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

Apple now has multiple desktop options that range from the Mac mini to the Mac pro and with the introduction of a new mid-level desktop, the Mac studio, the decision between picking between those desktops might be harder than it seems. However, is the new base model Mac studio really worth $1300 more than the Mac mini, or should you just save your money?
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[@GregsGadgets]

Any comment claiming to be a giveaway from me is a scam. Please do not give out any personal information to these people. Always looks for the checkmark next to my channel name to know if it's actually me.

[@aninditabasak7694]

KZbinr ThioJoe has a tool to report the bots which all KZbinrs should implement.

[@mindright9771]

Good to know. I got one of those but didn’t think my comment was really that worthy of a prize. 🙂

[@mindright9771]

I have an M1 Mac Mini with 16GB RAM and 512 GB SSD and it is perfect for my use case of web development and graphics work using the Adobe Suite of creative apps. I have no buyer’s remorse at all. The M1 Mac Mini is more power than I need and should work for me for a very long time. Your comparison is right on point.

[@ThatBigCactus]

Does the fan ever get going? I have bad tinnitus and hate how easy the fan gets going on my 2019 intel MBP. Really want to upgrade. I also use adobe suite in addition to Ableton live

[@abhi1ism]

@@ThatBigCactus I’ve had it for a year and have never heard the fan. I have tinnitus too..

[@KeenCanines]

What monitor do you use with it?

[@abhi1ism]

@@KeenCanines LG 27UK-850

[@bensmith1730]

I have the same work load and the same configuration besides 1T SSD. It never let's me down. The only thing I would love is for 32GB of RAM. In saying that, I really have to work it to push it for that to become a real issue. If you want more peripherals, look at the satechi or hagabis (personally use the hagabis).

[@KrishGoyal03]

Seriously Greg, I was in my worst mood today but seeing your humour and smile made me feel a lot better. Your videos are a delight to watch😊

[@drsmith1988]

Great job, Greg! The only thing, I would add, is that due to the small port selection on the Mini, it is easy to run out of ports. I have multiple drives for backup, etc. I would have to buy a dock and an SD card reader. This could easily become $200+ dollars. I think that the M1 Pro chip in a Mini would be right for me. I like to point out that the M1 pro chip on the MacBook Pro laptops are about $600 less (M1 pro 16 GB 1TB vs M1 Max 32 GB 1TB 24GPU). So, I'm hoping Apple will have an M1 Pro (10 CPU, 16 GPU, 16 GB, 1 TB) for about $1299. 3 TB, 2 USB C , 2 USB A ports with SD card Reader. This would make me very happy.

[@bamber119]

Ok so I looked at the studio hard and still decided to buy the 16gb mini instead. I only use 100mb video and no more than 20 tracks for music production so the studio would be overkill for me. My attitude is that if the mini was good enough for the past year for most KZbinrs then it will be good enough for me. :)

[@jeffhale1189]

Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed your comparison. Blessings on your day!

[@JDFloyd]

Great video. This is becoming a very common topic this past week. Each time I see a similar video, I post the following; I waited to retire my 2012 cMP when I heard the rumors of the "Mac Mini Pro". Well, after the arrival of the Mac Studio, I realized my workflow does not need one, and I just bought a maxed out M1 Mac Mini, used the saved money to buy an OWC Stax, and a few other accessories. When or If a Mac mini, with an M1 Pro comes out, I will trade up for that.

[@aninditabasak7694]

Or M2 Mac mini.

[@MrkNfr37]

I am waiting for the mac mini with the m2 chip or with the m1 pro chip potentially like an in between mac mini and studio around $1100-$1200

[@Kempire]

Mac mini is definitely powerful but this will depend on your own usage. I thought the 16GB would be powerful enough for me but I do editing and streaming. I have pushed it to the limit. This MAC Studio is the perfect in between normal usage and pro usage.

[@AdolfoAguilarVideos]

How’s the streaming being so far? Have you have any struggles?

[@Composercleo]

@@AdolfoAguilarVideos Curious about this also

[@randomguy6328]

^

[@elituray]

@@AdolfoAguilarVideos streaming two 1080 camera feeds plus an audio input via SLOBS if fine. No issues at all

[@snowshoes5942]

I bought a 2017 Mac Mini. It has all the power I need for editing and streaming.

[@GillisGil]

Excellent explanation! Thanks-

[@RameshKumar-ng3nf]

How well Greg explains so nice as always ❤️👌. No annoying background music noises. Direct to the point 👌 & detailed info as well. Helps a lot viewers to decide which one to purchase . Thanks Greg 🙏🏻

[@AtrusDesign]

Good video, thank you, it really help to have a good idea about these machines.

