MM options

[SRC88]

Hello all, recently my 2009 MBP died and so i have decided to replace it with a Mac Mini. I have around £1000 to spend, i will be producing music, videos and occasionally some photo editing and I aim to get the best performing most future proof machine for the money. The refurbished section doesn't seem as attractive for the Mini as it does some of the other products plus i can get 0% finance when purchasing new. I travel a lot due to work but I'll always have access to a monitor, keyboard ect. my plans were to go for a 2.6 quadcore I7, 16 GB ram, 250 GB SSD Mac mini however I have a few queeries:

Is it worth the £160 extra to go with the SSD version offered by apple or am I better off going with an aftermarket drive? Is there much differance in performance between what apple offers and aftermarket options?

I know the MM in long due an upgrade and I'd be happier to wait for that before buying, however, I don't have access to a computer at present (currently typing on library windows computer) and really need to get my old stuff off my MPB hard drive and update my external storage drives. Would it be feasible to just buy a MM, do what i need done and return it within 14 days and just sit it out untill the MM is updated?

Any help is much appreciated.

 

[Karlitr0s]

...and I aim to get the best performing most future proof machine for the money.

I understand that your MBP has died, but given the quoted comment, can you hang on for a month or so?

 

[itsOver9000]

my plans were to go for a 2.6 quadcore I7, 16 GB ram, 250 GB SSD Mac mini however I have a few queeries:

Is it worth the £160 extra to go with the SSD version offered by apple or am I better off going with an aftermarket drive? Is there much differance in performance between what apple offers and aftermarket options?

I know the MM in long due an upgrade and I'd be happier to wait for that before buying, however, I don't have access to a computer at present (currently typing on library windows computer) and really need to get my old stuff off my MPB hard drive and update my external storage drives. Would it be feasible to just buy a MM, do what i need done and return it within 14 days and just sit it out untill the MM is updated?

Any help is much appreciated.

I'd say if you decide to get a Mini right now stick with the base RAM and do that upgrade yourself for a lot less money. The 16GB upgrade through Apple is $300 here in the US. 16GB from Amazon.com can be purchased for about $140. That upgrade would take like a minute to do yourself.

An SSD upgrade through Apple might not be worth it either. $200 for the 256GB SSD upgrade vs. $280 for a 500GB Samsung EVO SSD (or $140 for the 250GB Samsung EVO). I'm not sure what (if any noticeable) performance differences there are, but $80 for double the storage seems like a fair tradeoff to me.

I understand that your MBP has died, but given the quoted comment, can you hang on for a month or so?

An updated mac mini has been "just around the corner" for months and months now. Who knows when a new one will come out. I got my Mini towards the end of January and it's been great for everything I've used it for so far. It could maybe benefit from some more RAM, which I plan to max out in the next few months, but otherwise it's a great machine. I'll probably eventually upgrade to a 1TB SSD if prices get low enough for me to consider doing that but even the stock HDD doesn't seem that bad.

 

[SRC88]

I understand that your MBP has died, but given the quoted comment, can you hang on for a month or so?

I could but the thing is it might still be months before the MM is upgraded. A 16gig SSD 2.6 i7 quad would do me perfectly for a long time, 4000HD is a bit of a turd in the punch bowl for me. Especially since an update is anticipated.

I'd say if you decide to get a Mini right now stick with the base RAM and do that upgrade yourself for a lot less money. The 16GB upgrade through Apple is $300 here in the US. 16GB from Amazon.com can be purchased for about $140. That upgrade would take like a minute to do yourself.

An SSD upgrade through Apple might not be worth it either. $200 for the 256GB SSD upgrade vs. $280 for a 500GB Samsung EVO SSD (or $140 for the 250GB Samsung EVO). I'm not sure what (if any noticeable) performance differences there are, but $80 for double the storage seems like a fair tradeoff to me.

I agree with the RAM and would agree about the SSD but i believe upgrading an SSD voids your warranty, ok with an old machine but not a brand new one. I tend to use a lot of external storage to avoid bogging down my computer so internal storage isn't a huge factor for me anyway, if apple's SSDs are just (or nearly) as fast and durable as aftermarket options then I'd definetly opt for the £160 extra for the 250 GB SSD

Sorry, should have made clear that i intened on upgrading the RAM myself

 

[Karlitr0s]

I could but the thing is it might still be months before the MM is upgraded. A 16gig SSD 2.6 i7 quad would do me perfectly for a long time, 4000HD is a bit of a turd in the punch bowl for me. Especially since an update is anticipated.

Yep, I agree with you, and the GFX are the exact reason I'm holding back. If I hear nothing by the end of this month, I'd get a Mini too. That gives enough time for the talk of a new Apple TV to calm down.