No Pro Desktop

[roland.g]

Apple does not offer a Pro Desktop. You can get the M1, M1 Pro, and M1 Max in notebooks, but you cannot get an M1 Pro in a desktop. Apple offers the M1 in the Mini, and the M1 Max in the Studio, but there is no configuration with the M1 Pro SoC in a desktop, and I'll be surprised if we see one.

 

[macca24]

Mac mini pro coming soon…

 

[Feek]

Apple does not offer a Pro Desktop. You can get the M1, M1 Pro, and M1 Max in notebooks, but you cannot get an M1 Pro in a desktop. Apple offers the M1 in the Mini, and the M1 Max in the Studio, but there is no configuration with the M1 Pro SoC in a desktop, and I'll be surprised if we see one.

And?

 

[AlteMac]

Apple does not offer a Pro Desktop. You can get the M1, M1 Pro, and M1 Max in notebooks, but you cannot get an M1 Pro in a desktop. Apple offers the M1 in the Mini, and the M1 Max in the Studio, but there is no configuration with the M1 Pro SoC in a desktop, and I'll be surprised if we see one.

Why is this important? The M1 Pro doesn't really fit well in a desktop. It is too expensive for cost conscious and not powerful enough for power users. With the Ultra out now, hasn't the Max become the mid-range that the Pro once was? For laptops there's too much cooling needed for an Ultra so the three choices there are different.

 

[roland.g]

The problem as I see it is the RAM ceiling on the M1. I have a late 2014 Mini that I configured when I bought it in 2016 with 16GB RAM and I am often at the top end of my RAM and it causes issues. However, I mainly use my machine as web / mail / photos / home finance along with some photoshop and iMovie though I’d like to get FCP and go up a level in video editing. But I am not a professional.

I will not get the use out of a Studio with a Max and the multi-core scores that blow the regular M1 away, other than the RAM. A MBP with a Pro can be configured with 32GB of RAM. And the Studio does have the advantage of more ports.

So yes a Mini with an M1 Pro and 32GB RAM for $1300-1500 or a Studio with the same M1 Pro and RAM at $1400-1600 is what many “prosumers” are looking for. A max of 16GB RAM leaves us in no man’s land.

 

[aurora_sect]

Why is this important? The M1 Pro doesn't really fit well in a desktop. It is too expensive for cost conscious and not powerful enough for power users. With the Ultra out now, hasn't the Max become the mid-range that the Pro once was? For laptops there's too much cooling needed for an Ultra so the three choices there are different.

I totally disagree. An M1 Pro desktop would fill a sizable price/performance niche. I mean, this topic is pretty 'water is wet' but I think plenty of people would like a Pro desktop. It's what I wanted!

 

[bobcomer]

I totally disagree. An M1 Pro desktop would fill a sizable price/performance niche. I mean, this topic is pretty 'water is wet' but I think plenty of people would like a Pro desktop. It's what I wanted!

The M1 Max is a pretty sweet machine for not that much more than a M1 Pro would be.

 

[F-Train]

There was a lot of interest in a Mac mini/M1 Pro before March 8th and I think that the interest has survived the Mac Studio/Max. On the photography forum that I participate in, the interest is in the Mac mini M1 and in the prospect of an M1 Pro, priced at $1500-$1600, or an M2, in the next few months.

 

[aurora_sect]

The M1 Max is a pretty sweet machine for not that much more than a M1 Pro would be.

In the case of a 14-inch MBP it is a $900 difference from base Pro chip to base Max chip, though that includes a mandatory RAM increase. I think plenty of people consider that a tad more than 'not much' and would be happy to save that money if they don't need a Max. I say that while admitting that I'm not really mad about it anymore; I really love my Max. But I'd probably be just fine with a Pro, maybe not for as long.

 

[mcnallym]

I had been holding out myself for a mini with m1 pro however the pricing on the studio meant that just went with the studio.

I had been looking for a 32Gb Mini Pro with the 10/16 Pro and 512Gb storage. I want the ProRes encoder in the Pro so M1 not going to cut it.

Now look at pricing.

We have the base studio at 1999

Now if we take the M1 mini and upgrade to 16Gb and 512gb storage then at 1099.

16Gb to 32Gb = 400 based on MBP pricing which has an M1 Pro so not unrealistic to expect the same.

