YOU Should Buy the CHEAPEST M2 Mac Mini, And Here's Why!

The M2 Mac mini is pretty darn remarkable in that its both better AND cheaper than its previous iteration.
And you should totally buy one!
M2 Mac mini
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-------What Gear I Recommend!----------
First Mac ( M1 Mac Mini)
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Best Macbook (MacBook Pro 16)
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Best Travel Professional Windows Laptop (XPS 17)
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Best Thunderbolt 3 Dock (cal digit TS3 Plus)
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Best Beginner KZbin Camera (Sony A6100)
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Best Overall KZbin Camera (Sony A7IV)
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-----What Gear I Use!----------------
Main Camera (Sony A7IV)
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Main Lens (Tamron 28-75)
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Secondary Lens (Tamron 17-28)
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Main Computer (MacBook Pro 16)
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DISCLAIMER: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the Amazon product links, I’ll receive a small commission.

[@MatthewH19]

Glad you called out the clickbaiters because they need to be called out. The M2 Mac lineup rocks!

[@Icharis]

Ignoring the sssd issue either shows he doesn’t know what he is talking about it he is just apple shilling, dropping the sssd actually impacts everyday use

[@dannyize]

@@Icharis 1) He did not ignore the SSD issue. He addressed the single NAND device @3:22 _...that is not close to a performance bottleneck on a computer like this..._ He's correct. Making an ad hominem attack simply because you have a different opinion is lame. 2) Enthusiasm is not shilling for Apple. The M2 mini is a great product, especially for people who want to get into the Mac ecosystem.

[@paulhorn24]

I doubt, that an average computer user with below average or average computer skills will notice the swapping and/or slower single NAND SSD chip with 256 GB. Yes, Benchmarks show it can be measured, but can it be noticed by above mentioned users? They won’t notice it.

[@Icharis]

@@paulhorn24 it’s easily observed and felt. Just copying files or transferring a simple picture you will feel the slower sssd

[@Icharis]

@@dannyize the bottleneck will be clear anytime you have to write to the drive for a example simple as copying files you will feel iti

[@christianvelez3086]

Hey, love your videos! At the end when you suggested other videos, nothing came up. Not sure if it was because I was watching on my phone or what, but may want to look into that. Have a great day!

[@methe7369]

Im looking forward to buy this and you upload a video

[@macjeffff]

Love this review. Personally, I'm getting the higher-end model with 10‑core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine, 16GB unified memory, and 1TB SSD storage. Still a great buy at 1500, in my book.

[@davidnemcsik6581]

Just ordered one!

[@digitalmarketinghumans]

M2 Mac Mini SSD base model = 1431 MBps and 1482 MBps (Read/Write) To put into perspective, old school hard disks (HDD) vs Older SSD (Sata) vs M2 Mac Mini HDD = 80-160MB/s Older SSD's SATA = 200 MB/s to 550 M2 Mac Mini Base = 1431 MB/s Of course relative to the older M1 Mac Mini model base = 2733 MBps write and 2854 MBps But you are paying what you are getting for and by all means, that M2 Mac Mini Base IS NOT SLOW, AT ALL. I personally would opt up to go higher spec. But if money is an issue, M2 Mac Mini base is amazing.

[@native5072]

Exactly. I don't know why all the tech-journals act like any of the people the base model is aimed at would notice the "slow" SSD. I have the base model and do not feel any differences compared to my M1 MBpro

[@DigiDriftZone]

My external drive does 500MB/s and it doesn't "feel" any slower than the internal 256GB on my M1 Mini or the 1TB on my MacBook Pro. Unless timing my transfers or using benchmark software, I cannot notice it day to day. But the ram, that's where it gets you. For me personally, going from 8GB M1 to 16GB M1 was like going from a smelly outhouse to the flushing toilet, like going from a 50 mile range car to a 500 mile range one, like going from a stale salt cracker to a Wagyu Beef steak. I know @Native disagrees with me, but it was that much of a difference for me. I find 8GB unusable and I could only tolerate it a few months before I had to sell it and get a 16GB model. Even my 73 year old father very quickly hit the ram ceiling and he is by no means a power user. I would advice anyone to skip 8gb and go to 16gb minimum.

[@sly2792004]

@@native5072I think it’s matter of they made the upgraded model worse then what it replaces. Even the $2500 mbp has downgraded ssd speeds from m1 version

[@DigiDriftZone]

@@sly2792004 You have a point, but it's a bit like saying the latest Ferrari goes 250mph instead of 300mph. Does it matter? - sure, but will you notice this day to day enough to care?

[@--.--]

Base M2 Mini is awful, because it doesn't have much RAM, so it uses SLOW SSD.

[@MacinMindSoftware]

Got an M1 mini to replace a 2010 mini that ran playout, processing and stream encoding for nearly 13 years. The 2010 ran silently about 118-125° F on CPU, not bad. But the M1 runs about 60-65° F 15-18° C consuming only 7% CPU. Maybe those sensors are wrong so I tried an infrared thermometer. The room is 65° F. The top back of the mini is 69° F. I'll be purchasing an M2 mini to replace a 2006 Mac Pro that's been running a radio station 24/7 for 16 years.

[@user-im8yb1mi9p]

Those are some very impressive lengths of time for the running of those Macs! I still use a 2010 Mini for a CD, DVD player & internet radio as part of my main music playing & TV watching set-up

[@KevinCovington5453]

My 2012, 27" MAC Kicked Ass Fr 12 Years Also! It Became Officially "Obsolete" By Apple In 2022. I Still Have It Works Great but I Use It For Bookkeeping And Internet Browsing. I Bought The M1 Mac mini For Home Use And The M2 MAC STUDIO For Audio Production They Both Are KICKING ASS! I Have Owned Apple Mac Since 1987 - NOT ONE OF THE FIVE HAVE EVER CAUSED ME ANY PROBLEMS NO REPAIRS NO VIRUS NO MALWARE. Sold THREE Of Them For ONE THIRD Of What I Paid For Them After Having Them Several Years! HA! TRY DOING THAT WITH A PC ANYTHING!!!! HELPFUL TIP: If You Opt For Something Beside The 27" $1500 Apple Monitor You WILL BE ABLE TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE! Thats Why They Say - "Keep Apples With Apples". LOL. I Bought 4K Samsung and a 4k LG After Having the $1500 27" Apple In A Word - YUK!!! Resolution Is Not Built To Match The optimum Performance of the M1 or the M2 BUT They Both Do Operate Within A Level of Acceptance and Compromise. BUT IF YOU DO BUY THE APPLE DISPLAY? ITS WORTH EVERY PENNY! Buying the Sub Standard 4k TV Type Brand and Monitors You MUST! Get The Thunderbolt Adapters $35. And The highspeed 2.2 HDMI Cables ANYTHING LESS AND YOU WILL HATE THE LATENCY AND POORER RESOLUTIONS.

