Is the Mac mini worth it?

[jnpy!$4g3cwk]

This is fine advice. 8Gb of RAM is more essential than SSD speed for your usage case. 16 Gb of RAM would be (expensive) overkill. To me either type of SSD seems more optional, or as Nacho Libre said "Just for Fun."

I don't agree. I'm running Yosemite on a 4 GByte system, and, it clearly doesn't have enough memory to do "everything". On Mavericks and prior, 4GB was enough, but, not anymore. I have to recommend 8 GB from here on.

I disagree about the SSD part for different reasons. First, on a do-everything box, SSD means being able to edit a presentation, read email, and run a backup at the same time. I'm never going back to hard drives for the system disk again. For the content-server-only case, I would still go with a 256GB system disk and put large content on an external drive.

Now, if they could make it a fan-free Core M, it would be even better, because then there would be no moving parts at all. (Yes, I realize that the graphics are probably too slow in any existing fanless Core M CPU. But, I do like fanless systems.)

 

[Altis]

Mac Mini a laptop...? Yea ok buddy....

He's right, though. The Mini has ultrabook internals (U-series CPU and onboard graphics). In fact, many laptops are more powerful with M-series CPUs and dedicated graphics (such as MBP).

 

[Toltepeceno]

He's right, the mini is a laptop in a box sold as a desktop. The internals are all laptop parts.

I have a late 2012 mini and it ran like crap, never had anything run so bad, until I put a samsung 850 evo ssd in it. It's really quick now, still some problems with yosemite but not on the verge of tossing it as before.

Mac Mini a laptop...? Yea ok buddy

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He's right, though. The Mini has ultrabook internals (U-series CPU and onboard graphics). In fact, many laptops are more powerful with M-series CPUs and dedicated graphics (such as MBP).

Beat me to it, exactly right.

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I disagree about the SSD part for different reasons. First, on a do-everything box, SSD means being able to edit a presentation, read email, and run a backup at the same time. I'm never going back to hard drives for the system disk again. For the content-server-only case, I would still go with a 256GB system disk and put large content on an external drive.

i agree with your disagreement. I put in a Sammy 850 EVO 256gb ssd and moved the 500gb hd up a notch for itunes. World of difference, apps open on 1-2 bounces of the icons where there were many before. Spinning beach ball hardly nothing at all, very frustrating before. I went from hating this to liking it. I would put the ssd as first step, then memory.

 

[cynics]

This is a circumstance that I would prioritize RAM since its not user upgradable. However storage speed is a very close 2nd. So if you go with an HDD you'll likely eventually want to go with an external SSD.

8gb of RAM will be enough for most however look at the software you plan on running requirements. I run software that recommends 8gb and when it comes to RAM and software dev recommendation I found their recommended (not minimum) amount to actually be their minimum or at least should be. Sure it will RUN with less just not well.

IMO Apples second tier Mini option with Fusion (899) should be the minimum Mini they sell. I'd only recommend their base model if you had a very specific task non demanding task for it. Or at least put a 7200 RPM HDD in there for crying out loud! People that want to test the waters of a Mac and OS X may buy that and leave with a lackluster experience.

 

[6r4ff3r]

For consuming and save multimedia stuff, and sharing with iDevices, the base Mini is a nice deal.

Hard-drive is slow, but reliable to use for years and years. You can use an SSD external as a boot system, with Thunderbolt or USB 3. Performance is not the same as linked with SATA but its not slow.

Stop wasting time thinking for nothing and simplify your lifes, people!

 

[DevNull0]

If you can get a 2012 i7 quad core at a decent price it's definitely worth it. Otherwise, just make do with what you have and wait to see if Apple fixes their current disaster or just kills the line. It's probably 2 years away from the next refresh in any event.

If you aren't married to OSX, the intel NUC's are far better than the current crop of minis. The 2014 mini's are a bad joke, they will have a very short useful life and are a complete ripoff in terms of value.

