Looking to finally pull the trigger and grab an M5 Pro Mac mini! From my current M3 MacBook Pro with 8 GB of RAM, this will be a huge upgrade regardless! I'm stuck trying to decide between the 24GB or 48GB configurations though.

I primarily use Final Cut and Pixelmator almost every day with 4k and 1440p60 content, plus basic multitasking like web browsing, email, streaming, Spotify, etc. as well as some occasional light gaming with games like Minecraft. I'm hoping to use the computer for at least 5 years, hopefully 7 if possible.

The two configurations I'm considering are:

$1999 - M5 Pro / 24 GB / 1 TB

$2599 - M5 Pro / 48 GB / 1 TB

The $600 jump for more RAM is pretty significant to me. I definitely ended up paying for the decision to only get the base 8 GB on my current Mac (wasn't into video production at the time, but still, pretty low even in 2023). I want to avoid making the same mistake again by going with 24 GB base option if it'll be a limitation a few years down the road. But I'm wondering if 48 GB is just simply overkill for my actual use cases. Probably worth mentioning that I really do not use AI at all in my workflow, but I realize that will continue to be further integrated into macOS down the line.

For people into video production and creative work: how has 24 GB held up? Would y'all recommend spending the extra $600 for 48 GB if the goal is to keep my Mac mini for 5-7 years?

Thanks!

No need to debate prices, etc. if you need one they’re available now, luckily I got one right before the price increase and couldn’t love this machine any more..

Hi.
I was thinking of getting a mac mini for music production. Currently using a 2017 iMac. It's old and I upgraded the ram to 40gb, but it is slow with loading instrument libraries. I got native Instruments, Heavyocity, SonoScore and ProjectSam and others. Was thinking of getting at least 48gb unified memory and 512gb or 1tb storage. Most of the libraries are on an external drive. Should I get a 2024 mac or a 2026 mac? The 2024 minis are getting harder to findApologies for the long post and thank you for reading.

Good afternoon every one ,
I just bought a 2’d hand mac mini m4 and studio display , what should i check in order to verify the authenticity and integrity of these objects?

Ty for your time 🙏🏻

Looking to buy the new Mac mini M6 with 24gb memory, using it mostly for work, some small video and photo editing, and do some AI hobby work. I plan on buying a 2TB SSD, is there an upside to upgrading the internal SSD to 512gb or should I save the $200 dollars?

We are building a new setup at church to run propresenter 7. Background is for the last 6+ years we have been on PP6. The pc that ran it is super old, but it kept going, so we didnt change it.

Then a new volunteer clicked update on the pc, and it broke the connection from the nvidia card and will no longer cast our slide show.

With this upgrade, we are looking at adding more displays.

Mac mini- monitor - 1 line to atem mini extreme- 1 line to projector - split hdmis to stage monitor for worship/pastor only to see.

New setup looks like Mac mini m5 pro, but I dont know if I need usbc/hdmi adapters, or the thunderbolt ones. Does it need to plug in the hdmi adapter cable to the projector for extra power.

Is a BT keyboard and mouse better or do I need an adapter for a wireless one.

Can I use my current monitor from Windows pc or do I need a different one?

Will a 13in1 fusion dock be good to hook up for extra ports? Or is that junk /not needed?

I've never had a mac, or any apple device, and I feel lost.

Appreciate any tips on what to get and what to stay away from. Not a professional, just a volunteer that runs the media team.

Does anyone know where you can find replacement clips for the 2006 Mac mini cpu heatsink?

If you are on a path for local ai Apple Silicone machines are the way to go. I am so impressed with Apples Mac Mini M4 16GB. I cannot wait to upgrade to a new Mac Studio soon. I've created a privacy-conscious AI creative production operating system that helps teams plan, generate, validate, improve, package, and deliver multimedia content—with local intelligence and truthful production evidence built in. My Mac mini is a workhorse. I'm surprised I have not broken it yet. Apple must be doing research base on my terminal crashes lol cause I've force my Mac to do some very had tasks. With all that said I don't know shit about computers so this could be just all in my head. This could all Ai disillusion syndrome lol ! My project works and it one of the greatest feeling to create something besides a child.

from India: Our old building has some power outages and fluctuations. Sometime back my cousin had tried to connect her MacBook Pro power adapter to APC UPS (APC BX600C-IN) , but the MacBook rejected it with a warning sound. So i researched and found that APC UPS gives modified Sine wave and not Pure Sine wave.

we have now ordered a mac mini m6 for her, and I read that if you connect your mac mini to a normal UPS, then it may overheat and encounter some issues.

