M2 Pro mac mini VS Mac Studio (APPLE, WHY!?)

Apple just announced the long awaited update to the Mac mini and equipped it not only with a new M2 chip but also gave us the option for an even better Mac mini equipped with a powerful M2 Pro chip. However, while Apple may have created a nice low cost alternative for a professional computer, Apple also has put the Mac mini pricing upgrades right up to the same cost as the Mac Studio. Which currently poses a difficult question, should you go for the M2 Mac mini Pro, or an M1 Max Mac Studio?

[everybodyhasoul]

Audio Engineer here. This new M2 Pro Mini is exactly what I need, more CPU power at a good price. I think that in comparing these two, it is easy to miss the plot - Apple has successfully brought computers that can handle heavy professional workloads down in price enough for many more people to be able to afford them. Both of these computers are really great & allow us to do a lot of things at these prices that were not possible just 2-3 years ago.

[positivanollan]

I bought the entry level Mac Studio refurbished for $500 less, and I am very happy with it. I have no desire to buy a new Mac for a long, long time 😃

[nyambe]

Two different crowds I think. Musicians, developers, IT and network freaks will love the m2 mini. Content creators, video, photo, creative and scientists the M1max

[mattbosley]

You didn't mention the difference in memory bandwidth between the Pro and Max processors. That could be a factor depending on what applications you use the most as well.

[chicagobob]

I hate the bluetooth issues with the Mini --- wonder if that is fixed in the new version

[digitalmarketinghumans]

Thanks for bringing this up! I was wondering the same thing with Mac Studio vs the Mac mini and how it compares similarly.

[krakatoasundra]

I went with Mac Mini Pro with 10 CPU’s and 16 GPU’s, 32 GB ram and 1 TB drive. The main reasons was because I feel it’s a tiny bit more future proof, a smaller and more portable form factor. If I ever need to, I can grab it and throw it into my backpack more easily than the Mac Studio which is more blocky. I think that was the main driver for me. On my desk, they both occupy the same footprint. And they both look pretty great.

[jollytreepin]

I too am an Audio Engineer, and I would say the Mac Studio for me. I work with huge classical sample libraries, and the Mac Studio seems to handle them with ease. The memory bandwidth on the Studio is double the Mac Mini as mentioned by @Ytytfytfujbyddutrxrt down below, and I think this helps speed up the Studio. I intend to use mine for the next 12-14 years like I did my old Mac Pro from 2006. I cant see me using the Mac Mini for this long. Also, the SD slot is brilliant for taking field recordings from a Zoom F6 and plugging them straight into the Mac.

[Iwaslemon]

Considering the price rises that have come with the M2 max and pro variants. I’d be surprised if the Mac Studio didn’t have a price bump when it’s next iteration is released

[asdf]

I'm typing this on an M1 Ultra Mac Studio with maxed out specs aside from having just a 2TB drive. I'm still fine with my decision here because of the GPU horsepower, and this Mac Studio has been an absolutely fantastic computer. I even play some EVE Online on this thing and it works great, and I have yet to hear it make any noise.

[codepipeline]

People don't seem to understand that the Mac Studio and Mac Minis are entirely different audiences even at the high-end. The Mac Studio is targeted at GPU related workflows, like video rendering or ML that relies on GPU. The Mac Mini is targeted for developers or audio engineers who just need a baseline system to write code, or those who need more CPU than GPU, like those who are doing ML with NLP or audio engineers. If I have a more CPU intensive workflow, I'm going to choose the high-end Mac Mini over a low end Mac Studio. It's as simple as that.

[midiphy]

Thanks for your videos and insights! M1 mini 16GB user here - it's great to know there's a nice upgrade available, should my current mini fail - i totally depend on my current machine and use it heavily on a daily basis for work (coding in two IDEs, docker virtualization, graphics and a DAW) and yesterday just for fun opened up every "heavy program" with some real-world workloads. Result: 6GB of swap used and the machine is still really responsive when switching through the tasks. To conclude: an upgrade to 32GB would of course be nice, but for me it's not really needed yet, m1 is too powerful, still :). Despite all the new m2 pro hype, i think any existing m1 with at least 16 GB will get you quite far for the next time-to-come. Personally, i think i'll wait for an m3/32 GB pro mini, maybe at the end of next year? That architecture should be more efficient at 3nm and offer a bigger single core speed boost than m2. Best regards, Peter

[JustBob-swrf]

To me the key question that you brought up is - will the M2 Pro Mac Mini with the high performance chip run hot and/or suffer from thermal throttling? Thermal throttling obviously hurts performance. While running hot hurts long term reliability through shortened component life.

[casperes]

The 10 core M2 Pro is a 4+6 design. 4 efficiency, 6 performance. The M1 Max 10 core is a 2+8 design. M2 Pro will have faster single core, yes, but I don't think you should expect faster multi-core. It is probably going to be close, but the Max will likely still have slightly faster multi-core, though the full 12 core M2 Pro is a 4+8 design

[stancartmankenny]

the pro mac mini skipped a generation so the mac studio could do the same thing. Also, we don't know what difference the increased memory bandwidth and bigger cooler of the studio will have in cpu performance. Even though it has 2 fewer efficiency cores, the increased memory bandwidth and much bigger cooler might make up the difference. (And when you factor in the extra gpu cores, I think the studio is definitely the better computer.)

[RaindoggTV]

I think if you haven't bought the Mac Studio yet, don't bother. Just wait until the M2 Studio. Even if you want the older Studio you should wait for the price drop.

[Freddusya]

I love the fact you can get a mini as good as a studio but way smaller
It’s not always about full performance, sometimes it’s about portability.

[SoulMasterX]

Light/Single thread - M2 10 cores Mac mini with some upgraded options (depends on your workflow)
Mid/Heavy thread/GPU - M2 Mac Studio (I guess it will be available at the same time as Mac pro. May be end of Q2).

[cleattle]

I just ordered a studio today, and did it because of the extra port, and the potential for better cooling.

[Philson]

Sad. No SD card slot is kinda a deal breaker for photographers.