Again from the MBP then can see the SOC upgrade pricing.

8/14 to 10/16 is 300 however doesn’t cover the M1 8/8 to M1 Pro 8/14 which if is 200 would make 500 or the same as from Pro 8/14 to Max 10/24

So from a mini M1 8/8 16Gb RAM to M1 Pro 10/16 32Gb looking at 900 making the assumption that M1 to M1 Pro 8/14 is only 200 however as no M1 and M1 Pro machines then that is an educated surmise.

So would be at 1999 for an M1 Pro 10/16 with 32Gb and 512Gb storage vs studio for 1999 with Max 10/24 with 32Gb and 512Gb Storage with 10Gbe as well and bigger cooling if work up from the M1 mini.
Working downwards from a studio then should be 1699 with the downgrade to Pro and 10Gbe to 1Gbe.

Is why went with studio as getting extra GPU and 10Gbe for free basically. Main use is video editing so yes useful to me as well.

Simply no room in apples pricing for a M1 Pro desktop currently, with either the Studio needs to go up (don’t think about) or the base mini needs to drop along with upgrade prices (unrealistic) to provide the gap price wise for an M1 Pro desktop.

 

[roland.g]

I had been holding out myself for a mini with m1 pro however the pricing on the studio meant that just went with the studio.

I had been looking for a 32Gb Mini Pro with the 10/16 Pro and 512Gb storage. I want the ProRes encoder in the Pro so M1 not going to cut it.

Now look at pricing.

We have the base studio at 1999

Now if we take the M1 mini and upgrade to 16Gb and 512gb storage then at 1099.

16Gb to 32Gb = 400 based on MBP pricing which has an M1 Pro so not unrealistic to expect the same.

Again from the MBP then can see the SOC upgrade pricing.

8/14 to 10/16 is 300 however doesn’t cover the M1 8/8 to M1 Pro 8/14 which if is 200 would make 500 or the same as from Pro 8/14 to Max 10/24

So from a mini M1 8/8 16Gb RAM to M1 Pro 10/16 32Gb looking at 900 making the assumption that M1 to M1 Pro 8/14 is only 200 however as no M1 and M1 Pro machines then that is an educated surmise.

So would be at 1999 for an M1 Pro 10/16 with 32Gb and 512Gb storage vs studio for 1999 with Max 10/24 with 32Gb and 512Gb Storage with 10Gbe as well and bigger cooling if work up from the M1 mini.
Working downwards from a studio then should be 1699 with the downgrade to Pro and 10Gbe to 1Gbe.

Is why went with studio as getting extra GPU and 10Gbe for free basically. Main use is video editing so yes useful to me as well.

Simply no room in apples pricing for a M1 Pro desktop currently, with either the Studio needs to go up (don’t think about) or the base mini needs to drop along with upgrade prices (unrealistic) to provide the gap price wise for an M1 Pro desktop.

I get the math. And there is no apples to apples with the M1 to M1 Pro to M1 Max since the machines we are talking about all don’t have the same CPU and RAM options.

But that begs the question:

Is a M1 Mini 8/8 16GB 512GB for $1,099 a bad deal?

Or is an M1 Max Studio 10/24 32GB 512GB a good deal?

I don’t think based on your addition / subtraction that both can be a good deal. With the Studio at $2k with 32 GB and the ports and CPU/GPU/etc. the Mini seems like a big overpay when for the $900 delta you lose a bunch of ports, 16GB RAM and you step down 2 SoC classes, not to mention the intermediate steps of cores within the M1 Pro class.

The unfortunate part is that for so many of us the Pro CPU/GPU would be a great addition but that the clear advantage of the M1 Pro over the M1 is the RAM ceiling doubles to 32 GB.

I don’t want a laptop. But I don’t want to be locked down to 16GB RAM. Now I have not real world tested an Apple Silicon SoC machine with 16GB v my current 16GB Apple machine to see how much more efficient that RAM is managed, but for a 5+ year machine, I’d still like more headroom.

 

[DaveP]

...

But that begs the question:

Is a M1 Mini 8/8 16GB 512GB for $1,099 a bad deal?

Or is an M1 Max Studio 10/24 32GB 512GB a good deal?

