Is the 2014 Mac Mini Still Good in 2023?

[@tommcelvy]

I have a late 2014 with a 3.0ghz i7, 16gb memory and 500tb ssd, using for a Plex Media Server. External WD drives, with an Anker 7-port usb hub. This is an absolute screaming demon. Got it as a refurb from OWC FOR LESS THAN $280, with a 3 yr warranty. This machine is an absolute joy, almost as much as my M1 mini.

[@skyevr]

I should look into those OWC refurbs. I've been hearing a lot about them. Glad to hear it's working well!

[@Wren4123]

This was a very specific video I was looking for . Thanks :D

[@MineTwine45]

Still use my 2014 base model I bought new for college what seems like forever ago. Mine did have the extra PCI-e slot so I slapped in a WD Black 1TB drive and wiped the stock hard drive to make my own Fusion Drive of sorts. I just store photos/videos/music on the HDD and use the SSD for light video editing and whatnot. Still a fun little machine to use today. Probably will upgrade to the new M2 Mac mini here in the future but keep the old 2014 around for a home theater PC or something. Great video!

[@skyevr]

Those new M2 minis are looking super enticing. I'm thinking about picking up an M2 MacBook Air this fall for college. I'd totally chuck an NVME SSD in this one but I don't think it'd help performance wise because of the slower memory and processor. It's still a fantastic machine though. Thunderbolt 2 is super neat so this might see itself become a PLEX server later in life haha.

[@MineTwine45]

@@skyevr I noticed a massive difference when I did the NVMe upgrade about a year ago now. Boots in 1/3rd of the time and apps are pretty responsive to opening and closing. Definitely worthwhile in my opinion.

[@skyevr]

@@MineTwine45 I'll look into it. I've got an extra Apple NVME SSD on hand so I should try it.

[@kylehazachode]

I collect the 2014 Mac Minis. I add a M.2 adapter paired with a 2tb NVME and upgrade the build in drive to a 2tb SATA SSD. I enable VNC and file sharing and install Jump Desktop. This makes the Mac monitorless and can be accessed by my other Macs and iOS devices.

[@cerulyse]

whats wrong with vnc ? (free)

[@kylehazachode]

@@cerulyse can't use it remotely, only on your same network. also laggy

[@liambreen9112]

I know this is an old comment but I recently bought a 2014 Mac mini but I'm trying to figure out what I want to use it for. I work as a mechanic so I was thinking mabye I could download some OBD2 programs on it if possible. Also I'm learning python3 so is there any way I could use it for that. I do enjoy a bit of gaming too. I'm just asking cause you seem like you'd know a lot about them.

[@VibingCat39]

2:50, When Apple invites Activision to talk about gaming....lmao.

[@frametrap6715]

I just needt this for school to do research,homework or type papers…. This seems perfect

[@pushkininlibrary]

thanks for guide! i was thinking of using it as a working desktop. but now i see, that this solution is not a mistake

[@andrewupton6597]

Hi i still use my 2014 base model as my daily driver and i manage to game on it with crossover.I have upgraded it to a 1tb M.2 drive and a 2.5 500 gig storage drive. Liked the Video by the way!

[@ezramantini8078]

Can I video edit if it comes with 16Gb ram corei7 ?

[@BuyBtc2165]

Hey Andrew I have a question. I was thinking of using this for one of my businesses to print labels off of. Do you think i would be able to print labels off this device from your experience using it?

[@Jess-vt9pn]

@@BuyBtc2165 Hi, if you use it with mac os you should be able to do that just fine. If you wanted to use windows on it then it would be slow but usable.

[@stevec5465]

I have the core i5, 8gb, 1 TB 5400 rpm model. Thinking about replacing 5400 rpm drive with 1 TB SSD. It's not bad for an almost 9 year old computer. But I am mostly using it right now to run Virtualbox and learning Linux. It's also still good for web browsing and streaming.

[@soragaskarth3194]

is it laggy for net surfing?

[@TeslaRules1856]

I have a Mac Mini 2014 mid tier model with the faster i5, Iris graphics, and 8 gb of ram. Just upgraded to a 1TB SSD and used the special PCIe adapter to add another 1TB of NVMe for the boot drive. Its now reasonably useful again as a basic family computer. The storage upgrades were not expensive at all. I like the extra storage space for home photos, videos, and documents. Should extend the useful life for basic MS office/email/browsing for another two years. It can run Mac OS up to Monterey but not the most recent Ventura 2022.

[@skyevr]

Open core has a patch that can allow that model to upgrade to Ventura but Monterrey runs fine as it is. Happy that it’s working for you!

