Mac Mini advice?

[patseguin Global Moderator]

I'm a power user on Windows and build my own rigs. I use Mac only for video editing and music. Here is what I posted on Macrumors:

 

I currently have an early 2011 MBP with an i7 which I upgraded to 16GB RAM and a 1TB SSD. I use it primarily for Logic pro X and some video editing in Final Cut Pro. I am looking to upgrade since it won't get any new OS updates plus I just bought a new 3rd party battery but it doesn't seem like it will last long.

I have my $1200 stimulus and can probably go an extra $200. Is the i5 powerful enough for what I am doing and is the RAM user upgradeable? I did my MBP RAM upgrade, so I am tech savvy enough to do it if needed. I configured one for $1,499 which would be the i5, 16GB RAM, and 1TB SSD. I'm wondering if I should just get the 8GB version and 512GB SSD and just upgrade the RAM myself later if needed and then use external storage for all my data.

Any advice? My main question is if the i7 is worth the extra $200.

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

IIRC, Mac Mini's are dead. MacMinis aren't meant for heavy load like video editing.

 

What GPU does that MBP have?

[patseguin Global Moderator]

5 minutes ago, Mindovermaster said:

IIRC, Mac Mini's are dead. MacMinis aren't meant for heavy load like video editing.

 

What GPU does that MBP have?

The new Mac Mini's are pro focused and are certainly geared towards what I'm doing. I was just wondering if 8GB RAM is really good enough and if the $200 upgrade to i7 is really warranted. I think I'll probably want 16GB.

[tsupersonic]

If you're dead set on Mac OS, I'd go with the Mac Mini w/ i7. You can upgrade the RAM, though you need to take it apart. It's fairly easy to do by just watching a YouTube video.

https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/mac-mini/#cpu_and_gpu

 

Price for value - just keep in mind it's an 8th gen Intel CPU. Not that it's a bad thing, just keep in mind it's not the latest/greatest

[patseguin Global Moderator]

2 minutes ago, tsupersonic said:

If you're dead set on Mac OS, I'd go with the Mac Mini w/ i7. You can upgrade the RAM, though you need to take it apart. It's fairly easy to do by just watching a YouTube video.

https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/mac-mini/#cpu_and_gpu

 

Price for value - just keep in mind it's an 8th gen Intel CPU. Not that it's a bad thing, just keep in mind it's not the latest/greatest

Thanks for the advice. I had to take apart my MBP too and it wasn't so bad to upgrade the RAM. I think I will go with the i7 and 8GB RAM.

 

I am dead set on Mac OS because I love it for video editing and especially Logic Pro X. I have a nice weighted keyboard hooked up to it for my music and I'm not aware of any Windows software that has all the instruments like Logic Pro does.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

How powerful is your main Windows PC? If you need mac specific software you could always try loading MacOS in a VM if you don't want to dabble in Hackintosh

 

Could save you some money if it works well so I'd personally say it's worth a try before purchasing new hardware 🙂

 

I've done it a few times and it runs as good as any other VM anymore once you patch VMWare to unlock the MacOS code

 

https://techsviewer.com/how-to-install-macos-10-15-catalina-on-vmware-on-windows-pc/

[patseguin Global Moderator]

21 minutes ago, Brandon H said:

How powerful is your main Windows PC? If you need mac specific software you could always try loading MacOS in a VM if you don't want to dabble in Hackintosh

 

Could save you some money if it works well so I'd personally say it's worth a try before purchasing new hardware 🙂

 

I've done it a few times and it runs as good as any other VM anymore once you patch VMWare to unlock the MacOS code

 

https://techsviewer.com/how-to-install-macos-10-15-catalina-on-vmware-on-windows-pc/

It's pretty powerful. I built it only a couple years ago. Coffee Lake i7, 16GB, 2 m2 drives, various other SSD's and a RAID, 1080 video card. I didn't know you could run MacOS in a VM and I've never looked too far into Hackintosh. Maybe I'll have to look into how to do it in a VM?

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

36 minutes ago, patseguin said:

It's pretty powerful. I built it only a couple years ago. Coffee Lake i7, 16GB, 2 m2 drives, various other SSD's and a RAID, 1080 video card. I didn't know you could run MacOS in a VM and I've never looked too far into Hackintosh. Maybe I'll have to look into how to do it in a VM?

I did it years ago with VMWare on Leopard. It's damn simple after you watch a few YT videos.

[shockz]

1 hour ago, Mindovermaster said:

IIRC, Mac Mini's are dead. MacMinis aren't meant for heavy load like video editing.

 

What GPU does that MBP have?

Mac Minis just got updated a few months ago with cheaper storage options. And usually have a 2-3 year refresh cycle. Not dead. And their main use typically fall under power users in corporations. I've seen some pretty insane mac mini farms/arrays in datacenters.

 

I've got an i7, 16GB of RAM, end of 2018 version. Runs great under my standard administrator and developer load. Don't do much with graphics, but for the light work I do, I've not had issues with the UHD 630 in it.

 

--

 

Stay away from hackintosh unless you're looking for a constant worry of wondering if the next incremental update will blow up your system. They also never work quite right with one thing or another. It's a constant baby sit. Speaking from experience. 

Edited May 8, 2020 by shockz

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

1 minute ago, shockz said:

Mac Minis just got updated a few months ago. Not dead.

Maygbe just their old brands, OK...