M2 Mac Studio VS M2 Mac mini - DON'T BE FOOLED!

[@MrJamidon]

Thank you for being the first KZbinr who compared the base models of these machines. Everyone else is comparing the fully loaded versions, and I'm never going to be able to afford those kind of machines. This is exactly what I was looking for, great job.

[@DavidRiano95]

He didn't compared exactly the base models because the mini was upgraded both in ram and storage and that actually impacts how the softwares utilize resources. The Mac mini he is comparing even has two more thunderbolt USB-C ports that the base model.

[@ront335]

@@DavidRiano95 Yes he did compare two base models. He compared the base Mac Studio to the base model Mac Mini Pro, not the base model Mac Mini.

[@Evie0133]

@@DavidRiano95 The base M2 Pro Mac Mini has 16GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD and 4 Thunderbolt ports, what are you talking about lol

[@apocolypse11]

Poor people always complaining instead of working.

[@beefwantko7269]

thank this idiot for highly misleading the people watching his channel.. One of these are the "BASE MODEL" they are in fact the top tier model just with out the extra storage which cost an arm and a leg... thats like saying the Iphone 15 pro, and Iphone 15 pro max are the base models.. the only thing basic about these are the storage. The real base model of the Mac Mini is $599... thats over twice as cheap as what you are claiming. and the base model of the Mac studio is in fact 1999 dollars. so your compairing the Best Mac mini too the worst Mac studio.. and Just FYI if your thinking about getting a Mac dont forget that the monitor they sell for these is 1300 dollars... more then a current Imac.. do yourself a favor if yoru going to buy a mac mini.. and buy last gens Imac that still has the intell chip in it and the dedicated graphcis card its faster, cheaper and includes a monitor a good one at that.. the New colorfull ones are essentially Large Ipads on stands.. same processor in them check it out... its sad they got rid of the real Imacs.. becase now they can pull this BS and charge 1300 dollars for their base monitor.. and I think the Pro monitor is over 5000 dollars.

[@mattbosley3531]

I do not understand why, in a computer with 32GB of memory and an M2 Max processor, Apple handicaps it with a half speed SSD. You still have to pay $200 to upgrade to 1TB if you want decent speed from your storage in the Mac Studio.

[@regularsteven]

Great summary - before the M2 Studio came out, I was seriously torn between the full-spec Mini Pro and M1 Studio Max. But, as you point out, this is now a no-brainer. I've got the M2 Studio Max (base model), and this thing has so much grunt. The reviews everywhere on full-spec Studio Ultra's are just not real-world for most people. The challenge for me, now, as a programmer, is to try figure out what code I can abstract out to leverage the GPU cores rather than CPU. Fun times :) EDIT: Studio ALSO has support for more monitors, too. Just another little thing that could be a big thing if you need it...

[@siddantsharma3681]

is mac studio good for atmos mixing mastering??

[@Gang-25j]

@@siddantsharma3681most definitely

[@ruzaroos]

Only get the base model and let your RAM requirements dictate your choice of SKU. 8GB enough, get the base Mini. You need 16GB, get the Mini Pro. You need 32GB, get the Studio. You need 64GB, get the Studio Ultra. If you need more than 64GB, you can afford to upgrade the Studio Ultra.

[@Rotwold]

PSA: If you want to use it for work and future proof the machine (>4 years) - pick a model with a minimum of 16GB ram. It doesn't matter how fancy the OSX memory management is, having more capacity is always beneficial to the machines performance. Being limited by memory capacity will result in crashes, freezes and a bad experience.

[@sierpus]

I don’t need more power, so I’m taking mini with 16GB, not mini pro.

[@briancharamuga2907]

8GB is not enough. Excessive swapping eventually kills your SSD.

[@inspiredartphotos]

@@briancharamuga2907you are so right my IMac Pro is starting to give out of memory messages. It came with a 1TB drive and 32GB of Physical RAM. The problem is constant memory swaps has degraded the SSD Drive. I keep archiving and running minimal items on the internal SSD drive. I am really tired of sealed cases and soldered on drives. Great point you brought up.

[@Fee.1]

@@inspiredartphotosI forgot iMac Pros existed. Have you tried workarounds?

[@tvpstvps5785]

Did you say “relevation” - that’s definitely stuck in my head now

[@MartinLutherMcCoy]

I went with the mini. Maxed out. I wish I had the maxed out studio but I’m glad I have kept my additional 3k$ and I haven’t seen a pinwheel since. Nuff yappin’ now get busy and make something ✊🏾

[@gouhlgambit6296]

I have been weighing this choice up for ages now , so thanks in your video. Lots of good points. I think I’m still siding with the mini, 32 gb ram and 1tb ssd, but with the 10 core chip. I’m coming from a 2018 i7 Mac mini so the performance is literally double. I would rather prioritise read/write speed with the SSD and up the ram. I’m using this for music production exclusively so the added GpU cores of the studio don’t really give me much value, the extra ports on the front would be largely unused. So I can’t really see any extra value to going for the studio model this time.

