I am really glad I ran across this video. I was not in a position to order a $1K computer, so I went with the Mac Mini with 8 gigs of memory and I upgraded the hard drive for the 512. This is my first time owning a Mac and it has not disappointed me yet. I have caught some flak for me purchase, but watching this video has reinforced my opinion on the Mini. Zero regrets, I love it.
How refreshing to hear a practical, no-nonsense review without the opinionated hype, and bravado. Crap-free reviews are few and far between. Thank you!
For the internal SSD life span, you can install you OS on the external NVME enclosure and run from there. In this way, no worry on the life span of internal drive ever. Now in US, top 2TB NVME SSD is just $100. 8 times of the 256GB with much faster speed: in my case WD SN850X. You will also need to buy a decent TB4 NVME enclosure which keeps the NVME SSD cool. I am doing this on my M1 mac studio basic and this had worked great so far.
Thanks for the video. I have the base m2 for my wife and I and it handles everything we do without using any swap whatsoever. I was regretting going with 8gb memory but the more I use it I know I made the right decision. People say go for at least 16gb to future proof. Well when the time comes I’ll just upgrade to a base m4 or m5 (whatever model is out when it’s time).
This is exactly what I say! Use that $400 you would have spent on storage and memory and the sale $$ to buy a new base model in 3 or 4 years. I’d rather have a base M5, M6 or M7 at that point rather than an old M2 16/512. That is if 8 GB does not hamper your use today.
Exactly. A base model is just the price of 3 upgrades. You will get a more powerful machine with probably more RAM when you switch to a new model. model is just the price of 3 upgrades. You will get a more powerful machine with probably more RAM when you switch to a new model.
Exactly. The insanity to think that 1500MBps is slow. LoL. That's 3x the speed of sata SSDs and those are already very good. I gave the base model to my daughter. She opens multiple browser Chrome tabs, multiple streams, discord, Roblox... And she isn't complaining. I use it to test it out. The value is just unbeatable
I'm a PowerShell developer primarily working in the Microsoft ecosystem and Python for automation of systems PowerShell can't touch or it'd be too much of a hassle to build a module for. I hate how everyone who recommends Apple machines always recommends those above the base model, but to be honest, there's truly no reason to stray from it unless you do intense video or photo editing. I'm so happy I bought the base M2 Mac Mini and haven't looked back since all I do is remote into VMs, servers, develop scripts using both of the mentioned languages, and your typical everyday stuff and I don't have 1,000 tabs open in Firefox. As a sysadmin, I never see myself needing something crazy unless I want to build VMs on the machine itself. All in all, an amazing purchase that so many people glimpse over.
Excellent review. Answered a couple of questions that I had. I just purchased a 2023 Mac mini M2 (replacing a 2012 Mac mini). I got the base model with 256GB and upgraded the RAM to 24GB. The computer works perfectly for my uses. I get notices that the internal HDD is getting full but there is still 90GB available. In the meantime, I've ordered a Samsung 2TB SSD drive, which should work finr to extend the base model storage.
Ssd speed is not a constraint in video export. CPU is the bottle neck in that situation. Your case of 5 minutes at 1500MB/s, would mean 450GB file size if the disk was writing the whole time.
I know from personal experience that if the base Mac mini is used for its intended purpose swap memory won't be an issue (I have a base model M2 MacBook Air). Power users should look elsewhere.
@8:24 I did exactly that for my M2 Mac Book Air, upping it to 16GB and 512GB respectively, because I wanted longevity. It made the M2 MBA a lot more expensive, approaching MBP territory, but I did it anyway. I open lots of chrome tabs, I edit videos and also have chat apps like whatsapp in the background, and despite having 16GB, I regularly have the main SSD doing swap for RAM. Then I'll reboot to ensure everything is wiped clean so it won't use swap. Imagine I only had 8GB, it'll be SWAP everyday all the time. Your use case may be different and may not experience constant swaps.
Thanks for this video. I'm an illustrator that's used Windows my whole life thinking of trying out a Mac since so many people keep telling me I'll love it if I just give it a chance, but of course I don't want to spend a load of money on a computer I'm not sure about yet, but also want to make sure I have one that does what I need for my job. This little guy seems like a good option for that. It's also small enough that I can have it on my desk together with my pc and just switch my USB hub with my perifericals between the two anytime.