[@steven871]

Great video as usual. keep it up! For the weekend photo and video hobbiest, which M1 or M2 small desktop is the best value compromise? I'm talking processing hundreds of Raws and a hundred or so 30-60 second 4k clips about 20 times per year?

[@lookintok]

I will be okay with just the base model of the MM2 I only do light editing work nothing too crazy. If I start to do more crazy stuff then I’ll upgrade to a MM2pro so this video helped thanks!

[@bryans8656]

I've had Mac minis since the 2012 model was released. They've always been impressive and have just gotten better, and more affordable, with the M series chips. I don't have the M2 mini, I finally made the jump to the M1 Studio Max for my desktop needs, but I do have the base M2 MB Air and its performance is just as good as you say.

[@peteandpuy]

Just upgraded from the Mac Mini M1 to the M2. I didn't notice much difference in performance but the annoying Bluetooth and network issues have both been fixed! The Mac Mini M1 would regularly drop the Apple mouse requiring me to plug it in every couple of days to get it back. Also, the ethernet connection would drop out and getting it reconnected was a constant pain. That's all in the past. All the problems are no longer problems. Buy a Mac Mini M2, not the M1. One other thing, my monitor is a 43" 4K TV. It's a fairly cheap model but it doesn't make any difference. The huge screen is perfect for Sports and Movies or just surfing. I can't imagine having a better computer.

[@sharonb.9128]

Great video. Every video like this gets tons of comments saying, “there are plenty of PC’s you can buy that are better and cheaper!” That’s great, go buy one of them. People should spend their money on whatever they like without criticism from those who would make a different choice.

[@paulhorn24]

Yes! Very true. Thank you!

[@user-lh4in4rx1f]

In fact brand pc with something like i5 12400 (pretty equals to m2) 8 gb ram and 512ssd costs about 550-600 usd and sometimes goes without windows.

[@paulhorn24]

@@user-lh4in4rx1f But not equal in terms of technology: Apple is ARM and Intel is x86

[@hotshotss7076]

Will this Mac mini the base one that is $599 be good for video editing games for youtube? Thanks for your time and all that you do. Love your content

[@mgaming7]

I bought a base model and a Pro model. Both are Amazing for the price. For the intended buyer, the $599 is an Insane value. Nothing out there is better at that price. The Pro machine is stupid fast. Love it. Everyone Should buy ANY mac mini they can afford.

[@dannyize]

No you won't. The only time you will feel it is writing a 50GB file - not very often on a 256GB computer. People who buy the entry-level M2 mini will not be doing heavy duty video production work. For the occasional 10 minute video it works fine. The target audience simply wants a mini they can afford. I don't know where you get you get your information. Have you used the entry level mini? I doubt it. *A disk benchmark is not a useful indicator of day-to-day use.* Everyday Dad is giving you his honest opinion. I happen to agree with him. The unified memory disk I/O is very fast, even with a single memory channel. You'll still have plenty of passing power, to use a car metaphor. You can't pull a trailer with a Civic but it gets you to where you need to go, quickly and efficiently. People seem to think Apple 1) should never cut costs, 2) should never do product segmentation, 3) disclose every product nuance and design decision. Expectations 1 and 2 are completely unrealistic for a business operating in a competitive environment. Expectation 3 is not how Apple works. Or Amazon or Toyota.

[@dannyize]

@@actualwafflesenjoyer The guy I was responding to must have deleted his comment. There was some back and forth about the 256 being sooo slow (sarcasm) that you would feel it every time the system writes to disk. Not true. If I remember correctly, another person was chiming in as well (on the same side as me). Sorry for the confusion. I really think yt should ban users for excessive deletions. Also IIRC he was throwing shade on Everyday Dad. Unwarranted.

[@dannyize]

@@actualwafflesenjoyer I bought the M2 in 256/16 config. Seems fine. Not gonna do massive video production. Maybe some compiling / home brew etc. Glad to be back in the Mac camp.

[@vladimirpetroski7089]

Respect for the Genie reference ✌️

[@native5072]

People who say the base 8GB RAM 256GB SSD model is not sufficient enough for the target group the mac mini is made for simply don't know anything about silicon architecture and the differences between X86 and ARM. What do some people expect for 500$? 8GB is enough to open more than 50 Safari tabs simultaneously (something which normal users would never do, anyways). And 256 GB is okay as well. Most users won't fill that up since most users of such a small machine will only use it for browsing the web or some light editing - besides, you can always add to the storage via thunderbolt. People should stop making a big deal out of things they clearly have no knowledge of.

[@DigiDriftZone]

I bought an 8GB M1 and so have a few of our developers, we have all regretted it. Please don't do this to yourself, you will hate it. I am typing this on my 16GB M1 after selling my 8GB M1 one. My ram is fully used but usable, when the machine boots, it uses very little ram, but as you keep it running this is what's using ram after a while: Google Drive, 1.8GB, Window Server (Mac) - 1.4GB - Safari (6 tabs) 6GB - iTunes/Messages/Notes/Calendar/Finder (standard Apple stuff) - 4GB - other misc stuff like bluetooth services, icloud, etc - the rest of the 16GB. If you religiously close every tab and app after use, it may just work for you, but if you leave things running for a few hours, the system starts to bog down very quickly.

[@danielnaron]

I had this exact thinking too until my dad bought a base model M1 MacBook Air for his office work. Scolded him for it too. I have my own 2012 MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM for music production and I’ve come to appreciate how macOS on ARM could do so much, albeit overpriced compared to other laptops with more capacity. I’m not surprised that Apple’s market is largely populated by people who will never need to page swap or have more than 8GB of RAM in their Macs.

[@DigiDriftZone]

@@danielnaron Be a good son and upgrade him to 16GB :) - why are you letting your father suffer with 8! - My 73 year old father couldn't so much as screen share a window on Zoom without the M1 8GB bogging down, with Pages and a couple of safari tabs. I honestly don't understand why 8GB is even an option.

[@sly2792004]

The fuck it is. Only reason it doesn’t crash is if starts using the ssd as ram which is terrible for the ssd. Mac OS uses 5gb of ram doing nothing. I couldn’t even have KZbin running in safari and 4 tabs open in chrome with 8gb ram. I was constantly having to close tabs so I didn’t use swap. All I do on Mac is surf the internet and 8 gb wasn’t enough. Now with 16 gb I can have 8 tabs open on chrome, few KZbin tabs open and few other tabs in safari and I’m at 12 gb ram use. Which means on 8 gb I’d be doing 4gbps written to my ssd .Ssd is only good for 150tb

[@sly2792004]

@@DigiDriftZoneI got tired of having to close every tab, it got to point if I wanted to watch show I’d have to close everything else down, I couldn’t use safari and chrome without it using ssd swap. I’m too use to a 32gb ram pc and iPad. So happy with 16gb ram. It bothers me when people say it’ll be great for casual user. I’m the casual user and it’s not great. Editors were using 10tb a day of ssd swap. Personally I’d like my electronics to last few years at least.

