Apple Mac Mini (2023) review: Mac Studio junior

Before the Mac’s resurgence a few years ago, the idea that Apple might produce a new Mac Mini-like machine was a distant dream. The company’s compact desktops were rarely updated and largely ignored. We often waited years for major updates. But eventually the entire Mac portfolio started to take off. The disastrous butterfly keyboard has been retired. Real buttons have replaced the MacBook Pro’s underused Touch Bar. And it all culminated when Apple introduced its own processor. Also It set new records for battery life and powers desktops like the redesigned iMac and the lightning-fast Mac Studio.

The Mac Mini was part of the first wave of Apple silicon products in 2020, delivering strong performance in a small package. But it was also a minimal-effort release with some trade-offs: the M1 Mac Mini topped him with 16GB of RAM and had fewer ports than the Intel-powered model. this McMini last week. The 2023 version of the Mac Mini, with either the M2 or M2 Pro chip, will keep the overall design the same, but add Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and (optionally) HDMI and Ethernet, depending on how much money you spend. Numerous specifications are upgraded, including:

Of course the biggest upgrade of all is performance.

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The new Mac Mini offers a choice of two processors. One is a great choice for home Macs and the other is clearly for prosumers who want to push the boundaries a bit. The cheaper model starts at $599 ($100 less than the M1 model’s starting price) and is powered by Apple’s M2 chip. Similar to the 13-inch MacBook Pro, this version includes 8 CPU cores and 10 GPU cores.

As my colleague Monica Chin wrote in her MacBook Pro review, single-core performance is very impressive, and everyday tasks and apps feel slightly faster than the already brisk M1. According to the company, the M2 chip also has better multi-core and graphics numbers. Assuming a regular Mini works just like a 13-inch MacBook Pro, it should be able to handle all your browser tabs and multitask with ease. As for other software, most of the apps I use now run natively on Apple silicon, with the exception of one or two outliers like Amazon Music. Those programs still work fine thanks to Apple’s Rosetta software, but they won’t be needed as often as when the first M1 machine debuted in 2020.

Compared to the M2 MacBook Air, the Mini should be able to maintain peak performance for extended periods of time without throttling. There are several reasons for this. First off, with a fan inside (unlike the Air) and a ton of empty space inside the enclosure, the silicon isn’t tightly packed into the laptop frame, so the Mini runs cool by design.

For those looking for a general-purpose desktop Mac, we recommend the standard M2 Mac Mini — assuming you already have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. It offers solid performance and is perfectly capable of doing photo editing and light video work.Apple gave the new machine faster Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6E) and the latest Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity . By default, the Ethernet jack supports Gigabit speeds, but you can choose 10 Gigabit Ethernet for an extra $100. Like the M1 Mac Mini, the M2 model has two USB-C ports (now Thunderbolt 4) and two USB-A ports, plus a headphone jack and HDMI 2.0 output.

However, despite the entry-level Mini’s $599 price tag, we generally recommend at least 8 GB of RAM. It is possible to force the system to swap memory to the SSD without vigorously pushing the machine. And while Apple’s unified memory architecture makes this less of a concern when working, I would recommend most people the $799 configuration (256 GB of storage and 16 GB of storage) as a true “starter” option. RAM) is recommended. If you plan to use your Mini for several years and stay with it until a few new releases of macOS, we recommend purchasing it. Moreover, the price reduction continues. The M1 Mac Mini with 16 GB of RAM starts at $899.

But I haven’t tested the regular M2 Mini. I’ve been using the M2 for the last few days instead. Professional A model with 12 CPU cores and 19 GPU cores. So far, it’s been an absolute screamer, worthy of the “Mac Studio Jr.” nickname. In benchmarks, the Cinebench single-core and multi-core CPU scores beat last year’s M1 Max MacBook Pro. Also, adding his GPU core to the standard M2 made a noticeable difference when exporting 4K footage and games.like us Shadow of the Tomb Raider As benchmarks show, Apple’s Max chips have more GPU cores to spare, so the graphics horsepower isn’t up to the level of Apple’s Max chips. However, this greatly exceeds the capabilities of the standard M2 Mini, MacBook Air, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M2 Pro Mac Mini successfully edited a 40 megapixel RAW file from a Fujifilm X-T5. I’m not a videographer myself, but I didn’t see any strain working with his high bitrate 4K test footage in my testing, and I’ve never heard a fan growl. Even during extended benchmark testing.

The more expensive M2 Pro Mini has benefits beyond speed.you get the sum of four USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports — back on par with older Intel models — plus a more modern HDMI 2.1 port. Its more powerful GPU can also support up to three external displays, one more than the M2 Mac Mini. The increased I/O and increased display flexibility make the M2 Pro Mac Mini more appealing to certain people. But great things never come cheap: you’ll have to pay a minimum of $1,299 for the Mini with the M2 Pro chip, and it has 10 CPU and 16 GPU cores. It had 2 CPU cores, 3 GPU cores, 1TB of storage and 16GB of RAM for $1,799.

At that point, it will defy the price of the base Mac Studio, which comes with the more graphics-capable M1 Max chip. The Mini I personally want is $2,699 with a 2TB SSD, 32GB RAM, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet. Oh.

But remember, there are no iMacs with an M2 Pro inside (yet). So for those who want a Mac desktop but feel the Mac Studio is overkill, which is exactly the case for many use cases, this his M2 Pro Mini makes a lot of sense. And it doesn’t cost that much anywhere. The only port that the Studio and my MacBook Pro lack is a built-in SD card slot. But even without that, this generous port backing leaves a lot to be desired. Unfortunately, you still have to reach behind to get it all.

Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t offer discounts for bundling the Studio Display or any of the company’s keyboard and mouse accessories with the Mini. Still, part of the Mini’s appeal dates back to the phrase “BYODKM” he used when Steve Jobs introduced it in 2005. Feel free to bring your own display, keyboard, and mouse to pair with this powerful Mac mini. -Tower. This can open up potential desk setups not possible with Apple’s proprietary equipment. For example, you are not constrained by a 60 Hz monitor. I certainly felt the pain of losing Touch ID when I switched from Apple’s Magic Keyboard to my keyboard, but I can live without Touch ID. The idea of ​​phasing out the big, heavy MacBook Pro and switching to a mighty Mac Mini rig at home and a lighter M2 MacBook Air or 12.9-inch iPad Pro on the go has really grown in my mind. .

It should come as no surprise that the 2023 Mac Mini is the best version of anything Apple has ever done. Although they look the same, the benefits of the M2 platform are significant, whether you choose the standard chip or invest in the powerful M2 Pro. Either way, you can expect better Wi-Fi and little bump leading up to Apple’s move to silicon. Investing more in the M2 Pro will give you more Thunderbolt 4 ports and more external displays along with blazing speed.

If you’ve been waiting for a middle-of-the-road Mac that’s more capable than the iMac and less outrageous than the Mac Studio, look no further. The new Mac Mini is still small and not the kind of computer you’d want to put on your desk to grab attention, but it’s more powerful than ever.