Should I buy an M4 iMac or M4 Mini Pro (using spare monitor)?

[ubinko]

It's time to replace my trusty 21.5-inch Retina 4K 2017 iMac with an M4 mac. I use it as an everyday machine, but also edit photos and videos using it.

The obvious choice is to just get the new M4 iMac that provides a quality all-in-one experience - the screen looks incredible, it will fit on my desk nicely, it has in-built speakers/camera and it comes with nice apple peripherals. I would get the 10 core, 512GB version, that costs £1699.

Thing is.. I have a spare monitor knocking around and there's a niggling part of me that says "use the spare monitor and get the mini-pro for less £ than the iMac and get better specs" The mini with 24GB Memory/Pro chip and a magic keyboard with touch ID would come to £1578.

My spare monitor is an ASUS ProArt PA278CV Professional Monitor 27-inch, IPS, WQHD (2560 x 1440). I could potentially upgrade to the apple studio display if they ever release a 120hz version.

So.. what would you go for? The all around sleeker experience of the iMac or the better specs of the Mini Pro?

 

[mfram]

You will probably find the text on a 27" monitor at 2560x1440 to be "fuzzy". The iMac gives you the retina experience. Given that monitor, I'd go for the iMac. You can attach that monitor to the iMac as a secondary monitor and find out! It would likely be fine for videos or pictures, though.

 

[macrominnie]

M4 Mini.

Decisions always reflect individual situations.

Are you okay with separate purchases, to get better equipment (and maybe avoiding the *pple premium)?

Or do you prefer a single purchase, with less flexibility of choices ?

If you have been waiting 7 years between updates, future-proofing is probably a small issue.

Make the comparison between the M4 imac and the M4 mac mini, with the same chip and RAM, and then factor in the chip/RAM differences.

If the video editing is light to medium duty, even the low end 2024 mac mini chips & RAM will make the video work fly compared to the 2017 iMac.

Yes, the 2024 iMac screen is nice. But with the price difference for similar specs, you could easily buy a new separate hi-res IPS monitor if you wish. Monitor improvements will continue to advance.

Additionally, OLED external monitors are coming down in price, and will continue to do so in the next couple of years. There would be more flexibility to upgrade. They are a help for graphic and video work, IME.

If timing is flexible, probably wait a few weeks for the holiday shopping discounts, in any case.

 

[Juicy Box]

I used to be a huge iMac fan, having owned every design, a total of 10 different iMacs, still own 8 of them, and daily use a few of them.

The all in one design makes a clean setup, and the displays are beautiful, to get an equivalent third-party display you would have to pay almost as much as a base iMac.

But that said, I won't get the AS model.

First, the display size is too small. I would like to have at least 27".

Second, and the biggest reason, with the cost of the iMac compared to a Mac Mini, you are paying for the display. Once the HW no longer meets your needs, the display cannot be used anymore. If App,e brought back TDM, then I would consider an iMac, but how things are right now, I would rather buy a MM, and a decent display, and keep using the display long after the MM no longer meets my needs.

what would you go for? The all around sleeker experience of the iMac or the better specs of the Mini Pro

What about the non-pro MM?

 

[ubinko]

I used to be a huge iMac fan, having owned every design, a total of 10 different iMacs, still own 8 of them, and daily use a few of them.

The all in one design makes a clean setup, and the displays are beautiful, to get an equivalent third-party display you would have to pay almost as much as a base iMac.

But that said, I won't get the AS model.

First, the display size is too small. I would like to have at least 27".

Second, and the biggest reason, with the cost of the iMac compared to a Mac Mini, you are paying for the display. Once the HW no longer meets your needs, the display cannot be used anymore. If App,e brought back TDM, then I would consider an iMac, but how things are right now, I would rather buy a MM, and a decent display, and keep using the display long after the MM no longer meets my needs.


What about the non-pro MM?

I understand where you're coming from (Apple really should enable an iMac to be used as an external monitor), but if I can get 7 years out of my next mac (which I suspect I will), that's good enough for me. Also, I like 24" - this is a bump up from my 21.5" screen and it will fit nicely on my small desk.

