what is the best Mac mini for 27" 2560 x 1440 monitor?

I am wanting to get a new computer for getting close to the dissertation phase of my Ph.D. I don't need the computer to do intense gaming stuff or anything like that. Most of my work will be writing, reading PDFs, online research. However, what will require the most speed/power is a Bible software program I use to do complex morphological searches in other languages through hundreds of thousands of words. That is what would require the most power/speed for me.

What I have come to is that I feel like the 27" monitor and the workspace would be more important for me than a really fast imac or something like that. So I want to get a Mac mini and then just buy a 2560x1440 monitor (found good deals on craiglist, etc.).

As I look at different Mac minis, I am wondering what would be the best one to get? (my budget allows for 2014 entry level, or 2012/2011 entry or mid level maybe)

Which Mac mini out of those listed above would be best for sustaining a 27" 2560x1440 display? (with mini display port to displayport adaptor)

Thanks!
Ben

"Best" would be the newest.

But then again…the definition for "Best" being "for a 27" monitor" is probably not the "best" parameter for "Best". For "best" monitor performance…probably "best" to get the Mini with the best graphics hardware. But "best" Mac-Mini for the Bible software might be the Mini with the "best" CPU performance (with the 27" monitor having nothing to do with this).

Thus:

- "Best" Mini for a 27" monitor would be the newest Mac-mini.
- "Best" Mini for CPU intensive software (if it's multi-core capable)…would be a 2012 quad-core Mini (which is no longer sold by Apple). Can be purchased used.

* Nick

I agree with nick. If the program is optimized for multiple cores then the older quad core Mac mini should shine. However, for graphics the newest Mac mini will of course have the best graphics card. But to me it sounds like you are going more coins intensive. Off topic but i wonder if Apple dropped the quad core ones because the newer dual core ones are actually faster and more efficient or because of decreased interest in the Mac mini itself.

rfomlover said:

Off topic but i wonder if Apple dropped the quad core ones because the newer dual core ones are actually faster and more efficient or because of decreased interest in the Mac mini itself.

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We've discussed this in other threads. My "pet theory" is…Apple messed up. And was selling a way too powerful computer for way too low of a price ($799). Which could have been "cannabilizing" the sales of more expensive models.

The quad-core 2012 Mac-Mini had CPU performance that was significantly better than some of the 21" and 27" iMac's of the same time (2012)…which sold for a lot more money ($1199-$1799). Of course the iMacs had better video hardware, the builtin display, included keyboard & input device, etc. But for pure CPU performance in a "little box"…those quad-core 2012 Mac-Mini's were a steal!

- Nick

Thank you for your helpful responses.

From what I understand, the Bible software will certainly do searches faster with a faster computer, but in general (for most searches) it isn't going to make a huge difference like gaming would.

I know that the 2012 minis are a better value in some ways with respect to speed, but based on what I said, if speed is not going to make a drastic difference for the Bible software, would I be better off with the 2014 mini for the sake of the monitor performance?

Thanks!
Ben

In order to do what a program does, it either relies on computational prestidigitation (the processor), working even more speedily by using spare RAM (memory), relying on disk space for storing things temporarily that don't fit in RAM (an SSD is 10x faster than an HD), or it uses the graphics processor to handle more of the math.

So, the thing you want to find out is, what area does the Bible software you want to use rely on most? That's probably a question for the developer, but the bottom line here is that modern computers are waaaaaay faster than older computers, even if the initial "spec sheet" seems the same, due to a variety of factors. In nearly any case, the newer computer is going to be a better idea than the older one, the exception being as Nick mentioned -- a quad-core i7 in an older machine may well outperform a dual-core i5 in a newer one, even if the latter is a little faster in processing speed.

I know that the 2012 minis are a better value in some ways with respect to speed, but based on what I said, if speed is not going to make a drastic difference for the Bible software, would I be better off with the 2014 mini for the sake of the monitor performance?

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Which Bible software do you own? As far as I'm aware neither the current Logos nor Accordance programs (two most popular Mac Bible programs) are designed to use multiple cores for searching or anything else.

chscag said:

Which Bible software do you own? As far as I'm aware neither the current Logos nor Accordance programs (two most popular Mac Bible programs) are designed to use multiple cores for searching or anything else.

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Thank you. That is just what I need to know. I use Accordance.

So if that is generally the most complex task I run with my computer, am I better off going with the newer 2014?

Thanks!
Ben

bpkantor said:

Thank you. That is just what I need to know. I use Accordance.

So if that is generally the most complex task I run with my computer, am I better off going with the newer 2014?

Thanks!
Ben

Click to expand...

Of course if you can find a 2012 quad-core at a reasonable price, buy that. Be that as it may, the 2014 should suffice. I have and use Logos 6 with my 2013 iMac and although the performance is not as fast as I would like (library size) it's good enough for most things.