The new Mac mini is almost certainly coming

[Micky Do]

They were not talking about a M2 Mac mini though, they were clearly talking about a M2 Pro Mac mini...

Shhh…. Don’t shout.

Folks were on about the Mac Mini Pro almost certainly coming for ages, and it almost certainly came already in the guise of the Mac Studio…… The modest price differential compared with a loaded Mac Mini almost certainly sorts out the true pro from a wannabe.

 

[gusping]

FWIW, a friend of mine bought the Mac Studio simply because he wanted 32 GB RAM. (He says 16 GB is workable for him, but 24 GB is preferred, and 32 GB is even better for future proofing purposes.) However, he doesn't need that much CPU performance or many ports. So, the aside from the 32 GB RAM, the Studio is total overkill for him.

I'm in a similar position, I suppose. I have started using up all 16GB RAM in my 2018 mini on a more regular basis. Power wise, an M2 mini would be fine, but as soon as you choose to upgrade the RAM, the price rockets and you may as well consider other options. This is certainly aided by the fact the M1 to M2 CPU jump is minuscule (granted if the M2 Pro/Max CPU count increases to 12, that may be a factor for some wanting the M2 variant).

 

[gusping]

@Cape Dave

LOL, you "Loved" a totally different first edition of my post...

For others, the gist of it was Mac mini specs...

M2 Mac mini

• M2 SoC
• 8-core CPU (4P/4E)
• 10-core GPU
• 8GB RAM
• 512GB SSD
• $999

M2 Pro Mac mini

• M2 Pro SoC
• 12-core CPU (8P/4E)
• 20-core GPU
• 24GB RAM
• 512GB SSD
• $1499

Those M2 Pro mini specs would be perfect for me. In reality, I suspect for that price, you would get 16GB RAM and maybe a binned version of the chip (10-core?).

 

[yellowhelicopter]

@Cape Dave

LOL, you "Loved" a totally different first edition of my post...

For others, the gist of it was Mac mini specs...

M2 Mac mini

• M2 SoC
• 8-core CPU (4P/4E)
• 10-core GPU
• 8GB RAM
• 512GB SSD
• $999

M2 Pro Mac mini

• M2 Pro SoC
• 12-core CPU (8P/4E)
• 20-core GPU
• 24GB RAM
• 512GB SSD
• $1499

Hmm, then I guess MM1 will definitely stay in production (and that's good). MM2 is considerably more expensive, even 8GB model.

 

[Cape Dave]

@Cape Dave

LOL, you "Loved" a totally different first edition of my post...

For others, the gist of it was Mac mini specs...

M2 Mac mini

• M2 SoC
• 8-core CPU (4P/4E)
• 10-core GPU
• 8GB RAM
• 512GB SSD
• $999

M2 Pro Mac mini

• M2 Pro SoC
• 12-core CPU (8P/4E)
• 20-core GPU
• 24GB RAM
• 512GB SSD
• $1499

LOL, I LOVE many posts for many reasons I am not so into specs so they do not matter to me. I just like new mini's no matter what. They almost got cancelled a few years back And now they are stronger than ever. My M1 is a fantastic computer.

 

[Micky Do]

LOL, I LOVE many posts for many reasons I am not so into specs so they do not matter to me. I just like new mini's no matter what. They almost got cancelled a few years back And now they are stronger than ever. My M1 is a fantastic computer.

”Almost cancelled”?

Oh ye of little faith. There have been those who forecast its demise for nigh on a decade and a half already, but new Mac Mini has long been almost certainly coming, albeit sometimes long between refreshments.

 

[Cape Dave]

”Almost cancelled”?

Oh ye of little faith. There have been those who forecast it’s demise for nigh on a decade and a half already, but new Mac Mini has long been almost certainly coming, albeit sometimes long between refreshments.

True that. And nevertheless, a few years ago MANY thought there would be no more new mini's. SO glad that is not the case. The M1 mini is a miracle. The app say the fan is spinning about 1700 RPM, and yet I have never heard it! THAT is some serious engineering.

 

[Boyd01]

I certainly had my doubts about the future of the Mini following the disappointing 2014 version and the long four-year wait. But the 2018 Mini was worth the wait, still love mine (just now completed an update to Monterey, let's see if I still love it by the end of the day 🤣 )

I understand the M1 Mini is a good machine in its own right, but if I had to upgrade today it would have to be a Studio, 16gb is just not enough memory (not to mention lack of ports).

