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Hacksic

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 2, 2018
6
5
Hey guys, I am very happy to hear that there will be a new Mini! I have 2 questions that I would like to ask.

Currently I have a base model 2014 MacBook Air connected to a big monitor. It does everything that I need, but I sometimes feel like it is getting a bit old and slow. I basically only use the computer for browsing the web and using office apps, but sometimes I like to play browser games and they can bog down a little.

I like the looks of the base model new Mini, but my only concern is going from an i5 to an i3. Will that be bad?

Here is my current MBA: Screen Shot 2018-11-02 at 5.09.35 AM.png

My second question: On Apple's website it says that I can trade in my MBA for $265. Is that a good deal? Or could I get more elsewhere? Trading in is nice and easy, but I wonder at what cost?
 
Thank you!

Out of curiosity, are quad cores used by simple programs such as the Chrome web browser? Or are they only used by processor intensive programs that are made to use multiple cores?

I don't know how things have changed since the last time I paid attention to this stuff :)
 
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The Coffee Lake i3 in the new mini is probably just a rebadged Kaby Lake R i5 from previous gen and comes close to an i7-3770 in Passmark benchmark. For your use case probably more than sufficient.
 
Thank you!

Out of curiosity, are quad cores used by simple programs such as the Chrome web browser? Or are they only used by processor intensive programs that are made to use multiple cores?

I don't know how things have changed since the last time I paid attention to this stuff :)

Applications optimised for multicore (namely FCPX/LPX) will see more benefit, however there still will be an improvement with a quad core processor.

Even if an application is designed for single core, the OS will still distribute the processing between all four cores. If I recall correctly, Chrome utilises the CPU based on per-tab rather than the application as a whole, though it's not going to use a quad core efficiently.

Regardless, the faster Flash speeds, better iGPU, and higher per-core performance of the Mac Mini over your MacBook Air will mean Chrome feels faster anyway.
 
My opinion only:
Spend the extra $$$$ for the i5.
A little more out-of-pocket right now, but it will pay off later on.
 
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My opinion only:
Spend the extra $$$$ for the i5.
A little more out-of-pocket right now, but it will pay off later on.
I’d wait at least for the reviews. The 2018 mini is specified at 150W max. by Apple, where the older minis maxed out at 87W. Chances are that the i3 (effectively an i5 from one gen earlier) with only 4 cores generates less heat then the newer 6-core i5 (if I understand correctly, the production process has only improved marginally between both gens).

Yes, Apple claims a twofold improvement in the cooling system and the exhaust slot at the back looks bigger, but as of now it is unclear how silent the new mini really is. The use case of the OP does not sound as if he would really be able to make significant use of 2 additional cores. So why pay significantly more for something you’re probably not going to use anyway?
 
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