I ruled out the non-pro MM because I would be sacrificing the screen - in that case I'd rather just get the iMac (same specs, but vastly superior screen).

 

[picpicmac]

(Apple really should enable an iMac to be used as an external monitor)

Contemporary Macs can be used as a screen for another - but you have to use the newest couple of versions of MacOS.

 

[DELLsFan]

Related to this question: Apple displays are quite an investment. I get that they are premium peripherals - with camera and premium speakers. Do people who need or are used to multiple monitors invest in more than one of these?

 

[ubinko]

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[ubinko]

I have hooked up my macbook air to my 27-inch (2560 x 1440) monitor. It's certainly not as good as a retina screen, but it's better than I thought it would be. I could probably live with this for a while. I don't think it has speakers built in though - what are the speakers on the mini like? Are they likely to be as good as the speakers on an iMac?

I am going to test the iMac and Mini Pro at the apple store on Monday (if they have them in) to judge them in person before I make my final choice. Then it will be a matter of waiting patiently for Black Friday.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Generally speaking, the mini has a single (non-stereo) speaker that’s fine for chimes and so forth. Not good for music or teleconferencing.

When you’re at the Apple Store, be sure the mini is set to “internal speaker” when you do your test.

 

[ubinko]

Generally speaking, the mini has a single (non-stereo) speaker that’s fine for chimes and so forth. Not good for music or teleconferencing.

When you’re at the Apple Store, be sure the mini is set to “internal speaker” when you do your test.

Turns out my monitor actually has speakers (never knew that). I's also just learned about the BetterDisplay app, which can produce a cleaner image on a non 4k monitor. This makes the mac mini a more viable option for me.

Will be interesting to compare both setups at the apple store.

 

[Andrey84]

It's time to replace my trusty 21.5-inch Retina 4K 2017 iMac with an M4 mac. I use it as an everyday machine, but also edit photos and videos using it.

The obvious choice is to just get the new M4 iMac that provides a quality all-in-one experience - the screen looks incredible, it will fit on my desk nicely, it has in-built speakers/camera and it comes with nice apple peripherals. I would get the 10 core, 512GB version, that costs £1699.

Thing is.. I have a spare monitor knocking around and there's a niggling part of me that says "use the spare monitor and get the mini-pro for less £ than the iMac and get better specs" The mini with 24GB Memory/Pro chip and a magic keyboard with touch ID would come to £1578.

My spare monitor is an ASUS ProArt PA278CV Professional Monitor 27-inch, IPS, WQHD (2560 x 1440). I could potentially upgrade to the apple studio display if they ever release a 120hz version.

So.. what would you go for? The all around sleeker experience of the iMac or the better specs of the Mini Pro?

I personally think the iMac will provide a much better experience for you.
2560x1440 is a low resolution for a 27" monitor. Native resolution for the 27" iMac is 5120 x 2880, exactly double.
If you're not saving any money on the Mac mini, why ruin a wholesome Apple experience by having a grainy outdated monitor with lots of wires coming in and out of it and the mac mini?
You can just sell the monitor on eBay and forget about it.

 

[ubinko]

I personally think the iMac will provide a much better experience for you.
2560x1440 is a low resolution for a 27" monitor. Native resolution for the 27" iMac is 5120 x 2880, exactly double.
If you're not saving any money on the Mac mini, why ruin a wholesome Apple experience by having a grainy outdated monitor with lots of wires coming in and out of it and the mac mini?
You can just sell the monitor on eBay on forget about it.

I totally understand where you are coming from. That was my initial feeling too.. until I plugged the monitor in and saw that it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. This got me thinking that I could get the more powerful machine at a lower cost.. or get the base mini for way less (although I'm not very keen on 16GB RAM/256GB HD).

I have a mouse and keyboard already (I actually don't really like the apple mouse, so wouldn't even use it with the iMac), so the only cost would be the mini itself. Also, I hardly ever use the webcam on my current iMac (I use my Macbook Air for that).