[@jmcampbell]

0:38 I like the Mac Mini on top of the Mac Studio. They look cool together. I wonder if you could connect them together somehow to increase performance. Would this be called the Big Mac 😅

[@NeoAiR]

Lool

[@MarknSydney]

only if you put 2 all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, pickles, and onion between them. LOL

[@Worthfishing]

Just get the ultra and you’ll end up with a whopper.😂😂😂

[@OurHeroXero]

Big Mac? No Mac-Stac? Yes

[@stevens6654]

Good summary. Another comparison is more difficult to estimate - the price of future-proofing. It's a good idea to factor in the long-term usability of your computer. I was able to significantly increase the value of my gear by increasing the RAM to well above the minimum, and getting storage that anticipated my potential use. Beginning with a "base" model may not be your best choice.

[@Hairybarryy]

I picked up a used M2 Mac Studio for $1499. The listing had it with 512gb of storage but when I got it, it had 1TB of Storage! This machine is a beast!!!

[@emadalemad6822]

صفقة رائعة

[@bitMAN]

This is an amazing comparison. You make the differences and use cases very clear with no added noise to the key points. Oh man, I wish all video comparisons where like this 😌

[@fishyeggs689]

The only thing that makes sense to me is that the maxed out Mac Mini configuration only exists to entice buyers to get the base Studio instead. It's like Apple is saying, "sure, you can max the Mini out, but why?" 🤔

[@vintage0x]

2:27 wo0o0o0oah man said "reLEVAtion"

[@OfficialZay31]

😂😂😂😂😂 thought I was the only one who noticed this

[@gerardowmby7156]

@@OfficialZay31 He was thinking "relative" comparison.

[@riddym3197]

looool that threw me off - a little easter egg there

[@PeanutButterAM]

@@gerardowmby7156 he meant “revolution”.

[@drw1926]

Y’all wrong LMAO 😂 “revelation” is what he was trying to say.

[@transitengineer]

A big thank you, for this video comparison between the base model M-2 "mac mini" Pro and the base model M-2 "Mac Studio". I agree with almost 100 percent of your comments. While, the "Mac Studio" is better in performance in every way. I still prefer the smaller "mac mini" Pro profile, design, and looks. For my current desktop set-up using a 2010, Apple 27-inch Cinema LED (none thunderbolt) display. My 2014, space gray "trash can" Mac Pro sits neatly behind the monitor and my 2010, "mac mini" (the last model with a built-in DVD super-drive) fits neatly under my monitor. Once Apple added the four thunderbolt four (4) ports to the "mac mini" Pro, it became the only M-2 desktop for my future needs (smile...smile).

[@torb-no]

I went with the base M2 Pro mini, but upgraded the ram to 32GB. I simply don’t need more than that. It’s still cheaper than the base Studio, and with the ridicilous Apple prices in Norway every little bit makes a difference. I also really appreciate the smaller physical size. Makes it easier to handle and turn plug the monitor (I often switch my monitor betwen my mini for home usage and macbook for work.) In a sense I think Apple kinda charged a high premium for high-ish specs in smaller packages.

[@transitengineer]

Well, you may be right. Because, for my needs if the base M-2 "mac mini" came with four (4) thunderbolt ports, I might be looking to buy that model instead of the M-2 "mac mini" Pro version (smile...smile).

[@randommiker]

I've never needed more than 8GB of system memory with the M1 even with loads of plug-ins using Logic Pro X. This largely due to how efficient and fast the memory is as unified system compared to a traditional motherboard. This would be entirely different with CGI or very GPU demanding applications in which your average Apple user doesn't even know what that means outside of "gaming". The reality is that most Apple users are completely ignorant to what really makes a computer a complete workstation all-around in which Apple has yet to provide due the companies lack of native applications that actually benefit from GPU acceleration. Personally, i love Mac but only for audio work, at least for now.

[@johnh383]

Get a PC and feel like you didnt get ripped off!

[@torb-no]

​@@johnh383 I grew up on non-Apple PCs and I've given it more than my share of chances and the UI of the operating systems generally drive me up a wall. Additionally the kind of computer I want would typically make the kind of tradeoffs Apple make anyway. I want something small, I want something quiet, I dont' need the most graphics performance (but I do need good single perf CPU). As for value, I think the Mac mini specifically is fairly good value actually (this is backed up by other reviews as well), it's more when you get into Mac Studio or you need graphics performance the value proposition falls apart. That said, I *am* looking to get a PC specifically for gaming, but since I don't want a big tower PC but something more compact yet still powerful enough for gaming that's probably going to be kinda expensive too (which is why I'll probably have to save up for a long time).

[@mmjay7078]

⁠@@johnh383Until your pc takes a crap and you find out you really did😂😂

[@crxgator]

Yeah, I picked up my M2 Pro Mini the other month with the educator's discount, and I'm kind of like meh. It's been wonderful considering that I was on a late 2013 27" iMac for the past 9 years. But, now I feel like I should've went with the base studio. Plus mine seems to be very loud when having Lightroom open, and music playing. I filled out the survey for Apple about, and have yet to hear back from them on why my computer is so loud with just those two programs open.

[@theociba3762]

Good input - I too have the 27" from 2013 and it's crawling. I was going to get the m2 w/16 and was concerned about the same, although I won't be pushing it other then drone videos and marketing papers & Microsoft 365. The only concern I have is I won't have a monitor for the Studio or something similar.