[@AD7Films]

Very good comparison, this helps me, love it!

[@TheDisBeat]

I opted for the standard Mac mini m1 and have had zero issues and it flies for everything I do. Multiple monitors and no issues with Bluetooth either. Absolutely love it but now looking for a MacBook for portability

[@MarbsMusic]

Dang you Greg! Posted earlier while watching but your video pushed me over the edge! They had a base model at the local Apple Store so I went and got it rather than a mini. I can't max out my M1 Pro yet with FC and Logic but I guess I'm good for a few years now with the Studio! Thank you for the video... now Tim just needs to float you some cash from my purchase and others who watch it!

[@MarbsMusic]

Very helpful... I still don't know what to get, I really want the Studio for futureproofing but don't want to spend the extra $$$ as I bought a 16" Pro upon release...

[@yoyo50515]

as a real estate developer i find my self drawn to the studio coming from a PC tower i dont want to be limited in the next 5-7 years. and it will more then pay the difference its all in what you are doing and what you think you will be doing like houses if you may want to size down in the future its easier to sell big and buy small then buy small and sell for big its all economy of scale

[@BlackMan614]

I'm into audio and its all about the ports. I would have to buy a $300 OWC thunderbolt dock for the Mac Mini to work. Plus... can't get over 16GB memory - not a big deal now but could be in 3-4 years. So yeah... the extra $600 is worth it.

[@edmoss2020]

Great job with this video..thanks

[@mcronfpv8736]

Moving from base mini to base studio next week. Can't wait! fcpx video editing h265 4k, 5.7k and prores raw 5.9k.... I'll use the additional power and ram :-)

[@teaearlgrayh0t]

I do need more than two monitors. I have Dell 4320 Ultrasharp and two 24" 2K monitors on sides, can't wait for my Studio to arrive.

[@brucekennedy5274]

If I’d jumped on the M1 mini when it came out I have no doubt I’d still be v happy. As it is, I waited for the fabled Mini Pro that still hasn’t showed up. So I went for the base Studio Max - a massive upgrade for me, but still really good bang for buck imo, and one that will see me though for several years into 4K editing and beyond. (tho who the heck needs 8k video is still beyond me!)

[@TheVikingRaid]

same i expected a mac mini with an m1 pro. going to get a mac studio for more gpu intensive work / docker containers and wait for the m2 mba for portability and lightweight web development

[@cameraprepper7938]

In 5 years time 8K will be the norm, but I just do not get why youtubers make videos in 4K, I watched this in 480 ! Only rarely I watch in 1080.

[@brucekennedy5274]

@@cameraprepper7938 haha yeah folks will be complaining 6” phone screens only have 4k resolution.

[@cameraprepper7938]

@@brucekennedy5274 I do not need video, I only need very high quality still photo, which NO phone have today ! I would love a phone with a high resolution EVF !!! 2.5" screen will be enough for me. I hope some day camera makers will kick back at phone makers and make CAMERAS with phones !

[@drewschempf944]

Not sure if you know about pro logic but the 2012 Mac mini is great for it. I want to go base studio with ram upgrade. Am I getting a major upgrade or no?

[@rjackyl]

I have been using 27inch iMac2017 for 4 years now for purely office stuff. I have been thinking of an upgrade but skipped 2021 24inch Imac - I think smaller display would be a real downgrade for me. Now, here is a thing. Should I keep on waiting for a new 27-inch Imac (could take years for it to show up) or should I buy now a new StudioDisplay with just Mac Mini? (I think I dont need a Mac Studio spec for my office work)

[@matthewst.george6603]

which one is better for recording music in the studio? Will the mac mini be good enough?

[@user-ss6zt2mo1l]

What I did was bought a refurbished Dell workstation, for $350 and a 2 TB SSD HD. I then installed Linux Manjaro with the KDE desktop. Now all of my software is free and opensource. I made my desktop look like a mac desktop. Manjaro is leading edge software for $0. I cannot afford $2-4K for just the computer alone. Open source software for photography and video editing is free. I also have a mac mini thats a decade old and an iPhone 10. I gotta put my Son through college. Its 68K a year. I do love Apple but maybe in 5 years when i can afford it.

[@ias3068]

Mac mini with 16 Gb is min spec one needs, it is very good price for performance. Mac studio is the one to pick for future proofing and if money is not an issue.

[@FromDesertTown]

Check out the Satechi USB stand. It gives you a full SD slot and lots of other ports on the front, and perfectly matches the look and feel of the mac mini (or mac studio).