I don’t think based on your addition / subtraction that both can be a good deal. With the Studio at $2k with 32 GB and the ports and CPU/GPU/etc. the Mini seems like a big overpay when for the $900 delta you lose a bunch of ports, 16GB RAM and you step down 2 SoC classes, not to mention the intermediate steps of cores within the M1 Pro class.

...

Then can both be a good deal. The Mini is not an overpay if you don't really need nor care about additional ports, RAM, etc. In fact, the Studio would be an overpay as you are paying almost $1000 more for unnecessary things.

The value seems roughly similar in both cases for the price. What an individual user needs doesn't really impact something being a good deal or not. A brand new Lamborgini for $1,000 is a good deal even you need a school bus to drive 20 kids. It just doesn't fit your needs.

 

[roland.g]

Then can both be a good deal. The Mini is not an overpay if you don't really need nor care about additional ports, RAM, etc. In fact, the Studio would be an overpay as you are paying almost $1000 more for unnecessary things.

The value seems roughly similar in both cases for the price. What an individual user needs doesn't really impact something being a good deal or not. A brand new Lamborgini for $1,000 is a good deal even you need a school bus to drive 20 kids. It just doesn't fit your needs.

Except that in your analogy, the ability to drive 20 kids is the 32GB of RAM as that means you can carry more at once, more apps, more tabs, more headroom. So the Mini is a 7 seater SUV. Decent everyday headroom and utility. The M1 Pro expands that headroom with the 32/64 RAM options allowing for greater seating capacity while offering a slightly more capable engine. And the Max is the same seating capacity as the Pro with an even bigger engine.

 

[OldMike]

I don’t want a laptop. But I don’t want to be locked down to 16GB RAM. Now I have not real world tested an Apple Silicon SoC machine with 16GB v my current 16GB Apple machine to see how much more efficient that RAM is managed, but for a 5+ year machine, I’d still like more headroom.

I purchased an M1 Mini when they first came out to test this very thing. The M1 is an incredible deal with unbelievable performance for its class. That being said, I think reviewers at the time extremely over-hyped the idea that 16GB RAM in the M1 was equivalent to 32GB RAM in an Intel machine (as well as 8GB equivalent to 16GB). I can say for sure that this is clearly not the case. The performance is so good on the M1 that it can mask the need for more memory - but for demanding usage there is no substitute for actual RAM.

I also had been waiting for a desktop that could be configured to greater than 16GB RAM. As @mcnallym has shown above - the Mac Studio is clearly a good deal in comparison to the Mini, if in fact you need a desktop with more than 16GB RAM. I did the same calculations, and after realizing that Apple will never give anything away for free, came to the conclusion that a specced up Mac Mini Pro would be too close in price to (and perhaps even exceed the price of) the Mac Studio to be worth waiting for.

That being said, if Apple at some point releases a Mac Mini M2 Pro, it would surpass the performance of the current Mac Studio in CPU tasks, but I highly doubt Apple would release a machine anytime soon, and would expect something like that closer to when M3 machines were about to be released. If a Mac Mini M1 Pro is released in the near future, it will have to be compromised in some way to be cheaper than the Mac Studio (perhaps ports could play a role in the difference), otherwise Apple's whole pricing structure would fall apart.

I do question, though, why Apple still has the Intel Mac Mini hanging around, as if it were a placeholder for something...

Personally, I think the Mac Studio at $1999 is a heck of deal for an Apple desktop that can be purchased today - as opposed to hanging on to what might or might not be released in the future.

 

[ADGrant]

I do question, though, why Apple still has the Intel Mac Mini hanging around, as if it were a placeholder for something...

Probably for people who still need an Intel Mac (e.g. Software Developers).

 

[OldMike]

Probably for people who still need an Intel Mac (e.g. Software Developers).

Dealing with mostly web and backend myself, I do forget that client software still needs to be tested on actual Intel machines 😃

 

[Chancha]

Probably for people who still need an Intel Mac (e.g. Software Developers).

It is also the last (Intel) Mac Apple still sells that can run Mojave, concerning 32bit apps.

Just last month I considered buying one for my company, we got a ****ing email archive software that has no modern macOS compatible version. I ended up repurposing a mini 2012 for this role and the setup took longer time than it should (adding 2nd bay and swapping SSD etc). In retrospect I should have bought the Intel mini and be done with it.