# New Mac Minis?



## John Zuker (Mar 18, 2020)

Two loaded Mac Minis (64g ram, 2 TB SSD, 6 core, 3.2Ghz etc ) is still a tad less than 1 bare bones, least expensive Mac Pro. Better bang for the buck, but is it enough bang? Say for Logic Pro 150-200 tracks with VE Pro template (on second machine) full of orchestral goodness. No 4k video editing needed. Thoughts?

Be safe and stay healthy everyone!


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## colony nofi (Mar 19, 2020)

Do you want it *small* for any reason?
Just looking quickly at all the specs, a single i9 9900k based iMac is going to be as good as this... (I’m not sure it can do 128GB ram though....someone else can chime in on that!)

Having previously had a multi Mac mini system (and it was great / was what was needed and was portable) it takes a fair amount of time to properly keep the tech side of things running well. I’m of the opinion these days that one machine to rule them all is a better fit for me!


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## John Zuker (Mar 20, 2020)

Small isn't necessary, just trying to look at the best options/alternatives. I like the one machine idea as well, as I'm still doing it on my mid 2010 Mac Pro! But I'm hitting the ceiling on that technology. Just trying to figure out best allocation of funds, Mac wise. Factoring in a new UA interface as well. Not sure 10 grand on a new Mac Pro is the way to go. Yes, iMac, iMac Pro definitely in the picture as well.


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## Iswhatitis (Mar 20, 2020)

colony nofi said:


> Do you want it *small* for any reason?
> Just looking quickly at all the specs, a single i9 9900k based iMac is going to be as good as this... (I’m not sure it can do 128GB ram though....someone else can chime in on that!)
> 
> Having previously had a multi Mac mini system (and it was great / was what was needed and was portable) it takes a fair amount of time to properly keep the tech side of things running well. I’m of the opinion these days that one machine to rule them all is a better fit for me!


I have a 2019 iMac 🖥 with 128GB ram and it’s easy to install and cheap to buy at around $500 for the RAM total and $3,500 for an 8-core i9 iMac with 2TB SSD.


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## ptram (Mar 20, 2020)

If an i9 Mac mini could be expected this year, it would be 1800 EUR + RAM for a 1TB SSD model. It would be very nice. But does the recent refresh of the 2018 model mean we shouldn't expect it this year?

Paolo


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## Technostica (Mar 20, 2020)

ptram said:


> If an i9 Mac mini could be expected this year, it would be 1800 EUR + RAM for a 1TB SSD model. It would be very nice. But does the recent refresh of the 2018 model mean we shouldn't expect it this year?
> Paolo


Intel are in their biggest slump technology wise for possibly ever, so we and possibly they also seemingly, based on their PR fluff, delays and cancellations don't know when this will end.
So don't expect a significant uplift in performance for CPUs this year and especially for systems that are power limited due to size.
The on-board graphics will get a big bump but that's generally not a big deal.
Unless Apple go with AMD expect very little.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Mar 20, 2020)

John Zuker said:


> I like the one machine idea as well, as I'm still doing it on my mid 2010 Mac Pro! But I'm hitting the ceiling on that technology.



Which configuration, John? 6-core, 12-core, etc.?


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## John Zuker (Mar 20, 2020)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> Which configuration, John? 6-core, 12-core, etc.?



Yes, Nick. 12 core, 64g ram. 2 SSDs on a card in a PCIe slot for samples, an SSD in the optical bay for my boot drive.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Mar 20, 2020)

You say you're hitting the ceiling. Would you be better off adding a Mac Mini to handle the overflow, or scrapping the whole thing?

I know you're planning on adding a Thunderbolt audio interface, but those SSDs are going to be in a separate enclosure. Seems like a nuisance to me, which is why I asked.

Also, I wonder how much more power a new machine will have. That's a question, not a statement, since I'm still using the same machine (3.46 GHz 12-core).


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## John Zuker (Mar 20, 2020)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> You say you're hitting the ceiling. Would you be better off adding a Mac Mini to handle the overflow, or scrapping the whole thing?
> 
> I know you're planning on adding a Thunderbolt audio interface, but those SSDs are going to be in a separate enclosure. Seems like a nuisance to me, which is why I asked.
> 
> Also, I wonder how much more power a new machine will have. That's a question, not a statement, since I'm still using the same machine (3.46 GHz 12-core).


Good questions. I might be better off doing what you suggest. I'm still using Sierra which is the end of the road if I want to use the latest Logic/Pro tools versions. I tried to update to High Sierra over the holidays, but the firmware wouldn't install for some reason. I decided to scrub that mission, and to stick with the status quo when I had to go back to work. Clean installation, and restoring from a back up can be time consuming and often needs a bit of trouble shooting, as you know, and not something you do mid project. 
Since there is now some enforced "down" time, I was revisiting doing that and/or upgrading my hardware completely. Thunderbolt interface- UA is a big part of the consideration for sure.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Mar 20, 2020)

High Sierra should install. I wonder what happened.

