Mac Mini M2 8GB or 16GB and the Pro version - real-life user experience

[macuros]

Hello! I've already asked this somewhere else, but I would also like to ask this community to see what thoughts you have about my case.

I've been banging my head for 3-days already and thinking about what Mac Mini to get.

Currently, I'm using a Macbook Air M2 (base model) with Studio Display. I can do all that I want on this machine, but I would like to preserve my laptop as much as possible. I have always been a desktop user (just sold my iMac 2019, base model with 24 GB RAM), but I need a laptop for my work (just for light office work).

So, as I am without a desktop computer now (with Studio Display) and thinking about my needs.

My workflow: office apps (Word, Excell, Pages, Numbers...), Mail, Messages, Safari, ... many stock Apple apps, Firefox, VS Code (light use), Pixelmator Pro (light use), Sibelius or MuseScore (music notation apps), RSS reader app, light gaming occasionally...

From Activity Monitor:




So usually I have around 2GB of swap memory used. But it all works without a problem.

So, I can do all this on my entry-level Macbook Air M2, but I am considering the future. Should I buy:

• Mac Mini M2 8/256
• Mac Mini M2 Pro 16/512

I should mention I don't need a lot of storage, as I own two NAS devices.

Also, Mac Mini M2 16/256 is a BTO computer, which is quite expensive in our country. For less than 300 € more, I can get the Pro version.

BUT, my question here is about the entry-level Mac Mini M2 8/256:

• Is this enough for my needs?
• Should I buy the entry-level and change to another entry-level in about 2-3 years? That way I always have a new chip inside.
• Or should I go with the Mac Mini M2 Pro for peace of mind and longevity (and use it for 4-5 years)? I have a feeling this one should be similar to my previous iMac with 24 GB RAM.

I am just confused. I know, buy what you can, but I don't need a machine that is too powerful for my needs as this is kind of a waste of money. But then again the base model...

I would especially like to hear those with the base model Mac Mini M2 8/256 and those with Mac Mini M2 Pro 16/512 - experience, regrets, overkill...


Thank you for any thoughts.

 

[Jimmysb]

My advice, would be go for the best you can afford, there is always a cost benefit analysis (CBA), but only you know the benefit, and if the cost is worth it.
If the lower spec will do everything you want, with capacity to spare fine, however you probably will not be able to upgrade due to the way it is manufactured, and if you find you need more you are stuck.
So, if the higher spec is within your budget, then that is the way I would go.

 

[IWT]

I agree with Jim B. In my view future-proofing is vital if one can afford it.

Eight GB of Memory will probably do, just, and normally I'd say that 256GB of storage is hopeless for most people; but I accept you comment about your NAS.

Nevertheless, the 16GB Memory plus 512GB Storage is, in my opinion, the way to go and will last longer and provide better specs as you go into the future.

Ian

 

[macuros]

Thank you both for your contribution.

So you would choose the Pro version. I am currently also leaning toward that one. But that means I would probably keep that machine for many years, with that same chip. If going with the base model, you can change every 2-3 years and get a new chip (whatever that means).

 

[Randy B. Singer]

BUT, my question here is about the entry-level Mac Mini M2 8/256:

• Is this enough for my needs?
• Should I buy the entry-level and change to another entry-level in about 2-3 years? That way I always have a new chip inside.
• Or should I go with the Mac Mini M2 Pro for peace of mind and longevity (and use it for 4-5 years)? I have a feeling this one should be similar to my previous iMac with 24 GB RAM.

I don't think that the concept of needing more RAM than you need right now to "future proof" your machine is a valid one for an Apple Silicon based Mac.

For over a decade now, new versions of the Mac OS have not required more RAM than the previous version. In fact, each new version of the Mac OS, for a long time now, have tended towards having smarter memory management, better memory compression, etc. With the advent of Apple Silicon based Macs, with their pooling of available RAM on-chip, Macs have become even less dependent on having a lot of RAM installed.

Unless you contemplate moving to an entirely new way of working that really requires a lot of RAM (e.g. some day taking up movie editing, or 3D modeling, etc.), then you aren't going to need more RAM in the future than you need now.

Apple Silicon based Macs simply don't tend to need a lot of RAM. See:

Opinion: Is the base MacBook Air M1/8GB powerful enough for you?
Is the base MacBook Air M1/8GB powerful enough for you? - 9to5Mac

8GB vs 16GB M1 MacBook Pro - How much RAM do you NEED?!

You might need more storage space than you would suspect, to allow your Mac to have a long service life, but that depends on how fastidious you are about not letting your internal drive come close to filling up. SSD's tend to start slowing down around the time that they are half full. When they get to about 70% full, they can be done.

