M3 iMac vs. M2 Pro Mac mini

[Dr. Crentist]

Looking for some purchasing advice. I am sure the opinions on this matter are wide so fire away with whatever your opinion is....

We are deciding between a loaded M3 iMac (8/10 core, 24GB RAM, 2TB SSD) and a semi-loaded M2 Pro Mac mini (8/16 core, 16GB RAM, 2TB SSD). Obviously the iMac is brand-spanking new and there is probably an M3 Mac mini around the corner (Spring/Summer?) We need to purchase before the end of the year, though, so can't wait for an M3 mini.

For reference, this is a family computer. The family computer this is replacing is a 2012 iMac (I DIY-ed an internal SSD which breathed new life into it 6-7 years ago if you're wondering how it's hung on to this point). Looking for something to use over the next 10 years to get my kids through school and out of the house. My question is more along the lines of in your opinion which of these is going to age quicker and become a bottleneck? An iMac with newer but lower-core count M3 (WiFi 6E and bluetooth upgrade) but maxed out RAM or a slightly older M2 Pro higher core count Mac mini with less RAM? Can't spec-up the Mac mini more as we still need some cash to purchase an external monitor - gotta stay within budget! Just need to decide between these two options.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Steve121178]

Go for the iMac. It's all in one, the M3/24GB combo and plenty of storage should see to it that it lasts a family for 8-10 years. Nothing wrong with the Mac mini & monitor combo, but you'd be hard pushed to get get a monitor that plays nicely with the Mac mini (scaling issues) at a decent cost and to get the best from the Mac mini you'd need to spring for the Studio Display.

The iMac just ticks more boxes IMO. Plus I'd imagine it will cost far less than a M2 Pro Mini + decent display. After all, there's no point pairing the Mini with a terrible budget 4K display.

 

[Backslashnl1]

Off course the M2 Pro will be faster. But you're not talking about your monitor requirements. Do you want a bigger screen than 24" ?
The iMac has a beautiful 4.5K screen. If you get a random 27" 4K monitor for $300, the colors, resolution, vibrance, brightness, color accuracy etc will be worse. And you will go from an all-in-one design to a separated system, which has up and downsides.

So, do you want a high-end monitor or is a simple screen enough? That will probably answer your question.

 

[Thirio2]

For a family computer the iMac is probably the way to go. It has fewer wires and cables to deal with and looks neater. I got the m2 mini and a used 4k monitor for myself, but I am the only one using it and it sits in a computer desk so wires are no problem.

 

[Dr. Crentist]

Off course the M2 Pro will be faster. But you're not talking about your monitor requirements. Do you want a bigger screen than 24" ?
The iMac has a beautiful 4.5K screen. If you get a random 27" 4K monitor for $300, the colors, resolution, vibrance, brightness, color accuracy etc will be worse. And you will go from an all-in-one design to a separated system, which has up and downsides.

So, do you want a high-end monitor or is a simple screen enough? That will probably answer your question.

The monitor issue is a good point to bring up. I would want a quality monitor. I've used so-so 4k monitors with macOS before and it definitely can take some of the shine off of the OS. Our budget won't tolerate the Mac mini as I spec'ed it together with something like the Studio Display so likely if we chose the M2Pro Mac mini we'd go for the best 5k monitor we can find in the $500-600 price range - something like that Samsung display that's been talked about and looks decent - though I may need to take a hacksaw to that pimple of a web-cam on the top of the monitor and just do without it. I have a feeling that would bother me.

 

[Dr. Crentist]

For a family computer the iMac is probably the way to go. It has fewer wires and cables to deal with and looks neater. I got the m2 mini and a used 4k monitor for myself, but I am the only one using it and it sits in a computer desk so wires are no problem.

Yeah... I'd need to keep the wires tidy, so definitely a consideration....

 

[Dr. Crentist]

Go for the iMac. It's all in one, the M3/24GB combo and plenty of storage should see to it that it lasts a family for 8-10 years. Nothing wrong with the Mac mini & monitor combo, but you'd be hard pushed to get get a monitor that plays nicely with the Mac mini (scaling issues) at a decent cost and to get the best from the Mac mini you'd need to spring for the Studio Display.