[@AmauryJacquot]

there is one parameter that may make the mac mini preferable: you can fit 2 of those mac minis in a 1U rack, whereas you need 3U for the mac studio. that may be important in some settings (say in video trucks) where volume is at a premium

[@gfabasic]

Was looking at the Mac Mini Pro until Apple dropped the M2 Mac Studio. Ended up getting the base model M2 Mac Studio for exactly the reasons you mentioned. I also need the SD card reader so adding that on factored into it as well.

[@FoxxFire]

Just want to mention, this has been the most helpful video comparing directly the three exact system configs I'm considering. Having these benchmarks between the exact variants I'm looking at -- i haven't seen that anywhere else. Thank you Sheriff Gadget :)

[@GregsGadgets]

Howdy 🤠 I mean… you’re welcome

[@k.o.t.o.n.]

@@GregsGadgets hy. here the mini base is 300 thousand forints, studio base 980 thousand forints.

[@theociba3762]

You and me both...I am literally looking these two platforms with different configs. all week. The ultra is too much horsepower for me, but the mini as mentioned with 16GB is ideal for a business profesional and academic. Thanks for putting this together !

[@gearsgamer7115]

​@@theociba3762it's too expensive.

[@Smittron]

The push to purchase models with more cores, RAM, storage, ports, etc. has been made so easy by Apple with the current Mac lineup. For example, I sent a friend to the Apple store to buy a $599 M2 Mac mini and he left with a $3,599 Mac Studio.

[@derSTEFstef]

Omg if he actually just needed the M2 Mac he got scammed reeeeeeally bad holy hell

[@bryans8656]

The M2 Pro Mac mini wasn't an option when I purchased my base model M1 Studio Max last year. Had it been the money savings would have been very tempting, but I'm glad I went with the Studio for all the reasons you cited in this video.

[@emilsecker7881]

What do you use the studio for? How are you dealing with 512GB of storage?

[@bryans8656]

@@emilsecker7881 I use it mostly for video editing, image editing, typical prosumer usage, in addition to the usual day-to-day stuff. It's more than I really need but I like having the additional overhead. 512GB of storage has been plenty because I have it connected to a 2TB NAS.

[@emilsecker7881]

@@bryans8656 gotcha. Nice

[@c0rnd0g_19]

Same here. I had a 16GB M1 Mini and needed more RAM as well as native support for 3 displays. I was hoping for an M1 Pro Mini, but the Studio came out instead. I don't regret buying it one bit, this thing has been an absolute beast!

[@6806goats1]

Same here. My 2018 Intel i7 mini did what I needed but I wanted more ports than the M1 mini. Lost my mind and no need at present to buy a Studio Ultra but I did anyway. Refurbished M1 Ultra base model (64Gb ram, 1 Tb SSD), military/student discount kind thing. When they came out with the M2 Ultra it was like don't bother, I'm covered for a very long time. Refurb Studio display with the fancy covering but found it with the VESA no stand option. Should fit inside my roll top desk when I get it back to the house. I work overseas, maybe another year or so.

[@abrock6215]

I would chose the Studio M2 Max with 64 GB or Ram and a 1TB SSD for the type of work I would use it for.

[@grizzlypaws461]

M2 Max Mac Studio will be a great gaming machine ;)

[@GregsGadgets]

Haha it would be ok if games were optimized for mac 😢

[@bemacbe]

​@@GregsGadgets What are you talking about Greg? We have a record number of blockbuster AAA games native on Apple Silicon. Last count was 9, give or take a few, but it is still a record. 👍🏼 I am now wearing sunglasses too, as the future is looking oh so bright!😎

[@alphagodvon]

Yeah for 4K $$

[@grizzlypaws461]

@@alphagodvon base M2 Max Mac Studio is $1,799 in the education store or $1,999 otherwise.

[@ekphotography]

Once you pump up the Mini to 32 gigs and 10 gig ethernet you are not far off from the Studio anymore and certainly the Studio is a better machine. You are exactly right, Makes no sense Apple's pricing now, They should surely reduce the Price of the Mini Pro. I was all ready to get the Studio Max 1 refurbished, but now am thinking about saving up some extra money and get the Studio Max M2 64 gigs of ram and 1 TB SSD. 512 would leave me with no space just having my apps installed and plugins I use in those apps. Just in FCPX I have 120 gigs of Plugins. Apple making the Studio base models with 512 is also a joke and so 2016.

[@minigiant8998]

well the mac mini is way smaller and portable. some people like smaller thinner devices just like in laptops.

[@sly2792004]

that's just what apple wants. its why if you upgrade base mini to 16gb ram and 512gb ssd its better to get the mini pro. its why people get the MacBook Pro 14" instead of any upgraded air models. they want to upscale people. its what their whole product line is designed to do. they upsold me to m2 pro mini. I almost got a m1 studio but it was way more than I needed and I already went up in my budget for mini.

[@matthomewood]

I'm surpraised so few are commenting on the storage or lack of. I would get a 1 TB minimum. As MacOS uses its internal SSD for caching, smaller drives get worn out and have a shorter lifespan. 256GB so small and 512GB barely enough.

[@ekphotography]

@@matthomewood I ended up getting an M2 Max with 1TB Ssd and 32 RAM..

[@Nakopeth]

Just picked up a base mac studio and it is insane. Coming from a very powerful i7 27” iMac with 40gb of ram, the studio is a hefty upgrade in terms of performance.

