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These aren't the latest and greatest games, but we use them to benchmark performance because they run on a wide variety of both Mac and Windows PCs. While these scores pale in comparison to the best gaming PCs, they're quite good for a desktop Mac and prove the Mac mini M2 is more than capable of playing the best Mac games, especially when fully upgraded. Mac mini M2 review: Verdict Previously, we mentioned creating a portable rig with a monitor using a VESA mount. However, if you want something more compact, then this case for the Mac Mini M2 should be on your radar. The unique aspect of this case is that it has an iPad holder. So, you can slot your iPad into it and connect your Mac Mini to the device and use the contraption as a mini laptop setup – how cool is that!
With incredible capabilities and a wide array of connectivity in its compact design, Mac mini is used in so many places, in so many different ways. Today, we’re excited to take it even further with M2 and M2 Pro,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Bringing even more performance and a lower starting price, Mac mini with M2 is a tremendous value. And for users who need powerful pro performance, Mac mini with M2 Pro is unlike any other desktop in its class.” If you’re looking for a standalone best mouse for the Mac Mini, you can consider getting the Logitech M650. The Logitech K380 is a decent keyboard too, and it costs less than the combo we’ve listed above. Of course, the M2 Pro in our Mac mini review unit can't keep up with the top tier of Intel's latest 13th Gen CPUs, which are just now hitting the market. I know because we recently tested a 13th Gen Core i9 CPU in an Origin PC, and it achieved a multi-core score of 24,054 in the same Geekbench 5.4 benchmark. Similar to the MacBook Air M2, Apple went cheap on the SSD for the 256GB model. It uses a single NAND chip for storage, resulting in up to 50% slower SSD performance. The MacBook Pro M2 Pro has this same issue, which is a big reason why reviewers are saying to avoid the 256GB model. Brandon Geekabit/YouTube The Apple Mac mini with M2 features the same 8-core CPU/10-core GPU silicon that we saw in the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13-inch in 2022. I reviewed both those models for TechRadar, and I found the performance of the M2 to be an impressive jump compared to the M1 chip. Apple’s certainly getting comfortable with making computing chips.
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Another reason to get the Logitech keyboard + mouse combo is the multi-device flow support. As such, if you also happen to have a Windows PC, then you can switch between your Mac and the PC seamlessly. It's by far the best value mini PC you can buy right now, with other compact PCs either more expensive, such as the Intel NUC, or nowhere near as powerful. The closest Windows-based mini PC out there is the Geekom Mini IT11, which is slightly cheaper, but does not offer the same sleek design, nor does its quad-core Intel Core i7-1195G7 processor and integrated graphics come anywhere close to rivaling the M2 chip. Testing conducted by Apple in November and December 2022 using pre-production Mac mini systems with Apple M2 Pro, 12-core CPU, 19-core GPU, 32GB of RAM and 8TB SSD, pre-production Mac mini systems with Apple M2, 8-core CPU, 10‑core GPU, 24GB of RAM and 2TB SSD, production Mac mini systems with Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB of RAM and 2TB SSD, and production 3.8GHz 8-core Intel Core i7–based iMac systems with AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT with 8GB of GDDR6, 8GB of RAM and 512GB SSD, as well as production 3.2GHz 6-core Intel Core i7–based Mac mini systems with Intel Iris UHD Graphics 630, 64GB of RAM and 2TB SSD. Tested with Pixelmator Pro 3.1.1 using a 216KB image. Performance tests are conducted using specific computer systems and reflect the approximate performance of Mac mini and iMac.
Upgrade to the Mac mini M2 Pro and you get double the Thunderbolt 4 ports, for a total of four. You also get improved external display support thanks to the added power of the M2 Pro. Every customer who buys a Mac from Apple can enjoy a free Online Personal Session with an Apple Specialist; get their product set up in select stores, including help with data transfer; and receive guidance on how to make their new Mac work the way they want. For this review, I was supplied with the 12-core M2 Pro rather than the 10-core model, so you will see slightly less impressive results from the 10-core chip, but nonetheless it’s obvious that it’s a pretty big step up from the M2 to the M2 Pro.That’s not the only thing that’s exciting about the latest Mac mini, however. This year’s model also marks the first time Apple has allowed users to configure the mini PC with the firm’s Pro chip, meaning it’s even more suitable for advanced creative tasks such as high-resolution video editing and 3D rendering. Mac mini with M2 and M2 Pro will be available in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, and New Zealand beginning Friday, February 3. If you were worried that the move from Intel hardware to its own silicon would be a blow to the Mac mini's performance, you needn't have worried. The Apple Mac mini (M1, 2020) performs incredibly well, with macOS Big Sur running smoothly. We tested a few native and legacy apps (Apple’s Rosetta 2 tool allows you to continue to run older apps without any major issues), and they ran well – you wouldn't notice that some of them are not running natively.