The iMac just ticks more boxes IMO. Plus I'd imagine it will cost far less than a M2 Pro Mini + decent display. After all, there's no point pairing the Mini with a terrible budget 4K display.

Can you tell me how the Studio Display would help get the best from the Mac mini? Anything beyond scaling issues? I don't know much about that....

 

[IngerMan]

I have a 2018 i7 MM with an external eGPU, It still powerful. The M2 Pro is much more powerful and you do not need a eGPU. But the MM is a bit of a cable mess for me, and not everything will work out of the box on adding different accessories.

One thing that will work for sure is the Apple Studio Display. And that should be all you need besides mouse and keyboard. But this has a price tag for a M2 Pro 16-32GB and 1 TB SSD and Studio display.

If you are going MM M2Pro and Studio you should almost consider the Mac Studio M2 Max for about the same price as beefing up the MM. More ports More GPU, 32Ram standard.

 

[Dr. Crentist]

I have a 2018 i7 MM with an external eGPU, It still powerful. The M2 Pro is much more powerful and you do not need a eGPU. But the MM is a bit of a cable mess for me, and not everything will work out of the box on adding different accessories.

One thing that will work for sure is the Apple Studio Display. And that should be all you need besides mouse and keyboard. But this has a price tag for a M2 Pro 16-32GB and 1 TB SSD and Studio display.

If you are going MM M2Pro and Studio you should almost consider the Mac Studio M2 Max for about the same price as beefing up the MM. More ports More GPU, 32Ram standard.

Interesting thought. I had not even considered the Mac Studio before but will spec it out to see....

 

[bobcomer]

For a family computer I'd buy the M3 iMac, no contest at all. I have a Mini M2 Pro (32G RAM) and it's a nice machine, but there's really nothing special about it, and you have to buy a good monitor too...

If I didn't already have the Mini, or the iMac came with more RAM, I'd be buying one too. (in green.

 

[padams35]

I use a $300 24" 4K LG monitor. Practically retina (but the lack of integrated speakers on mine is a bit more annoying than I had thought). 5K-6K monitors are rare and expensive enough you might as well get an Apple Studio Display if that is a priority. (I think the Samsung model is $1200-1600, not $500-600).

Maybe skip the 2TB SSD? These are desktops. You can save a lot by reinstalling MacOS onto a high capacity external USB-C SSD. Those go for $100-300 depending on speed/quality vs Apple's pricing.

 

[picpicmac]

I'd need to keep the wires tidy, so definitely a consideration....

Is that why you're spending so much on the internal storage, instead of an external SSD? That 2TB internal SSD you're buying from Apple is very highly priced compared to an external.

 

[picpicmac]

I had not even considered the Mac Studio before but will spec it out to see....

The refurb store has M1 Max Mac Studio for as low as $1,529.00, less than your tricked out M3 iMac. You'll still need to buy a monitor and the rest of the accessories, though.

In my shopping for a new Mac I have been tempted by that. One thing that worries me is the so-called coil whine that some of those units seemingly suffered.

 

[Dr. Crentist]

The refurb store has M1 Max Mac Studio for as low as $1,529.00, less than your tricked out M3 iMac. You'll still need to buy a monitor and the rest of the accessories, though.

Thanks! I’ll look at that too.

 

[Dr. Crentist]

I use a $300 24" 4K LG monitor. Practically retina (but the lack of integrated speakers on mine is a bit more annoying than I had thought). 5K-6K monitors are rare and expensive enough you might as well get an Apple Studio Display if that is a priority. (I think the Samsung model is $1200-1600, not $500-600).

Maybe skip the 2TB SSD? These are desktops. You can save a lot by reinstalling MacOS onto a high capacity external USB-C SSD. Those go for $100-300 depending on speed/quality vs Apple's pricing.

Thanks. I am open to this. One concern on this, however, would be to run low on USB-C ports. Do you have a recommendation on a small/light external drive I could discreetly stick to the back of the computer?

 

[Dr. Crentist]

Is that why you're spending so much on the internal storage, instead of an external SSD? That 2TB internal SSD you're buying from Apple is very highly priced compared to an external.

Thanks. Can you share a recommendation?

 

[picpicmac]

Can you share a recommendation?