 

[MiniMe77]

My MacMini 2014 is no joke, it's blazing fast and I love it. I don't see why it will have a short useful life, I'll get at least five to seven years out of it, if not more.

 

[BornAgainMac]

I liked my mini as a main Mac until I got use to SSDs on my Macbook Air. I can boot up from an external Thunderbolt SSD Drive on the Mini so it is a workaround without opening it up. I wish the internals was really easy to replace. Perhaps like the Powermac G3 with the case that opens up would be a nice Mini feature.

 

[MiniMe77]

I forgot to add that mine is pure SSD so that's why it's fast.

 

[wiredup72]

Mac Mini a laptop...? Yea ok buddy

It most certainly is. Do you have a valid argument of how it is not, other than it's lack of an attached screen, mouse and keyboard.
It absolutely is the guts of a laptop mounted in a square case.

 

[Celerondon]

Can't We Agree To Agree?

I don't agree. I'm running Yosemite on a 4 GByte system, and, it clearly doesn't have enough memory to do "everything". On Mavericks and prior, 4GB was enough, but, not anymore. I have to recommend 8 GB from here on.

You disagree with which statement by which poster?

When I said "8Gb of RAM is more essential than SSD speed for your usage case." I qualified the statement for the OP's specific "usage case". It seems to me that we agree! We both said that 8Gb is enough. Even so, I don't see where you got the "enough memory to do everything" requirement from, but it bears no similarity to the OP's search for a "place to store my entertainment and for streaming".

I disagree about the SSD part for different reasons. First, on a do-everything box, SSD means being able to edit a presentation, read email, and run a backup at the same time. I'm never going back to hard drives for the system disk again. For the content-server-only case, I would still go with a 256GB system disk and put large content on an external drive...

On the SSD point you once again introduced the concept of a "do-everything box" even thought the OP was very specific about the desired capabilities. Despite the distraction, I agree again! Your suggestion to use an external drive for large content is a good one. If you read this thread carefully, you will see that I did not steer the OP away from an SSD either.

 

[jnpy!$4g3cwk]

If you read this thread carefully, you will see that I did not steer the OP away from an SSD either.

My apologies. I must have gotten up on the wrong side of bed.

In retrospect, the point I was trying to make was that Yosemite so far seems memory-hungry to me and seems to need another GB of memory for the OS, making 4 GB iffy. My 4 GB system is s-l-o-w and always shows memory pressure, where it never did before. It is kind of annoying, actually.

 

[Celerondon]

My apologies. I must have gotten up on the wrong side of bed.

In retrospect, the point I was trying to make was that Yosemite so far seems memory-hungry to me and seems to need another GB of memory for the OS, making 4 GB iffy. My 4 GB system is s-l-o-w and always shows memory pressure, where it never did before. It is kind of annoying, actually.

No Problem, my bed also has that side some days.

Yep, I switched to 8Gb before Yosemite but I have heard the same thing from other users. If I have it right, OS X still runs on 4Gb but not nearly as well as before.

 

[applelover4u]

I don't agree. I'm running Yosemite on a 4 GByte system, and, it clearly doesn't have enough memory to do "everything". On Mavericks and prior, 4GB was enough, but, not anymore. I have to recommend 8 GB from here on.

I disagree. As i stated before 4gb is running top notch for me. I tested it out with multiple apps open. I had Vmfusion with windows 8 running and VLC playing a 1080p movie, I had itunes playing music then I had Safari open with lots of tabs, chrome open with lots of tabs and firefox open. Also had handbrake running.

The mac mini 4gb handled it like a beast! Only thing was switching between windows got slow but nothing really ever hiccuped.

My MacMini 2014 is no joke, it's blazing fast and I love it. I don't see why it will have a short useful life, I'll get at least five to seven years out of it, if not more.

I agree!

 

[scottsjack]

Bla bla bla. I get it. Users should go out and buy the absolute cheapest mini they can find. If it turns out to insufficient at a later time then live with it.