[@ChunkyDogWater]

Its not my business, but what kind of work do you do on the computer that you chase such powerful machines? I bought a mini, i mainly work with information and documents.

[@SerPapus]

The m2 max Mac Studio is such a good deal

[@SteveDonev]

Only if you need macOS exclusive apps. For $2k you can easily build a pc that is way more powerful. The true advantage of Apple silicon is low power draw which mainly applies to laptops tablets and phones as it means incredible battery life. On desktop that advantage is almost pointless

[@eth.n154]

@@SteveDonevno you can’t lmao. You need a 3k pc to compete with the Mac m2 pro mini

[@SteveDonev]

@@eth.n154 uh no. A ryzen 9 7900 outperforms the m2 pro by a massive margin and any gpu over a rtx 3060ti will outperform the mac’s gpu and a pc with those 2 will be around $1500. If you go up to 2k you can get a rtx 4070 which will literally run circles around the m2 pro’s gpu. The only huge win apple has is power efficiency, which who cares, it’s a desktop. It doesn’t run out of battery

[@eth.n154]

@@SteveDonev where are you finding a 4090 for under 2k ?

[@eth.n154]

4070*

[@corikomiyama7492]

Thank you for this! I have been looking at the Macbook Air vs Mac Mini (I have an intel Macbook Pro right now) and the whole "keeping it in clamshell mode" while hooked up to an external monitor totally hit me lol. This helped to me to see that I haven't even considered the Mac Studio. Without this video I probably would have upgraded my memory and storage on the Mac Mini not even realizing I'd get a way better value with the Studio! Thank you so much!

[@smgumbycat]

The Mac mini M2 Pro without any upgrades is a great value. But the Mac Studio is the choice if you are considering ANY upgrade for the Mac mini M2 Pro.

[@GregsGadgets]

Yup 👍

[@sly2792004]

I got mine for $1100. could got m1 studio for $1500 but spent extra money on keyboard and trackpad. mini is already way more than I needed. I was going get base mini but for $100 more for better cpu/gpu and more ports seemed stupid to pass on.

[@torb-no]

Not if the upgrade is still cheaper than base Studio. Regardless of value, that’s still more money. It makes no sense to literally pay for more if you don’t need it. Base M2 Pro mini with 32GB is literally eveything I need. I *don’t* need any of the stuff the Studio provides. Makes no sense to pay for it. To give some context: I was actually considering between a souped up regular M2 Mini (24GB RAM, 512SSD) and a M2 Pro Mini. Went Pro because I needed a little bit more ports, memory and SoC grunt. Why should I have gotten even more than that when I simply didn’t need it?

[@smgumbycat]

@@torb-no As long as you are happy. The point is if you upgrade a Mac mini M2 Pro to 32 GB , the cost is 1699. For an additional 300 dollars, you get a superior computer. I have the Mac mini M2 Pro base model and I am happy with the performance. If the 32 GB upgrade was 200 instead of 400, I would probably have upgraded.

[@torb-no]

@@smgumbycat Everything is worse in Norway price wise. The upgrade to 32GB is equivalent to 560 USD, but the upgrade to the base studio is still an additional equivalent to 560 USD on top of that. 560 USD is a hell-of-alot of money for more GPU I don't use, more ports I don't use.

[@bennym1956]

I use my Macs til they die then upgrade. Currently,my 2017 27" Intel iMac is still fine for my needs. Was considering the M2 Mac Mini, but see your point. I like to game so the M2 Mac Studio is making more sense and possible longevity ! Was hoping for a new M2-3 27" iMac !!

[@donaldmclachlan3262]

As a systems programmer I think there is an important feature of the Mac Studio you forgot to test vs the Mac Mini M2 Pro; Memory Bandwidth. I believe the Mac Studio claims 400 Gbps while the Mac Mini M2 Pro claims 200 Gbps. If the price was equal I would have jumped for the Mac Studio. But in Canada I was able to get the Mac Mini M2 Pro + 1 TB SSD + 10G Ethernet for $1000 less than the Mac Studio. Oh, and another good test to show would be - read write speed to the internal SSD vs to an external USB connected flash drive.

[@LeoLau-ip9bv]

1:22 just wait for the new mini 2024

[@chosonminhang]

Guys, help me choose between m2 pro mini and m2 max studio Gonna use for Unity game dev (scripting and some 3d modelling & texturing) and web dev

[@Noisyhands]

It’s a lot harder to rack-mount a Studio into a 1U chassis than a Mini. I can see where if someone wanted similar performance as a Studio but couldn’t integrate a Studio into their workstation due to its size, they would go for the spec’d out Mini.

[@barkmonster]

Sonnet make a very disappointing and expensive rackmount for the Mac Studio that has less features than the 2U version they do for the Mac Mini. It’s an option but massively overpriced by any standards.

[@DVTOM]

Why are the casings different when you can get the same stuff in both pretty much?

[@Vain-Voyager]

True. Another value M2 Max has over M2 Pro is doubled decode engines, resulting in a faster export speed.

[@tonyb92681]

The M1Max Studio is in the refurb store for $1529. That is the real bargain!