[@MikeSinclairDJServices]

I bought a Satechi and it slowed WAY down and started dropping connection... of course, just over the 30-day return policy :( ... not impressed with Satechi.

[@thevinylpimpFloridaBreaks]

Whats the best model for live streams while running serato dj software? was thinking 2 minis are still less expensive than 1 studio.

[@holdmyown32]

I have a 16gb m1 air and with a few safari tabs, capture one, and a few a7riv PSDs open in Photoshop I'm usually at 10-15gb swap being used. Performance is still solid with the occasional hiccup, but I'm uncertain what this will to to the lifespan of the SSD. This has me wanting to go 32gb on the base studio and just upgrade the storage to 1tb.

[@aninditabasak7694]

You could get an M1 Pro MacBook Pro 14 inch with 32GB memory.

[@tryggviedwald1542]

Very helpful, thank you. Many reviewers and commenters doing video editing; how about machine learning - anyone using the M1 with large (or any size) Tensorflow models? Any evaluations?

[@milehighed52801]

Great video, Greg! I think you did a excellent job with comparing and contrasting these two Macs. It will help my son out. He’d rather hear it from a KZbinr like yourself rather than from his old man. So, thanks! I agree that if you’re a beginner with video or photo editing, the Mac mini will get the job done. If you are a mid-tier video editor, perhaps a 16GB Mac mini with a 1TB SSD is a better choice. And if you are a heavier video editor, then the Mac Studio makes more sense, if you can afford it. But there’s the time = money thing. So, that might help justifying its purchase. I think upgrading the storage on the base Mac Studio to at least 1TB or more from the standard 512GB would be a good move depending on your budget.

[@aninditabasak7694]

1TB SSD and 16GB memory M1 Mac mini. I literally spit out my coffee seeing that you wrote 1GB SSD.

[@milehighed52801]

@@aninditabasak7694 🤣🤣🤣 Brain fart, especially when you’re on low sleep. Was trying to multitask, bad idea. Thanks for the catch! Fixed it! 🤣🤣🤣

[@roadtripmitch]

This is excellent Greg! I'm about to upgrade from my 2013 27 iMac for Lightroom and Photoshop and looking for alternatives. Safe Travels!

[@TheKayakCrew]

I want a Mac primarily for fairly low end video editing for KZbin and my website. This is about the only taxing activity I will use it for. I will probably use iMovie or Final Cut Pro. Do you think the Mac Mini 16GB will be enough? I would only want to connect 1 or maybe 2 displays which I guess I would connect via the HDMI / Thunderbolt 4 ports? I would also want to connect an external hard disk RAID enclosure which I guess would be via USB A port? To put it in context, I’ve been using iMovie on my iPhone 12 Pro Max to create my first few KZbin videos and have managed so far! My Windows desktop pc is about 11 years old but still ok for general use.

[@whiskeytango9769]

I shelled out $5k for the Mac Studio with the 20 core CPU, 64Gbytes of RAM, and a 1Tbyte SSD. It's way more than I need, and it performs great...but I plan to keep it for a decade, and I want it to be a top performer at least 5 years from now. I have had it a month, and I could not be more pleased.

[@andrewcrossley2448]

Thanks for a great video. I was in a dilemma, as I needed to drive my new Studio display at home and my trusty Dell 2715Q. My work as an engineer at a university means that I have a 16/512 MBP13 from there which is great for 90% of my professional needs, especially with the excellent StarTech hub that drives a pair of 4K displays. Unfortunately, that dock does not work with my 5k studio display and the Dell. I use an MBP16 i9 personally for AV etc which does drive both but I don’t want to keep tasking it with Uni work. The MBP16 can easily drive both the Studio display and Dell but fan noise is noticeable even when working on Teams meetings. To save desk space and battery life on my MBP16 I’ve just invested in a 16/256 Mac mini from the refurb store as that’s a perfect machine to drive the 2 screens described. At nearly 1/3 the cost of the basic Studio machine I think it’s my best option as an interim measure. I did consider selling my MBP16 and getting a new MBP16 M1 or asking my Uni to get me one as an upgrade. As my Uni MBP13 is light, high spec and they gave me the StarTech dock they are not keen to spend another 2.5k. I’m also not a fan of carrying around a 2kg high value Mac in and out of work as it involves about 2 miles of walking including hills etc. Hence my idea to set up a Mac mini as my home desktop and keep my MBP13 and the docks at work now. Given we are Microsoft power users online I can still access all my work remotely and do the advanced engineering and AV work stuff at home too on a Mac mini. If it works for a year or two or until I retire that’s fine by me and it saves my back. The only tech I now carry in and out of work is a basic new iPad they gave me with my own Smart Keyboard. For an hour on the bus each way I can review papers or even read a newspaper or a kindle book. Saves me back ache too…. I may even buy a carry case for the mini for when I go out and about on personal AV projects. Uni gave me a great Asus 15.6 IPS screen which will work with the mini as well. On thing I will sing the praises of is the incredible battery life of the MBP13. It’ll work all day as I move around the university and drive the Asus as a useful second screen for working with students in tutorials and practicals. I guess I’m lucky to have access to all this kit but I’m teaching the next generations of engineers so need the best gear for this.

