SSD with Thunderbolt 3 or 4 (3Gbps to 7Gbps).
RAM: at least 16GB or you are a donkey.
Does anyone know if there are new Mac Mini with M3 chip for march 2024???
Maybe you should wait for this information before buying.....
thanks for the info its great. I currently own an M1 iMac 8gb 256 which was great until I upgraded my camera to a fuji XT5 which produces 40mp raw files. Then this M1 chip cannot handle these at all, it crawls. It can spend 30 seconds opening a file. Im hugely disappointed as Mac inferred that the M1 chip could handle photo editing easily. If I bought an M2 Mac mini 16gb and use the iMac as a monitor in your opinion would this be a good machine for my needs.?
I currently am using a iMac 27" (Late 2015) with 16 GB RAM, 3.2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 and 1 TB Storage. I am constantly dealing with the colorful circle always spinning when going from one web page to the next or even opening emails and any other tasks. Which Mac Mini would be better in eliminating these issues for me the Mac Mini M2 or the M2 Pro or should I wait for the Mac Mini M3?
Hi how are you recording your audio? Just from that shotgun on the camera? Thanks
Damn, I didn't realize that my M1 was bluetooth deficient. I actually got rid of my mechanical keyboard thinking Apple was doing their usual punish you for not using Apple products. So, I got an Apple keyboard and found that I had the same issue. Now I know why. I want to upgrade to get the 10G network port but I want 16GB of RAM. That puts you within spitting distance of the Pro model. I'll probably trade in and do that. I still think it's criminal that Apple screws us on the storage like they do.