[@driven01]

Coming from a MacBook Pro i9 / 32GB I thought I needed to at least match that when I upgraded. Then I borrowed my wife's M2 Air 16GB/512GB, and it runs absolute circles around my expensive workhorse. I do development (XCode), and a significant amount of video editing. I'm now questioning how much machine I need if I can do all of this on an M2 Air. Instead of the Studio, the M2 Pro might be fine. The only thing giving me pause is the limited number of external monitors, but for the moment, I'm just on my singular Studio Display anyway, so I might be OK.

[@lah_deza]

Interior designer here trying to figure out if I should get the mac mini or studio. I would need to use Sketchup, Cad, Adobe, and film editing software's. Which one should I get?

[@laurentsauvagnac]

this desk that you got !!!! do you by chance have any link to the headphone woodlike "hanger" and the small "table" under your screen ? thx !!

[@gospelaccordingtojohn8959]

I came to the same conclusion when deciding between these two machines. I would even suggest adding 64GBs in ram for future proofing if you are running pro apps.

[@chrisstromberg6527]

That’s what I did!

[@ricardorgomez]

I've read a fair number of comments and one serious omission from your video is: memory bandwidth. The memory bandwidth on the Pro is almost 1/3rd the size of the Max. Which means that shuffling data will occur with that much less efficiency. Not a big deal if you're a single-tasker. Which most people are. But if you start throwing up a couple of memory-heavy apps, you might get clunky interaction with the user-interface. Certainly if you have more apps up. If you're an office worker who does regular office work, heck, even a base M1 MBA will work fine for you if used efficiently. That is to say, keep the Google Chrome tabs open to a minimum. I used one for about a year with the only app on it being Spotify and everything worked well with the 6 or so Google Chrome tabs I had. Easy. And cheap. The only reason I see for getting a base Mac mini Pro is if you're a creative professional on a really really tight budget. The performance is incredibly good. Just be a single-tasker and you'll be fine for a good 3 - 4 years. The performance is nipping on the heals of a base M1 Max Studio and that thing is crazy fast. But the Studio will far outpace it when having several big apps up. But if you're a scientific, artistic or financial professional, the bandwidth alone on the base Mac Studio is a clear and easy choice. You'll have several apps doing some big crunching and won't even notice it. And be finishing in record time.

[@almerian]

Another thing to keep in mind is that the base Mac mini model comes with 8GB and basic M2. The base Mac Studio model comes with 32GB and M2 Max. When in the future Apple has to decide which series to include in a MacOS release based on performance, they will look only at the performance of the base models.

[@balibong]

Fantastic comparison Greg. Personally I think the 32gb ram in the studio really sells it. That upgrade alone is $400 for the mini.. yikes. By the way, your percentages are totally off throghout the video. Geekbench 6 14849 vs 12388 is an 19,9% increase. GFX Bench 145 vs 78 is an 85,9% increase.

[@JimboHutch]

Ran into the same cost comparison when going through the build options to compare, and it feels like an oversight when the performance of a maxed out 32GB of RAM mini is outshined by the cheaper base studio option with the buff in GPU specs. Would be great to see some comparisons in a few Adobe apps too.

[@sfkeepay]

A “relevation?” (02:29) I may be wrong, but I think you meant “revelation.”

[@deonlee7353]

Is the fan on the Studio louder than on the mini?

[@northridgeanimalmedicalcen3987]

Your work just makes so much sense... getting to the core issues in a clear, concise manner. THANK YOU

[@jeffloy4638]

Currently on an HP Pavilion with Ryzen 7 and 32GB RAM, which I use primarily for audio. While I imagine I could eke out similar or slightly better performance from the base Mini, I doubt it'd justify the investment, whereas the Studio would.

[@JohanSchmidt]

Interesting video Greg - thanks. How many cores does one need for applications like PhotoMechanic, Lightroom and Photoshop?

[@AllAround_Life]

Agree 💯 %. I was between studio and Mac mini upgraded version. It’s frustrating, the price was the same. Thank God I decided to spend £200 more and buy base M2 max studio with storage upgrade only. I am happy.

[@Mark-ml3nv]

Plus points for the ZX Spectrum in the background and iPod mini, Mac mini. I have M1 Mac mini, iPod mini (boxed). I also was an original ZX Spectrum owner. Saving up for my next M2(M4?) box. The Mac mini seems such an iconic design.

[@jb3cayman]

Excellent analysis, Greg. Although I don't do any demanding video or audio work on my 2017 5K iMac, I intend to purchase the $2,000 M3 Max Mac Studio (base model) when it comes out. But why, you ask. Because of the enhanced GPU performance, ray tracing, etc. My grandkids love gaming. Am I correct in thinking that games will look MUCH better with the M3 processor and that the more GPU cores I have, the better it will look? Thanks again for your youtube channel--you are my favorite Mac expert! 🙏

[@biancanera]

I watch this on my 2011 iMac still working. What do you think about upgrade for Mac studio?

[@nelsonngu]

I am stuck at a point I don't even know I should get Mac Studio base model or not. I am still rocking my iMac 2020 model with max out GPU, 40GB ram running boot camp with 5k Display with an external 1440p 165hz Acer display. Gaming on iMac 2020 on bootcamp still not too bad but when it comes to editing 10-20mins videos on MacOS, I started to see the hiccups, the lag more and more frequently on FCPX, Photoshops and lightroom.