[@ponenock802]

I have a Mac mini late 2014, 2.6 GHz dual-core i5 which has 1 TB storage with 8 GB Memory and I'm planing to Upgrade it to a NVME SSD. Can this configuration run Adobe apps after the Upgrade? I know I can't expect it to run smoothly but with some waiting period, Can it run these video editing apps?

[@geoman1420]

@@ponenock802 I run Ventura on my MacMini (2014) with Opencore Legacy Patcher 1.30 and Adobe apps. Everything works fine.

[@CGray1234]

Did you mean to put "is it still usable in 2014?" Cuz last time I checked, it wasn't 2014

[@skyevr]

Something like that XD

[@MoVisualsss]

Oh trust me it's still very usable with 4kprores and the specs are 16gb ram 1tb ssd Intel i7

[@philipslighting8240]

Dont go bellow 8GB is too slow. Never "throw" an SSD into a MAC you will damage it you must Put the SSD into machine its far safer.

[@skyevr]

Duly noted ROFL

[@macheted01]

I have a late 2014 Mini. I made the mistake of updating to Monterey. I just recently brought it back to Yosemite, and it’s super fast again. My question is, what later OS would be best for it before Monterey? I think I remember the OS before Monterey started to drag it down a bit.

[@skyevr]

High Sierra and Catalina are good choices! If you want 32-Bit app support, the most recent version is Mojave which followed High Sierra.

[@macheted01]

Thanks all. I did move up to Mojave and all is good.

[@vikalmas7445]

@@macheted01 Hi!! Is there any guide to switch back to an older OS? I did also the mistake to update it to Monterey... I want to go back to Mojave

[@finalbossediting]

Did you find any way to get it upgraded to Ventura??

[@skyevr]

There's a piece of software called "Open Core" that can allow Ventura to be installed. I personally haven't tested it but I've heard good things

[@43cleaner]

I just got 1 from Amazon works brilliant.

[@YourLocalIntellistar]

Hello Quick Question, I was looking into this product, can you run OBS on it?

[@skyevr]

@@YourLocalIntellistar yes

[@robdimond]

How did you get Monterey on your 2014 mac mini with the compatibility restrictions

[@skyevr]

It's natively supported on that model

[@robdimond]

@skyevr good to know thanks for the information ordering it now!

[@lastdidsomethingsmart]

0:48 when you say non upgradable, do you mean you need to disassemble it to replace the ram, or is it just non replaceable as a whole?

[@skyevr]

The RAM modules are soldered directly to the motherboard and can't be removed. They're part of the motherboard as a whole. If you want to upgrade the memory, you'll either have to A) Replace the entire logic board, or B) De-solder the memory chips and solder new ones on.

[@lastdidsomethingsmart]

@@skyevr damn.

[@DanL-j6b]

The ram is the easiest part to replace, just remicw the bottom cover and slide them out

[@thisisZOA]

do you think you can use OBS to stream on the i5?

[@skyevr]

Depends on what you’d be streaming but I’d definitely push the upper limit of it.

[@thisisZOA]

@@skyevr planning on just streaming lofi music with a video on loop!

[@skyevr]

@@thisisZOA it’ll probably be fine with that. Good luck!

[@thisisZOA]

@@skyevr thank you!

[@vikalmas7445]

Hi there! Quick question: I have found an Apple "Mac mini 2.6 GHz- Intel Core i5- 8 GB RAM- 1 TB HDD, Version: Late 2014" Price 130 EURO. I want it mostly to play emulator games with my kids and garageband. Is it a good purchase? Please let me know :)

[@vikalmas7445]

Never mind! I bought it!

[@alex.fernando]

thanks for the video, I was looking for it :)

[@rerelyy5667]

Does this Mac Mini can handle multiple tabs while using Zoom meeting for office work? Does it have any experience of lagging? Thank you!

[@cerulyse]

i got one of these for things that need latest OS but nvme not fitted yet, was running ok but connecting via screensharing and it hangs and crashes , 1gb ram was enough for a department server when i was a lad lol

[@prettyboybert8]

So do you think it’s worth it for school work?

[@skyevr]

Yes! I use mine for mostly school work and office work and it works great. There are some times when you have to let it think for a second or two but yes it's great for school work.

[@stevenzermeno6201]

@@skyevr could you use Adobe Lightroom and how would it be with it ?

[@skyevr]

@@stevenzermeno6201 If you're going to use any Adobe apps I recommend the 8 GB core i7 model. I didn't have this in the video but I tried Adobe Premiere for kicks and giggles and it uhh didn't end too well. But light room is a lighter weight application so with the 8 GB of memory and an i7 processor it'd probably run just fine.