 

[gusping]

I certainly had my doubts about the future of the Mini following the disappointing 2014 version and the long four-year wait. But the 2018 Mini was worth the wait, still love mine (just now completed an update to Monterey, let's see if I still love it by the end of the day 🤣 )

I understand the M1 Mini is a good machine in its own right, but if I had to upgrade today it would have to be a Studio, 16gb is just not enough memory (not to mention lack of ports).

Agree with you. That's my main 'problem' with the M1 mini - lack of ports and 16GB RAM. I also don't think the 24GB option is good value for money, assuming it comes to the M2 mini, as it edges you closer to the Studio. The measly single core performance increase with the M2 means the Studio will remain relevant for a while longer at least.

 

[Boyd01]

24gb wouldn't cut it for me, I'm running a 32gb Windows 10 VM in Parallels. Most of the time I use over 50gb of memory. Moot point anyway, since I wouldn't want to rely on an unsupported version of ARM Windows.

 

[gradi]

I'm about to replace my first Mac Mini which is also an early 2009 Mini. I'm way behind everyone else. lol

When/if there is a new Mac Mini with an M2, M1 Pro, or something else, I suggest you give thought to what you use the computer for. That will clarify in your mind whether a new, almost surely higher priced one is worth it compared to the current M1 Mac Mini. Considering the price of the M2 MBP and M2 MBA I think that if a new M2 Mac Mini comes out in the same case with basically just an upgrade from M1 to M2 that there will be a $200 price increase. For some people the slightly faster CPU, GPU, Neural Engine, and RAM will be useful, but for lots of people those things will likely not even be noticeable.

I carefully thought about my usage and decided to buy an M1 Mac Mini 16gb/512gb + external 2tb SSD several months ago.

Considering my computer use I figured out that the M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M1 Ultra offered no benefit for me. All the M1 series have the same CPU single core speed so little to no difference in using Lightroom Classic. Having 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores seems to be working well for me. I just do one photo export at a time so exports are already fast. The exports can make use of the GPU and the 8 core GPU seems to work very well.

I sometimes use Topaz programs and the interactive use and exports are fast with M1. Topaz uses the Neural Engine and the M1, M1 Pro, and M1 Max all have the same 16 core Neural Engine so they are all about the same speed. I just process one photo at a time, not batches.

The M1 has the 8 core CPU/8 core GPU and 8 core CPU/7 core GPU versions, but the M1 Mac Mini only offers the 8/8 version. The M2 has the 8 core CPU/10 core GPU and 8 core CPU/8 core GPU versions. Maybe if there is an M2 Mac Mini it will only have the 8/10 version. Assuming Apple just replaces the M1 with the M2 and uses the same case, same ports, etc. then judging by the M2 MBP and M2 MBA the price will likely be $200 more.

Lightroom Classic and Topaz already run fast enough on my M1 so any small increase in speed with M2 would not gain me anything and almost surely not even be noticeable.

Here is the basic info for the current Apple Silicon SoCs:

M2 8-core (4P/4E) 8-core 16-core 100GB/s 8GB / 16GB / 24GB
M2 8-core (4P/4E) 10-core 16-core 100GB/s 8GB / 16GB / 24GB

The M2 CPU/GPU cores are faster than the M1 family CPU/GPU cores and the M2 Neural Engine is faster than the M1 Neural Engine. M2 memory is also faster than the base M1 memory.

 

[Maximara]

Closes with teaser statement about a Spring 2023 preview of the first ASi Mac Pro...?

I have to wonder if Apple isn't going to actually have an announcement of the Mac Pro in October but it won't come out til 2023 — so they get their 2 years window and also have enough time to work out any kinks in the design (what seems to have put it on hold so far)

 

[gusping]

When/if there is a new Mac Mini with an M2, M1 Pro, or something else, I suggest you give thought to what you use the computer for. That will clarify in your mind whether a new, almost surely higher priced one is worth it compared to the current M1 Mac Mini. Considering the price of the M2 MBP and M2 MBA I think that if a new M2 Mac Mini comes out in the same case with basically just an upgrade from M1 to M2 that there will be a $200 price increase. For some people the slightly faster CPU, GPU, Neural Engine, and RAM will be useful, but for lots of people those things will likely not even be noticeable.

I carefully thought about my usage and decided to buy an M1 Mac Mini 16gb/512gb + external 2tb SSD several months ago.

Considering my computer use I figured out that the M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M1 Ultra offered no benefit for me. All the M1 series have the same CPU single core speed so little to no difference in using Lightroom Classic. Having 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores seems to be working well for me. I just do one photo export at a time so exports are already fast. The exports can make use of the GPU and the 8 core GPU seems to work very well.