[@Imagineyourmusiccom]

thank you very much for this review, so what would you recommend for music composition with a lot of orchestral VST instruments?

[@plant-based_papi6503]

What about the 512gb ssd on the max studio? Would it still suffer from the slow read/write speeds that the m2 max mini has? Would you upgrade the max studio to 1tb ssd or keep the 512gb ssd?

[@stephenvalente3296]

Think at the price point, the base Mac Studio should have always came with a 1Tb SSD as standard.

[@bemacbe]

$400 for 16GB of memory? Yikes. 😁 I bought the Mac mini w/M2 Pro back in Jan, and am quite happy with it. I will TRY to hold off until the M3 arrives before considering a new Mac again. The key word is TRY!

[@geoffstrickler]

Yep. Apple’s RAM upgrade prices are 4x-8x market rates. And their SSD upgrades are around 3x market rates. It’s insane that they haven’t lowered those prices since they introduced the first M1 machines in Nov 2020

[@StirfriedGerman]

@@geoffstrickler It's actually 10x for DDR5 ($36 for 16GB DDR5). Apple is the margin king ! Having said that, for non gamers, Apple's pricing is actually a compelling value proposition, be it Mac Mini or Macbook Pro.

[@geoffstrickler]

@@StirfriedGerman First off, you need to compare to the cost of a good name brand RAM. Second, it needs to be low power laptop RAM. Third, the M2 uses 6400MT/s DDR5, which carries a price premium. Also, with the Pro/Max variants, it’s dual channel memory, so you need to look at 32GB kit pricing, not just a single 16GB stick. When you compare to actually comparable RAM, no, it’s not 10x, and it’s not even 8x. It’s somewhere between 4x-8x depending on timing (market price varies) and whether you discount the cost of the base RAM being removed. Try again.

[@StirfriedGerman]

@@geoffstrickler Fair enough, but they are the margin champions all the same🤣

[@geoffstrickler]

@@StirfriedGerman Absolutely. While I love my Macs, and I’ve made more off Apple stock than I will likely ever spend on Apple equipment, I object to their profiteering and monopolistic practices.

[@devcybiko]

I love my Mac Studio - but why is it so tall? It doesn't fit under my 2011 Thunderbolt 27" Display. Aside from the expansion ports, there doesn't appear to be any difference internally.

[@migueldevela2917]

I was set on the M2 Pro Mac Mini with 32gb until I saw your reveiw. I have not bit the bulet yet on these. That said, I 've got a SATECHI Type-C Stand & Hub with SSD Enclosure and SD card reader. Plus the M2 Pro Mac Mini can also have up to 2TB w/o paying the APPLE prices. It would be anM2 Pro Mini Studio-ish. Now is it wiser if I just get the new M2 Max Studio? Price is also a factor in this btw. Thanks.

[@mikemcdonald5147]

I went with the studio and still don't have enough plug ins. I have a video cam, light bar, nas, keyboard, mouse, printer, scanner, audio interface with microphone, etcetcetc. I also have 64gb of ram as I had 32gb of ram before and would run out. The Mac mini doesn't give me the offer to go up to 64gb of ram.

[@bguen1234]

Basically, you get 25% more performance with the Studio for 50% more money, but only on multi core tasks which are fairly uncommon.

[@ewitte12]

The memory is the big differentiator.

[@davewalker5706]

I will be going for the base M3 Studio this year, with upgrade to 1TB SSD, and the 27" display, hope they come out with the space black option

[@wildeyestudios5]

I need something to work on premiere pro and final cut, mostly just 1080p files at 240 fps interpreted at 24 fps. GoPro files i believe it's h264 codec. Which mac you recommend, mac mini or studio, and which specs? I'm thinking at least the 1tb hard disk and at least 16gb ram, the rest I have no idea what to choose. I'll work just with 1 display

[@johnhjic2]

Hi, On all honesty I am find it so hard to choose a Mac Studio or a Mac Mini to replace my old 27" 5k iMac, I am sure both would be good. Bit my thinking is a £3999 for the Mac Studio should last me longer, or go cheep and replace more often. choices?

[@MannyG32968]

May be more than a crazy reason here but I like the sd card feature along with the 32GB. Works for me.

[@photographerjonathan]

Is there a great 32 or bigger monitor to go with the Mac studio without buying an expensive Mac 32 monitor. but still really good quality. for photoshop and final cut and Logic Pro. and is there an upgrade for the Mac studio that is worth getting for my needs. thanks.

[@Electrobuzz17]

If you are still searching get a monitor from benq . They are currently best beside lg for colour grading. Also m3 mac minis are coming in next few months. Wait for them

[@accentontheoff]

This video is so exclusively targeted at videographers, it should carry a warning.

[@Theiliteritesbian]

Ya i just want a normal computer

[@ezelder]

How many thunderbolt controllers do each have? This will help me determine how many video capture cards I could run without bottlenecks.

[@BenHawkinsPhotography]

I have a good question for you tech guy? Can I use my 2019 iMac 27inch as a monitor with the Mac mini studio and how ?

[@hugonot2008]

what about the noise? is there any diference between M2 Mac Studio Max and M2 Mac mini?