[@flyingfoox1365]

Nice video!

[@TheEverydayDad]

Thanks so much!

[@technocatdance]

super cool to see this price but I can't even see any need to upgrade from my m1 mac mini base anytime in the next 3 years or longer!! I edit photos and a little bit of video edits for social media content and use figma + do regular webstuff streaming etc and have yet to feel like I need more computer!!

[@tonylaranjo]

Damn that monitor looks awfully close to the edge of the desk! 😮

[@JulianFernandez]

thanks!

[@gedewahyudp]

between this and refurbished base m1 mac mini, what would you recommend?

[@MCC0NN377]

To anyone thinking about buying one and upgrading to 10Gb Port. Remember, 99% of people do not have network equipment that is compatible with 10Gb. Even the ones that do have compatible equipment, usually only have 1 or 2 aspects that are compatible..Like a high end NAS with a 10Gb port, or a router with 1 or 2 SFP+ ports. Cool option, but basically useless at this point in time for almost anyone that is going to buy one of these.

[@ghost-user559]

Yeah but the high end Nas is exactly the work around for the lower storage options. You get tremendous storage for the same price of one or two small Mac storage upgrades. So 400$ for a single TB? Or 100$ for 10Gb Ethernet and buy a Nas for an upgradable storage pool that can grow with your needs.

[@ultramet]

I went with the M2 Pro . Needed more cores for music .

[@abdulkadersafi6833]

Maaaaan!! You rock it. If I were Apple, I would pay you millions for such an advert ❤ I’m definitely buying one. 🎉 I like your vids. Keep the good work bro.

[@T3CHGY007]

I have a full desktop pc for gaming, but I am thinking of buying this little powerhouse!

[@native5072]

but remember that most games aren't optimized for MacOS or Apple Silicon

[@gglyf5716]

I upgraded to a new mac mini m2 base model after using my old 8th gen i3 acer laptop for the past 5 years.. and my god, i was living under rock

[@stevec5465]

I3 chips wre never good for anything other than web browsing at a cheap price.. So hopefully the M2 mac mini is better than that.

[@gglyf5716]

surprisingly i had a decent experience for 3 years although the next 2 was trash. Tbh it made me realize as an average user we don’t need the latest and greatest tech.

[@scott4825]

You can beat the $599 mac mini by getting education pricing. :) As for the high end....pay for the m2 pro and toss in RAM. Then just use an external hard drive since the firewire speed is as good or better. The Apple machines are damn nice right now, and what to buy was really tough. I ended up getting a Mac Mini M2 with 16 GB Ram, but M2 Pro with more ports, more SSD space, a better CPU, and able to handle a 3rd monitor for $500 was really tempting. Of course, I'd toss on the 10 GB ethernet, so $600.

[@arturoolea5990]

did you get the base model with 16gb? Im new to macs and been curious on how to save money. I keep seeing people buy the base with 16 gb ram and 256 SSD and just upgrade the SSD. I wanna do music production if it wont affect as much compared to the pro

[@kennethwebb6979]

Gary, need to replace a desktop Win machine that has a Threadripper processor that Win 11 wont support. I already have an Apple Macbook Air M1 and many Apple products. I want to get a Mac Mini to replace the desktop, but keep hearing limitations due to the NAND used on the base models. Others have said the M2 overcomes that... Not a power user but do lots of note taking and home stuff. What would you recommend?

[@hunterstewart04]

Just to let you know your end screen isn’t up. Great video though!

[@LaskyLabs]

I think one of these would be perfect when we get a 4k TV. Something to manage 4k rips, or hell, even just run dolphin for some GameCube action.

[@richardhowell9535]

Are you using base m2? I have an m1 256 16. I’m still trying to figure out if I need 16gb or ram. I mostly play wow and watch KZbin. Thinking about getting the m2 or the m3 mini. Going to give my m1 mini to my grandson.

[@Michaelaz62]

Please tell me about your monitor. It appears that you have a curved monitor. I currently use two monitors; however, I would like to change to an ultra-wide curved monitor. Will you offer some suggesions

[@manbuckets]

I want to eventually get a Mac mini as a desktop!

[@Silver01Son]

Me too

[@8xus_]

It’s tempting

[@richardkoolen8396]

Great review. My Mac mini 2018 is still blazing with a QC i3. The problem with the reviews is that their all made by video editors. My Mac mini 2018 still rock iMovie and Final Cut Pro. Yeah the exports take longer, but then I actually give some attention to my kids and spouse. O and our dog 🐶 😅

[@bryans8656]

And you still have the option to run Boot Camp, another win.

[@richardkoolen8396]

@@bryans8656 that's another plus. Im in IT an what viewers must know is that these KZbinrs make money of these videos. Ofcourse the raw power of the M machines is incredible. But it's way overkill for the average consumer, if you ask me. We have machines running lots of VM's on less hardware and they are performing great. Don't let KZbinrs give you advice because they are always telling a one side story. That's where they get their income from. Either way this KZbinr is making great content.

[@user-lh4in4rx1f]

@@bryans8656 boot camp and also external gpu

[@bryans8656]

@@user-lh4in4rx1f Yep, forgot about that one.

[@adamdelgado7730]

I liked and subscribed solely on the Aladdin reference

[@samguapo4573]

The base model internal SSD is slow. A great way around it is to use an EXTERNAL SSD at full speed. Put all the work files there esp for editing :)

[@YoloVib3s]

so I just have a small quick question ... will we ever get any EDD camera reviews again?

[@beatsNonStop]

That monitor was one sneeze away from falling off the desk. Sheesh

[@the3dpros459]

Bought the base, and i love it. Selling my PC

[@stevec5465]

What's your PC specced at?

[@christianhotter]

Still liking my M1 Mac mini. The M2 Pro may be my next purchase if I end up needing more power. The base M2 would be a great first computer for a school aged kid or for our parents who need a machine to check emails and play solitaire.

[@norwaywithpal]

M2 (not pro) 16GB 512GB - Will this work well for 4K Video editing in Adobe Premiere? 15-20 minute films.. that's my question :o

[@bryanttaylor5144]

Hello All, my old late 2012 Mac mini with 16gb ram crashed and I make music using logic all the time. Should I opt for the 16gb version M2 or can I get away with the 8GB Ram version???