[@rherteux]

I have the mini with 16/512 and it has been fantastic, but the Bluetooth cutouts are a real thing...I couldn't listen to music on it with my AirPods. Just recently decided to get a Studio mainly for more ram for my Windows apps running in Parallels.

[@helmar_rudolph]

Apple's Bluetooth sucks. Same here on my MBP 2017 connecting to Bose Revolve +. The cutouts are atrocious.

[@rherteux]

@@helmar_rudolph The Studio has definitely helped the situation but it's not gone entirely. I agree, Bluetooth is one of the most frustrating things for me with Apple products, even using AirPods. My Windows desktop seemed to be more reliable with BT. Strange.

[@benderocks788]

Hi Greg, do you know if the Mac Studio base model slows down EXTERNAL SSDs like the Mac Mini M1 apparently does? If you test this, do you get a much slower EXTERNAL SSD speed than the advertised speed of that given external SSD?

[@GregsGadgets]

Yes base model speeds are slower. You need 4 or 8tb for max speeds.

[@benderocks788]

@@GregsGadgets Greg, are you talking about the INTERNAL SSD? I'm talking about EXTERNAL SSDs! Like a T7 or Sandisk Extreme! On M1 Mac Mini they run much slower than their advertised speeds, apparently due to the controllers of the Thunderbolt ports of the Mini. I was wondering if it's the case with Mac Studio M1 MAX too, hence my question.

[@TheGraceConnection]

Thank you for using the 8gb Mac mini! Everyone has been comparing it to the 16gb.

[@impatrickt]

I'll send you the charts

[@paulrine7447]

i still use a 2014 mac mini with a core i5. the only reason i am going to upgrade to the newer mac mini is so that i can use the mac studio monitor however, that is becoming more unlikely because i am finding more monitors out there that are as good or better for less. I will still upgrade to the new mac mini though.

[@giddue]

hi! Is the usb c port of mac studio faster than mac mini's ones? Mac mini usbc is slower than normal.

[@clivewuest8529]

Very interesting video Gregg. As someone who just use’s Lightroom Classic and Photoshop for editing photos only I think the Mac Mini with the Studio monitor will be more that enough for me, especially coming from. 2016 27” iMac. That would be a big upgrade in itself, plus I have to be honest I prefer the small form factor of the mini.

[@ISawSomethingOnTheInternet]

I’d reconsider that monitor choice. It hasn’t gotten the best reviews.

[@joseluisrodriguezritte2734]

@@ISawSomethingOnTheInternet any suggestions?…

[@ISawSomethingOnTheInternet]

@@joseluisrodriguezritte2734 I bought an Eve Spectrum with the glossy screen, but am waiting for it still. It’s $1,046 out the door with a vertical height adjustment stand and is supposed to have great color accuracy (for graphic design primarily). There’s a new Samsung M8 for an even cheaper price point. Both are 4K alternatives (not 5k), so IDK if it will be a visible difference. We also have a Luma Display that allows us to use an old 5k iMac as a secondary display. Not sure what’s best but all of the above are cheaper, professional options. And to be honest at the higher cost of the Apple Display at still only 60Hz, I would rather just wait for a micro LED or OLED from any other company to come out. Apple still has the best integrated speakers though.

[@joseluisrodriguezritte2734]

@@ISawSomethingOnTheInternet i'll look into it... thanks!!

[@roadtripmitch]

Ha ha I too use LR & PS with a 2013 27 iMac and am ready for an upgrade. I'm thinking Studio to assure all the expending Adobe updates stay in check. Has anyone used a benQ monitor? They seem to always come up for good photo editing monitors, and you can calibrate them. Thanks for your comment Clive.

[@VenoStuff]

Is there any rumors about M2 Mac mini coming in WWDC? I usually edit 1080p videos to my second channel and my current 2015 base model MBP isn’t good for that anymore.