The current prices (of the machines I would most likely end up with):

iMac (24GB RAM, 512GB HD), £1,804.05
Mac Mini Pro, £1,329.05 --> savings of £475
M4 Mini, (24GB RAM, 512GBHD), £949.05 --> savings of £855
Mac Mini (16GB RAM, 256GB HD), £569.05 --> savings of £1235

At the end of the day, I'm going to go to the Apple store on Monday and take a look in person at the iMac and mac mini with studio display. When there, I will decided whether or not I must have the better screen of the iMac, or go for the cheaper price and raw power of the mini. Or decide that the base mini is fine for me and end up saving a load of money.

Final point - once/if the rumoured Studio Display with 90hz comes out, I could probably bag a used (old) studio display for a good price, or just get the new 90hz one. Obviously one couldn't ever upgrade the screen for the iMac.

 

[Andrey84]

I totally understand where you are coming from. That was my initial feeling too.. until I plugged the monitor in and saw that it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. This got me thinking that I could get the more powerful machine at a lower cost.. or get the base mini for way less (although I'm not very keen on 16GB RAM/256GB HD).

I have a mouse and keyboard already (I actually don't really like the apple mouse, so wouldn't even use it with the iMac), so the only cost would be the mini itself. Also, I hardly ever use the webcam on my current iMac (I use my Macbook Air for that).

The current prices (of the machines I would most likely end up with):

iMac (24GB RAM, 512GB HD), £1,804.05
Mac Mini Pro, £1,329.05 --> savings of £475
Mac Mini (16GB RAM, 256GB HD), £569.05 --> savings of £1235

At the end of the day, I'm going to go to the Apple store on Monday and take a look in person at the iMac and mac mini with studio display. When there, I will decided whether or not I must have the better screen of the iMac, or go for the cheaper price and raw power of the mini. Or decide that the base mini is fine for me and end up saving a load of money.

Final point - once/if the rumoured Studio Display with 90hz comes out, I could probably bag a used (old) studio display for a good price, or just get the new 90hz one. Obviously one couldn't ever upgrade the screen for the iMac.

Makes sense.
Why are you comparing an iMac with a 512GB SSD to a Mac Mini with a 256GB SSD?
If you upgrade the Mac Mini to 512GB, the difference will be reduced.
However, it's still a sizeable saving. So, as you have a display with a compatible resolution, and you don't mind the low resolution, you should be good!

 

[ubinko]

Makes sense.
Why are you comparing an iMac with a 512GB SSD to a Mac Mini with a 256GB SSD?
If you upgrade the Mac Mini to 512GB, the difference will be reduced.
However, it's still a sizeable saving. So, as you have a display with a compatible resolution, and you don't mind the low resolution, you should be good!

Good point. The M4 Mini, with 24GB RAM, 512GBHD comes to £949.05, which is £380 less than the Pro Mini.

I suppose that's another option. I certainly do not like the idea of 16GB RAM - that's the same amount my 2017 iMac has.

P.S. I updated the comparison in my previous post.

 

[Fishrrman]

M4pro Mini, properly equipped.

Use it with the display you have for now.

This leaves you free to search for another display if you wish.
I wouldn't buy the Studio Display now -- getting long in the tooth.

Personally, I'm waiting for the release of a 27" OLED display, 4k, with good text quality.
(I've heard that the earliest versions of OLED look good for graphics, but for text... not so much)

 

[ubinko]

I personally think the iMac will provide a much better experience for you.
2560x1440 is a low resolution for a 27" monitor. Native resolution for the 27" iMac is 5120 x 2880, exactly double.
If you're not saving any money on the Mac mini, why ruin a wholesome Apple experience by having a grainy outdated monitor with lots of wires coming in and out of it and the mac mini?
You can just sell the monitor on eBay on forget about it.

You are probably correct.

Bit of an update (although I will still make a final decision tomorrow at the apple store).

