Foreign journalists have already protested the brand new Mac mini with M2 Pro and M2 processors.
The update, in general, positively evaluated all publications, but there are small proposals. However, not all of them can be called serious.
We understand.
1. Edge
This is Mac Studio Junior
One of the first to test the new product was The Verge. Below are excerpts from their text.
Single-core performance includes and allows you to perform everyday tasks and applications a little faster than the already fast than the M1. Compared to the MacBook Air M2, the Mini should reproduce performance for longer periods of time without throttling. This is complete. First, it has a fan inside (unlike the Air) as well as in the case. a lot of free spaceso the mini works cool by design as its chip is not absorbed by the laptop case.
However, as tempting as the $599 entry-level mini price is, we usually it is recommended to take more than the base 8 GB of RAM. Even without heavily loading the machine, most likely, force the system to do an SSD swap.
I have not tested the regular mini M2. Instead, for the past few days, I’ve been using the M2 Pro model with 12 CPU cores and 19 GPU cores. I would call it Mac Studio Junior for performance.
The more expensive “mini” with the M2 Pro has other advantages besides speed. Your efficiency in total four USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports – on par with the old Intel model – plus a more modern HDMI 2.1 port. Its more powerful GPU can also reach up to three external displays, one more than the M2 Mac Mini.
True, I wish one or two of those Thunderbolt 4 ports were on the front of the mini. Ah, dreams.
For those who want a Mac desktop but find Mac Studio overkill (or too expensive), this M2 Pro mini might make sense.
You are not limited to a 60Hz monitor. I really grew up with Touch ID when I switched from the Apple Magic Keyboard to my own, but I can live without it. The idea of phasing out a big, heavy MacBook Pro for a powerful Mac mini setup at home — and a lighter MacBook Air M2 or a 12.9-inch iPad Pro on the road — really suits my pace of life better.
If you’re expecting an intermediate Mac that tops more than the iMac and isn’t as expensive as the Mac Studio, the Mac mini is your choice.
2. CNET
It is still weak for games, but controlled in the computer.
Edition CNET also responded positively to the new product.
Mac mini is currently the cheapest way to enter the Mac ecosystem. With the M2 chip, it costs $699, but with the M2 Pro it costs $1299. Relatively the best competitor of the current models is Macbook Air M1 2020.
The two new versions of the Mac mini are referred to as both the chip and the modern kit variant. The M2 model starts with 8GB of RAM, which can be expanded up to 16GB or 24GB. Storage starts at 256GB and can go up to 2TB. The M2 Pro version starts with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage and can be upgraded to 32GB and 8TB respectively.
Another difference is that the M2 Pro model has four Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports on the rear panel, while the M2 version has only two. While the M2 Pro can support up to three displays or one with an 8K/60Hz display, the M2 only supports two FHD displays or one with 6K/60Hz.
The Mac mini is still the go-to for all things. I recorded a behind-the-scenes video on the mini for this review using Audacity and an external microphone. As expected, I have had no problems even running a few add-ons sound formation.
I suggested to one of my team’s video editors that they upload a decent project in Premiere Pro, both M2 and M2 Pro versions. Bobby Oliver uploaded a 4K/24 project from Premiere with graphics/titles and color grading. He said that even the poor quality of the preview in the video revealed minor stutters and the premise that 8 GB of RAM was to blame. With FHD projects, the computer works fine.
As soon as the amount of RAM increased to 16 GB, everything began to work flawlessly:
I could watch the video in full resolution. I could easily navigate through the timeline without any delay. Color grading probably wasn’t a problem. I usually use it as a download machine.
— Bobby Oliver
Unfortunately, this is still not possible with a Mac gaming computer due to native support for Apple Silicon by most modern games. But there is a solution in the form of GeForce Now for game streaming.
Extracted though: Baldur’s Gate III worked well on ultrasonic influence, Hades too. On a Mac mini with the M2, playing Baldur’s Gate III had to be lowered to 2560×1440 and the graphics were set to medium to feel comfortable.
So for now, it’s hard enough to say that the base Mac mini is suitable for gaming. However, it is a great tool for video editing and audio editing. But don’t buy the version with at least 16 GB of RAM.
Source: Iphones RU