[@LoveThatRod]

Do either run Windows, Excel(real Excel), PowerPoint, Java apps, or ETrade’s MarketCaster?

[@RiannaNicole]

Yea I still love my Mac mini with the m1 chip, upgraded to the 16 GB of ram and 512 GB of storage. For my simple needs, i basically future proofed myself to an absurd amount.

[@aninditabasak7694]

16GB is enough for light to moderate music production. I have an M1 Mac mini with 16GB RAM.

[@FromDesertTown]

Awesome, that should last you a good 8 years at least. I'm still rocking a 2014 mini, and it still runs uber fast for simple stuff (mostly because I replaced its hard drive with a modern M.2 SSD).

[@DerekDavis213]

@@FromDesertTown Your old Mini is upgradeable, that is awesome. The new M1 Mini has *ZERO* upgrades. In a few years, it's basically a doorstop.

[@roxville]

Hahaha at 4:40 I was JUST thinking that! Hilarious! 😃

[@undermarks]

look how much of a performance increase do I get running FCP on the m1 vs late 2015 intel imac 27" 3.2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5?

[@paulbarsa6035]

My 2014 Mac Mini has 16GB of RAM and as a home computer using it for web / mail / photos / iMovie / Photoshop /etc, it still feels like I have to manage my apps to keep from using all the RAM. I want 32GB and I wish there was a Studio M1 Pro w/ 32GB for $1400-1500. Or a Mac Mini M1 Pro with 32GB for $1300-1400. I do like the extra ports of the Studio and the card reader but agree I won't use the computer to get those multi-core benchmark results, and am a bit miffed that there is a consumer model and pro model but no prosumer model.

[@dc99yt]

The studio has socketed SSD storage, if when your storage fail in the future, it can be replaced very easily.

[@edtepperphotoart2264]

When the MBP's came out with the m-1 pro and max chips I was toying with upgrading to one of those. I waited hoping to see a mini with the M-1 pro chip and wishfully an SD card slot. I also wanted more than 16 gigs memory. oh well. When the studio was announced I decided to bite the bullet and get the base model with 1T SSD. It's probably more than I need but what does need have to do with it . According to UPS, it should be delivered tomorrow. I use my 2016 MBP as a desktop 95% of the time and will still have it when I need it and I saved $1,000 by getting the Studio vs an equally spec'd MBP. Thanks for your videos.

[@lastdimestudios]

Loving this as I have the base level Mac mini.

[@superagent7063]

What about multi-tasking.. does having more cores translate to better performance when utilizing multiple single core applications at the same time? 🤔

[@DKGCustom]

How can I see if software is running on single or multi core?

[@619WWEFAN]

Greg with 2 mac studios = Greg so rich he uses $100 bills for toilet paper

[@joeyglasses4050]

You actually can hook up 3 monitors to the mini also. 1 HDMI, 1 thunderbolt and the 3rd screen is airdropped via apple tv! Flawless on my 2012 mini 16gb ram!

[@emilholmsten8600]

Would love to see real life test! Workflow test! Render times are irrelevant in my opinion! How is it to scroll through a project filled with many layers in adobe! How is it to max it out in ableton or logic with vst plugins? All these benchmark tests are somewhat misleading

[@6806goats1]

Still using the i7 8600 6 core Intel mini, 32 GB ram, 1TB SSD, 1 GB NIC as my primary computer and other than occasional fan noise it does ok for basic work. Not creating videos or any detailed work requiring more power but the Studio looks like a good upgrade. Why I'm drooling over the Ultra which doesn't make any sense, I still want one. But if I keep myself in check (doubtful) and buy the Max, what items must be replaced to get a new system up and running? Talking about items like numeric keyboard, trackpad, mouse and last, the Thunderbolt display from 2015. I would lose touch log on and locked to 2k viewing staying with my current setup but will the Studio Max function with older gear? Idea is based on mailing less stuff back home to the US when I finish working overseas. I can make further upgrades after that but just wondering about one item at this time. Staying with my current mini system is the most logical choice but I'm getting itchy fingers buying more toys. Might be better to upgrade from my 2015 15" MBP to a new 16" but I hardly use it. Going to a 2 TB OWC SSD sure sped the beast up. Bla bla bla.

[@Flushleft37]

Does anyone else have issues with a high pitched whistling noise coming out the back of the Max Studio? It's driving me crazy and I don't know what to do. It happens even when there's basically no programs running.

[@ericfielding2540]

I have an iMac Pro from 2018 that I have been waiting to replace. The Mac Studio is finally an upgrade (with Studio Display of course). I already have 64 GB RAM and 4 TB SSD, so no way to go for Mini.