[@BeeBumbleTuna]

So you can run WoW classic perfectly fine with the base model M2? Trying to figure out what spec model I should get. Only game I plan on playing with it is WoW classic, other than that just web browse, watching content and using it for school(some light coding for my programming class). What model would you think to be best??

[@native5072]

Yeah, the base M2 model can handle some games. Even if they're not optimized for Apple Silicon. E.g., Sims 4 can be played in Ultra Graphics settings on my M2 mac mini with a stable 60 fps output.

[@MakisFrost]

Im playing LoL on my m1 air with 7 core gpu (with a monitor ofc ) and its works really well even in the teamfights the fps stay around 60 . Imagine on the m2 mac mini even on the base model

[@thethings4708]

Good video , but i think the mac mini m2 base model would only take 2 monitors not 3... ( 3 is for the mini pro model...) Thank You to clarified , i am not shure ...

[@ILoveGrilledCheese]

I know baldurs gate on the M1 needs 16gb of ram but I wonder if you can squeeze by with the 8Gb m2

[@AleArtolaTV]

Can I use the new Ipad Air as primary monitor?

[@CARGOCORP]

m2 vs m2pro???? which should i buy

[@mnelson9057]

Which monitor do you recommend with it and is there an affordable one? Thanks 🙏

[@JCTY299]

I just bought a 4K Benq EW3270U for about $300. Its a great monitor for everyday usage and being a VA panel is no issue for me. I am willing to trade the better contrast of the VA panel for the wider viewing angles of an IPS panel for the price. The color reproduction is great. The HDR sucks though....but its okay as it is a work monitor. And you get one freaking bonus......Stage Manager is now a BEAST on a 32 inch 4K monitor. For Stage Manager to shine you need to have a large monitor. It just not effective at all on tiny laptop screens.

[@pfuhad3760]

will this enough for after effects

[@KevinMillard68]

for the gains any of the m2s offer they are not worth buying as many have already found out

[@TheGelatinousSnake]

Im so basic… I don’t push the Mac Mini anywhere near it’s limits. It just Syncs my iPods, iPads and iPhone. Occasional FaceBook/KZbin. 1 TB external HDD. For a girl that does practically nothing, this has been the best for me. I just needed a cheap Mac that Sync’s with old iPods

[@dave24-73]

I purchased the base m1 model when it came out for study, nothing else as have multiple computers, however I have found it has become my daily driver, I have used Office 365, All the Adobe apps, Done design and video editing, and even modeled and rendered stuff in blender all on the base with no issues. I also have a higher spec M1 Laptop with more memory and storage, but to date still use the M1 Mac mini more. The small internal drive did fill up but I’m using external storage via usb, and also move stuff to my nas so it’s not a major. Other than that was surprised how capable the 8gb unit has been.

[@FightClass3]

how much ram do you have?

[@dave24-73]

@@FightClass3 in the base model just 8gb. In the laptop 16. I’ve been surprised how well it does on 8 the base M1. It is snappier than my windows pc with 32gb. It just shows how having a combination of custom hardware and software makes a huge difference.

[@seekfactsnotfiction9056]

@@dave24-73As of today would you still recommend the M1 Mac Mini over M1 MacBook Pro? I was going to get the M1-MBP -"16 today but saw these videos and kinda changing my mind instead of wasting all that $$$

[@dave24-73]

@@seekfactsnotfiction9056 I guess it comes down to if you need portability or not, if the better screen isn’t a deal breaker even the base M1 or M2 Airbook may be enough. If it’s just going to sit on a desk, an M1 or M2 mini would likely be enough for most people. Although not needed May pay to look at 16 ram and 512 storage will future proof it more. But I’ve been quite surprised at how good the base M1 with 8 ram has been, I did find 256 gb wasn’t enough for storage but got around that with an external ssd and a NAS drive. So if you don’t want to spend much have a keyboard monitor and mouse already, don’t need to use it a laptop might be worth getting a slightly higher spec Mac mini. I’d only go pro if you need a laptop and want the best screen but you are paying for it.

[@yunder.]

I bought the 512 GB version. It's awesome.

[@TheEverydayDad]

Nice! Glad you like it!

[@8xus_]

Does anyone know if the m2 base model is good enough to run projects on Unity, if so, how big can the project get before the framerate comes down to 30fps, 20fps and 10fps

[@willx27]

Upgrade the ram if you're doing anything more than just basic stuff. Trust me. I ran into memory issues on my M1 mini while streaming Ableton Live and a music visualizer in OBS.

[@DigiDriftZone]

Definitely second this! - I suffered with 8GB and had to sell and replace my M1 Mini with a 16GB version, even for the most basic things, even my 73 year old father had issues with the woeful 8gb of ram.

[@sly2792004]

Even for web browsing 8gb isn’t enough.

[@tallmanvc]

I'm on this train. You buy your Mac with 16gb RAM or you don't buy. If you buy an 8gb RAM Mac in 2023, lack of RAM will be the gating problem that eventually will make your Mac slow. And you will have some issues right now if you use Chrome and keep a lot of tabs open.

[@Loubeeftard]

@@sly2792004 Such bullshit. Typing this on my 2017 Macbook Pro Ram: 8gb running Ableton Live, several tabs open & Spotify playing.

[@ILoveGrilledCheese]

The unified memory architecture is where the bottleneck is. These minis eat ram like steroids.

[@Mr.Mindset]

Sounds great but base model is with 8GB of ram, isn't that very little?

[@d.r.martin6301]

My next Mac purchase. I bought the original Mini back in 05, which is still chugging away in the basement as my photo scanning station. So a return to the Mini will be nice. Only question is: Which 4K monitor? Don't want to spend an arm & leg.

[@billb8262]

43” 4k tv is what I’m going for.

[@IAMDEAFSNIPER]

hi there , would you recommend this for streaming on obs?

[@IAMDEAFSNIPER]

@@Real_AbaNPreach.. at the moment I have a over powered gaming pc for my streaming, which I’m willing to sell to get a Mac mini as long as it’s capable of streaming on twitch/KZbin

[@enriquesb1528]

Since you seem to use both a Mac and PC, do you think you can get a better PC for the same price of the base Mac mini? Or the 16gb Mac mini? At around 899$?

[@ILoveGrilledCheese]

Probably, but you would want to build it yourself. $899 won’t get you much with an oem or custom build by a company. The gpu alone would be at least $300

[@dudewecanfixitshorts]

Does it overheat?

[@blueeyedtech1234]

Would the base Mac mini be good for basic video editing in iMovie and some cloud gaming? Any help with this question is greatly appreciated.