Testing conducted by Apple in November and December 2022 using pre-production Mac mini systems with Apple M2 Pro, 12-core CPU, 19-core GPU, 32GB of RAM and 8TB SSD, pre-production Mac mini systems with Apple M2, 8-core CPU, 10‑core GPU, 24GB of RAM and 2TB SSD, production Mac mini systems with Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB of RAM and 2TB SSD, and production 3.8GHz 8-core Intel Core i7–based iMac systems with AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT with 8GB of GDDR6, 8GB of RAM and 512GB SSD, as well as production 3.2GHz 6-core Intel Core i7–based Mac mini systems with Intel Iris UHD Graphics 630, 64GB of RAM and 2TB SSD. Final Cut Pro 10.6.5 tested using a 55-second clip with 4K Apple ProRes RAW media, at 4096x2160 resolution and 59.94 frames per second, transcoded to Apple ProRes 422. Performance tests are conducted using specific computer systems and reflect the approximate performance of Mac mini and iMac. However, we should note that the move to the M1 chip means the memory is capped at 16GB, and you can no longer use external graphic cards (eGPUs). This will disappoint anyone who needed to upgrade their Mac mini. As for the MX Anywhere 3 wireless mouse, it’s a good all-purpose mouse that helps improve your productivity. You get 5 buttons that can be customized via Logitech’s software. It also has Logitech’s signature MagSpeed scroll wheel found on the flagship MX Master series. You can also get the Mac mini (2023) with the new M2 Pro chip, which launched alongside the PC, and features in the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2023) and MacBook Pro 14-inch (2023). This is an exciting development, as it’s the first time a professional-grade chip has been included in the Mac mini, turning it into a viable compact workstation for creatives, and anyone who wants extra power in a small PC, but finds the asking price of the Mac Studio to be too high. The Mac mini (2023)’s design is pretty much identical to the Mac mini from 2020, and that’s no bad thing. It remains small and unobtrusive, with a solid metal case and the large Apple logo on the top.Seems straightforward enough: You have a 256GB and 512GB option for the base M2 chip, as well as an upgrade M2 Pro design. Be very careful with the model you choose, though. The 256GB configuration is much slower than the other options. Testing conducted by Apple in November and December 2022 using pre-production Mac mini systems with Apple M2 Pro, 12-core CPU, 19-core GPU and 16GB of RAM, pre-production Mac mini systems with Apple M2, 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU and 24GB of RAM, and production Mac mini systems with Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU and 8GB of RAM. Performance measured using selected industry‑standard benchmarks. Performance tests are conducted using specific computer systems and reflect the approximate performance of Mac mini. A lot of heavy lifting is done here between the SSD and memory bump, but we’re recommending the extra powerful 12-core M2 Pro. It features two extra CPU cores and three extra GPU cores, which combined result in around a 15% performance boost.
The exciting update is the M2 Pro processor. Unlike the previous generation, Apple is offering the new Mac mini with an M2 Pro processor, which is also available in the new MacBook Pro. It comes with more cores, allowing the M2 Pro to run much more demanding applications. If you love to travel, work from home, go to school, or simply need a convenient way to carry your laptop and other gadgets, the KROSER Premium Briefcase Case for Mac Mini could be the perfect fit. This laptop briefcase is made of water-repellent poly fabric, has roomy compartments for your laptop, files and notebooks, and can accommodate an iPad as well—perfect for all of your on-the-go needs! Additional technical specifications and details on Studio Display and Magic accessories are available at apple.com/uk/store. This 3D-printed case for the Mac Mini M2 has two parts. A large groove for the Mac Mini and a horizontal slot for the iPad. This slot is fastened via a hinge, akin to a laptop screen. You can insert up to an 8.3-inch iPad Mini into this slot to be used as a monitor. The case has openings for the ports on the Mac Mini as well as on the iPad so that the I/O isn’t restricted.We've criticized Apple for not innovating with the design of the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) and MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020), but in the case of the Mac mini we feel a bit more relaxed about the fact that its design hasn’t changed significantly. Apple has made big strides in improving the efficiency of the M2 Pro chip, and while that is arguably more important when it comes to the MacBook, as better efficiency can lead to longer battery life, it’s also welcome with the Mac mini. Due to its compact size, the Mac mini can keep working without producing too much heat, and that means it also doesn’t need to use its fans that often, leading to a pleasingly silent PC. In these days of ever-higher energy bills, the efficiencies brought in by the M2 and M2 Pro are certainly welcome, especially if you’re planning on using the Mac mini for long periods of time. With Apple Trade In, customers can trade in their current computer and get credit toward a new Mac. Customers can visit apple.com/uk/shop/trade-in to see what their device is worth. Testing conducted by Apple in November and December 2022 using pre-production Mac mini systems with Apple M2 Pro, 12-core CPU, 19-core GPU, 32GB of RAM and 8TB SSD, pre-production Mac mini systems with Apple M2, 8-core CPU, 10‑core GPU, 24GB of RAM and 2TB SSD, production Mac mini systems with Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB of RAM and 2TB SSD, and production 3.8GHz 8-core Intel Core i7–based iMac systems with AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT with 8GB of GDDR6, 8GB of RAM and 512GB SSD, as well as production 3.2GHz 6-core Intel Core i7–based Mac mini systems with Intel Iris UHD Graphics 630, 64GB of RAM and 2TB SSD. Final Cut Pro 10.6.5 tested using a complex 2-minute clip with 4K Apple ProRes RAW media. Performance tests are conducted using specific computer systems and reflect the approximate performance of Mac mini and iMac.
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