I sometimes use Topaz programs and the interactive use and exports are fast with M1. Topaz uses the Neural Engine and the M1, M1 Pro, and M1 Max all have the same 16 core Neural Engine so they are all about the same speed. I just process one photo at a time, not batches.

The M1 has the 8 core CPU/8 core GPU and 8 core CPU/7 core GPU versions, but the M1 Mac Mini only offers the 8/8 version. The M2 has the 8 core CPU/10 core GPU and 8 core CPU/8 core GPU versions. Maybe if there is an M2 Mac Mini it will only have the 8/10 version. Assuming Apple just replaces the M1 with the M2 and uses the same case, same ports, etc. then judging by the M2 MBP and M2 MBA the price will likely be $200 more.

Lightroom Classic and Topaz already run fast enough on my M1 so any small increase in speed with M2 would not gain me anything and almost surely not even be noticeable. If a new software version comes along that causes the current M1 to not perform well then my opinion can change, of course.

Here is the basic info for the current Apple Silicon SoCs:

View attachment 2057087

M2 8-core (4P/4E) 8-core 16-core 100GB/s 8GB / 16GB / 24GB
M2 8-core (4P/4E) 10-core 16-core 100GB/s 8GB / 16GB / 24GB

The M2 CPU/GPU cores are faster than the M1 family CPU/GPU cores and the M2 Neural Engine is faster than the M1 Neural Engine. M2 memory is also faster than the base M1 memory.

The 13in MBP M2 didn't increase by $200 versus the previous M1 version did it? If the M2 mini is $200 more, it will be £300/300 EUR in Europe due to the exchange rate, and I will simply get a Studio. 32GB RAM will be a nice, even if not absolutely essential.

 

[reallynotnick]

Well it seems like today Apple didn't release a security patch for Catalina along with the other OSes leaving my 2012 Mac Mini very much unsupported. It's been a hell of a ride, hopefully Apple will release the M2 and M2 Pro Mini next month.

 

[CWallace]

Catalina has not yet hit the 3 Year Mark where major version updates are concluded (though it is very close) and it is the third most-recent version of macOS and Apple historically supports the three latest versions with security patches regardless of age, so it is possible that the Catalina update is just lagging behind Monterey and Big Sur.

 

[sublunar]

The 13in MBP M2 didn't increase by $200 versus the previous M1 version did it? If the M2 mini is $200 more, it will be £300/300 EUR in Europe due to the exchange rate, and I will simply get a Studio. 32GB RAM will be a nice, even if not absolutely essential.

Agree there, not sure where the forecast of a dollar price increase comes from. There will almost certainly be a £ and € price increase due to FX weakness against the $ but I don’t see any native price increase in $ especially with the examples already given with the M2 MacBook Pro 13” and the M1 MacBook Air continuing.

There’s currently some mac studios in the refurb store - given the current supply shortages on new ones they (like the MacBook Pro 14 and 16) look insane value compared to the likely price increases coming this year.

Ironically, I benchmarked a base 14” against a 2018 6 core MacBook Pro 15” converting prores footage to h264 mp4. The 15” MacBook Pro beat the M1 pro by a few seconds and was probably GPU assisted (essentially a dead heat) BUT in doing so had to spin up the fans loud - I noted extra heat generated and likely used up more battery run time.

The 14” pro did it silently and on battery power without using much power up.

The irony here is that the M2 might do it even faster because it has a more modern version of the hardware prores decoder.

On that basis I’d probably be happy with an M2 mini mainly because it has a hardware prores decoder whereas the M1 doesn’t.

If I had the budget a refurb m1 max studio (which has 2 decoders built in) would be a great purchase to replace my 2012 mini which is already on file server duty but I already got the 14” m1 pro.

 

[gusping]

Agree there, not sure where the forecast of a dollar price increase comes from. There will almost certainly be a £ and € price increase due to FX weakness against the $ but I don’t see any native price increase in $ especially with the examples already given with the M2 MacBook Pro 13” and the M1 MacBook Air continuing.

There’s currently some mac studios in the refurb store - given the current supply shortages on new ones they (like the MacBook Pro 14 and 16) look insane value compared to the likely price increases coming this year.

Ironically, I benchmarked a base 14” against a 2018 6 core MacBook Pro 15” converting prores footage to h264 mp4. The 15” MacBook Pro beat the M1 pro by a few seconds and was probably GPU assisted (essentially a dead heat) BUT in doing so had to spin up the fans loud - I noted extra heat generated and likely used up more battery run time.