[@stevewright1539]

Ports, memory, standard 512GB storage, front ports and speed might make it worth saving to make the jump to the Studio. Waiting for the mini to be upgraded before pulling trigger on Studio. I can wait.

[@ghost-user559]

Just get the Studio. Once you upgrade a mini (hit the Ram limit of 16GB) and upgrade the ssd, you are already at base model Studio prices. And you get way more ports, twice the ram, twice the storage, twice the ports. It’s just definitely the best value base model they will sell. Even a “pro” mini will still likely be 1299$ and require another 500$-600$ for storage and ram upgrades. It will still circle back to a base model Studio. That’s just how Apple builds their marketing and product funnel.

[@DerekDavis213]

The Studio does not have a headphone jack up front. The Studio does not have a USB-A port up front. There are tons of devices that plug into a USB-A port. Those are major drawbacks of the Mac Studio. ARM processor is another drawback, because Boot Camp with 100% Windows software compatibility is gone.

[@LivingInTheOklahomaCityMetro]

thank you!!!

[@paulharrison8379]

Apple always put too little flash memory in their base model iPhones and Macs. I would recommend buying the base model of the Mac Studio but with 1 or 2 Tb instead of the default none upgradable 0.5 Tb of Flash memory. One additional advantage of buying a larger SSD that I discovered is that the larger Apple SSDs are faster.

[@PolluxChung]

The M1 Mini (w/ max RAM and a slight storage upgrade) is a tough one to beat consider the price. Been using it for over a year and still is rocking. If I was still using the Trash Can™ I definitely would go straight to the Mac Studio. But from the upgraded M1 Mini to the base Studio...I am not very sure.

[@DerekDavis213]

When you say 'max RAM', that means 16gb right? That is NOT enough in the year 2022. RAM is dirt cheap ($50 for 16gb), so why accept the very small RAM limit on the Mini?

[@TheMetalMag]

it's just a way of use, can't compare what's not comparable. I just wish I could upgrade the ram in my mac mini like it used ti be until now

[@thesobercoder]

I ordered an overkill M1 Max 32C 32GB Studio and don't regret it 😄

[@lastdimestudios]

Go you!

[@anthonypeirce5875]

same here STUDIO M1Max {32c GPU } 64gb Ram 1 TB ultra hd 50fps plus 8k 50fps future proof editing

[@movdqa]

I have a 16 GB mini and one option that I have is to get a second 16 GB mini (2 x $869 at B&H) for $1,740. This would give you a comparable amount of CPU power, the same RAM and support for four monitors. Useful if you can partition your workload to two systems. Especially if you get better performance or responsiveness with a partitioned workload. The only thing that I want more from the mini is support for 3 displays - it just is not worth it for me to upgrade to a studio. The M1 mini has more than enough CPU/GPU - I just would prefer support for at least 3 displays.

[@ghost-user559]

Get a Display link splitter? I think you can use multiple monitors with software just not full resolution or natively

[@podunkis]

The 16 GB is $779 at MicroCenter, at least in my area. The 8 GB is on $549.

[@ghost-user559]

@@podunkis That’s a crazy discount. Where is microcenter? I mean what general Country or state or province? I don’t think we have them here unfortunately.

[@podunkis]

@@ghost-user559 It's in Overland Park, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City. USA, if that's not clear. They almost always have great prices on computers and CPUs, if you're more DIY. They have 25 locations in the US.

[@ghost-user559]

@@podunkis Aw man, thank you. I’m East Coast, and the small towns up north are pretty sparse on “tech” stores unfortunately. Good to know though.

[@philippeggmann9809]

Nice video!

[@GregoryDumont2]

4:37 OK that made me chuckle 😀

[@jpg334]

I have two youtube channels one for gaming and one for lightsaber unboxing and reviews with vacation vlogs soon too the sd card slot on the Mac Studio would be really handy for me to just put the sd card from my camcorder in to and upload my vlogs but the price might be a problem

[@Naps56]

What if I use only 1080 HD for creating my videos?

[@campanileLabs]

thanks man.

[@nugznmugz]

My 2012 mac mini has a card slot... and firewire 800... and usb3... and thunderbolt 2... and gigabit ethernet...

[@JoeCastellon]

I think it's more a matter of a fully specced Mac Mini (1800 USD) and a base model Studio. That makes the decision a bit harder considering you're now choosing power vs storage. I'm leaning towards the Mac Mini.