[@MrHitthespot]

I bought the M2 Pro Mac mini with 1GB drive. This was to upgrade my aging 2016 IMac I5 27”. I use it for light recording and light picture processing. Anyone who uses their computer for video/ picture processing, and you’re trying to decide between the mini or the studio; I would highly recommend the studio. I noticed very little difference in rendering times between my mini pro and my old 2016 i5 IMac. I was very disappointed. I may update to the Mac Studio M3. I wish reviews didn’t just cover cpu power but video processing power. In a PC you can upgrade the graphics card, with Apple you’re stuck with whatever’s built in. Sadly, I’ve seen no reviews on this part of the computer.

[@iocomposer]

I got the M2 Pro Mini over the studio for the single reason that it fits into the Sonnet chassis that I already own (duomodo model). If I went for the comparable Studio, I would have had to buy a whole new bigger chassis and just have that much more weight to carry around. So yeah, I get your POV, but for me the mini (pro, 32GB RAM) was exactly what I wantted.

[@beefwantko7269]

Why not spend that 2000 dollars on a macbook pro.. its smaller, just as fast, and guess what you dont have to dish out 1200 dollars for a highly mediocre screen.. one that runs at 60hz at that.. god mac makes me mad some times.. great products but they have everyone brainwashed because things are built out of aluminum.. or go back and get Last gen Imac that has a 5k screen.. the same one that they are selling for 1300 dollars.. and its faster then any M2 mini

[@iocomposer]

@@beefwantko7269 interestingly enough, that is exactly what I did. Sold the Sonnet chassis, my audio cards, the mini, and made more than enough money to buy the 14" MBP with 64GB RAM. Perfect for my needs.

[@cdauterive1]

How do they compare with the 16gb to the 32gb with music production?

[@Kaotix_music]

Im gonna say my peace on Apple silicon in general. For years now (since about 2016) ive been on Mac. Always the most high spec'd Macbook Pros with Intel i7 with 16GB of ram and recently with getting into cinematography back in 2020, being a dance music producer...i felt i needed an upgrade. So i took a look at the Mac Mini....but I was only able to find 8GB ram models in stock. I was nervous it would just be completely unusable for video editing and struggle a bit with music production. So I did a test. I shot a 6k ProRes 422 HQ video and put it on my 2020 macbook i7 with 16gb of ram and dragged into davinci resolve. It played back ok, but the second I added more than 2 color grade nodes? It wouldnt play back at 24 fps anymore. It was sucking so bad. Then i took my 4th gen M1 Ipad Pro with Davinci Resolve and played it back on there. After 5 color grade nodes, it still played back at 24 fps consistently. I was just so confused how this could be because this is only HALF the ram of my macbook pro. An actual "computer"....and this is a tablet? Thats when i clearly saw something was there with Apple Silicon and there was some black magic (no pun intended with davinci resolve there haha) going on. So i said "Screw it! Get the base model M2 Mac mini! If it doesnt work? Just return it!" Did a migration assistant from the macbook to the mini and....my jaw dropped. Music Production with so many software synths in a single song? A joke. Playback on 6k video? Joke. What drew me back was SSD space only being 256gb...but I run everything off a Synology NAS in my home so I can honestly care less about internal storage as long as theres enough to install my applications and thats it. Wow. Just WOW. and for only 499? On paper it looks like i downgraded in specs, but its for sure a 5x performance increase and only at HALF the ram. So yes...dont be fooled.

[@josemedeiros007]

Great review, I agree buyers should get the Mac Studio with the 10 Gigabit Ethernet port.

[@HomesickMac]

Great video Greg! I'm defo waiting for the next Apple event to see which Mac I'll be upgrading to from my trusty M1 Mini from 2020. It still serves me well, but I'd need that GPU for the video workflow of editing and exporting. It's going to be a Mac Studio if I decide for the stationery, but I'm also considering going over to doing everything from a laptop. I used to do it before and my last laptop was a MacBook Pro Intel 2018, totally maxed out but still left in the dust by the M1 mini..

[@IndyRockStar]

I bought the Mac Studio and I LOVE it! I'm considering buying a mac mini for my work computer. The Studio is my recording studio and I couldn't be happier with it!

[@mikelaicreative]

I have a Mac studio m2 mac, 12c-cpu, 38c gpu, 32gb ram, 2tb ssd. Wondering if I should sell and get a mac mini pro 12c-cpu, 19c-gpu, 32gb ram and 2tb ssd instead to save some money. Mostly do 4k 422 10 bit video editing in resolve and premiere. occasionally 3d renders in c4d and light compositing in after effects. Any thoughts appreciated

[@N1BNfilms]

Nice report, thanks. But you keep saying “base level Mac Mini” but I think you mean “Mac mini Pro”. I have ordered the base Mac Studio M2 with extra memory and 1T storage.

[@EFX-su4bu]

Ordered my Mac Studio today. Upgraded the Ram to 64 Gb and HD to 1 Tb.

[@AshleyMathClass]

What if you just upgraded to the 32Gb memory and not the GPU on the mac mini?? For more context, I'm a web developer looking for a WFH machine that can handle multiple displays and connect to my work machine remotely.

[@isaacixtupe8983]

Will they work on any monitor or does it have to be an apple monitor?