[@fransisco5748]

The base model M2 Mac mini is my first ever Mac computer and I am super in love with this.. Editing hours of 1080p video on Davinci Resolve with light transition effects and Fairlight effects, while opening 10-ish Chrome tabs, while also opening Notion app, Spotify app, Tradingview app, Canva app.. Everything runs very very smooth. The only thing I'm still struggling with, is the operational side: keyboard shortcut and the OS logic. Almost all KZbin videos are encouraging you to buy at least the 16GB RAM version, but for most people, $200 is quite a lot, and workflow like me are more than enough with the 8GB RAM. My advice is to ask yourself again if you really need those bigger RAMs or are you just being persuaded by those KZbinrs whose lives are filled with great techs that now their standard is way up there?

[@CodLiv3rSid]

hey what about the ram ? my windows laptop gets fucked up with 8 gb of ram :( with 10 chrome tabs and an ide . is that same for m2 mac mini?

[@fransisco5748]

@@CodLiv3rSid hi man, 8GB of RAM on Mac is WAY DIFFERENT than 8GB on Windows. That's crazy man. I experienced it first hand. My Windows laptop also has 8GB of RAM.

[@briansmith2739]

You'll need more RAM if you are multitasking through different apps or going through tabs on a web browser. Honestly, 8 Gigs is a bit low for 2024 and it won't even run Parallels if you wish to emulate Windows 11. If you're satisfied with what you have, then stay with it.

[@Brown865]

The fact that it is even cheaper 🤯🤯

[@TheEverydayDad]

Yeah I was pretty surprised they made it cheaper than the M1.

[@Dando-1983]

M3 hopefully 3nm will push the Mac mini into a must buy category for the entry level home computer… it’s getting very tempting now.. and the cheapest great way to get into Apple Mac 😊

[@tallmanvc]

If the M2 mini ain't a "must buy" for you, then the 3nm won't make it one. If you aren't ready for a new desktop, fine. But if you are and the M2 mini is right for you, the power efficiency of 3nm isn't going to make much difference.

[@Dando-1983]

@@tallmanvc how do you know the power efficiency of an 3nm when it isn’t out yet.. There was quite the jump between between 7nm to 5nm there was a 30% power efficiency improvement. So could be similar with the 3nm process. The question is where do we go from 1nm 😊 if we get there. M2 Mac mini is great I’m sure but I can sit and wait for the M3… I don’t buy computers often. Plus I just like the M3 by name 🤣.. can’t wait until the MacBook Air. M3 comes out too.. I love a fanless design.

[@tallmanvc]

@@Dando-1983 We don't know how much power efficiency 3nm will achieve, but we do know it won't make any difference for the mini. The current product already runs cool and powerful, and sipping a bit less power might save you $10 a year on your electric bill. Laptops different story though because power efficiency impacts battery life and the fanless Air is somewhat thermal constrained. If you aren't ready to buy, great. I'm in the exact same boat. The M2 is tempting, but my 2018 mini is fine for my needs. I might wait for next generation. But I'm close enough to upgrade time, that I can say with certainty I won't sit out next generation if I don't go for this generation (still on the fence there).

[@Dando-1983]

@@tallmanvc thanks for your input. Mac Mini is a great way to get into MAC desktop at an affordable price a lot of power and cheaper than an iPhone 😊. It’s definitely a great time. I hope you love your MAC mini.. I’d love one, but only but when I can drop some money now and again ^__^=.. I can’t wait to get one. Although I might first opt for the M3 MacBook Air..

[@tallmanvc]

@@8xus_ Well you can upgrade the RAM in base mini. But I hear you. The moment you pay for that RAM upgrade, you start getting into base Pro level price range. Then you eye the SSD upgrade (which gives you both more storage and a read/write speed increase). Then you are really near base pro price and you get faster CPU/GPU and more ports for only $300 more.

[@leedaq7767]

do m2 mac mini support two FHD/QHD 144hz monitor displays?

[@wingandhog]

02.24.2024 - on sale at Costco for $499. I may grab one tomorrow

[@YouTubeUserLol]

I love the M2 Mac Mini

[@TheEverydayDad]

Its really darn good.

[@smellyrhinostudio]

Were you paid to write this? just curious, because other videos say to stay away!! :) Can you help a little? The link you provided for the M2 on Amazon for $599 (Apple 2023 Mac Mini Desktop Computer M2 chip with 8‑core CPU and 10‑core GPU, 8GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Gigabit Ethernet. Works with iPhone/iPad) ...would this work well with people using the full Adobe creative suite? I actually use the Affinity Suite but it has the same usage needs. Thanks, Rebecca

[@cougarmeat8803]

If you are going to mention the 10 Gb Ethernet option, I think you should mention that you might need to upgrade your other network hardware to take advantage of it - router switches, etc.

[@dannyize]

He only said the M2 Pro version should include the 10Gb option gratis.

[@cougarmeat8803]

@@dannyize You are correct - however, it was in the context "additional value" for the extra cost of the M2 Pro. I think you'll agree that you will benefit from the 16GB RAM, and the additional cores, and the 512GB SSD just using the Mini. But you will benefit from the 10GB ethernet option ONLY if you have matching speed externals to take advantage of it. See the difference? If I were a potential buyer, I'd like to know that.

[@thelinguistshow]

Guys, assess your needs according what you see to be necessary

[@daft1235]

NEED SOME HELP I’m about to order my first Mac desktop after decades of Windows hell for corptocracy work… Dad can you explain how many monitors i can attached to the base mini with display cords and not needing to a whole other port? Everything/one says TWO but Dad is now saying infinite! What am I missing? Thanks for your help 😅

[@daft1235]

Also, what would you suggest the best plan of attack for me would be to get this 3 or maybe even 4 displays (if Dad says so). My goal is to get best pic quality on each and I wanna max them all out if I can do it with just solid cords. So the cords… Dad mentioned having to do this with Thunderbolts to Display Port cords. I’m assuming to HDMI will be to HDMI? And then (maybe) a 4th USB-C to whatev? Also, what brand do you suggest I go for that you like for quality, durability, specs, speed, etc but best bang for your buck? I’ve played the fast charger and cord spec game for way to long, not doing that again 😂

[@JarppaGuru]

0:06 yeah better than last time "mini" same full upgrade price. they god you

[@game2572]

I PURCHASED this one on sale for 499..99. I bought it because I had no room for a desktop HDMI this to the flat screen got the Magic Keyboard and mouse and go

[@RameshKumar-ng3nf]

Can anyone help me with this ? Not even a single youtube video has talked about this . How to "PAUSE" "Hearing aid" - "background sound" -stream, rain etc using bluetooth while we using Airpods pro #2 ? Everytime I do this "PAUSE" manually going to my iphone 13 pro max . Can't we "PAUSE" it using bluetooth airpods pro #2 ? I tried but it is not working.