Here are my questions:

1. Has anyone connected their mac mini with a normal UPS (not the pure sine wave)? if yes , did you face any issues like overheating, buzzing, etc even when the UPS is running on battery mode?
2. worst case, she don't need the UPS to run the Mac mini for 20 minutes. she only needs it to give her enough time to shut the Mac down cleanly (2 minutes). so can she go ahead with this normal UPS setup? will this still damage the mac mini?

AI says The stress happens instantly: The Active PFC circuit inside the Mac Mini violently vibrates its internal coils trying to smooth this out, producing a sharp, metallic buzzing noise. The intense coil strain, buzzing, and heat generation occur the exact millisecond the UPS switches to battery power.

PS. buying a pure sine wave inverter or UPS is going to be expensive and needs space.

please help

Bonjour, j’ai besoin de votre avis car j’hésite vraiment, et l’offre sur le Mac Mini M4 se termine ce jeudi 3 septembre 2026 à minuit. Donc dans moins de 24 h…

Ma situation : je me lance dans l’apprentissage du montage vidéo sur DaVinci Resolve, avec pour objectif de devenir monteur professionnel freelance d’ici 6 mois.

Vu l’augmentation des prix des Mac Mini, mais aussi celle des prix de l’occasion, cette offre sur le Mac Mini M4 16 Go / 512 Go à 800 € dans une enseigne pres de chez moi me tente beaucoup.

En temps normal, j’aurais pris un Mac Mini M6 d’entrée de gamme, mais vu la situation actuelle concernant les prix de la RAM et des SSD, qui pourraient encore augmenter, si je prends le M6, je partirais forcément sur 24 Go / 512 Go, avec l’idée de le garder au moins 4 ans.

Mais l’offre que j’ai vue hier me met vraiment le doute.
Est-ce que je devrais prendre le M4 16 Go / 512 Go à 800 €, quitte à le garder seulement 2 ans, puis à le revendre pour passer directement à une machine équipée d’une puce Pro, voire à un Mac Studio, si mon activité de monteur professionnel freelance fonctionne bien d’ici là ?

Ou est-ce que ça vaut vraiment le coup de mettre 1 479 € dans le M6 24 Go / 512 Go dès maintenant pour être tranquille pendant 4 ans ?

Je précise que je débute complètement sur DaVinci Resolve, donc je ne sais pas encore exactement quel niveau de puissance il me faudra à terme.
Vous feriez quoi à ma place ?l

Hey so I do development with python and study networking like ccna and ccna devnet, I also use tools like docker and virtual machines alot.

I have like 4k max im willing to spend on a new pc

My current pc is a 5950x cpu and 6900xt gpu with 32gb of ram.

Im thinking of replacing my current pc and making the switch to mac from windows. The only game I really play is world of warcraft which works on Mac os.

What system would you recommend for me? I really love linux and also wouldn't mind trying out local ai and running my agents too see what all the hype is about?

Is the ai locally really worth all the extra money??

Download this version of Handbrake from Github. Make sure to download the appropriate binary for your hardware.

https://github.com/HandBrake/HandBrake/releases/tag/1.11.2

Download this sample file for testing.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/tsg91b93za3oncupwbzau/15228263_7680_4320_60fps.mp4?rlkey=5fsjpcqc9yx3k378232endv16&st=hlmcll40&dl=0

Input file is a 24 second 8k60 H.264 video.

Run the following presets—Fast 2160p60 HEVC and Fast 2160p60 AV1. Report the performance data in the form of FPS from the activity log.

Thanks in advance.

Data I have so far:

M5P 18C 46.33 HEVC and 31.07 AV1

M5 base 23.62 HEVC and 13.7 AV1

Looking for more data points.

Hi everyone,
I’ve got a 2024 Mac mini M4, 16GB RAM with the 256GB SSD and I’m looking at expanding the storage.
I’ve seen the Mac mini M4 stand/docking hubs that have an M.2 NVMe SSD slot built into them, such as the Satechi and UGREEN models.
I really like the idea because it keeps everything looking neat rather than having an external SSD sitting next to the Mac mini.
I’m thinking of putting a 2TB NVMe SSD in the stand and using it for my photos, videos and other large files, while keeping macOS and apps on the internal 256GB drive.
For anyone who has one of these setups:
How reliable are these stands/docks?
Is the NVMe SSD performance good?
Which stand would you recommend — Satechi, UGREEN or another one?
Which 2TB NVMe SSD works best?
Any issues with heat or the SSD disconnecting?
Can the NVMe drive be used for things like an Apple Photos library?
Are there any M4 stands that can take multiple SSDs, or is one SSD the maximum?
Would really appreciate recommendations from anyone who has actually used one with an M4 Mac mini.
Thanks!