[@cristinavargas7823]

I will be working from home for medical billing and coding . Would you recommend the mini ? Or am i better off without one ?

[@sweepingmotion]

What coding? Do you run containers and/or VMs often? 32GB RAM is really nice for these tasks.

[@digitalclips]

I have the M1 mini and the M1 Studio Max and now the M2 Studio Ultra. You get you pay for, the Ultra is just mind blowing!

[@bigpix]

Thank you for this very informative video. When you take the M3 chip into account, like on the new iMacs, is it still better to get the M2 chip on these for video editing? Also, what display(s) would you recommend? Thanks!

[@spiritfilledstudy]

Do you have an entry level m2 mac mini vs the m2 pro mac mini? Would be curious if the media engine allows it to hold up for video editing.

[@TheCashman007]

which one is better for a hot environment ?

[@jackwebb5917]

Soooo. For someone that is only going to use it to browse the net, watch KZbin and occasionally download videos…. Which one is the one you recommend? Also, can these macs be connected to any monitor? I currently have a 27” IMac from mid 2010 and it’s SO slow that it’s annoying and I don’t want the 24” iMac , I’m addicted to 27” and would like use one of these with a 27”+ monitor

[@wakinglife7065]

Why don’t you get a new iMac and use your old one as secondary monitor. Call Apple and see if it’ll work. I’ve seen some videos of people using their iMacs as screens. For what you need - you don’t need anything more than an imac

[@alexkoulouris8768]

What are your thoughts between the Mac min pro m2 with 16/512 vs a refurbished studio m1 max base for $1529?

[@MarcoPolux]

Beware: "memory bandwidth"... that' is the king. No matter CPU and GPUs and all you want. . . most of the time, the "bottle neck" comes from the Memory Bandwidth... so the search should be pointed to maximizing that.

[@bryllupsfotofilm]

Can i use my Imac 5k 27" 2014 as a screen for this boxes?

[@robertrea8829]

Hello, great vids. One question. What specs should a nonvideo editing user get for a mac mini?

[@dna9838]

Beautiful fit and finish of both but…. square isn’t proportionally very pleasing. They’re just lumps on the desktop, with the logo inexplicably facing the ceiling.

[@gerardowmby7156]

Good Lord! What nitpicks!

[@fabianp3710]

In my country the m2pro mac mini with 32gb goes for 2000€ and the studio base model goes for 2400€ do you think the studio is worth the extra money?

[@alistairmcelwee7467]

I bought one of each this week. Studio mine, Mini is other half. I came to same conclusion as you've done but still experimenting with them. Thanks for exactly the video I needed!

[@BassHeadsProduction]

you like losing money to apple?

[@gearsgamer7115]

​@@BassHeadsProductionthis is true

[@locovidepro]

Hey guys, I am not technically an expert but I would appreciate any advice without compromising anyone. I still have the Mac Pro 2012 but now it is not compatible anymore with Adobe Pr, Ae or Lr and Ps. I don't do much editing and only do HD or some 4k comprising. Do you guys think the M2 Max Pro will be enough to edit? Thanks again for any advise.

[@GeeketcFr]

I'm looking to change my my old 2018 intel macbook pro (that I basically can't sell now with the 15in Air ... ^^) but the difference in France between the two base models of Mini and studio is 900€ (983$ !) ... I only edit videos on Final Cut, edit photos on lightroom and Photoshop but rarely at the same time. So the base mini M2 Pro seems a good value, especially coming from an intel Macbook Pro ... Should I go for the base M2 mini or look for a refurbished/used M1 PRO/Max Studio ?

[@kevinkrause5798]

I think either one of those is going to be much better than your 2018 Intel, but personally I would go with the Studio. Granted, that may be because I have unnecessary anxiety about buyers regret later 😅.

[@GeeketcFr]

@@kevinkrause5798 Ahah I guess yeah switching to an M chip Mac would be a huge difference and I would be blown even by an M1 Pro ^^ Seems like finding an M1 Max Studio is kinda tough right now, I'll need to check that a bit deeper lol but I get the anxiety I have the same one like "yeah a Mini M2 Pro could be enough now but ... what if I change workflow in like 2 years" ^^

[@TheSteveSteele]

It all depends on memory requirements. I needed 128GBs to run my software. So there wasn’t a choice other than the M1 Ultra.

[@bhargan]

random question. Why does the Mac Studio white light in the front keep flashing? That would be super annoying if that is the case since its in the front of the unit. Please advise.

[@BubbaPat]

I always love your vids. I currently have a MacMini Intel and have been debating on Mini or Studio for my next purchase. I've played around with the configurations and agree with you. By the time you upgrade, you're loosing out on the GPU. I too wish Apple would lower the cost of the Mini. Also, when it comes to ports, the Studio calls my name. I do wish that someone like Stachi or Qwizlab would come out with a powered base that would support multiple external drives like Seagate but without the SSD reader. I had the Stachi but the Qwizlab's model allowed me to install a 2TB SSD and a 1TB NVMe and it has card readers on the front. I find their location, similar to the Studio, difficult to use. We'll see how this year ends. If Apple lowers the Mini, I may stick with it as I've already got hubs that help. Of course, I will keep an eye on the Studio. Who knows. Thanks for your videos. They always help me make informed decisions. Bubba hugs from Texas!