M1 vs M4 cost wise

[Andy_2341]

Hello everyone,
I need some buying advice. After a week of making offers and such on eBay, I've finally found a seller who will work with me. I have the option of a M1 Mac Mini 8gb/256gb for $275. The storage isn't a concern for me but I would prefer 16gb, I just can't find any deals within my reach. I'm in need of a new desktop because I'm currently using a 2011 HP Compaq 8200 16gb/1tb. Anything will be faster than it. I plan to use the Mac for general tasks and light gaming through cloud services. The legacy ports being built in is appealing. I'm hoping to save some money long term to buy a higher end gaming laptop for my upcoming engineering studies in the next 5 or so years. Would it be better to go with the M1 and be able to use all of my current equipment or wait about a year till I can afford (maybe) a base model M4 mini with a new monitor, keyboard, mouse and hub? Will the M1 still be usable for 5 or so years? Thank you all for your replies.

 

[haralds]

I would spend $220 more on the M4 base model.
- Performance is MUCH higher.
- It has 16GB and supports AI.
- It will have four more years of support for the latest version of macOS.
Apple generally supports hardware for 5-6 years. The M1 might be running out of wind in a couple of years unless Apple changes its policy.

 

[Andy_2341]

I would spend $220 more on the M4 base model.
- Performance is MUCH higher.
- It has 16GB and supports AI.
- It will have four more years of support for the latest version of macOS.
Apple generally supports hardware for 5-6 years. The M1 might be running out of wind in a couple of years unless Apple changes its policy.

Okay. I thought the M1 also supported AI. I do see the support aspect though. Only problem is that this will be my first Mac. I want the full experience with magic trackpad, touch id, and a good display with a good camera for FaceTime. I don’t care as much with the M1 since it’s a trial of the OS, but with the M4 I think I want to go all out.
Would trade values for the M1 still be existent in the next year? Would I loose to much? If not, I could try Mac with the M1 then trade up to the M4.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

$275 for a 8/256 mini is too much IMO. 16/256 would be okay at that price. Or if you’re not in a huge hurry, set a refurbtracker.com alert for a 16/256 M2 mini.

M1 will do AI but it’ll do it a lot better with 16GB RAM than with 8.

 

[Andy_2341]

$275 for a 8/256 mini is too much IMO. 16/256 would be okay at that price. Or if you’re not in a huge hurry, set a refurbtracker.com alert for a 16/256 M2 mini.

M1 will do AI but it’ll do it a lot better with 16GB RAM than with 8.

It is certainly my upper limit. I suppose I’ve been accustomed to higher prices from my eBay browsing. I’ll check out the refurb tracker. I wanted a 16/256 anyways.

 

[ubinko]

I would save a bit extra and get the base M4 - it's by far the best bang for buck and an incredibly capable machine.

It sounds like you are a student, so make sure you take advantage of the education discount - this would put the M4 base mini at $499, which is only $224 more than the M1 you quoted. Buying new means you are covered under warranty if anything goes wrong too.

Perhaps wait for Black Friday to get even more of a discount.

 

[Andy_2341]

I would save a bit extra and get the base M4 - it's by far the best bang for buck and an incredibly capable machine.

It sounds like you are a student, so make sure you take advantage of the education discount - this would put the M4 base mini at $499, which is only $224 more than the M1 you quoted. Buying new means you are covered under warranty if anything goes wrong too.

Perhaps wait for Black Friday to get even more of a discount.

This was my original thought.
However, I have another offer. I can get a 16/256 M1, a watch SE2, and a nimbus controller, and a 3 in 1 wireless charger for 400. I would sell the watch for whatever its worth and maybe the controller. Is this a better deal? Or should I still go for the m4?

 

[goodthymes]

I would sit tight for couple more weeks if you are not in a hurry. I suspect there are lots of M1 users who will be upgrading in the near future. And I agree, $275 is a bit high for an 8GB M1 with end of support on the horizon. Not sure about your 2nd offer, just be very careful and make sure these items are removed from previous owners' accounts etc., buying second hand Apple products can be a minefield sometimes.

 

[Andy_2341]

Thank you everyone for your replies and thoughts. The general consensus seems to be wait and go M4, which would be better anyways for me. I can make the purchase from new then and fully enjoy the new Mini for years to come. The M1 seems to be more of an impulse buy anyways. It doesn't make a lot of sense long term. Once again, thank you everybody. The M4 was the one that got me really interested to begin with, and I hope I can get one in 6ish months.

 

[ubinko]

You made the right choice.