2017 mac mini specs mac#
The M1 Mac mini is the first computer I’ve owned which doesn’t feel like it could ever bottom out and demand a restart (or undertake one itself without warning). I think I’ve seen the dreaded beachball once and there’s no waiting for most apps to load (if you’ve got an M1 Mac, marvel at how quickly the settings window appears after clicking the gear icon – seriously, try it). This makes it an equally easy computer to fall in love with. The M1 Mac mini is just such an easy computer to use. The day-to-day performance speaks for itself I genuinely didn’t expect that to happen. I just don’t need it anymore for the most intensive work I undertake. This alone is reason enough to ditch the MacBook Pro. By comparison, the M1 Mac mini is silent and as cool as a cucumber.
2017 mac mini specs pro#
In fact, the only difference between the two machines while editing 4K video in Final Cut Pro is the MacBook’s astronomically loud fan noise and heat generation (I’ll get to that later). My 16” MacBook Pro is the i9 8-core version with 32GB of RAM and the best graphics card that was on offer back in 2019. My Mac mini is the 16GB version with a 512GB SSD. I’ve mentioned this a few times, but it bears repeating: using the M1 Mac mini to edit videos feels identical to the 16” MacBook Pro. I can’t tell the difference during video editing Here’s why I and so many others are waving goodbye to that beast of a laptop. How is this possible? My M1 Mac mini was around £2,400 cheaper than my 16” MacBook Pro, but the latter is exiting my studio stage left. In fact, if you watch any of the big tech YouTubers (I’m not counting myself amongst them, in case you’re wondering), you’ll invariably spot an M1 device of some description acting as their daily driver, in place of their previous 16” MacBook Pro. I’ve noticed a number of people doing the exact same thing. And I’ve only given that poor 16” MacBook Pro fleeting glances ever since. It was, after all, the most expensive Mac I’ve ever bought, and it was purchased at a time when my business was growing and becoming more demanding on the type of creative work required. Finally, the 27in iMac ships with fast 8GB 2666MHz DDR4 (up to 128GB RAM).I’m going to miss it – big time. In that case the 8GB is a slower 2133MHz and that Mac can only support up to 16GB RAM. The 8GB RAM in the Intel Mac mini isn’t the same as the 8GB RAM in the 21.5in iMac that is still on sale features. In contrast the Intel-powered Mac mini ships with 8GB 2666MHz DDR4, but can be upgraded to 64GB at point of purchase. The limitation of the M1 Mac is that it can only be updated to take 16GB RAM. Apple indicates that there should be performance benefits due to this, because the memory can be allocated according to where it is needed most. It’s what Apple is referring to as unified memory architecture, or UMA, and is accessible to both the CPU and the GPU. The RAM in the M1 Macs is part of the M1 chip. RAMĪpple’s M1 Mac mini and 24in iMac and the 27in iMac models all ship with 8GB RAM as standard. And it’s not like it really needed to be smaller.Īpple’s likely to take a little longer to develop its own processors for the pro-oriented iMacs, but we do expect a launch later this year. If the existing design matters to you then this could be an important factor. Turns out that the Mac mini is very popular with server farms and the like where they have existing setups – and keeping the design the same will make it easy to pop new units in.
Many wondered why Apple didn’t completely redesign the Mac mini when it was updated in 2018 and again in 2020 – by all accounts there is plenty of wasted space on the inside, so the unit could be slimmed down considerably making it even smaller.
As with the iMac, you’ll find all of the ports situated at the rear. In terms of construction nothing has changed though, with the classic 19.7cm x 19.7cm x 3.6cm aluminium chassis making it a perfect fit for smaller desks or even rack mounting. Keeping with the ‘if it ain’t broke’ motif, the Mac mini also hasn’t changed a lot in the past ten years, although when it was updated in 2018 Apple switched from silver to a Space Grey finish, and then returned to silver in 2020.