"In practice, an SSD’s performance begins to decline after it reaches about 50% full."
My SSD Used To Be So Much Faster But Has Recently Slowed Down ... What Happened?.

"When you’re getting close to the 70% threshold, you should consider upgrading your computer’s SSD with a larger drive."
Why solid-state drive (SSD) performance slows down as it becomes full - Pureinfotech
(Note that you can't upgrade the internal SSD in an Apple Silicon based Mac after you have purchased it.)

The thing is, once your SSD fills up, unlike a rotating disk hard drive, you can't offload data and have the performance come back, as there is no utility software for the Mac to erase full but available space on an SSD. So, if you aren't fastidious about keeping your SSD from filling up, it's performance and it's lifespan can take a huge hit.

"SSDs may suffer performance issues, especially in writing speed, when the drive reaches full capacity. It is easier for the drive to write to an empty cell when there is free space available. When the drive is full, the SSD needs to find out which blocks are partially filled, move that information into a cache and then write it back to the drive."
Top 7 Tips to Get the Most from your SSDs

So it might be worthwhile to get a much bigger SSD than you think that you might ever need, just so that you can always have a good chunk of free space to fall back on to keep performance up.

 

[macuros]

Thank you for your very comprehensive reply, @Randy B. Singer. Interesting reading about SSDs.

 

[ferrarr]

as there is no utility software for the Mac to erase full but available space on an SSD

Is there a utility software available on other OSes?

 

[Jimmysb]

I don't think that the concept of needing more RAM than you need right now to "future proof" your machine is a valid one for an Apple Silicon based Mac.

For over a decade now, new versions of the Mac OS have not required more RAM than the previous version. In fact, each new version of the Mac OS, for a long time now, have tended towards having smarter memory management, better memory compression, etc. With the advent of Apple Silicon based Macs, with their pooling of available RAM on-chip, Macs have become even less dependent on having a lot of RAM installed.

Unless you contemplate moving to an entirely new way of working that really requires a lot of RAM (e.g. some day taking up movie editing, or 3D modeling, etc.), then you aren't going to need more RAM in the future than you need now.

Apple Silicon based Macs simply don't tend to need a lot of RAM. See:

Opinion: Is the base MacBook Air M1/8GB powerful enough for you?
Is the base MacBook Air M1/8GB powerful enough for you? - 9to5Mac

8GB vs 16GB M1 MacBook Pro - How much RAM do you NEED?!

You might need more storage space than you would suspect, to allow your Mac to have a long service life, but that depends on how fastidious you are about not letting your internal drive come close to filling up. SSD's tend to start slowing down around the time that they are half full. When they get to about 70% full, they can be done.

"In practice, an SSD’s performance begins to decline after it reaches about 50% full."
https://www.seagate.com/tech-insights/ssd-over-provisioning-benefits-master-ti/

"When you’re getting close to the 70% threshold, you should consider upgrading your computer’s SSD with a larger drive."
Why solid-state drive (SSD) performance slows down as it becomes full - Pureinfotech
(Note that you can't upgrade the internal SSD in an Apple Silicon based Mac after you have purchased it.)

The thing is, once your SSD fills up, unlike a rotating disk hard drive, you can't offload data and have the performance come back, as there is no utility software for the Mac to erase full but available space on an SSD. So, if you aren't fastidious about keeping your SSD from filling up, it's performance and it's lifespan can take a huge hit.

"SSDs may suffer performance issues, especially in writing speed, when the drive reaches full capacity. It is easier for the drive to write to an empty cell when there is free space available. When the drive is full, the SSD needs to find out which blocks are partially filled, move that information into a cache and then write it back to the drive."
Top 7 Tips to Get the Most from your SSDs

So it might be worthwhile to get a much bigger SSD than you think that you might ever need, just so that you can always have a good chunk of free space to fall back on to keep performance up.

I have read this before on the forum reference SSD, question can you erase reformat and get back all the capacity.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

Is there a utility software available on other OSes?

Yes. I understand that all of these will do the job on Windows, and probably Linux too:

OCZ’s ToolBox

Samsung’s Magician

Seagate’s SeaTools

 

[Randy B. Singer]

I have read this before on the forum reference SSD, question can you erase reformat and get back all the capacity.

My strong suspicion is that the best that you can do is blow away the Directory, while leaving all of the data intact to be over-written. That's why Apple now recommends that you encrypt the data on your SSD before selling it, rather than erasing it as you would have for a rotating disk hard drive.

