# Mac Mini i7 vs iMac Pro 10-core for non-VEPro setup?



## MediaComposer88 (Nov 17, 2018)

Hey all!

iMac Pro 10-core, 64GB RAM, 2TB SSD vs Mac Mini 2018 i7 6-core, 64GB RAM, 2TB SSD - which would you recommend for the following setup/workflow?

- Single computer macOS setup, no slaves/VEPro
- Thunderbolt-3 4*SSD Enclosure holding Project and Sample Drives
- Logic Pro X
- 50GB Template, mostly Kontant (Cinesamples, Orch Tools, Cinesamples, LASS, CSS, Arturia, Komplete / FabFilter plug-ins)
- Mostly intimate projects, so for each project I’ll create a smaller template from my main one. As such, probably never will be using 64GB of RAM
- Pretty liberal (most individual instrument tracks) usage of FabFilter Q2

I’m specifally interested in how you think the i7 Mini would hold up in the long term and if/how the iMac Pro’s extra (multi-core) processing power could be important.

Of course, the Mac Mini route would inittially be significantly cheaper, but would I have to buy a new Mac sooner? I’m looking at the long term, yet don’t want to spend money on something I simply won’t take advantage of. Any insights?

All in all, I have the feeling I trust the iMac Pro more as a single system without VEPro. Do you agree? Or are there any other things I should consider?

Any insights would be greatly appreciated!


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## Sami (Nov 17, 2018)

If we look at it from a comparison perspective, the 7700k iMac with 64 GB of RAM is capable of running a good-sized template in Logic (from personal experience). You have not mentioned your DAW, so worse optimized ones might not work as well (looking at you, Cubase).
The Mini is at least as strong as the iMac, although I find the thermals a bit concerning. I think it is a good value prop if you go for the 6-core with 512 gb and go liquid metal and upgrade the RAM yourself as well as connect external 2tb of USB C 3.1 Gen 2 SSD storage to hold your files. The iMac pro is the best machine in the lineup and would without a hint of a doubt be sufficient for your purposes, but the value for money for your usecase is very bad. 
I am always surprised at how liberal people are with buying the iMac pro. As working professionals most of us have to look at the bottom line, and I just think the iMac pro is an extremely bad value for what it offers in our scenario. We need speed and expandability, not Xeons and ECC memory for what we do…


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## MediaComposer88 (Nov 17, 2018)

Many thanks for your useful insights Sami!

I use Logic Pro X.

At this point, I’m well aware the iMac Pro is a bit overkill. However, I’d rather spend a little more now for a more future-proof setup (the iMac Pro after all has a stronger CPU, can hold 128GB of RAM as well as 4TB of SSD-storage), than saving now and having to buy an expensive new machine sooner because of upgrade and/or performance limits.

So, the main thing is to estimate how long I could get away with using a regular iMac or Mac Mini 2018 as a single, non-VEPro machine.

The Mac Mini 2018 i7 thermal performance is indeed something to consider. I‘m very interested to hear any insights/experiences on that particular subject.


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## Sami (Nov 17, 2018)

MediaComposer88 said:


> Many thanks for your useful insights Sami!
> 
> I use Logic Pro X.
> 
> ...


Thanks to you!
One thing to consider is that iMacs hold their value extremely well since they are sought-after machines. I am always in favour of escalating rather than overpaying so I lean on the cautious side with investments over 2000. 
Concerning the Mac Mini, the reviews have only just come out and I don‘t own one personally, but I have seen the teardown and it‘s basically a naked package so applying liquid metal and some conformal coating (although not too thick, apparently the PCH isn’t really covered by the plate, this is only reported, cannot confirm the last part) could be the solution for the throttling under sustained load. 64 GB kits of SODIMM DDR4 2666 are available on Ebay for around 799 Euros. I have not actually seen anyone install them and they are definitely taller than regular SODIMMS so I cannot vouch for compatibility, that said the Ebay seller certifies them as „compatible with the 2018 Mac Mini“ and has 99.8% positive comments and accepts returns and refunds, so I wouldn‘t be too sceptical if I was buying. 

Damn you‘ve whet my appetite for hacking the Mac Mini now... haha


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## MediaComposer88 (Nov 18, 2018)

Thanks again, Sami!

There’s another thing I’m wondering. The obvious bottleneck of the new Mini is the GPU, but I reckon this would be a far bigger problem to editors than to composers.

However, with this basic a GPU, could this for example be a problem when working with (large size) video files when scoring to film in Logic Pro while at the same time running lots of tracks? Or could there be basic interface display/scaling problems when working in Logic?


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