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You have $1300 how do you spec your Mini?

StellarVixen said:
Built in storage is pointless with 4 TB3 ports IMHO. When that fails, you have to replace whole motherboard, and who knows if you will ever be able to recover data?

So, i7, base storage and 16GB of RAM.
Click to expand...

I think you just convinced me to go i7 and 128gb instead of i5 and 256gb.
 
dafodeu said:
There are a number of ways to spec the new Mac mini at the $1300 price point. How would you spec yours if that was your max budget and what is your use case?

I'd pick

i5 6-Core 3.0
16gb Ram
256gb ssd.

Use Case - Web Development/Design/Writing using Sketch, Gimp, Affinity Photo, Ulysses, Office Apps, Sublime Text.
Click to expand...

That is how I specced mine. But by the time tax was included it became $1415.

If I had ordered through a 3rd party, I would have avoided the sales tax but supposedly have to pay the "Use Tax" when I filed my state income tax.

If I had to keep it under $1300 now, I probably would have either done the i3 or 8GB. Maybe do a memory upgrade in a year or so.
[doublepost=1541545803][/doublepost]I also ordered a 2TB SSD and an USB C 3.1 enclosure for my home directory.
 
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sean barry said:
Base i3 + Applecare :D All I do Is surf.
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That's all I really do as well. My 2012 Mini is a refurbished base model and still works flawlessly. What was important to me was it being supported by Apple and all 2012 Mini's, whether it is the base model or the most top spec "future proof" model will be dropped support by Apple the same day.

I'm waiting for a refurb base i3.
 
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mr.steevo said:
That's all I really do as well. My 2012 Mini is a refurbished base model and still works flawlessly. What was important to me was it being supported by Apple and all 2012 Mini's, whether it is the base model or the most top spec "future proof" model will be dropped support by Apple the same day.

I'm waiting for a refurb base i3.
Click to expand...

Refurbs are such an awesome way to buy Apple equipment, both my 2012 Minis were refurbs.


philipma1957 said:
I am tempted to just get barebones
Click to expand...

Oh you mean like I said? Start with an i3, bump to i7, $1099, done!
 
StellarVixen said:
Still irrelevant when you can boot completely from external. You can even leave internal completely empty for all that matters.
Click to expand...

What about performance? The internal storage is very fast. If you want that kind of performance (and I would for the boot drive of a brand new computer), you're looking at a thunderbolt nvme enclosure and those aren't cheap. I'd pay for at least 512GB internal storage.
 
D.T. said:
Refurbs are such an awesome way to buy Apple equipment, both my 2012 Minis were refurbs.




Oh you mean like I said? Start with an i3, bump to i7, $1099, done!
Click to expand...
No just the i3 the 128 gb ssd and 8gb ram.

I have some coupons and promos at Best Buy .

I can pay 800 - 150 = 650 - 10 = 640. 6% off with cc and 7% tax.

I net to about 650.

Or I can go to Apple buy on the mil-vet store.

779 base
270 i7
1049
2% off with PayPal
7% tx.

1107 net

Gives me

i7

128gb ssd

8gb ram


It is very tempting to go for the lessor at Best Buy.

650 sell my base 2014 for 225 on eBay. And my outlay is only 425 for a new 2018 mini.

It should be good enough to go cheap
 
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tom29786 said:
Phil nice to see you posting, this is Tom from days back at 123 mac mini, I would get the base also. Then again if I wanted more ram let Apple do it, new egg wants $ 144.00 for 16 gigs, why take the chance. Tom
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I suspect that 2133 or 2400 ddr4 will work. I have some 16gb sticks of both 2133 and 2400. So I could very likely end up with a pretty cost base mac mini.
 
F-Train said:
If I can ask, why 64GB of RAM? Yours is the first post that I've seen in which someone has talked about using that much.
Click to expand...

I said "if I were buying today"... then I pointed out that I don't plan to buy for another year or so. I need to do more research during that time, but this machine would be specifically for video/audio editing and I recall seeing that Final Cut Pro makes good use of additional RAM. But I could be wrong. ;)

I am also operating under the assumption that installing you own RAM would void the warranty, and I would not want to do that with an expensive machine. We will learn more about all this in the coming days. If it turns out that RAM installation is easy and involves little or no risk, then I would just get a minimum amount and add my own as needed.
 
Absrnd said:
I'll would wait until iFixit have taken the new Mini apart, to see if the Ram can be upgraded,
then you could spec the SSD or processor higher, and add more Ram later.
Click to expand...
That is what I will do too.
RAM is one I will upgrade later.
 
i3 - $799
16GB memory self-installation - $150
Samsung T5 2TB - $400
Total $1350
 
thisismyusername said:
What about performance? The internal storage is very fast. If you want that kind of performance (and I would for the boot drive of a brand new computer), you're looking at a thunderbolt nvme enclosure and those aren't cheap. I'd pay for at least 512GB internal storage.
Click to expand...


The way I look at it you are plunking down a decent amount of cash no matter what. I've always kicked myself hard a few years down the road when I tried to save a few hundred dollars for a certain upgrade because it seemed too much at the time. I have a 2012 Macbook Air and I thank the stars to this day that I went for the 256GB model. I understand its a bit different with a laptop but still glad I did that.

If I was really trying to save $$ I would wait for a sale from a place that has no sales tax.
 
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