[@mbvglider]

Well, if you end up needing a Thunderbolt Dock to hook up more than 4 devices to the Mac mini, a good one will cost you $300, and now you're back to looking at the Studio again. Considering that the Mac mini doesn't have the fastest internal SSDs anyway, you could also consider that good external 2TB drives aren't that expensive and not that far away from the SSD performance of the mini, and much easier to fit on a computer that has 6 USB-C ports instead of 2. I think if you're upgrading the Mac mini significantly, the Studio is really a better deal, in my opinion.

[@RabianskiT]

I would never go for a spec’ed up Mac Mini. 16 GB of RAM? Sure. But 2TB of storage for ~$1000 extra? No freaking way. External SSDs if needed (and I can easily move them between my PC, laptop, TV, iPads etc).

[@Tpayne246]

bluetooth issues fixed in mini?

[@MrInnovativeEnergy]

Does Apple plan on future models of the mini being upgradeable? I would love to try one in replacement of my development pc's, but the lack of expansion ability is a little scary to me. I use fairly high end machines for zbrush, blender, unreal, substance painter, visual studio, etc and would need a minimum of 32gb ram and 1tb ssd.

[@MrInnovativeEnergy]

@Drewhio92 I was thinking M1 processor

[@GeirEivindMork]

@@MrInnovativeEnergy Doubt that Apple will suddenly change course and make them upgradable.

[@MrInnovativeEnergy]

@@GeirEivindMork Yep. It's too bad too. Since they could double their market share nearly overnight with some simple logic.

[@awarepenguin3376]

This highlights why a lot of people were waiting for M1 Max in the Mac mini which should allegedly come out this year.

[@gregt5530]

I have an older iMac that I upgraded to 32 gig memory. I routinely see it it using 23-25 gig. I don’t see how anyone can use 16 gig unless you are a very light user.

[@mmeiselph7234]

My (base model with GPU/SSD upgrade) arrives Monday, but I am concerned about noise now, and I will return it if I can hear it at all. I expected it to have a fan for heavy loads, but was shocked to see later reviews saying the fan was always on, unlike the M1 laptops. The whole point was it should be DEAD SILENT. Kind of annoyed, TBH.

[@gfabasic]

Greg, what's your thoughts on the Intel Mac Mini still on the Apples site? Obviously Apple plans to replace it but with what? I'm guessing a bump to M1 Pro to plop right in between the iMac and the Studio.

[@robblincoln2152]

I’ve been waiting for this too, but I’ve come around to the realization that the base Mini is just too expensive as it sits today. They might keep an M1 Mini around when they move to the M2, but I don’t think that’s going to be enough to drop the price below $500. Let’s face it, the current aluminum case is just too complex for streamlined assembly. The new, pancake-flat, plastic/glass topped mini should help them bring the price down to allow room below the Studios base Max specs. It’s just taking forever, perhaps because of the yield issues and huge demand for M1 Pro specked MacBook Pros. Hopefully they order enough M2s to give us a Mini M2Pro.

[@JohnSmith-zl8rz]

I'll wait for the next mini on June.

[@realjohnboxall]

Argument changes when you look at the longevity of the machines. If you're happy with a new Mac Mini now, the Studio will last you ten years. I'm on year 8 with my Mac Mini Quad i7/16GB/SSD. It just doesn't quit (and has an SD card socket).

[@elijah5399]

I appreciate this information i will probably get bargain mac studio

[@greatpix]

You can't upgrade the M1 Mac Mini to the baseling 32GB of the Studio but getting as close as you can a Mini will cost you around $500 less than the Studio, which makes the Studio look like a good deal if you're a power user.

[@user-fc8hd6kh2f]

The Bluetooth antenna is at the bottom of the mini, that’s why it sucks. However if you get a vertical stand for your mini like I did, Bluetooth range is great.

[@elituray]

If you don’t need the power you should just buy a thunderbolt docking station. Mine fits the form factor of the Mac mini, sits under it and has a space for an internal ssd, usb A slots and an SD slot. Cost me less than £40.

[@burtscuddledoobies921]

How does a handle adobe illustrator

[@SamAndrew27]

I don't do anything that is graphics or CPU intensive, so the Mini is the no-brainer choice for me.

[@saltlakesuperman]

Great job. After watching Max Tech, the benchmarks are just so hard to go by right now when you find they are not pushing the M1 Max or M1 Ultra to their limit. They are being throttled in many cases and those benchmark apps (and even some of the rendering apps) need an update that really pushes them to their full limit so I think we are still not seeing near what they really are capable of. Looking forward to those.