[@ChariKat213]

Would this mac mini be able to handle music production? Like using Logic Pro X, GarageBand, FL Studio, Ableton, etc.

[@skyevr]

I only have experience with FL Studio and Ableton so I can only speak for those. But it entirely depends on which plugins you're using and how heavy the project file is. Lighter files, it'll do just fine and I far prefer using FL Studio on the Mac because of the better MIDI support. But if you're using heavier plugins like Melodyne, you might run into a ceiling with resources. If you want to use this specific Mac Mini for music production, I would recommend the Core i7 version and 8GB of memory. Hope this helps!

[@Zaruda]

will running daws work like garage band or Logic?

[@skyevr]

I’ve got FL studio on there and it works great!

[@Zaruda]

@@skyevr Im trying to leave Fl I need a more voacal arist platform

[@davidmundowyahoo7839]

A local Apple repair shop is selling one of these with a 1TB SSD and Apple mouse and keyboard for £250. Is this reasonable value and would the machine be OK as a media centre for stored video plus Netflix, Prime and the like?

[@skyevr]

With a 1TB SSD and included keyboard and mouse that sounds like a pretty reasonable deal. At the time of writing that's about $316.49 USD which is about what I'd expect for a system with those features. Do keep in mind that this year of Mac Mini tops out at macOS 12 Monterey and is no longer receiving software updates. Monterey is still fairly modern and up to date but it will slowly be phased out. Windows is always and option and so is Linux. But as of now, that sounds like a great deal!

[@davidmundowyahoo7839]

@@skyevr so I could run Windows on it if I wanted to? I thought that was a no no for Macs. Linux I get, tried it on a few old laptops but I'm not tech savvy or time free enough to get that working well 😀

[@skyevr]

@@davidmundowyahoo7839 Yes! You can run Windows. Intel based Macs come built in with a piece of software called Boot Camp which will walk you through the process of installing Windows. You will need a Windows installer USB and a valid license key though.

[@AOW-Vëë]

But is it good for streaming?

[@skyevr]

It is not

[@AOW-Vëë]

@@skyevr Ty, what would you recommend that’s like a mini or compact and decent price

[@skyevr]

@@AOW-Vëë Not entirely sure... Macs in general aren't the best for streaming and I'm not very familiar with the compact market as a whole.

[@AOW-Vëë]

@@skyevr ohh well say you got the big bucks then lol jk it’s cool, I’ll just keep looking

[@shyan5886]

Always buy 8gb ram..it last longer.. even until todays Mac mini M2 lowest spec are using 8gb ram as standard.

[@suekuan1540]

Is a 4gb ram version of the 2014 mac mini still any use today?

[@skyevr]

4GB is certainly a little tight for a lot of today's tasks

[@Jamesgangcreative]

Backstory: I just purchased a 2023 MM2 to upgrade from my 1TB Fusion 2014. After a LOT of hassle re: .cleverfiles, I managed to recover 400GB (not a typo) from "System Data" and now have a machine that has 850GB available. I'd like to use it with some hardware that will be obsolete on the MM2 (Intel vs Silicon). Question: If I do a migration to the new MM2, can I still use the 2014 with the old video editing software, if I keep the Monterey Op System and iMovie on it? And just plug and unplug the monitor when needed?

[@skyevr]

Wow this comment got lost in my stack, sorry about the horrendously late response. Yeah, you should be able to use the old editing software on it.

[@Tunis7444]

I just bought a Mac mini 2014 but I can’t download Microsoft office package from App Store as it says I need the latest iOS.. but I can’t get the latest iOS? Any ideas please

[@skyevr]

The Mac Mini does not run iOS. The 2014 Mac Mini runs up to macOS 12.x Monterrey and office is still supported on that version. Make sure you're running Monterrey and are trying to download the right office.

[@deemcadam4318]

Hi please help i need a power supply for my A1347 mac mini, any ideas where I can buy one?

[@skyevr]

eBay

[@faei1897]

I'm considering picking up a 2014 Model Mac Mini to help develop an Intel-x86 Mac compatible set of header files for software I'm building as part of my university dissertation. I'm already working on an Intel-x86 Windows set of header files and an Apple-Silicon set of header files for later MacOS products. However, in the games Industry I still notice 3rd gen, 4th gen minis and even some intel macbooks when I've visited places. I'm considering a Mini 7 (i5-4278u, 8GB RAM) model that's onsale for £135 right now near my house. Is it worth the investment for some xcode use?

[@skyevr]

I think it could work for some lighter-end Xcode. I would go for the i7 model though just to give you a little extra headroom.

[@faei1897]

@@skyevr Only i7 model nearby is a 2011 one with a 2nd gen I7. It has 4c/8t but it's... eh and in a C grade necessitating extensive repairs.