My shortlist is the ACASIS Thunderbolt 4 case and a Samsung Pro SSD to stick inside it. Both those are recommended by some recent videos on Youtube by people who seem to be fairly reasonable. Performance numbers people have shown imply this combo is about as fast as the internal one-chip 256GB SSD that Apple puts into the M2 and now M3 Macs.

Whether I buy the new iMac or a Mini+monitor, my plan is to get the minimum internal SSD (but max out the RAM), and use external drive for booting. MacOS can be installed onto an external disk rather easily. That's what I've been doing on my old iMac for the past 10 years.

Then I'll just get any 2TB external USB SSD for Time Machine.

 

[IngerMan]

Purchasing on amount of Ram and SSD is user specific. Each case can vary for specific reasons. I myself started in 2007 iMac with 320 GB HD and 2 GB of Ram. 15 years later I want 1 TB SSD and decent Ram. I went with 16 GB of ram and 1 TB SSD on the new M3. My Current MM 2018 i7 has 32GB of ram and 512 SSD. I never push the ram on the MM but I am pushing the hard drive and I hate running external drives for main workflow. I only want an external for backups. Just a personal preference. User specific.

 

[drugdoubles]

Looking for some purchasing advice. I am sure the opinions on this matter are wide so fire away with whatever your opinion is....

We are deciding between a loaded M3 iMac (8/10 core, 24GB RAM, 2TB SSD) and a semi-loaded M2 Pro Mac mini (8/16 core, 16GB RAM, 2TB SSD). Obviously the iMac is brand-spanking new and there is probably an M3 Mac mini around the corner (Spring/Summer?) We need to purchase before the end of the year, though, so can't wait for an M3 mini.

For reference, this is a family computer. The family computer this is replacing is a 2012 iMac (I DIY-ed an internal SSD which breathed new life into it 6-7 years ago if you're wondering how it's hung on to this point). Looking for something to use over the next 10 years to get my kids through school and out of the house. My question is more along the lines of in your opinion which of these is going to age quicker and become a bottleneck? An iMac with newer but lower-core count M3 (WiFi 6E and bluetooth upgrade) but maxed out RAM or a slightly older M2 Pro higher core count Mac mini with less RAM? Can't spec-up the Mac mini more as we still need some cash to purchase an external monitor - gotta stay within budget! Just need to decide between these two options.

Thanks in advance!

I guess M3 Mac mini and Mac Studio will come out within 3 months once their factories are ready for that big amount.

 

[Rnd-chars]

I’d go for the M3:
- faster single thread performance, which means nearly every app will be faster on it.
- faster Neural Engine, which will continue to gain app and OS functionality over the years
- gobs of RAM (arguably more than you’ll ever need, but perhaps by the end of that 10 years you’ll be grateful for it)
- fully integrated, including keyboard and mouse which would be separate purchases with the mini. This also means no futzing with compatibility issues, Bluetooth flakiness, or trying to get an amazing display in budget. This gets better still if you go with perpetual AppleCare since you won’t get bounced around by tech support — it’s all Apple.

You can certainly save money by augmenting it with an external SSD, but you’re trading cost for complexity. Personally, I’d rather spend more money (up to a point) for simplicity and worry free maintenance — I work in tech so the last thing I want to do in my free time is deal with fixing it. 😅 You can figure out the cost difference and amortize it over 10 years to get a better sense if the trade off is worth it to you.

Good luck, and enjoy your new Mac!

 

[padams35]

Thanks. I am open to this. One concern on this, however, would be to run low on USB-C ports. Do you have a recommendation on a small/light external drive I could discreetly stick to the back of the computer?

I'd recomend assembling your own by installing an M.2 SSD of choice into an M.2 enclosure of choice. It takes a bit of DIY effort (trivial compared to a 2012 iMac SSD ugprade) but will be faster and cheaper than the ready to use USB-C SSDs bought off the shelf.

Look for a well rated M.2 USB-C enclosure that comes with a thermal pad and metal top opening lid for good heat dissipation. USB 3.1/3.2 enclosures are cheap and will run twice as fast whatever SATA SSD was in your old 2012 iMac. USB-4 drives are even faster, but might be overkill. They are very small and non-obtrusive, but if you are being litteral about sticking it onto the back of the computer look for a plastic bottom enclosure and grab some adhesive velcro.

If you are hoping for 10+ years look for a well rated TLC NAND M.2 SSD to stick into it. (Inland Prime, Crucial P5, etc).

