Fair enough, but there's barely a thread on this forum that doesn't branch out into other related issues.
FWIW, I found some of the different perspectives here interesting... be that purely for my own ongoing considerations. As you say, "YMMV".
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Base mini owners do you regret not going for the i7?
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Fair enough, but there's barely a thread on this forum that doesn't branch out into other related issues.
FWIW, I found some of the different perspectives here interesting... be that purely for my own ongoing considerations. As you say, "YMMV".
I had the same dilemma a month ago, when I was thinking of buying a Mac Mini. Ended up buying myself a 2012 base model.
IMO, i5 will be enough for most users, especially if you use it for either normal computing tasks or a HTPC.
That being said though, I was wondering if I should bought an i7 mini to avoid any regret, and it turned out that I did not.
IMO, the GPU is the bottleneck of this little sweet machine. In my situation, having an i7 is pretty much useless as playing games in HD4000 is not that "good enough". Sure it still plays some new games with very low settings, but in the end it will not please you that much. Most of the time that i7 will not *literally* do what it is capable of.
So, I think it is wiser to buy a base model Mini, upgrade the RAM yourself, and safe the extra bucks for a newer model of the Mini if you are still interested in upgrading your current Mini.
Anyway, in the end it is all about your choice, just buy whatever model you think suits you. Hope this helps
IMO, i5 will be enough for most users, especially if you use it for either normal computing tasks or a HTPC.
That being said though, I was wondering if I should bought an i7 mini to avoid any regret, and it turned out that I did not.
IMO, the GPU is the bottleneck of this little sweet machine. In my situation, having an i7 is pretty much useless as playing games in HD4000 is not that "good enough". Sure it still plays some new games with very low settings, but in the end it will not please you that much. Most of the time that i7 will not *literally* do what it is capable of.
So, I think it is wiser to buy a base model Mini, upgrade the RAM yourself, and safe the extra bucks for a newer model of the Mini if you are still interested in upgrading your current Mini.
Anyway, in the end it is all about your choice, just buy whatever model you think suits you. Hope this helps
I'm getting a Mac mini this month, and I've been scouring forums to figure out what I need too
The average user will indeed be happy with a base i5. If read/write speed and disk space becomes important, get a kit for a second drive. A photographer will most likely be satisfied with a great, huge external USB3[1] drive if internal space becomes an issue. Few average Mac users use more space than them, I think
In my case I've figured out I need an i7. I do a lot of CPU/RAM-intensive things: Programming, audio work, benchmarksturbation and more. Razor is one hell of a CPU-hungry instrument! Disk speed hasn't been an issue for pure wave-based audio (handling over 100 tracks at the same time just fine with my old C2D laptop and a 7200RPM drive), but the soft synths and effects need extra cores.
My current setup is a unibody MacBook with a 750GB drive + external 2TB where backups, installers and the iTunes library lives. Internal space goes to development tools, Logic, Ableton Live, Komplete and a ton of additional instruments and individual samples. If I wasn't doing anything audio-related at all I'm sure I'd be happy with an i5, even for Xcode.
[1]Side-note about USB3 externals: I haven't found any that claim to be using anything more than SATA connectors. No SATA2 or 3! A possible reason to upgrade internal drives if you move *a lot* of data every day.
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And an i7 isn't really doing much extra even if you DO have a proper GPU
In my quest to build a perfect gaming PC I've decided an i5-3470 (not even K) is plenty of power for gaming. There also isn't a huge gap between mobile and desktop processors in the i7 range anymore. i5s have a larger gap, but still not too shabby. If only the mini wasn't quite as mini, and could fit a discrete GPU, it would be a pretty nice gaming box.
The average user will indeed be happy with a base i5. If read/write speed and disk space becomes important, get a kit for a second drive. A photographer will most likely be satisfied with a great, huge external USB3[1] drive if internal space becomes an issue. Few average Mac users use more space than them, I think
In my case I've figured out I need an i7. I do a lot of CPU/RAM-intensive things: Programming, audio work, benchmarksturbation and more. Razor is one hell of a CPU-hungry instrument! Disk speed hasn't been an issue for pure wave-based audio (handling over 100 tracks at the same time just fine with my old C2D laptop and a 7200RPM drive), but the soft synths and effects need extra cores.
My current setup is a unibody MacBook with a 750GB drive + external 2TB where backups, installers and the iTunes library lives. Internal space goes to development tools, Logic, Ableton Live, Komplete and a ton of additional instruments and individual samples. If I wasn't doing anything audio-related at all I'm sure I'd be happy with an i5, even for Xcode.
[1]Side-note about USB3 externals: I haven't found any that claim to be using anything more than SATA connectors. No SATA2 or 3! A possible reason to upgrade internal drives if you move *a lot* of data every day.
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And an i7 isn't really doing much extra even if you DO have a proper GPU
In my quest to build a perfect gaming PC I've decided an i5-3470 (not even K) is plenty of power for gaming. There also isn't a huge gap between mobile and desktop processors in the i7 range anymore. i5s have a larger gap, but still not too shabby. If only the mini wasn't quite as mini, and could fit a discrete GPU, it would be a pretty nice gaming box.
Kindly note that the high-end 2011 Mini had a discrete GPU: the HD 6630M. I own this Mini. For a mobile card, it's no slouch & only hampered by Apple's stingy 256 VRAM.
Looking at gaming footage with the HD 6630M & a much more useful 1GB VRAM, as many PC laptops are equipped with, still sees it deliver a decent enough performance with graphics. Obviously it can't compete with dedicated gaming PCs or iMacs, but it may offer an acceptable compromise for some gamers.
It's ranked at #171 out of 506 mobile cards in recent benchmarks list:
www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html
My point is, even with the current Mini's small design, Apple could still use more powerful discrete GPUs than the former Mini's HD 6630M.
FWIW, I'll probably be doing the same as you. I use my Mini on a daily basis, mostly for serious work. It's a great computer! I've considered using it for some PC gaming in Bootcamp for those games not available on Mac. But in view of the lack of VRAM & Apple's future roadmap here since the switch back to Intel's integrated cards, I've increasingly focused on getting a PC for games & will probably decide this week.
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Yeah, sometimes a dedicated gaming device is the only option. I wouldn't bother if I didn't already have an existing computer to build from. All I need is a motherboard, CPU and RAM in the first place. Piecemeal upgrades have always been the way to go for gaming.
Getting an i7 mini is going to cut into that budget, but it's more important than games at the moment
(Legend of Grimrock already runs fine on my 9400m, though
Getting an i7 mini is going to cut into that budget, but it's more important than games at the moment
(Legend of Grimrock already runs fine on my 9400m, though
My 2010 mac mini server had its logic board fail and within 6 weeks the replacement logic board failed as well.
Reading how many people have broken their new Mac mini trying to upgrade the HDD into a SSD by themselves (mainly connector sockets ripped off) does not give me the feeling that the Mac mini is much better than your iMac. Any work inside needs to be done with great care. Agree on the All-in-One POS's.
Main reason for me for having a Mac mini is the low power consumption, low noise level and easy transportability. I have used laptops for about 16 years but my eyes no longer appreciate a smaller screen. Love my 27".
When travelling I use a dedicated monitor or if not present the TV at the destination, Mac mini in hand luggage, KB and mouse and cables in checked luggage. No more squashed laptops either. (caused by inconsiderate fellow travellers)