The 14” pro did it silently and on battery power without using much power up.

The irony here is that the M2 might do it even faster because it has a more modern version of the hardware prores decoder.

On that basis I’d probably be happy with an M2 mini mainly because it has a hardware prores decoder whereas the M1 doesn’t.

If I had the budget a refurb m1 max studio (which has 2 decoders built in) would be a great purchase to replace my 2012 mini which is already on file server duty but I already got the 14” m1 pro.

Oh wow, that is surprising. I would have guessed the 8-core M1 Pro would be much faster.

The M2 would be fine for me as well power wise, but the 16GB RAM and lack of ports are a minor inconvenience. If nothing is announced at a potential October event, I think I'll just cave in and get the Studio.

 

[EugW]

There’s currently some mac studios in the refurb store - given the current supply shortages on new ones they (like the MacBook Pro 14 and 16) look insane value compared to the likely price increases coming this year.

Is this in Europe? I didn’t see the Mac Studio even listed (stock or no stock) on the US and Canada refurb stores.

 

[gusping]

Is this in Europe? I didn’t see the Mac Studio even listed (stock or no stock) on the US and Canada refurb stores.

Probably. There are two Mac Studio SKUs in the UK refurb store.

 

[Boyd01]

I didn’t see the Mac Studio even listed (stock or no stock) on the US and Canada refurb stores.

There's one Ultra Studio in the US store right now for $4,499.

In the past, you had to constantly check the refurb store to get what you want. Got my maxxed out 2018 Mini that way but it took about a month of constant checking in 2020.

 

[EugW]

There's one Ultra Studio in the US store right now for $4,499.

In the past, you had to constantly check the refurb store to get what you want. Got my maxxed out 2018 Mini that way but it took about a month of constant checking in 2020.

...and it's gone.

Now I see why it wasn't listed. It was because I was looking on my iPhone.

On the Mac, if you look at the refurb store, it will show the listing for out-of-stock Macs, but the listing is greyed out.
On the iPhone (in Safari), if you look at the refurb store, out-of-stock Macs simply aren't listed at all.

P.S. They still appear to be showing a 12" MacBook at the top of the refurb page.

 

[Boyd01]

...and it's gone.

Still shows as being in stock for me. In the past there were threads about Mini's in the refurb store and different people saw different listings depending on their location.

 

[sublunar]

Oh wow, that is surprising. I would have guessed the 8-core M1 Pro would be much faster.

The M2 would be fine for me as well power wise, but the 16GB RAM and lack of ports are a minor inconvenience. If nothing is announced at a potential October event, I think I'll just cave in and get the Studio.

The encoding test was working the hardware encoder on the 14” and probably quicksync on the 15” so it’s a very specific comparison. I think the double binned M1 Pro might not be as far ahead of the M2 as you’d think - perhaps one reason why Apple aren’t bringing M1 Pro to the mini at this time.

Don’t forget the M2 has a 24gb option.

Single core performance is certainly a reason behind how responsive ARM macs feel but clearly multi core benchmarks for the binned M1 pro don’t see it pulling away from M2 that much.

It’s early days yet so I don’t think it’s worth putting a raft of benchmarks out. I think a lot of benchmarks miss the point for upgraders because of the coprocessors in the ARM macs which accelerate certain jobs. The main other takeaway for me is the boot time from password to desktop on a volume with FileVault on has been very quick compared to Intel.

Is this in Europe? I didn’t see the Mac Studio even listed (stock or no stock) on the US and Canada refurb stores.

It was the U.K. refurb store

 

[Maximara]

Well it seems like today Apple didn't release a security patch for Catalina along with the other OSes leaving my 2012 Mac Mini very much unsupported. It's been a hell of a ride, hopefully Apple will release the M2 and M2 Pro Mini next month.

Huh? Security Update 2022-005 (Catalina) was put out Jul 20, 2022. How frequently do you want security patches?! Just because the other OS versions got a security patch doesn't mean all the versions need one. Sure security patchs doesn't seem to occur after the 3 year mark but for the most part you can go the later OS until nearly the 10 year mark (from original release) on hardware.

 

[reallynotnick]

Huh? Security Update 2022-005 (Catalina) was put out Jul 20, 2022. How frequently do you want security patches?! Just because the other OS versions got a security patch doesn't mean all the versions need one.

That's almost 2 months ago, in what world is that too short? Just look at the history of patches they typically are 2 months apart, and you'll also see they have always updated the 3 OSes at the same time: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201222

This very much feels like it could be the end of Catalina.