The Cheapest M1 Mac Mini Is Still Incredibly Powerful

Even with newer options available, the base model M1 Mac Mini is still an incredible computer and probably just about the best overall value out there. This video takes a look at the base model M1 Mac Mini after more than a year and a half of daily use and explains why I think it's still worth considering.

• Rafael Ludwig's video on 8gb vs. 16gb:

• M1 Mac Mini:

• Hagibis USB Hub:

• Under Desk Mount:
(I ended up getting a second one of these for the USB hub)

• The Display I Use:

📼 More M1 Videos:

🎙 Ever thought of starting your own podcast? Check out The Podcaster Playbook, my step-by-step DIY course to help you launch your show!

⏱ Chapter Markers:
0:00 - Nothing Mini About It
1:21 - Why I Chose The Mac Mini
3:00 - Price
3:37 - M1 RAM vs. “Intel RAM”
5:03 - Why Choose The Base Model?
6:22 - What About Bugs & Problems?
7:19 - Video Editing & Intensive Tasks
9:28 - What About Future Upgrades?

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– Who Am I? –

Hi! My name is Tom Buck, a lifelong A/V nerd and former high school Digital Media teacher of 11 years. I started my YouTube channel in 2017 as a project to share my enthusiasm for digital media and teaching others while having fun along the way.

New videos are uploaded every Thursday morning, and more often when possible!


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#Apple #M1 computers #MacMini
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Episode 313: The Cheapest M1 Mac Mini Is Still an AWESOME Choice

[Jferrari]

It’s a great computer. I have an M1 mini for my desktop work setup and an M1 Air for on the go. Between the two it’s a perfect setup. No hiccups, no slowdowns, a lot of bang for the buck IMO.

[jrm]

Got a 16GB with 256GB one this year and I can’t be happier with it. Since I’ve rather the internal storage is only for stuff I want to access fast, I moved my 25GB photos library to an external SSD, there’s and article on apple support for it. I also moved my 10+GB Spotify cache to the external drive with a symlink.

[NewGenerationStudio]

We've got the first M1 mac mini, 16gb/512gb and as you say it's really really good. At home I got a previously owned base model like yours and I can't really see much difference between the two. Thank you for this high quality videos you produce. The set up and the decor, the blue vibe, just great. Keep up the good work, thank you!

[dennisud]

Nice review! I have the base model, but with 16 Megs of ram and, other than some early glitches which were fixed by system updates, this has been the BEST Computer I've ever owned and I have been a Mac and PC user since 1987.

[MrCameraJunkie]

I couldn't agree more, even with the new M2's I think I will be getting an M1 Air to replace my old MBP. 👍🏽

[jjhervey]

Price matched Microcenter at Best Buy a couple months ago - $549.99 for the 256 GB, 8 GB RAM and I couldn't be happier with it. I love it.

[goobfilmcast]

Love my Mini....The base unit replaced my previous daily driver, a BTO 2014 i7 21.5" iMac with discrete graphics. I ordered it the day of the introduction...almost 2 full years ago...and I still think of it as my NEW computer....

[drewhoyle]

Heck yeah, that mini has been a major part of my journey. I can’t get enough of how amazing that little computer is. Also, I’ve used my mini as a portable computer for the past 6 months. Toss it in a backpack, and bring a HDMI cable with you (so you can plug it into a monitor of some kind) and away you go. It’s not a great alternative for a notebook, but if you’re low on funds it’s easy to make the mini work for what you need. 😊 thanks for suggesting it so many months ago Tom.

[michaelwells]

Tom,
The way you switch to the side shot - really has the feel as though you are in the same room having a discussion with someone. Nice touch ...

[MSladekPhoto]

It's so wild to think how much has changed since the M1's were launched. Expectations about performance and price are totally different now. Plus the amazing efficiency = better battery life and less heat. I am so glad I got the 14" M1 MacBook Pro Max - it's by far the best computer I've ever owned (and most expensive!) but I enjoy using it so much. Thanks for this perspective on the recent past!

[JoshAmes]

I use one of these at my day job and it's fantastic. For home I just got a new M2 MacBook Air (2 TB, 24GB RAM) and it's also fantastic. You really can't go wrong with any of the Apple Silicon machines.

[theworkingmanpodcast]

I recently bought one of these about 2 months ago…I LOVE THIS COMPUTER! It’s super fast and handles everything I do for streaming and video editing. Great value!

[osmosisdaily]

Got one used for 500, 16GiG and 256 memory. With a $70 27 inch Mac display screen. Love it. Might get one more for the house. Got it based on one of your old videos.

[doorproductions]

I second everything Tom says in this video. I bought mine one year ago and it has been an amazing computer. Super fast, quiet, and has been able to handle everything I’ve thrown at it so far. I definitely recommend this mini beast.

[DCuerpoJr]

I use the 13” M1 MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM and it’s been a solid workhorse for conducting professional livestreams as well as video editing where my primary camcorders are the Canon XF605 that record in 4k HEVC 10-bit. The M1 MacBook Pro is easily able to handle multicam editing in Final Cut Pro with clips that are more than 2 hours long. The only reason I’ve considered upgrading to the 14” MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro chip is because the system can support multiple displays and has built-in HDMI out, which would eliminate my need for dongles or adapters.

[garydmercer]

I bought the M1 Mac mini base model about 3 weeks ago. It is fantastic. No issues. I can edit music, photos and basic videos on it without any issues. I got it for $690 including 3 years of AppleCare. That is a great value. Fasted computer I've ever had.

[SoundAuthor]

One year later, I'm still enjoying my base model M1 Mac Mini from the Apple Refurbished store. At that price point, there simply is no PC equivalent-- and I'm a PC guy!

[Ethereal_Creed]

Was debating between M1 refurbished or just splurge and go with m2. So glad I picked up this video before purchasing. You saved me $$. Thanks!

[movdqa]

I bought an M1 mini in July 2021 16/512 and it has been a workhorse. I can run my production on it and I'm going to start running a lot of my office stuff. The main limitation on this system for me is that it can't support 3x4k monitors. So I have been running 2x4k on it for quite some time and had two 27 inch iMac for my other two screens. I found several solutions for this problem including Screen Sharing to an iMac using virtual monitors but the solution I have now is using an old MacBook Pro with Monterey and OCLP to drive the third 4k monitor. And performance is smooth - even on full-screen video. I use this with a 2014 iMac 27 which is a beast of a machine and the monitor is just fantastic. My ideal mini would be the M2 chip with 24 GB of RAM. Adding the media hardware on the base M2 chip is really generous of Apple. I have a 2021 MacBook Pro where I get the media hardware so I can run editing on the laptop but putting the media hardware on the cheapest Macs will further democratize content creation. I have been considering a Mac Studio lately. It is complete overkill for what I do but has the four monitor support. It would be a gross expenditure of funds for a relative convenience. I generally avoid Bluetooth for PC accessories because you just get a more responsive feel with wired devices. I use CoolerMaster mechanical keyboards and Logitech wired mice. These mice can be found in ergonomic full size and they are quite light and you don't have to replace the batteries or recharge them. I have used Logitech wireless dongle mice in the past and would use a USB-A extender cable so that they are line-of-sight to the mouse for best performance. If I had to use Bluetooth on a mini, then I might use a USB-Bluetooth device that I could move away from the mini.

[RexxReviews]

I loved my mac Mini, . I sold it a while back while I could get a good price for it and wait for the M2 Mac Mini. I still edit on windows mainly as that what my workhorse machine is but there are a few things I like to have a mac around for. The Mac will also be my dedicated RCPII device as well once I get it.