For reference I use a Jeyi M.2 USB 3.2 enclosure, but that model is nolonger available on Amazon.

If you are worried about running out of USB-C ports use a USB-C hub for low-speed accessories and/or go with the M2 Pro Mini for the extra USB-C ports.

 

[MapleBeercules]

First I'd start with is cost an issue?

Second, the idea you are going to plan ahead 10 years for a tech purchase is kind of silly, while I've seen imac used for a decade the user experience is far from what it should be and that in my opinion is what sets macs apart from any other product, is the focus around user experience.

I had a 2013 imac, 2020 imac, 2017 Macbook pro 13 with touch bar, m1 mac mini. My current setup is m2 Macbook pro 13 touchbar with studio display, logitech mx keyboard and apple track pad and I use my 12.9 m2 ipad pro as a second screen.

If you go with imac, you are stuck with the imac for its entire life cycle.
One of the biggest complaints today about past generation 5k 27 inch imacs is the screen is perfect but the computer is next to unusable, my old 2013 imac (pre 5k) was able to be used as a targeted thunderbolt display but this isnt a thing anymore since 5k came out. While I think the m3 will last a very long time, its highly unlikely will make 10 years as a functional device.

If you went with a mini + Display, I am almost certain you will keep the display for 10 years+, as even the cinema displays from the early 2000s are still used today. While there is some up front costs for Keyboard and Trackpad (dont get a magic mouse) I recommend going for Logitech MX keyboard, while it doesn't have finger print reader it has a back light and you can purchase a sperate palm rest for 25$ CAD. way way better then apples keyboard. Again the track pad and keyboard will probably last you 10+ years but the mini I would suspect it would get 5 to 7 years for usability. I'd maintain apple care on the display but the mini has 1 moving part and a power supply, very easy to get at and replace, so I wouldn't put applecare on the mini unless you need user support as its highly unlikely anything will die and the only moving part is a fan.

I do not recommend any HDMI or non apple display with the mini, as you will have wake and response issue. It ends up being a horrible user experience.

alternatively, you can go with the imac m3, but I suspect you will be trading it up in 5 to 7 years and at that point is where you costs will go up vs a mini + screen setup.

Either way I hope you enjoy your new setup.

 

[switz]

The M3 iMac with 24GB of ram, 2TB SSD, Magic Track pad (vs Magic Mouse) and Magic Keyboard costs $2,509 before sales tax and after my military discount. That is a complete ready to use maxed out system.

I just received my custom 2023 Mac mini M2 Pro (32GB of ram, 2TB SSD, 10Gb ethernet and 12Core CPU upgrade) that cost $2,429 before sales tax and after military discount. I already had acquired a Logitech M3 mouse and Apple keyboard and am reusing a 4K 2" monitor for file server work. Those items would have added close to $750 to the price. Note that this unit could have up to a 8TB SSD as an expensive option.

So there is a significant difference in both performance and cost between these two systems. The mission determines which is the appropriate system for the job.

I will probably add the captioned specs iMac this summer to be used in my office at a campground for print server and light duty work.

One needs to go past the 256GB and 512GB SSDs as they are the lowest performance models and cheapest cost.

 

[dotzero123]

I tried both and ended up with a refurbished M2pro mini with ASD. I strongly prefer the 27” screen, and already had the keyboard and mouse. Mostly, I returned because the included keyboard wasn’t full-sized (which you can pay extra for) and also decided that 16gb ram was more important to me. Prior to buying the ASD I tried a 32” Dell monitor with my mini and returned it because I wanted speakers, a camera and a better experience (mouse would randomly freeze and there were no speakers or video cam.) For regular use, I’m sure you’ll enjoy either one - they are both beautiful and will last you for years to come.

 

[Andrey84]

Agree with the majority that the iMac seems a better choice for a family computer.

In terms of longevity over 10 years, these would be very similar. The main difference is if you get a Mac Mini with an external display, later you will only need to replace the mac mini and not the display, assuming it's still working. So, a potential saving 10 years into the future... With a cheap external display though, the experience might be vastly different. So, for a potential saving 10 years down the line, you are risking having a setup which is overall less satisfying and the screen is blurry. Not worth it.

I would just go for the fully loaded iMac and enjoy it.