So if I wanted to purchase a new 2011 mac mini for a home theater system would the $599 one be sufficient or would the $799 with the better graphics card be far superior. I plan on using it primary for streaming movies and housing all my music, movies, and photos.
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Which Mac Mini for HTS
- Thread starter wicked23
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Im thinking to do the same. I think the $599 one is more than enough since the old Mini ran as a MTPC just fine and this is much better. I would however put more memory (4GB) so things dont get bogged down. The memory upgrade (not thru Apple) is likely to be something like $75 and your time to install.
For $125 more (assuming you agree you need 4gb RAM, else $200 more) you get a better CPU, more memroy and better graphics.
-Rippey
For $125 more (assuming you agree you need 4gb RAM, else $200 more) you get a better CPU, more memroy and better graphics.
-Rippey
That's the dilemma they have me in as well... but for only ~$100 more, I guess I'll just make the investment.
I'm tempted to get the base one. For plex the memory should be more than enough, and then if it gets sluggish just throw in 4/8GB ram from crucial.
Looking forward to it, the increased CPU will help with plex transcoding to appleTV clients around the house.
Wonder if its worth getting the AMD GPU version though - either for decoding more efficiently or perhaps DTS-HD support?
Looking forward to it, the increased CPU will help with plex transcoding to appleTV clients around the house.
Wonder if its worth getting the AMD GPU version though - either for decoding more efficiently or perhaps DTS-HD support?
.......well for $125 more, you save yourself the headache (well not that much of a headache) in upgrading the memory yourself, better CPU and graphics. For that I would just upgrade. It wont hurt and $125 is not that much (figuring memory will be $75 with shipping)
-Rippey
-Rippey
Headache? You take out the old RAM and stick the new RAM in. Takes about a minute or less. Any idiot can do that.
difference in price in UK store
base model £529
4GB model £699
thats £170 difference for 2GB more and a GPU. Thats about $250
edit: difference in US store is $200. where do you get $125 from?
HD sound in the new Mac Mini
here the technical answer about the AMD GPU: http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Radeon-HD-6630M.43963.0.html
now we should test on Lion if you don't have issues to bitstream that over the HDMI
here the technical answer about the AMD GPU: http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Radeon-HD-6630M.43963.0.html
now we should test on Lion if you don't have issues to bitstream that over the HDMI
For an HTS . . . wouldn't the last gen be the best, since it had HDMI and an optical drive . . . and soon to be available from all the fanatics that "just have to" upgrade?
I'm not very familiar with OSX, but shouldn't be the nvidia 320 be able to easily handle it if the software is able to offload to the gpu?
I got $125 figuring you will pay $75 to buy memory and install yourself. the $75 is a sunk cost if you know you are upgrading the memory so the difference really is $125 (again assuming you are going to upgrade to 4GB anyway)
-Rippey