 

[macuros]

So it might be worthwhile to get a much bigger SSD than you think that you might ever need, just so that you can always have a good chunk of free space to fall back on to keep performance up.

For instance, do you think the Mac Mini M2 8/512 would be a better option for me than the Pro version? With longevity in mind.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

For instance, do you think the Mac Mini M2 8/512 would be a better option for me than the Pro version? With longevity in mind.

I'm not sure precisely what your needs are. At this point you can probably make a determination as well (or better) than I can.

One thing that I can say is that recent Apple Silicon based Macs are stunningly fast. I don't forsee there being any applications introduced in the forseeable future that will be too power hungry for even the lowest end mini.

Goodness, the lowest end mini is more powerful than a Mac Pro from just a few years ago! See:

https://browser.geekbench.com/mac-benchmarks

If you don't overfill your SSD, I don't see ANY Mac that you buy today failing to last you for the next decade! Don't let outdated notions of what you should look for in a new Mac cow you into purchasing way more expensive a computer than you need.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

One thing that I want to point out in purchasing a new Mac is that Apple likes to cripple (performance-wise) the lowest configuration of SSD in each model.

The 15-inch MacBook Air has the same slow SSD as the 13-inch model

If you want 'normal' SSD speeds, you'll need to spring for 512GB or more.

www.macworld.com

https://www.macintouch.com/post/29058/m2-mac-slow-ssds/

M2 MacBook Air takes performance hit with slower SSD on base model

The M2 MacBook Air reviews are in. While journalists and influencers praised it, there’s one concern about this new product....

9to5mac.com

 

[Randy B. Singer]

Is there a utility software available on other OSes?

To be perfectly honest, I have the Unix commands to erase the free space on an SSD, and to erase an SSD completely.

However, I'm loath to give those commands out. (In general, you use the "secureErase freespace" command. I won't be more specific.) I can't be sure if they will work, or if they will cause damage, or what. So I'm not going to test them on one of my SSD's, and I don't want someone else possibly damaging their SSD and blaming it on me. Apple doesn't sanction doing it, so I'm not going to tell folks how to circumvent Apple's guidance. At least not until I've tried it myself and found that everything goes okay.

Someone who is a Unix guru might want to play with the commands and report back.

 

[pigoo3]

Currently, I'm using a Macbook Air M2 (base model) with Studio Display. I can do all that I want on this machine, but I would like to preserve my laptop as much as possible.

So, I can do all this on my entry-level Macbook Air M2, but I am considering the future.

These two statements caught my eye the most.

If you can do everything you need to do on your M2 MacBook Air...then don't worry about the future & don't worry about "preserving" your M2 MacBook Air. Just use the MacBook Air when you leave home...and plug it into your Studio Display when at home/office and use it like a desktop.

No need to spend more money on a 2nd M2 computer now...if the M2 MacBook Air can do everything you need it to do.

Use the M2 MacBook Air for 2-5 years...then at that time...get yourself another new computer. At that point Apple will be on M5 or M6 Apple Silicon...those computers will be so much faster & more capable than M2 computers now.

If you bought another M2 based computer now...then you'd have two M2 computers. Better off having one M2 computer now that can do everything now...save your money...then in 2-5 years...buy what Apple is selling then.

Otherwise you'll have spent all the money on two M2 computers now...and still need to spend more money in 2-5 years on something newer.

If you said the M2 MacBook Air was NOT able to everything you need it to do...then I'd definitely say get a 2nd M2 computer that's more powerful now. But this doesn't seem to be the case.

HTH,

Nick

 

[macuros]

If you can do everything you need to do on your M2 MacBook Air...then don't worry about the future & don't worry about "preserving" your M2 MacBook Air. Just use the MacBook Air when you leave home...and plug it into your Studio Display when at home/office and use it like a desktop.

No need to spend more money on a 2nd M2 computer now...if the M2 MacBook Air can do everything you need it to do.

Use the M2 MacBook Air for 2-5 years...then at that time...get yourself another new computer. At that point Apple will be on M5 or M6 Apple Silicon...those computers will be so much faster & more capable than M2 computers now.

If you bought another M2 based computer now...then you'd have two M2 computers. Better off having one M2 computer now that can do everything now...save your money...then in 2-5 years...buy what Apple is selling then.

Nick, these are my thoughts too. Yes, I can do everything I can on Macbook Air M2 now. I am just concerned about the battery and when it gets hot. Currently, this happens only when I allow my son to play his games on (Roblox). I am not sure if this exposure to the heat for a bit longer is OK for the computer.

The Macbook Air doesn't have a fan, Mac mini does.