Mojave is another story, of course - you need a Metal-compatible video card.


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## John Zuker (Mar 21, 2020)

Yeah I just want to get up to High Sierra. I think there is an issue when you have other USB gadgets, drives etc attached. I may give it another go in the ensuing days.


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## colony nofi (Mar 21, 2020)

I didn't disclose earlier that we have just put the i9 mac mini in our third suite at work. (we have currently mac pro's elsewhere, and a loan 10940 machine I've been mucking around with, but thats another story!)
The i9 imac running *sound post production* sessions for series TV does better than our 6 and 8 core trash cans. By a margin. I've recently learnt a fair amount about how bussing in cubase (or for us, nuendo) effects CPU usage, and am playing around with our templates to see if there are even more efficient ways of working. Final mixes and outputs take a lot of time, and any workflow improvements we have in that area are always appreciated!)
I've only done one quick test between my mac pro and the imac for general composing, and the imac seemed to gobble it up nicely. Unfortunately we don't have much software on the imac to test it with much better, but with our basic kontakt based tests (we use kontakt for animation foley!) I was able to get some surprisingly better results on the i9 than the trashcan. They are very very good machines.

Apple allow you to take back machines after 14 days no questions asked. I would look at the i9 first, and then an imac pro (still looking better value than current mac pro) and if neither of those worked for you, think seriously about 10940's or 60's or 80's, or 3960/70 threadrippers (once a few issues are ironed out, which I'm quietly confident in seeing happen in the next month or two!)

Re high sierra : We thought we'd have issues with this new computer, but we've been able to work around all of them fairly simply and with little/no cost (perhaps quicktime pro deprecation is the biggest issue for us, but we have at least 2 ways around that!)


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## ridgero (Mar 22, 2020)

ptram said:


> If an i9 Mac mini could be expected this year, it would be 1800 EUR + RAM for a 1TB SSD model. It would be very nice. But does the recent refresh of the 2018 model mean we shouldn't expect it this year?
> 
> Paolo



Remember: The last cycle was 4 years! So I would not count on a refresh. There is too much going on with Macs this year. iMac, iMac Pro, ARM based Macs.

There was a small Mac mini „update“ this week, they doubled the base SSD storage and now added 6k support.


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## ptram (Mar 22, 2020)

ridgero said:


> There was a small Mac mini „update“ this week, they doubled the base SSD storage and now added 6k support.


Yes, but this doesn't make it much more interesting. The 2018 model is now obsolete, even outperformed by most of Apple notebooks. Never too much love, for the little beast :(

Paolo


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## ridgero (Mar 22, 2020)

I need to buy a new Mac too. I will wait one more week for an iMac refresh.


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## SupremeFist (Mar 22, 2020)

ptram said:


> Yes, but this doesn't make it much more interesting. The 2018 model is now obsolete, even outperformed by most of Apple notebooks. Never too much love, for the little beast :(
> 
> Paolo


Really? Afaict it is only outperformed by the 16" macbook pro.


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## ptram (Mar 22, 2020)

SupremeFist said:


> Really? Afaict it is only outperformed by the 16" macbook pro.


It seems there are more than that over the mini. And not by a little.



Mac Benchmarks - Geekbench Browser



Paolo


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## SupremeFist (Mar 22, 2020)

ptram said:


> It seems there are more than that over the mini. And not by a little.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I stand corrected: the 16 Mbp and the 2019-model 15s.


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## Nate Johnson (Mar 23, 2020)

just give me the i9 imac refresh already!!

and the 14.1" macbook pros......

oh, and you ding dongs are making a smaller iPhone again? Yes, PLEASE.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Mar 23, 2020)

ridgero said:


> I need to buy a new Mac too. I will wait one more week for an iMac refresh.



My tarot cards tell me that companies are likely to wait until the stay-at-home orders around the world are over before they release new products.


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## colony nofi (Mar 24, 2020)

@Nick Batzdorf 
That doesn't seem to be playing out with apple - case in point the new ipad pro models + air update last week. Supply chains certainly are not ramping down for things already ordered (and that includes this years iphones due when - september?). They're not necessarily where apple want them to be, but they're not as far behind as many thought they'd be. 
(caveat : supply chains are certainly not the be all and end all in this, but they're generally a good indication of whats going on)


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## Nick Batzdorf (Mar 24, 2020)

You could well be right. I'm just going by what my cards tell me.

Just bear in mind that last week was several years ago!


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## colony nofi (Mar 24, 2020)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> You could well be right. I'm just going by what my cards tell me.
> 
> Just bear in mind that last week was several years ago!


Oh wasn't it!!! At this rate I'll live to 315 and still die middle age...