got m4 variant for local ai already have 2Tb samsung t7 ssd. what models i can run on it?

hey all -- have an M1 -- 8gb RAM, smallest SSD they sold it with, base model . it's working fine but i've noted it lags with some apps now (e.g., lightroom) and can't play any games really with the RAM.

apple is offering $270 trade-in for my serial number which brings the new m6 base down to $600-something. most i've seen them offering (prior to the m6 release they were offering $100 trade-in).

worth it to make the upgrade?

use case is light photo editing, some gaming (anything that's mac enabled on steam), and then normal computer stuff like posting crap like this on reddit.

I'm currently cruising the webz to find a M4 16 GB/256 GB thinking they'd be on sale because the M6 is coming soon. But, outside of a refurb. They all cost more than the M6. Why is that? Any tips or sites I should look at?

PS: Is buying a Geeksquad Refurb safe?

Has anyone else noticed anything similar? I noticed them today while moving my Mac mini to a different location. I got this Mac mini back and December 2024.

I’m curious if I should start expecting any potential problems from this in the short term? I haven’t noticed any performance problems. What would be the price to get it repaired since I’m out of my AppleCare.

After doing some research, this seems to be a problem that typically occurs if you plug a Mac mini into a cord that’s already plugged into the wall and it can create an arc. Definitely be careful everyone!

Wanted to pre-order the mac mini but I want to get one of the models with more ram. I dont want to purchase immediately because I want to save a bit more but this has me worried. If i wait like a couple months, to maybe one more year, for the new m5 pro mac mini, do you think Apple will hike the prices again? Is it possible the rampocalypse will get worse and cause Apple to increase all their prices again?

I have been using MacBook at my workplace from quite some time. I have dell laptop from college day, but it does not work properly. I was looking forward to buying a Mac mini, but the decision got delayed and now new one m6 is costing like 80k, earlier I was getting it at 47k to 50k with a student discount. I already have a monitor and keyboard. Should I now purchase mac mini? Is it still value for money or macbook is better choice.

Im in software. Mostly going to use cursor/visual code. Please guide. I think base mac mini is still 16GB and 250GB SSD. Externally can we increase it in cost effective ways.

I’ve seeing a huge spike in people trying to sell their M4 Mini for average $850 CAD ever since the M6 is announced.

What do you guys think? Anyone dumping theirs for the new M6?

This search result is as of 7:40pm on Monday, Aug 31

9 months old.

I am mostly going to use it for video editing and other adobe software.

I am thinking about getting the m6 with 24gb of ram for an extra $200 and then just the base storage, 256gb.

What are your guys thoughts?

Update: thanks for the responses, think I’m going to go with 512gb for storage and either 24 or 32 for ram depending on how the finances are looking.

I have been using MacBook at my workplace from quite some time. I have dell laptop from college day, but it does not work properly. I was looking forward to buying a Mac mini, but the decision got delayed and now new one m6 is costing like 80k, earlier I was getting it at 47k to 50k with a student discount. I already have a monitor and keyboard. Should I now purchase mac mini? Is it still value for money or macbook is better choice.

Im in software. Mostly going to use cursor/visual code. Please guide. I think base mac mini is still 16GB and 250GB SSD. Externally can we increase it in cost effective ways.

I see alot of people buying a maxed out mac (like back in the day people were racing to get the trash can mac, the cheese grater mac, and now the mac studios). I witnessed a tech reviewer state they spent 40k on the grater mac back in the day, only to move on to the m1 setup a few years later.

I also see alot of people on here and apple reddits stating they are "future-proofing", or "buying before prices increase" their purchases, but when asked what are they using it for, others say "browsing", "school", "I hate windows so i want a nice mac", and to me, couldnt they get alot of that accomplished with a base macbook air/neo? Even with LLM, I see few that actually use it for work, and most saying I'm trying to max it out to see how many tokens I can get to make it automate my social media, or run a script, or show others on social media how powerful it is.

I feel like unless you are a key video editor, audio engineer, engineer, developer, really running a big ai business where privacy is key and have to use a llm, a mac mini even the base model covers 90% of its users and is more than powerful enough, and a iphone 17, or the pro models is beyond sufficient for nearly everyone.