[@dyoverdx]

been waiting for the m2 mac mini to get for my mom, but apple had to piss me off with their 16gb pricing. useless machine if you settle for 8gb. apple wants to charge $600+$200 for 16gb. that's a 33% increase!! apple is essentially saying that an extra 8gb is worth 1/3 of the mac mini. WTF is that?!

[@teddyeffah2452]

Anyone knows where i can purchase get asus g14 battery

[@markrosenberg4369]

What about the reduced read/write speeds for the base 256 GB SSD, which Apple have cut (even slower than the M1)?

[@native5072]

they don't matter. The SSD is still faster than many other SSDs on the market and when using the mac mini, you absolutely do not notice the "slower" SSD speeds. The memory swap issue the first M1 macs had also seemed to have disappeared.

[@DigiDriftZone]

I have a MacBook Pro M1 with 1TB of storage and a Mac Mini with 256GB and an external USB3.1 SSD drive which is quite a bit slower than the read/write speeds of the 256GB SSD (around 500MB/s). To be honest, except when copying large video files, I do not notice a difference between the 2 day to day. There was a HUGE difference however going from M1 8gb ram to M1 16gb of ram, it was like going from a smelly outhouse to a flushing toilet in a mansion.

[@sly2792004]

@@native5072no it’s not, it’s slower then my old pc ssd. 1.4gbbs vs current ssds thst do 6-7gbps. Heck even the series x slow ssd is faster. Apple claims they use fastest ssds which is why it cost so much but they using some of the slowest ssds You can get a 7gbs 1tb drive for $200 but apples charging us $200 for a 256gb 1.4gbps drive

[@brentsmithline3423]

I disagree with you as normals keep, and use host systems for five or more years. No one should purchase the base Apple Mac mini M2 with 8GB of unified memory period. Apple should not make any Mac device with less than 16GB of unified memory. Fight the SWAP!!!! Thing is Apple should be able to sell a Mac mini M2 at the same base price with 16GB of unified memory.

[@DigiDriftZone]

I agree, in my opinion it's insane and ignorant recommending 8gb in 2023, it's not usable. It's also worth noting the 40gbps NVME enclosures do not work correctly on M1/M2 - they work for burst writes/benchmarks, but as a boot drive or when there are many simultaneous operations, there is SEVERE OS lag making the system utterly unresponsive for many seconds at a time. Reproduced with OCZ, Anker, Sabrant and OWC enclosures on Samsung 980Pro, WD SN950X Black and ADATA NVME SSDs. I spent weeks trying to get it to work and had to move my 980Pro into a USB3.1 (10gbit) enclosure to avoid the lag (but now have poor read/write speeds). So adding the fact you cannot use your own storage easily and that storage will be slow, you at a bare minimum need 512GB space with 16GB ram, not so cheap.

[@native5072]

No. 8 GBs for this machine is more than just sufficient. It's aimed at non-professionals who want a reliable machine. What in the world do you expect for a machine that costs 500$?

[@sly2792004]

@@native5072I only use it to watch KZbin and use the internet. 8gb wasn’t enough for one youtube open and 4 tabs in chrome. I’d expect to be able to leave 20 tabs open each in chrome and safari. Fuck my iPad can do that. Without using swap killing my ssd and therefor my device since not even apple can replace the ssd.

[@paulhorn24]

@@sly2792004 Did you know: There are some videos on KZbin where they have show that installing macOS on and booting from an external SSD drive with a fast enclosure case and fast cable works well. So if the internal SSD really should die one day in the far future, you could use the Mac with external drives running the operating system macOS (and probably Linux).

[@franciscodiaz5778]

@@native5072 Well, I can tell you what Apple expect: That you buy a US$ 500 machine and use it for a short period of time, and then sale it and buy another with more RAM and storage. Very simple.

[@brianode11]

Wondering how the base model M2 Mac mini would hold up to photo editing (Lightroom, 20 mp size RAW files) and some lighter video editing…

[@TheEverydayDad]

Its been holding up fine for video editing and my rudimentary photo editing (mostly photoshop)

[@brianode11]

@@TheEverydayDad Awesome! Thank you for the reply!

[@CoinedSpirit]

With either 16GB or 32GB RAM, the Mac Mini M2 can do any image manipulations or editing. If you do video editing, bump to the 512GB SSD and possibly the M2 Pro variant.

[@DigiDriftZone]

I bought an 8GB M1 and had to sell it because it was very limiting (I am now loving my 16GB M1 Mini and 16GB M1 MacBook Pro), I personally found it utterly unusable for even the simplest tasks, even my 73 year old father found it too limiting. Photoshop works great when you start the app and do a few basic things, but it slowly chews through ram as you keep editing unless you keep quitting and re-launching it. Honestly, I felt like having a luxury car with a 50 mile range, 16GB feels like it has 500 mile range.

[@SSquirrel1976]

$100 less than that maxed out M2 Pro. Mini gets you an M2 Max 12c/30c Mac Studio, and the better Ethernet is already rolled in. Alternately the M2 Ultra 24c/60c Mac Studio w/64GB and 2TB storage. External SSD will be a lot cheaper than Apple's price for internal storage, even if you do lose the all inclusive aspect and no extra things hooked up. I did just buy a baseline M2 Mini for my gf recently tho, she's loving it.

[@sidharthroy8059]

Sir ASUS PN64 i5 12500H or Mac Mini M2 which one should I buy please suggest.....

[@native5072]

depends on what you want to do with it

[@TradingGala]

@@native5072 only for trading with 2 screen and 1080p video editing sometimes, now suggest which one good..

[@AndyJMacLeod]

Yes, the base machine is great for a single user with modest power needs and a strict budget (e.g. a student). But if you want a future proofed model, you need to have at least 16GB unified memory and 512GB of storage. Those two upgrades nearly double its cost…

[@DigiDriftZone]

Yes, you can somewhat get around the storage issue by moving your home directory to an external drive (but you are limited to 10gbit speeds for complicated reasons). However the 8GB of ram, there's no way around that, you have to upgrade to 16.

[@salat]

Don't forget the 10GBit Ethernet port.. - I went for the M2 mini with 24 GB RAM, 512GB storage and 10G Ethernet. I think this combo is way more future proof than the base model and has a higher resale value. ~12 GB RAM are used on my daily usage, btw.