Personally I do not want one with less than i7, 16GB and Fusion. Maybe I over-buy. Over-buying can cost excess money. Under-buying can cost performance and user enjoyability. I will take the monetary loss before I will live with a computer that cannot do whatever I eventually decided to use it for.

 

[tibas92013]

No Problem, my bed also has that side some days.

Yep, I switched to 8Gb before Yosemite but I have heard the same thing from other users. If I have it right, OS X still runs on 4Gb but not nearly as well as before.

How about a Basic Mac Mini i5 Late 2012 with only a 500GB HD?? Is a SSD absolutely necessary to run Yosemite??

 

[Celerondon]

About?

How a Basic Mac Mini i5 Late 2012 with only a 500GB HD?? Is a SSD absolutely necessary to run Yosemite??

Did you mean to type: How about a Basic Mac mini i5 Late 2012 with only a 500GB HD??

If that is what you meant then yes, that machine will run Yosemite. If you get one with the original 4Gb of RAM then you can add more if your usage pattern requires more memory. It is simple to solve a storage speed problem on any recent spinner equipped Mac mini. If you decide that the 500GB spinner is too slow or too small you can use Thunderbolt or USB 3.0 to add a much faster SSD and/or larger device in an external case. Since external storage is versatile, you can use it for the boot device, backup drive, or both depending on your needs.

 

[cynics]

How a Basic Mac Mini i5 Late 2012 with only a 500GB HD?? Is a SSD absolutely necessary to run Yosemite??

No.

I do it daily. However I use an iMac with a 7200 RPM HDD and its performance is "meh". Mini has a 5400 RPM HDD so on my very scientific rating scale it would be "< meh".

It all comes down to your usage. If you are just browsing the web, using message, email, iTunes, and letting the system sleep it would be very hard to tell whether its an SSD or HDD. However if you are booting it up a couple times a day and constantly opening large programs and then opening large files in those programs you'll definitely know and you'll get irritated with it.

In my opinion the fusion is more then adequate for the Mini. The dual core only option already eliminates it from most software that recommends an SSD like a lot of editing suites. Keep that in mind though, editing software tends to highly recommend quad or more core but will generally absolutely require 7200 RPM HDD as a minimum which the Mini doesn't have. So that might put a little perceptive on its importance.

You can always go with an external solution down the road. While it will have a huge performance increase it won't be as fast as an internal SSD. Most here hate the idea of spinning disk but you could save yourself a fortune going with something like Western Digitals 2tb RAID setup with their 10,000 RPM drives. I think I've seen them for around 300 bucks now.

 

[tibas92013]

Did you mean to type: How about a Basic Mac mini i5 Late 2012 with only a 500GB HD??

If that is what you meant then yes, that machine will run Yosemite. If it get one with the original 4Gb of RAM then you can add more if your usage pattern requires more memory. It is simple to solve a storage speed problem on any recent spinner equipped Mac mini. If you decide that the 500GB spinner is too slow or too small you can use Thunderbolt or USB 3.0 to add a much faster SSD and/or larger device in an external case. Since external storage is versatile, you can use it for the boot device, backup drive, or both depending on your needs.

Thanx for the correction and advice!

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No.

I do it daily. However I use an iMac with a 7200 RPM HDD and its performance is "meh". Mini has a 5400 RPM HDD so on my very scientific rating scale it would be "< meh".

It all comes down to your usage. If you are just browsing the web, using message, email, iTunes, and letting the system sleep it would be very hard to tell whether its an SSD or HDD. However if you are booting it up a couple times a day and constantly opening large programs and then opening large files in those programs you'll definitely know and you'll get irritated with it.

In my opinion the fusion is more then adequate for the Mini. The dual core only option already eliminates it from most software that recommends an SSD like a lot of editing suites. Keep that in mind though, editing software tends to highly recommend quad or more core but will generally absolutely require 7200 RPM HDD as a minimum which the Mini doesn't have. So that might put a little perceptive on its importance.