So I've been using my current iMac with the external monitor for a while now. I've also been keeping my eyes on the mac mini reviews, etc.

I have discovered some significant compromises if I go for the mac mini:

• While my spare monitor is acceptable, it's a massive step down from my iMac
• The speakers on the monitor are terrible - I would likely have to buy some extra speakers which would take valuable real estate on my small desk
• To get a useable resolution with smooth text, I had to install an app (I installed BetterDisplay, which allows you to do this, but how trustworthy is this app? I'd rather not have to install apps not from the App store)
• You cannot control the volume of the monitor speakers without an app (Again, I used BetterDisplay)
• It sounds like the mac mini pro may have a loud(ish) fan under heavy workloads. I suspect the iMac, that doesn't have the pro chip, will be the quieter machine for my particular use cases

In reality, I would need to get a studio display if I purchased the mac mini, which would take the price above my intended budget.

 

[Andrey84]

You are probably correct.

Bit of an update (although I will still make a final decision tomorrow at the apple store).

So I've been using my current iMac with the external monitor for a while now. I've also been keeping my eyes on the mac mini reviews, etc.

I have discovered some significant compromises if I go for the mac mini:

• While my spare monitor is acceptable, it's a massive step down from my iMac
• The speakers on the monitor are terrible - I would likely have to buy some extra speakers which would take valuable real estate on my small desk
• To get a useable resolution with smooth text, I had to install an app (I installed BetterDisplay, which allows you to do this, but how trustworthy is this app? I'd rather not have to install apps not from the App store)
• You cannot control the volume of the monitor speakers without an app (Again, I used BetterDisplay)
• It sounds like the mac mini pro may have a loud(ish) fan under heavy workloads. I suspect the iMac, that doesn't have the pro chip, will be the quieter machine for my particular use cases

In reality, I would need to get a studio display if I purchased the mac mini, which would take the price above my intended budget.

Sounds like you're leaning towards the iMac more now. All valid points, except you don't have to buy the Mac mini with M4 Pro, you can just get the base M4 one - less chance of any noise. However, I suspect that even with the M4 Pro you won't hear any noise unless you're loading the CPU or GPU fully and continuously for at least 1-2 minutes, like 3d rendering/video editing/compiling etc.

I'm always for full Apple solutions rather than trying to build a system using half Apple, half 3rd-party devices.

Money wise, getting Mac mini + ASD will cost more in the short term, but I believe it might cost less in the very long term (15 years), because you'll only be upgrading the box.

 

[ubinko]

Sounds like you're leaning towards the iMac more now. All valid points, except you don't have to buy the Mac mini with M4 Pro, you can just get the base M4 one - less chance of any noise. However, I suspect that even with the M4 Pro you won't hear any noise unless you're loading the CPU or GPU fully and continuously for at least 1-2 minutes, like 3d rendering/video editing/compiling etc.

I'm always for full Apple solutions rather than trying to build a system using half Apple, half 3rd-party devices.

Money wise, getting Mac mini + ASD will cost more in the short term, but I believe it might cost less in the very long term (15 years), because you'll only be upgrading the box.

Yea fair point about the fans.

I agree with you in principle (about the mac mini + ASD), but I get the feeling the Studio Display will start to feel outdated fairly soon, when the higher HZ versions inevitably get released.

 

[ubinko]

Sounds like you're leaning towards the iMac more now. All valid points, except you don't have to buy the Mac mini with M4 Pro, you can just get the base M4 one - less chance of any noise. However, I suspect that even with the M4 Pro you won't hear any noise unless you're loading the CPU or GPU fully and continuously for at least 1-2 minutes, like 3d rendering/video editing/compiling etc.

I'm always for full Apple solutions rather than trying to build a system using half Apple, half 3rd-party devices.

Money wise, getting Mac mini + ASD will cost more in the short term, but I believe it might cost less in the very long term (15 years), because you'll only be upgrading the box.

But I do agree, mac mini with apple display is probably the better long term value as in 4-5 years, I could upgrade to the latest mini and keep the display.