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## John Zuker (Mar 25, 2020)

My latest attempt to update to High Sierra failed again, so I’ve decided to let my friendly, neighborhood Mac expert spruce up my current Mac Pro. (The Apple Support suggestions to get the HS related firmware to install rendered my Mac un-bootable.)
He’s doing a clean and proper installation of HS, restoring my data, upgrading/ replacing my older drives, replacing the video card etc. I’m going to keep the old girl running a little longer. Definitely a 100,000 mile service. 
UA will have to wait. I‘ll see what offerings and options Apple has for us Mac wise, down the road.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Mar 25, 2020)

Oy.


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## jonnybutter (Mar 26, 2020)

John Zuker said:


> My latest attempt to update to High Sierra failed again, so I’ve decided to let my friendly, neighborhood Mac expert spruce up my current Mac Pro. (The Apple Support suggestions to get the HS related firmware to install rendered my Mac un-bootable.)
> He’s doing a clean and proper installation of HS, restoring my data, upgrading/ replacing my older drives, replacing the video card etc. I’m going to keep the old girl running a little longer. Definitely a 100,000 mile service.
> UA will have to wait. I‘ll see what offerings and options Apple has for us Mac wise, down the road.



Not so much a professional problem, but still a giant waste of time:

I had a whole nightmare with my 2012 MBP. It wouldn't recognize a new battery, then Apple said install firmware, which made computer unbootable. There is a High Sierra bug with date and time which I could not fix no matter what. So I tried to update *from* High Sierra - it would not do that either, although it would take hours to *almost* install.  Computer also won't sign in to my AppleID, and hasn't for a couple years (date and time problem I think). Tried fresh installs, etc. Can't go backward, can't go forward, can't sign in. I had to put the old battery back in and I use the computer semi-tethered.

I really got into Terminal during this whole fiasco, which was interesting (blessing the drive, etc), but bottom line: very frustrating, and clearly deliberate in some sense. Of course the computer is mechanically perfect other than the old 1800-cycle battery.

Naturally, I know what the problem is: I'm supposed to buy another laptop. And I may, when the COVID 19 thing is over. But I'll never buy a MBP with one of their shitty keyboards (post 2015 pre-late 2019), and don't really feel great about buying anything with a glued in battery, etc. 

This is not my music computer, obviously, so it hasn't caused any missed deadlines or anything. But I resent all of it very much.


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## Gregg S (Mar 26, 2020)

This was posted on MOTUNATION recently 


Got this from the internet "The security certificate on the old High Sierra Installer from Apple expired on 24 October 2019. So if you have such an old installer from Apple, you will encounter this error when you attempt to install using a USB made from it. Changing the date to a date before October 24 will allow the install to continue".


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## Shad0wLandsUK (Apr 9, 2020)

ridgero said:


> Remember: The last cycle was 4 years! So I would not count on a refresh. There is too much going on with Macs this year. iMac, iMac Pro, ARM based Macs.
> 
> There was a small Mac mini „update“ this week, they doubled the base SSD storage and now added 6k support.


So how did they add 6K support?
Since I was not aware of them changing the hardware... this must be support in firmware!

EDIT: I wonder if this is what contributed to the TB3 port issue that came in the latest Security Update March 2020-002...


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## Jeremy Spencer (Apr 14, 2020)

colony nofi said:


> I didn't disclose earlier that we have just put the i9 mac mini in our third suite at work.



Where did you get it?


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## GtrString (Apr 14, 2020)

Im also looking to upgrade, from my old mac mini 2012, i7, 16ram, 2tb SSD. I run Osx Catalina on this with no issues.

Also curious about the new mini’s, but are the new iMac’s or iMac Pro’s customizable? Like you can swap ssd’s and ram yourself?

I would love an 8 year lifespan, like I’ve had with the mini. In that perspective, the prices aren’t that steep.


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## colony nofi (Apr 14, 2020)

Wolfie2112 said:


> Where did you get it?


My bad - I wrote i9 Mac mini - I meant i9 iMac - which I referred to in the next paragraph. Slip of the fingers. But we ordered it thru apple business.


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## Jeremy Spencer (Apr 14, 2020)

colony nofi said:


> My bad - I wrote i9 Mac mini - I meant i9 iMac - which I referred to in the next paragraph. Slip of the fingers. But we ordered it thru apple business.



Damn you! Had me all excited.


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## colony nofi (Apr 14, 2020)

Wolfie2112 said:


> Damn you! Had me all excited.


Sorry 
Any possible i9 mac mini would be looking at an october 2020 release if supply chains are to believed... and even they are saying it will top out at i7's (not surprising) - but using comet lake cpu's (unfortunately looking more and more like another disappointing intel iteration) rather than ice lake 10nm cpu's (and still falling short of amd on 7nm)


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