You can always go with an external solution down the road. While it will have a huge performance increase it won't be as fast as an internal SSD. Most here hate the idea of spinning disk but you could save yourself a fortune going with something like Western Digitals 2tb RAID setup with their 10,000 RPM drives. I think I've seen them for around 300 bucks now.

Thanx for this very helpful information.

 

[John marts]

Mac Mini a laptop...? Yea ok buddy



Yes i was going to do a ssd drive connected via usb 3 and just let it sit next to the mac mini and fusion the 2 drives together but it seems for the same price I can get PCIE



I have 4gb and it does that job well! Multiple windows open, vm fusion running windows 8 open and music and videos playing and it doesnt hiccup at all

uhh.... clearly you took what I said literally. The internals of the mini are all laptop components. Apple literally just took macbook internals and put them in a small desktop. Why do you think its so tiny anyway? Theres no dedicated graphics card, crappy slow 5400 rpm hard drive. Everyone knows this.

 

[tibas92013]

uhh.... clearly you took what I said literally. The internals of the mini are all laptop components. Apple literally just took macbook internals and put them in a small desktop. Why do you think its so tiny anyway? Theres no dedicated graphics card, crappy slow 5400 rpm hard drive. Everyone knows this.

I guess if one needs a Mac Mini to perform like a Mac Pro it would fit the crappy description. I use mine for just light stuff like cruzing the Internet, correspondence, streaming movies, etc.; and It has performed like a champ. In fact, I am thinking a purchasing another one with a SSD when I visit the USA in June. My needs do not require a Macbook or Macbook Pro, so, it is either another Mac Mini with an SSD or a Macbook Air 13" wih 8GB of Ram.

 

[admo]

I just got a new Mac Mini. Got the 2.6 GHz model, but upped the ram to 16GB and Fusion drive. So far (other than an odd display issue that I created another thread for), this thing is a dream. I replaced my 2006 Mac Pro with this, and I love having the size of that thing off my desk. And the mini is so quiet! Couldn't be happier.

 

[tibas92013]

I just got a new Mac Mini. Got the 2.6 GHz model, but upped the ram to 16GB and Fusion drive. So far (other than an odd display issue that I created another thread for), this thing is a dream. I replaced my 2006 Mac Pro with this, and I love having the size of that thing off my desk. And the mini is so quiet! Couldn't be happier.

Nice Score! I am tinkering with the idea to purchase the 2.8GhZ Mac Mini Late 2014 256SSD and increasing the RAM to 16GB.

 

[applelover4u]

uhh.... clearly you took what I said literally. The internals of the mini are all laptop components. Apple literally just took macbook internals and put them in a small desktop. Why do you think its so tiny anyway? Theres no dedicated graphics card, crappy slow 5400 rpm hard drive. Everyone knows this.

I guess. I just know my 1.4 4gb mac mini runs excellent for the most part besides the slow hard drive. I know I probably cant have multiple apps open if I do video editing but for everything else this thing can run multiples apps open easily

Truthfully Im thinking if I should upgrade to the 8gb 2.6 ghz 2014 mini or wait until i find a 2012 mac mini i7 8gb ram for about 4500

 

[John marts]

I guess. I just know my 1.4 4gb mac mini runs excellent for the most part besides the slow hard drive. I know I probably cant have multiple apps open if I do video editing but for everything else this thing can run multiples apps open easily

Truthfully Im thinking if I should upgrade to the 8gb 2.6 ghz 2014 mini or wait until i find a 2012 mac mini i7 8gb ram for about 4500

That hard drive is killing everything more than you think. Trust me. My 11' MBA is the same computer as yours except the "HD". I have alot less space but it is a SSD. I have zero trouble having multiple apps open. Even with 4 or 5 apps open, I can open another with little hesitation. I edit video and photos on this thing in no time compared to my mini that I had. I honestly would NEVER own a standard HD ever again. I wouldnt even bother with a fusion drive either. Its all flash storage or nothing for me. It really makes the computer thatm uch faster. Not to mention it wakes up from sleep mode nearly as instantly as an ipad.