[@DigiDriftZone]

@@salat Just out of interest, what is your use case for the 10gbit ethernet port? - I have a 10gbit USB enclosure for storage and I don't see myself getting a 10gbit Internet connection in the lifespan of the unit, but if I sometimes do, can I not use a 10gbit USB3.1 ethernet adapter? - maybe I am missing an obvious use case

[@DigiDriftZone]

@@JCTY299 You are correct, but there is a non obvious way around it, if you search for moving your home directory to an external drive, you'll find instructions. Then you can keep your google drive and dropbox in your home directory, which then lives on the external drive, it even works for icloud which is awesome! I tried just about every options available, I tried booting the OS on the external drive (something they stopped letting you do a few months ago), I tried to just keep files on external drives (but you can't use iCloud, etc), I tried creating symbolic links, I tried mounting folders over the original Library folders, nothing worked, until I discovered you can just move your home directory to an external drive (but make sure to create an emergency account so that you can still login without the external SSD attached). One important caveat, if you do this with a 40gbps NVME USB drive, you will experience horrible OS glitches and lags, it becomes unresponsive for seconds at a time, it's horrible! - I tried 4 different enclosures and 3 different NVME SSDs - the solution for me was to take my super fast expensive NVME (Samsung 980 Pro) and put it in a slow USB 3.1 10gbps enclosure. Yes my transfer speeds are a 1/6th of what they should be, but day to day it feels very snappy and responsive.

[@AndyJMacLeod]

I got 16GB unified memory and 1TB… If I was to spend any more on it, I’d have jumped up to the M2 Pro chip. I don’t understand why someone would get 24GB on the M2 model. Getting 16GB on the M2 Pro would be more powerful… And if it’s for future-proofing only, I’d prefer to save the money and put it towards my next machine…

[@psykik_pot]

ONE of the things that i have been debating over - and has now become a dilemma - is if I should buy a MacBook pro 13"/14" OR a MacMini, specifically to get into the Mac side of things , by Apple. Of course, it would have been easier if i valued an all-in-one laptop than a mini tower-only. But the more demanding factor is the price . Where I live, base models are as affordable as it gets w maybe a RAM upgrade. but that's it. The difference in price b/w the MacMinis and the MBPs is significant enough to lean towards macminis since they are more affordable. It's a deal when considering everything that is being discussed in this video. But it makes the most sense when you set it up as a workstation...not as a all-in-one-take-it-anywhere-for-work-w-you. And that is the dilemma - should I purchase a macmini because it's more value for money or should i get a MBP because it has a built in screen and keyboard lol.

[@dannyize]

I had a similar dilemma. I had Macs back in the 80s and 90s. I've wanted to get back into Macs since OSX came out. Many years installing and using Linux, BSD, and Windows. This M2 mini is the best opportunity I've seen for me to get back into Macs. For your dilemma, you have to decide how important on-the-go portability is. If you can live without that - maybe using your phone, etc - you might find the mini is a cheaper and longer lasting solution. You may already have a decent monitor and keyboard/mouse. The mini has no battery to degrade and is less likely to need repairs. If your screen breaks or you want to upgrade it, you'll have almost no downtime. On the other hand, laptops are so damn cool. The cost of buying a display, a magic keyboard, and a trackpad for the Mini, should you want or need them, quickly puts the mini's cost into Macbook territory. But maybe you can do without those things or get 'em down the road. LOL, I setup my new mini on the CHEAP. Fortunately I had an RF mouse, not BT. My non-Apple bluetooth keyboard could not be set up until the OS was running. I had to use the on-screen accessibility keyboard and tap out my wifi password and iCloud account info from eleven years ago (thanks Apple for remembering me all those years).

[@psykik_pot]

@@dannyize Thank you for replying! Knowing that someone had a similar decision-dilemma really gives me confidence that i can make the right choice and be happy just as you are! You're v right about the long-haul w macs - i;m definitely someone who wants my tech to last me a long time. As for on-the-go versatility, i'll really have to weigh the pros and cons and how much it matters day-to-day for me. I do have an iPad so maybe i can get w that should i need it. But yeah, really loving the macminis - they are such tempting machines!

[@dannyize]

@@psykik_pot Thanks. FWIW, I got 256/16. The ssd seems plenty zippy to me, no issue there. I have ≈ 210 GB remaining after installing my apps this far. I installed homebrew which is somewhat large (to me). Granted, I am not a power user. Good luck!

[@nickousticmusic]

@@chrisx5127 I disagree. You could buy a m2 mini, with a better keyboard and better screen, and still have money left over to buy an older used MacBook Pro that will still perform good for less than a new MacBook Pro. Nobody is really going to go for the smaller MacBook Pro either, so you’re over $2.5k easy before upgrades lol whereas you’re just over $1k for the mini with the 16GB and SSD upgrade. If I had unlimited money, I’d get the decked out MacBook Pro, but the more economical way to go is the mini

[@mr_red13]

@@nickousticmusic What display would you recommend for the mini? I'm considering getting the beefed up Mac mini but will only have my 55" 4k tv as a display. I would just be worried about blurry text but I was really hoping my tv would be a good solution.

[@JohnSmith-zl8rz]

come on! 256 SSD is freaking ridiculous!

[@Cherice420]

I’ve been really thinking of getting a Mac computer and I’m not sure what would be the best option. I currently use a laptop. But I need to make a change. I own a preschool business currently in my home but looking for a location. But I’m not tech savvy and I don’t really know what I need or what to look for lol Any input would be appreciated. TIA

[@TheEverydayDad]

The Mac mini makes it really easy because its literally plug and play.

[@Cherice420]

@@TheEverydayDad great, thank you!

[@JCTY299]

IF you have never used a Mac before (like me for 40 years) there is definitely a learning curve. Many times when I used the Mac, I was angry and frustrated because thats not how it works in Windows. But over the last couple of months, I persevered and now I am glad I did. If you are really really used to your laptop (which I assume is Windows).....and you are a almost one-man operation business....just get a large external display and you are all set with no disruption to your workflow. If you have decided to switch to a Mac, then I suggest getting the Mac Mini as a good entry level mac. It is even more cost effective if you have an existing display as you do not need to buy one. It is literally plug and play. If all you are doing are research, spreadsheets, accounting, watching video, word documents, powerpoint, emails, messaging and surfing the web.....the mac mini is more than powerful enough for you. For longevitiy, you might want to get the 16GB Ram model. The reason is simple; when you get the hang of mac and you start doing more and more things with your mac, like light video editing, photo editiing etc, although the 8GB is still more than usable, you will be glad you got the 16GB. That means that you can use the Mac for many years without upgrading a new computer which saves your business money....isn't that what most people want in their business?

[@Cherice420]

@@JCTY299 thank you for the information! It is very helpful. I have used a Mac mini at my last job. I also have an iPhone and iPad so I have some experience. And I’ll look into the 16GB as well. Thanks again!

