And while the M2 Max or M1 Ultra easily outperform it, the Mac mini holds up well enough. Image used with permission by copyright holderīut really, the graphics are what excited me about bringing the M2 Pro to the Mac mini. Even with all cores initiated, this is a remarkably cool and quiet little computer. It’s a whole lot quieter too, with the fans never spinning over 2,000 RPMs. CPU temperatures stayed in the 80s for the most part, with a high of 98 degrees Celsius. And despite that performance, the Mac mini does a better job with its thermals. Interestingly, the M2 Pro Mac mini performed almost identically to the M2 Max 14-inch MacBook Pro. Tested in Cinebench R23, the M2 Pro Mac mini was 17% faster than the M1 Pro in the 14-inch MacBook Pro. ![]() Difference in single-core performance is negligible, but multi-core shows some decent gains. So far, this is the only version of the M2 Pro that I’ve tested, but it compares well against the M1 Pro in the 14-inch MacBook Pro. This is a remarkably cool and quiet little computer.Īs for how this thing actually performs, there’s a lot to be excited about. You can even toss in up to 8TB of storage. Meanwhile, the $1,299 M2 Pro model starts with 16GB of RAM and goes up to 32GB. For example, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage is available only on the M2, as is the option for 24GB of RAM. One more note on configurations: Apple has different options for the M2 versus the M2 Pro. There’s also a 16-core option for $300 less, which also has two less CPU cores. The Pro chip in my review unit adds significantly better graphics to the equation, bumping the GPU up to 19 cores. When it comes to the Mac mini, performance is what matters most, which is why it’s such a big deal for the M2 Pro to make an appearance. In either case, make sure to configure your Mac mini with the amount of storage and memory you actually need, because there’s no going back and upgrading it after your purchase. It’ll still likely be plenty fast, but it’s worth pointing out. But it needs to be noted that if you’re interested in the entry-level M2 model with 256GB of storage, it will likely deliver much slower read and write speeds. Now, I wasn’t able to verify the claims out there about this as my review unit included 1TB of storage, which has blazing-fast speeds. Unfortunately, that appears to have carried over to the Mac mini as well. ![]() There’s a well-known issue with Apple’s M2 Macs regarding SSD performance. My only real complaint is that I wish there was better access to the headphone jack, especially if you plan to have the Mac mini tucked toward the back of your desk. All that means you can probably get away without needing an extra USB-C hub or Thunderbolt dock, even if you’re powering a serious workstation setup. ![]() And with the addition of the extra Thunderbolt ports, you can now power up to three 4K monitors at 60Hz. You can even power an 8K monitor or 4K 240Hz displays if you really wanted to. That’s a upgrade on its own, as is the jump from HDMI 2.0 to HDMI 2.1. That’s two extra Thunderbolt ports over both the base M2 and M1 models. The M2 Pro model comes with a headphone jack, two USB-A ports, four Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, and an Ethernet jack. Port selection is important on any desktop PC, and fortunately, Apple doesn’t skimp out here. Ports Image used with permission by copyright holder Then again, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want a Space Gray version. But here, it’s acceptable for Apple to keep things as is. ![]() There are times when that is uncalled for, such as in the case of the M2 13-inch MacBook Pro. So in terms of design, no - I’m not bummed Apple is still using this same chassis. Intel’s NUC machines remain niche, and competitors like the HP Z2 Mini G9 are larger and considerably louder than something like the Mac mini - especially when you include the large power brick that the Mac mini lacks. When it comes down to it, the category of mini PCs hasn’t evolved much over recent years. Interestingly, that’s just around the same weight as the M2 MacBook Air. The M2 Pro model weighs slightly more than the base model - 2.8 versus 2.6 pounds. Many people use a Mac mini for a home theater PC, or perhaps for media management, and the size of the Mac mini is essential for these scenarios too. The smallness of this tiny computer is important for other reasons too. Apple’s M3 MacBook plans could be in jeopardy this yearīest iPad deals: Pro, Air, Mini and accessories on saleĪpple could soon kill off the Mac Pro, new report claims
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