I think I also need to change my thinking. I have never just had a laptop, I have always had a desktop computer. It's a funny feeling But I need a laptop for my work (just light stuff).


Thank you all for your thoughts and discussion.

 

[pigoo3]

Nick, these are my thoughts too. Yes, I can do everything I can on Macbook Air M2 now. I am just concerned about the battery and when it gets hot. Currently, this happens only when I allow my son to play his games on (Roblox). I am not sure if this exposure to the heat for a bit longer is OK for the computer.

The Macbook Air doesn't have a fan, Mac mini does.

It is what it is. Just normally use your M2 MacBook Air like you would any computer (desktop or laptop).

Battery's will deteriorate over time even if you don't use them. 5 years from now...your M2 MacBook Air's battery will not be as capable as it is now...even if you hardly use it on battery power.

Yes heat is not the best for a battery. If the M2 MacBook Air heats up while in use...then it heats up while in use...it is what it is. This is a VERY common thing for laptop computers. They get warm/hot when in use...they have an internal battery...and the battery gets warm/hot (it is what it is).

If you go overboard with the "preserving"...in 5 years you will have a hardly used somewhat outdated computer (depending on what your computing needs are in 5 years).

There are battery replacements for M1 MacBook Air's...thus there very well may be battery replacements for an M2 MacBook Air:

NewerTech 55W NuPower Battery Replacement Solution... at MacSales.com

BAP13MBA5X 55W NewerTech NuPower Battery Replacement Solution for 13-inch Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020). Complete kit for removal and replacement of the battery in all 13-inch Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) models. Includes all tools required for installation.

eshop.macsales.com

I think I also need to change my thinking. I have never just had a laptop, I have always had a desktop computer. It's a funny feeling But I need a laptop for my work (just light stuff).

I've had various Apple laptop/notebook computers as my "main" computer...for years & years.

I would use it as a portable computer when I would venture outside my home...and when I got back home...would use it on my lap watching television. When I needed multiple monitors (at work or at home)...I would set it up as a desktop computer by attaching 2 external monitors (and other peripherals)...and then I would use it just like a desktop with 2-3 displays.

I use/used my Apple portable computers probably 95% of the time in a "desktop" setup...and only 5% of the time as a portable computer.

Even when I used it as a portable computer...I hardly used it on battery power. If a electrical connection was close by...I always used it (no need to accumulate unnecessary battery charge/discharge cycles).

If you REALLY REALLY REALLY need a 2nd computer (desktop)...for the various reasons you mentioned...then just get yourself a used base model M1 Mac-Mini (or a new base model M2 Mac-Mini).
Relatively speaking...these are great inexpensive computer's. In your case for the reasons you mentioned...don't venture past the base models...or you end up increasing the cost a lot...and then get yourself all twisted up again trying to figure out what to get.

I'm mainly saying stick with the M2 MacBook Air. When it gets comes time...replace the battery...or if this is 3-5 years from now...maybe get something new.

- Nick

p.s. I sure hope your son is NOT playing games on battery power only...or this WILL wear out the battery very quickly (will accumulate battery charge/discharge cycles very fast). I'm guessing he plays on it almost everyday...possibly for hours at a time. He should definitely be using it plugged in.

 

[macuros]

Nick, thank you for your comprehensive reply. I really appreciate it.

You have a point here. I am not in need of a 2nd computer.

If you go overboard with the "preserving"...in 5 years you will have a hardly used somewhat outdated computer (depending on what your computing needs are in 5 years).

When not at home only basic office use.

p.s. I sure hope your son is NOT playing games on battery power only...or this WILL wear out the battery very quickly (will accumulate battery charge/discharge cycles very fast). I'm guessing he plays on it almost everyday...possibly for hours at a time. He should definitely be using it plugged in.

No, he is always on power (3-4 times a week, not more), but it really gets very hot when he's playing, maybe even unpleasantly hot.

 

[pigoo3]

No, he is always on power (3-4 times a week, not more), but it really gets very hot when he's playing, maybe even unpleasantly hot.

Great to hear that!

Your son must really be working the computer playing games. The one thing about the Apple Silicon computers in general (laptops as well)...is they run significantly cooler & quieter than the previous Intel based models.

The Intel based models almost always ran hot (didn't take too much to get them hot)...and fans almost always loud. So hot that if it was the Summertime...on your lap...and wearing shorts...could burn your legs (I've had this happen many times)...large red marks on legs.

I'm guessing when you use your M2 MacBook Air...it's almost always cool & silent.

Nick

 

[Randy B. Singer]

... I am just concerned about the battery and when it gets hot. ...

Get yourself one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098PZ6X3Z/?tag=macforums0e4-20