Choosing a Mac Mini

[WillO95]

If you had to choose, cost is the same!

Previous Generation 2,3ghz i7 Quad Core Mac Mini Server, with a 256gb SSD plus a 1TB Hard Drive. 16gb RAM

Or

Latest Gen 2,8ghz i5 Dual-Core Mac Mini with a 1TB Fusion. Which I would swap out the HDD with a 960GB SSD thus creating a Fusion PCIe/SSD set-up. 8GB Ram.

Cost wise are the same, so just a throw up between the two.....

I use the machine for Media storage, YouTube and general spreadsheets. Machine isn't being taxed. I can't upgrade the RAM in the later gen Mini, but 8gb should be fine really?

 

[keysofanxiety]

2.3GHz i7 is the 2012 model I think. Same CPU as in the 2012 15" MBPs.

I'd definitely go for that. The CPU's a beast.

EDIT: sorry, the poll shows the 2.5 i7? Do you have a link to the machine so I can confirm which model it is?

 

[wlossw]

get the 2012 quad core.

 

[jpietrzak8]

I use the machine for Media storage, YouTube and general spreadsheets. Machine isn't being taxed. I can't upgrade the RAM in the later gen Mini, but 8gb should be fine really?

Yes, 8 GB will be perfectly fine for your current use. If OS X resource requirements do not increase, you never decide to use the machine for a different purpose, and/or you don't care about resale value, it will be fine for the future as well.

Also, be warned that swapping out drives in the latest iteration of the Mini is a non-trivial task!

 

[MysticCow]

If the 2011 mini has the Radeon card, go for that one. It'd be similar to the one I have (mine is the 2.5 i5) and it runs so well.

 

[3349793]

If the 2011 mini has the Radeon card, go for that one. It'd be similar to the one I have (mine is the 2.5 i5) and it runs so well.

Do you game at all? I always wondered how games ran on the AMD card in the 2011 Mini.

 

[AFEPPL]

you could get a very cheap NUC to do that much better than a mini.

 

[MysticCow]

Do you game at all? I always wondered how games ran on the AMD card in the 2011 Mini.

Well, the core issue is always how the overhead of OpenGL is horrible on the Mac. I actually play Star Trek Online via Crossover and it runs pretty well. The fans WILL flare up and stay on high, but it runs.

The interesting part is how an app that relies on the double whammy of OpenGL and Oracle's Java (not the Apple MRJ) runs great on Windows 10, including screen capping, but I can't screen record on the OS 10 side of things to save my life. Everything else with that app can run perfectly, but not a screen video capture.

 

[3349793]

Well, the core issue is always how the overhead of OpenGL is horrible on the Mac. I actually play Star Trek Online via Crossover and it runs pretty well. The fans WILL flare up and stay on high, but it runs.

The interesting part is how an app that relies on the double whammy of OpenGL and Oracle's Java (not the Apple MRJ) runs great on Windows 10, including screen capping, but I can't screen record on the OS 10 side of things to save my life.

That sounds good! I have never, ever found anyone, that had the Mini with AMD and played the same games as me... I play quite a bit of Sims (lol) and a tiny bit of old GTA (San Andreas). Always wanted to know how they run.

 

[MysticCow]

I've played San Andreas on this mini. All I really needed was a controller, because keyboard controls suck.

Lego Marvel runs, despite not being supported. (actually, all Lego games have ran on this mini without fail)

There's also an app called Real Boxing that I've tried, but I can't get it to read a controller and keyboard controls suck.

 

[WillO95]

Took me a while to reply sorry! I recently started working at a Apple reseller so means I can get big discounts for iPads etc.

The original plan was to sell my current late 2013 MacBook Pro Retina 15 (1TB, 16gb and top processor and dedicated graphics) and for the money get a mini and iPad. But with the discount, I think I'm better of holding onto my MBPr right? It runs rings around a mini, and it's sitting in a dock connected to a 1440p Dell monitor which looks great, plus when I go on holiday I can take it with me.

I will hold out for WWDC and see if they update the mini with anything note-worthy, but I think for now I'm better off!
[doublepost=1463906978][/doublepost]Typo, should be 2,3!

2.3GHz i7 is the 2012 model I think. Same CPU as in the 2012 15" MBPs.

I'd definitely go for that. The CPU's a beast.

EDIT: sorry, the poll shows the 2.5 i7? Do you have a link to the machine so I can confirm which model it is?[/QUOT