[@lebanonmedia7761]

can i use this for video editing ... like FCP & Premiere pro ?

[@skyevr]

Video editing would be pushing it a little bit. I wouldn't advise it.

[@stevejohnson1321]

I run Ubuntu, so I'm looking at 2012 models. I figure they're worth a practical $50, yet the auctions usually go higher. At that price I might just as well go with OWC.

[@skyevr]

Some Macs hold a pretty high value but I totally agree with the sentiment of 2012 models being $50. There's not much modern use for them unless you plan on using OCLP to put a newer version of the macOS on there or Linux like you're doing. I didn't document it in the video, but I've had pretty good luck so far with Fedora Linux on my 2014 model.

[@stevejohnson1321]

I ended up getting a 2012 i5, a little over $79 including shipping and tax. Though that's above my target, it came with 8G ram and a new-old-stock 500 SSD. It keeps right up with my 2010 imac i7, with a much lower TDP. A comparable at OWC is about $99 with 90-day warranty. These prices are cheaper than a Dell 990.

[@effingdingus]

Is that a doctor who bag

[@skyevr]

yup!

[@GeorgeCostos]

What is a super basic monitor I can buy for mine? Around $100? Thanks!

[@skyevr]

eBay and other second hand sellers are a good start. The mac works better on higher resolutions like 1080P. The AOC one I have in this video I got off of Amazon on sale for like $120. I'm not super into monitors so I don't know a lot, but yeah second hand sellers are a good place to start.

[@GeorgeCostos]

@@skyevr Thanks! Do you know the specific model of it?

[@skyevr]

@@GeorgeCostos according to my Amazon order it’s an AOC 27G2 but at the time of writing the current price is $298. I looked around on Amazon for a decent display for less that a hundred bones and one I dug up with decent reviews is the KOORUI 24” monitor. It has HDMI and VGA for connections with 1080p resolution at 75HZ. At the time of writing the price is $95.99. Best of luck!

[@GeorgeCostos]

@@skyevr Thanks so much! Appreciate it

[@DENGR_]

Intel core i5 2.6ghz 8gb ram 1Tb hdd Good ?

[@skyevr]

For standard internet stuff yeah. Don't expect much from games, video editing, and heavier applications.

[@sunnysideup-pg3uf]

Does it run Minecraft smoothly?

[@skyevr]

Ehhhh not really well. Older versions (pre 1.7.10) work pretty well

[@yanvucko7431]

Yes, it is, with the SSD Upgrade mich faster than HDD

[@kingneutron1]

Personally I would say there's no reason to buy anything older than a 2018 Intel mini these days, prices have come down to pretty reasonable and they can still run Sonoma 14. You can skimp on the internal storage, get 32-64GB RAM and use external SSDs for boot / storage drives. 1.4GHz is terribly slow for a desktop

[@luce163]

4:33 Beeschurger

[@skyevr]

Beesechurger.

[@CGray1234]

B̸̓͜͠e̷̜͋͋͜ē̵̤̉s̶̥̖̿ë̷̤́̐c̶̙̕h̷͉͂͜u̶͎͓̅ř̶̭g̴̨͖͒́e̵̞͋̕r̴̬̽͠

[@nisanthsl4953]

How can I upgrade Ram ? It have on board Ram ?

[@skyevr]

Memory on this model is soldered and non user upgradeable

[@ponenock802]

Hey Bro, I have a Mac mini late 2014, 2.6 GHz dual-core i5 which has 1 TB storage with 8 GB Memory and I'm planing to Upgrade it to a NVME SSD. Can this configuration run Adobe apps after the Upgrade? I know I can't expect it to run smoothly but with some waiting period, Can it run these video editing apps?

[@skyevr]

From my experience, I wouldn't recommend running anything above iMovie. Premiere is a HEAVY program and requires beefier hardware.

[@IPULCOLUMBIA]

Even with the PCI it just doesn’t work well…no quad-very bad!

[@mracer8]

11 is not bad! we don't need cheap shot

[@skyevr]

I'm an AMD user! It's still broken on our stuff haha

[@mikepxg6406]

Desktop not Dusktop

[@guennounefadi8589]

Playing fortnite 🤔

[@skyevr]

Won’t do it very well

[@encinobalboa]

Late 2012 is better.

[@skyevr]

How so?

[@encinobalboa]

@@skyevr i7 in 6.2. Two RAM slots for up to 16GB. Firewire hookup. It would be perfect if it had a slot for PC laptop graphics cards.

[@skyevr]

@@encinobalboa y'know what fair enough.

[@djgeorgeuk]

No

[@skyevr]

No?