[@iameags]

I know that the M1 processor is amazing but, for music productions I'm sticking with my fully loaded Mac MINI intel 2018 for now.

[@jennifermcnuttmusic6353]

I’m starting to set up my own studio and can’t decide between the newer MacBook Pro but was always curious about the mini. If it would be powerful enough for demo production and basic video creation / editing. But weeks later I think it makes the most sense to get the base studio and large storage for me.

[@KTPurdy]

Bummed that Apple discontinued the 16gb RAM option on the Mini

[@Screaming-Trees]

The 3V headphone jack just means you can drive headphones with high impedance louder. This isn't an issue for audiophiles but it might matter in pro music production (That's where you'll find the bulk of the high impedance headphones live; for monitoring etc).

[@Prosper85]

Nope , pro music production would just use an audio interface connected to thunderbolt

[@LodvarDude]

@@Prosper85 That we do. No serious musician would use the internal audio-chip in any Mac for any decent music-production.

[@Screaming-Trees]

@@Prosper85 Well, the point wasn't to suggest that the pro market would use the jack but to say that the jack could drive high impedance headphones. And you mostly find that in the pro market. Although the thunderbolt thing is kind of new in the pro audio world (last 7 years). We use several Mytek 8x192 daisy chained via the original Firewire still for example and we use Crane Song Solaris via USB. No Thunderbolt here. Firewire has DMA anyway so latency is as good as you can write your driver to make it. Certainly as good as thunderbolt If we upgrade we won't be going with Thunderbolt either. Probably go the Avid route with Burl unfortunately. Also "audio interface" isn't exactly pro. Every studio we know has a separate AD/DA stage. Separate from the "interface" part. If you're a home studio then yeah maybe you're going the "interface" route but come to a studio and you'll see a bunch of AD converters separate from any sort of interfaces (i.e. something like Avid's HD with Burl doing the AD stage for example). And another point of note is that most "interfaces" kind of have only average headphone amps built into them so again most pro studios will actually run their own cue system and their own headphone amps.

[@Screaming-Trees]

@@LodvarDude You are obviously another one that doesn't read. There are a lot of you out there it seems. The point wasn't that you'd use this in production. The point was only that you can drive high impedance headphones with it. And as far as no serious musician would use this well Apple thinks one might use their internal microphones in a production situation. It's weird. I don't know where they got this idea from but that's how they marketed their microphone array in the their new laptops if you'll recall. Maybe that the same kind of thinking here. Rightly or wrongly. But again that wasn't he point of my comment at all. Learn how to read mate. As for using an internal chip in music production well that's neither here nor there really but it would certainly be workable all the way up to mixing and post if you don't have to worry about i/o. And it would definitely work fine in pre-production (composition/arranging etc). You can see about a million photos of Freddie Gibson (aka Fred Again) on his various channels working on just his laptop with nothing at all connected to it and the guy interns for Brian Eno and of course has some 4mil followers on spotify so I would have to disagree with you I guess on the point that no serious musician would use the internal hardware only. And as I said with microphones Apple thinks that you will so I don't see anything wrong with them integrated a better DAC and better headphones monitoring facilities into their baseline offerings.

[@millenniafever]

What about for musicians and use of GarageBand?

[@oldnepalihippie]

thx, but love my M1 mini with an 80dalla dongle. however im not trying to influence anyone on youtube, but I bet I could get this mini to render final cut just fine. The mini is the perfect retirement machine :)

[@Soap-sk5mc]

This was interesting but nobody is going to choose between the two base models. It would be more interesting to compare the top specced Mini and the base Mac Studio....

[@DjGoHamGaming]

My man with the Donut shirt! Love it!

[@ShawnLangford]

M1 Mac Mini owner here. Amazing machine never beach balls and I have never heard the fans kick in. It really is the little computer that could. Design needs a refresh though.

[@DanielGuzman83]

Never seen beach ball on the M1 and the latest Intel. I’m buying the studio for the ports. I’m keeping both minis

[@maikerusupra2028]

I somehow went from a 32gb Ryzen 7 RTX 2060 windows system to a late 2014 mac mini a yr ago…. With that said its time to upgrade and idk if 16GB mac mini or studio lol i need more power!

[@experimental0000]

TBF, the Studio is a Mac Mini - Pro (not a Mac Pro - mini). IIRC people used to daisy chain Intel-based Mac Minis to cluster the cpu and ram into a more potent machine without nearing the price point of a Mac Pro

[@dragngt]

Please do an update on this video if the M2 Pro Mac Mini becomes a reality. I’m hopeful that the new Mini is actually coming with the M2 Pro.