Some of the setups here are absolutely ballin'.
I also can't believe it's been 3 years since I shared my full setup here, time flies. But it still looks the same more or less. What's actually changed is what powers my setup. In 2022, none of the systems I posted in this Mac thread were actual Macs.
Today, they're all gone.
My main system in 2022 was an i5-8400 hackintosh running Catalina (it remained that way until March of 2024). Nowadays, it's an M2 Pro Mac mini. My other systems were old hardware slapped together, that somehow managed to run macOS too. Now they're all Mac minis (and a G5). And I have to say, I like knowing whatever I want to do is simply gonna work. Hackintoshes were fun when I was younger, but I don't have the time to mess with them as much anymore.
But enough of my rambling, here's my June 2025 setup update:
My right-hand setup got a new custom-built desk last year. Unlike what I had before, this new desk fits the space perfectly, and it's also built to support the almost 40kg CRT on top of it. I have to say, I'm proud of it.
The i5-4460 hackintosh has been replaced by this:
A Late 2018 Mac mini with the following specs:
- Processor: Intel Core i7-8700B (6C/12T)
- Memory: 64GB of DDR4 2666MHz memory (2x32)
- Storage: 1TB Internal SSD
- System: macOS Catalina 10.15.7
I didn't get the model with a 10Gbit NIC, as my home network wouldn't be able to take advantage of it. But unlike the old system, which just... existed, the 2018 mini hosts various things, including Immich and my personal website.
The display attached to it has also been upgraded. In my last post, a 23" Cinema HD Display was in its place, which was sadly dying even back then. Now it's a 32" 4K LG 32UN880P that does all the work, and for only 250€, it's a really nice display.
Now onto my main setup:
Again, not much has changed, except the computer attached to it (plus some peripherals, since the old ones have reached their EOL). Here's a photo:
Like I said earlier, this setup is connected to an M2 Pro Mac mini, with the following specs:
- Processor: Apple M2 Pro 10-core (16-core GPU)
- Memory: 16GB
- Storage: 500GB Internal SSD
- System: macOS Sonoma 14.3.1
I like this machine a lot, and when I got it last year, I said I wouldn't replace it for another 6 years at least. But I kinda regret not getting a 32GB config, because 16GB just isn't enough for what I do nowadays. It's not unusual for my swap to hover near the 17GB mark (at least according to iStat), and it's not hard for me to make the Mac feel sluggish.
The displays attached to it haven't changed, it's still two Samsung S24F350s, and one LG 32UN500 (yes, I attached the high end 880P to my server, and kept the low end 500 panel attached to my main system, where I do all my design work).
My audio setup has seen an improvement last year too. The main FL+FR speakers are still the same Jamo E350s, but I've added some more to get a complete 5.1 surround setup (it only supports ProLogic given how old it is, but it's good enough for me. did I say both these setups are in my bedroom?)
I’ve also gotten a bunch more Macs since 2022. Some that I wanted, some that I rescued from being thrown into landfills. That includes (from oldest to newest):
- PowerMac G3 B&W (G3 400MHz, Rev. 1 board) / 384MB PC100 / ATi Rage 128
- PowerMac G4 AGP (G4 400MHz 7400, Graphite) / 768MB PC133 / ATi Rage 128 Pro
- PowerMac G5 PCI-X (Dual 2.3GHz G5 970fx, 2005) / 4GB PC3200 / ATi Radeon 9600
- MacBook Mid 2006 White (Core Duo T2500 2.0GHz) / 2GB DDR2 667 / Intel GMA 950 (Rescued)
- iMac 24" Late 2006 (Core 2 Duo T7400 2.16GHz) / 4GB DDR2 667 / Dead GeForce 7300GT (Rescued)
- Mac mini Mid 2010 (Core 2 Duo P8600 2.4GHz) / 16GB DDR3 1067 / GeForce 320M
- MacBook Air Early 2015 13" (Core i5 5250U 1.6GHz) / 8GB DDR3 1600 / Intel HD 6000 (Rescued)
- MacBook Air M2 13" (M2 8-core) / 8GB Memory / 8-core GPU (my old M1 was fine, but mom urgently needed a new laptop 2 years ago, and for some reason, I ended up with a new M2 instead. she got my old M1)
By the way, you might've noticed the black wrap on my white desk in the 2nd photo. It's just that. A leather-textured vinyl wrap, that was supposed to be a replacement for my mousepad. But it's peeling from the edges, and there's already a bunch of scratches and burn marks on it. Does anyone have any suggestions for a large (preferably leather) desk pad? Something I don't have to attach permanently, since I do electronics repair on that desk.