[@paulhorn24]

For any newcomers to macOS there some really good Videos on how to do certain tasks on a Mac in difference to a Windows computer. Or if you prefer a book, read several of them in your public library or a bookstore before buying. So many users have improved their quality of life with a mac and some tutorial videos, books or local computer clubs they attend.

[@davidbailey9464]

Just gotta tell ya North and South Dakota ain't got taxes either.

[@pauldewar626]

Why is the cost of upgrading the memory from 16GB to 32GB on the Mac Mini the same as upgrading from 32GB to 64GB on the Mac Studio!

[@JoATTech]

Not so sure you can edit 4k on this machine ... I can't on mine M2 with 16GB of RAM ...

[@cineplus-ch]

No no no no! You must upgrade the SSD and the RAM to allow it to work at the right speed!!

[@chrispacileo595]

I am looking to purchase one for my business, but I’m all over the place on if I should get base model or an upgrade to one of either the SSD or RAM. This will be used primarily for office work type tasks; word docs, spread sheets, email, web related tasks, and some graphic design/ photo editing work for marketing and labeling purposes. What would you recommend for someone who wants to use this for at least the next 5-7 years? Will the low internal SSD or low memory be more of a hinderance over time? And if you can only upgrade one which are you upgrading? Thanks for the content!

[@edgarnx]

Get the base storage and upgrade the RAM to at least the 16GB model. You can always add external storage later.

[@DigiDriftZone]

You can search online how to move your home directory to an external drive, so you can get around the small internal storage issue, but ram you will be stuck. I would 100% get 16GB, in fact I bought 8GB M1 and had to sell it because it was very limiting, I personally found it utterly unusable for even the simplest tasks, even my 73 year old father found it too limiting. Honestly, it felt like having a luxury car with a 50 mile range, 16GB feels like it has 500 mile range.

[@chrispacileo595]

Thank you both. That was my thought as well.

[@savethisforlater]

Do I need 16 gigs ram for multitasking, zoom with multiple tabs and files?

[@Samurai9901]

Will help to have more memory and will fare better in the long term

[@DigiDriftZone]

Yes! - 8gb is unusable. I know so many people that bought 8gb and regretted it immediately and had to sell the device a few months later. I also tried using 4 different 40gbps NVME adapters from reputable manufacturers and 3 different NVME drives including Samsung 980 Pro and WD SN850X Black, there was SEVERE OS lag and it was just entirely unusable, I had to switch to a 10gbps USB3.1 enclosure for it not to lag which of course severely limits your read/write speeds. So really, you need the 1TB 16GB version, but that's not cheap.

[@native5072]

@@DigiDriftZone 8GB is not unusable. What are you even talking about? I have the 8 GB variant and it is snappy as hell. I can open at least 30 tabs in Safari and be on a zoom call simultaneously without even noticing any slowdowns. I can even play The Sims 4 with graphics set to ultra and switch between the game and Safari with many taps open. Yes, you will fare better in the long term with 16 GB or if you do professional video or photo editing. But for the use case you described, the base model is more than just sufficient.

[@DigiDriftZone]

​@@native5072 I'll copy paste this from my other reply for context: I am typing this on my 16GB M1 after selling my 8GB M1 one. My ram is fully used but usable, when the machine boots and you've just opened some apps, ram use is under control, but as you keep it running all these apps slowly use up more and more. For example right now, 30 hours since the last reboot: Google Drive, 1.8GB, Window Server (Mac) - 1.4GB - Safari (6 long running tabs) 6GB - iTunes/Messages/Notes/Calendar/Finder (standard Apple stuff) - 4GB - other misc stuff like bluetooth services, icloud, etc - the rest of the 16GB. Can I also start a Zoom call? - yes - but at this point the system is becoming laggy and unpleasant to use and it will cause friction and delays if I need to do a screen share. Is it as bad as with non unified memory? - no, but absolutely obvious and noticeable so I'll have to close a few apps or tabs even with 16GB. But this isn't something I am constantly hamstrung by like I was with 8GB.

[@danielnaron]

@@DigiDriftZone It would be nice if you detailed out your use case since your statement that 8GB is unusable is totally false

[@skyemac8]

If your not running space command this will be fine for 98% of users. It’s the storage that sucks.

[@HarrisonFamilyValues]

Wait 06:14 , you can use 3 monitors with the M2 Mac Mini?

[@daft1235]

SEE MY COMMENT BELOW lol WTF is Dad saying?? He’s throwing me off haha I’m buying one today and everything I’ve heard has said 2 max..I was looking for a a decent external port hub to waste more time and money on, but I def don’t wanna if I don’t hafta! Anyone explain plz??

[@peterh.2488]

The fact is, you can actually get even 4monitors with basic m2 chip, just order a displaylink hub and done!

[@HarrisonFamilyValues]

@peterh.2488 please share a link for one here, I'd greatly appreciate it

[@peterh.2488]

@@HarrisonFamilyValues you can find it easily in eBay. It’s not a brand, it’s a protocol, any hub with diskplaylink protocol can do this.

[@brads1545]

Has anyone with the M1 Mini upgraded to the M2 (same specs) and noticed any appreciable improvement?

[@DigiDriftZone]

Looking at real world use cases, it's about 8-12% faster - a nice bump but not groundbreaking for CPU bound tasks. Things like 3d modelling get a nicer 20-25% bump but it's likely not as useful as it sounds as it's still too slow and you probably would want an M1 Max then. I do wish there was a pro version with say 16 or 24 CPU cores instead of more graphics cores as for some of us, graphics cores make no difference (e.g. for software development).

[@brianalpert2383]

A great value to say the least. For me, the one missing item is an SD card reader. That would make this completely dongle free for me. For the price of this plus a decent monitor keyboard, and mouse, your still cheaper than the iMac, along with better performance and of course, many more ports too.

[@vishalmane3139]

It cannot run power bi

[@thesupport4963]

Do not buy the cheapest M2 Mac mini. Seriously.... if you're just going to surf the internet, type a doc or sign some pdf's, then I guess. But if you're a creator, strongly suggest you upgrade the memory and the SSD. Bump memory from 8 to 16gb and the ssd from 256 to 512. Much more worth it. If you're a serious 8k video freak kind of creator then I suggest the M2 Pro. Buy nice or buy. twice. Don't be a cheap a$$.

[@JoATTech]

You can build more powerful PC for the same pricetag. But it will be bigger, have Windows ... and is not that cute :D.

[@MGMG007]

599 mac mini is far above every other competitor in that price range even if you add the expense for the accessories, but the M2 pro is much better than the base, most people don’t need that extra power and the extra expense.

[@KYCDK]

though the m2's livespan can double from 4-5 years to around 10 years, as well as doubling performance, by upgrading to 512 ssd storage

[@johnmurphy9727]

How is it for AI development?