My ten year old Intel Mac Mini stopped working, so I replaced it with an M2 Mini with 16 GB RAM and a 1TB SSD specified. Everything just plugged straight in to my existing setup (I’m going to buy a better monitor to replace my old 27” Dell unit) and carried on working as normal, except much faster. I’m very happy, and don’t regret paying for the extra RAM and storage at all. I always buy extra RAM if it’s available.
I’m more then happy with my m2 base mac mini. I just added a 2tb external nvme ssd and the storage problem isn’t an issue. As for the 8gb of unified memory it’s not a big deal braker either. I only have 1 or 2 tabs open at a time. Plus I got the base model to learn MacOS and understand it before throwing more money away. And I am enjoying the user experience more then windows. Plus I already know it can handle so light photo editing as well.
I got one and am very pleased with my computer. I am new to Apple. Compared to my last PC, this runs circles around anything I have owned previously. Very affordable too!
I have just today (28th Oct 2023) bought the 512GB SSD M2 Mac Mini. It replaces my 8 year old 27 inch iMac (which I had upgraded to 32GB RAM). I have no regrets and I use it daily for work and photo editing. It is so responsive and fast compared to the old unit. Using an ASUS TUF 28 inch 4k monitor with the new Mac Mini. Very, very happy :). Thank you for your video, it helped a lot.
I've just taken delivery of an M2 Mac Mini. I went for the 16GB RAM and the 256GB Storage. I did, though, also buy a Samsung 1TB T7 SSD, which I shall be using as its main boot drive. Last year I had an internal 500GB SSD placed into my old (late-2015) iMac 27" to replace its failed HDD 'Fusion' drive; and I have also upgraded the RAM from 8GB to 32GB. I now have two first-class units.
This was an ideal purchase for me. I got the base model M2, 256gb ssd to replace my I think 2018 Model Macbook Pro that I have been using as a desktop almost the entire time. My macbook pro isn't evebn broken in the slightest just the battery doesn't like being plugged in 24/7. Since I already have a keyboard mouse and monitor and speakers all I needed was the mac mini. If my old macbook po can handle all my video editing and music poduction I think the M2 basic mini is moe than eno0ugh. I also have a 6 tb harddrive external.
dude, i think this was the last video i watched out of 30 mac mini videos you explained it so digestiable that it seemed very non biased. loved it thanks dude . I had no idea how the memory and ram borrowing worked.
I will go for 16gb ram and 256G SSD w/ external 512G or 1TB SSD storage. I'm even thinking to move system to external SSD to maximize lifespan of internal SSD. :)
That's my idea also. I am just wondering what external SSD to take. Someone advised me this: a thunderbolt 3 SSD case like the Acasis TB3 (thunderbolt 3) 40 GBps NVME and adding the Samsung 980 Pro. Can you give me any advise on this. I appreciate it a lot. greetings Richard
@@MannyRataul Hi, thank's for reply, I appreciate this. One last question. I gonna use the external drive for my video files of course. But what about the macOS system itself, should I install that on the internal or external drive. thank's and greetings
@@richardrem you can absolutely install the OS on an external drive and it will benefit you in faster boot times. As far as applications and files go, you should definitely keep those on the external NVME for the fastest speeds possible.
I don't doubt more RAM and a bigger SSD would increase performance, but I just can't justify the price to upgrade the base model. I rather just sell my old Mac mini and get the new version when it comes out.
I brought a Mac Mini 2010 in a box many years ago but didn't really use it. Picked up a 2012 and 2014 Mac Mini a few months ago and it is great especially for $10 each at a garage sale. Swap out with an SSD or NVME and they are usable. Been eyeing on an M chip Mac Mini but not willing to pay the full price for it yet. If I were to break down and get the M2 now I would get the 512GB version because of the higher rewrite and speed.
The SSD speed reminds me of the difference between a V8 and V6 engine. Yes the V8 will get up to speed faster or have more torque. However how often do people drive with the accelerator pedal to the floor? Either engine is still faster than a 3/4 cylinder engine with small displacement. