Should You Buy the M2 Mac Mini in 2024?

Hey 👋🏻 In this video I talk through if Apple’s M2 Mac Mini is still worth buying in 2024, I’ve used this model for the past 10 months as my main computer for video editing, photography and even some gaming. I have put a lot of thought into the pros, cons and who this powerhouse is really for. I hope you enjoy the video.

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If we haven’t met before - Hey, I’m Brandon. On this channel we explore actionable personal development advice, tools and how we can work towards improving our lives. If that sounds like something you’d be interested in consider subscribing!

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[skantflock]

I went for the m2 pro, never had any issues with any tasks, I love it

[sglatitude]

No doubt one of best investment I made last year after using Mac Mini M2 with 24GB RAM and 1TB SSD. Opening over 50 Safari tabs, 50 Chrome tabs, few PowerPoint slides, Excel, Word, Spotify, Microsoft Teams, Photoshop for small image editing fly through without any sweat or lagging at all. For whoever already own monitor, keyboard, and mouse; then MacMini M2 is the best and beast machine.

[hafuridotus]

Bro put it on some bushes for a shot, the dedication 😭

[GlobalGaming]

The Mac Mini is a great computer. My M1 Mac Mini with 16GB of ram holds up quite well today. I love the machine!!

[theonecalledvino]

Had to retire my 2017 MacBook Pro... I'm watching this on my new M2 base model.. And will get a 16/512 in 2 weeks for my studio. Love it.

[michaellivingston]

If you have a iMac, then you already have mouse and keyboard, but you can also use usb mouse/keyboard. Thrift stores sell used ones cheap.

[hafuridotus]

Just FYI, even if someone reading this doesn't want to pay for the 512 GB, you can also do the 16 GB with 256 GB, but get an NVMe drive for more storage and cheaper than having it internally. (They also make hubs that sit under the Mac Mini with a slot for an NVMe drive as well)

Currently have the new Satechi hub with a 1 TB NVMe and it works very well.

[LucidRecords]

I use a base 8gb Mac mini for a lot of professional video work and not once in the past year has it been an issue, it's weird to see people say the minimum you should get is 16 or even 24gb of ram, I think its overkill, but then again I don't have 50 things open while editing cause there's no point of that.

[corruptx]

Fantastic video man. Now I'm really craving for the Mac Mini🤩 For something so small, it's such a powerhouse of a machine. I hope it goes on discount when the M3 Mac Mini releases, it would be an instant cop😍
You're right about the base model. Never get the base model. I've the base model of the M1 Macbook Air and it doesn't feel good to use up every bit of RAM after opening a few tabs...

[Nimbus]

Does bringing your mini outside and getting it some fresh air improve its performance? Does it double as a household pet?

[cipriandita]

Hi! I'm stuck between getting a Mac Mini and just getting a gaming PC, so I came here to ask everyone about it.
I mostly use it for photo editing in Lightroom (maybe video editing in the future?), and some light World of Warcraft sessions.
At the moment I have a 2022 Macbook Air, and it does the job decently until I open more than 50 pictures in Lightroom. That slows it down by a lot, and WoW overheats it super fast. So my goal is to sell it and see what I can get. My options are: a second hand Macbook Mini with 15gb ram and 512 ssd, or getting an 850-1500 euro worth of gaming PC.

[chandie]

I'd like to offer another way of looking at cost. If this doesn't apply to anyone reading this, then fine.

I just priced out the top level Mac mini M2pro with some add-ons and I'm comparing it to a base studio with one add-on.
Now... different people use their computer for different things. I don't use mine professionally at all, but I do like to edit video and run docker etc etc

M2 Max studio 32gb 1TB $2199
M2 Pro mini 16gb 1TB $1299
wow... that's a $900 wait.

I normally use my computers until they have definitely earned their cost.
The current mac mini I have is the last intel i7-920 and it has 32gb ram. I have it dual booted with Windows 10.

Still works great for both OSs. But I tried to run Whisper to create my own subtitles and it just couldn't do it. So I'm starting to run into things I want to do that I can't do. That is what always signals to me that its time to upgrade. I don't upgrade just because something new and shiny hit the market. I wait until there is something I want to do that I can't do.

So I think of cost differential between two choices based on that cost differential spread out across 5 years.
I normally keep a computer for more than 5 years but its a good round number for use in such a calculation.

$900 / 5 years = $180/yr

I have a Netflix account. I know that might be the end all/be all for some people but I never watch it... I just pay for it monthly for some stupid reason.
My netflix costs $15.50 / month.

So if I ditch the Netflix that I don't watch.... I pay for the cost differential between the two machines I spec'd above.
And I get the benefit of a beast of a machine that will laugh at anything I ever throw at it....and yes, I think it will laugh at what I'm throwing at it 5 years from now.

My point is.... most people throw away money on garbage that is not important to them but don't think about it because....well, its only $15/month, or a few things for $5/month.
Think about that....each month, pissing away $5 a few the difference between a machine that will get the job done and a beast of a machine that you'll love each and every time you sit in front of it. And if you're like me.... I spend a lot of time in front of my computer.
Just something to think about.

[INFOXlive]

M3 will arrive shortly, therefore it is best to wait. If you do photography or filmmaking, 32GB of memory is essential. 16GB isn't sufficient. So you may consider the Mac Studio with 32GB of memory, which will cost the same as the Mac Mini. But if tiny form factor is what you need, the Mac mini is great.

[sc.studio]

I'm loving the quality and formats of the vids Brandon! 😍
I don't know if people realise just have insane airdrop is!
Crying in old PC CPU rn 😭

[akin]

For video editor or DJs, yes! It just needs 16GB of RAM. You made an excellent choice!

For those who are not video editors nor DJs, the other Mini-PCs in the market are better. Especially BeeLink SER7, Geekom A7, Geekom IT13, and Intel NUC 13 Pro. BeeLink SER7 and Geekom A7 have the added advantage to PC game at 1080p.

[davemaynard]

Great vid. As a Mac user. With an older intel Mac that is scarily out of date. We were thinking of going base Mac min8 as have work monitors etc now at home.
Would be used for photo and music and general purpose use. Would it be a wise move to get the base model as I don’t think I need mega power of the upgrades you took.

[Theaustincollier]

Ordered mine from best buy today $499, my 2017 imac is showing its age baddd 😂

[K.]

i just bought one... and im happy with just 8gb... its enough for me😅 regarding disk space no problem... i have 2 external ssd😊

[joeyrdz]

I been thinking of upgrading from my 2015 MacBook Pro to the base model Mac Mini. But I wonder if the 8GB will be enough for music production on Logic Pro. The sale price of $499 is great.

[robertcrabtree]

I am praying about starting a church, and initially I’m looking for something that I can study on, make notes and print off documents for sermons.
Later if it grows possible slides and perhaps some video/sound usage.

I’ve heard mixed reviews. Do you believe the baseline mini would suffice for me? Or should I save up more and go with one with more processing power? The mini would initially be used in my apartment and possibly used as a home church computer.
What do you think the life would be?