I think I've narrowed down my choices to one of the following:

iMac (24GB RAM, 512GB HD), £1,804.05
mac mini base (16GB RAM, 512GB HD) + Studio Display, £2,183.10
mac mini base (24GB RAM, 512GB HD) + Studio Display, £2,373.10

I certainly won't get a mac with 256GB HD, but I could possibly live with 16GB RAM.

 

[Andrey84]

mac mini base (16GB RAM, 512GB HD) + Studio Display, £2,183.10

Wow, is this price for both? How can you get such a lovely deal?

Reading the comment above from @Fishrrman, it looks like it would be wise to keep using your external display for now, and wait for the new Apple Studio Display. However, you might be waiting for 2-3 years like this.

What I'd do if I were in your place:
1. Check the memory pressure under maximum load with your current iMac. If it starts swapping, and the memory pressure is in the high yellow range, get the 24GB with the mac mini. If there is no swapping and memory pressure in is in low yellow, or it's green, get the 16GB.
2. Wait for 6 months until the spring announcements, as ASD will become 3 years old, but the panel itself will become 10.5 years old. If no new ASD is announced, get a used ASD via eBay. I personally prefer nano-textured one, btw.

 

[ubinko]

Wow, is this price for both? How can you get such a lovely deal?

Reading the comment above from @Fishrrman, it looks like it would be wise to keep using your external display for now, and wait for the new Apple Studio Display. However, you might be waiting for 2-3 years like this.

What I'd do if I were in your place:
1. Check the memory pressure under maximum load with your current iMac. If it starts swapping, and the memory pressure is in the high yellow range, get the 24GB with the mac mini. If there is no swapping and memory pressure in is in low or it's green, get the 16GB.
2. Wait for 6 months until the spring announcements, as ASD will become 3 years old, but the panel itself will become 10.5 years old. If no new ASD is announced, get a used ASD via eBay. I personally prefer nano-textured one, btw.

The deal is from krcs (An apple Premium Resesller). They usually have lower prices than direct from Apple, but possibly the returns policy is different, so check that first. I've never had issues buying from them.

Good advice.

One other viable option - get a mac mini now and use it on the old monitor for the time being and watch out for deeper discounts on the ASD during Black Friday.

I'll check in the store later today to see if the 27" of the ASD wows me compared to the 24" iMac screen.

 

[Andrey84]

One other viable option - get a mac mini now and use it on the old monitor for the time being

Yes, this is what I meant. Enjoy your new Mac mini! Seems like an amazing machine.

Good luck the ASD also. Make sure you check both options out in the Apple store, glossy and nano.

 

[ubinko]

Well.. seeing and playing with them in person makes the world of difference.

The iMac, for me, was kind of underwhelming. Probably because I've just come from an iMac, it just felt a bit samey.

The mac mini with ASD felt really cool and fresh.. but the star of the show for me was the mac mini Pro. Man that things a beast of a machine. You can really feel the power. It really feels like a leap up from my previous 2017 iMac. That is the model I will probably go for.. and just get a decent display down the line.

UPDATE: I just ordered the M4 Mini Pro from KRCS. By the luck of the Gods, they just started their Black Friday event - 10% off any Mac + Mac Displays. That ASD is awfully temping, but holding off for now.

 

[ubinko]

My setup is now complete. This is what I went for:

• M4 Mini Pro (Black Friday Sale) - £1,259.10
• Used LG 24 Inch 4K Ultrafine Monitor- £150
• Magic Keyboard with touch ID - £126
• Logitech G203 Lightsync Mouse - £16.99
• Used Magic Trackpad 2 - £50

So, I spent a total of £1602.09. If I had gone for an iMac, I would have gone for 24GB RAM / 512GB HD, which would have cost me £1,709.10.

I am very happy with my setup. I've basically achieved a pro level machine for a similar price to what I would have spent on an iMac. The star purchase, that really helped me achieve this, was the LG 24 Ultrafine 4K monitor - that thing is Incredible value for a retina-like display.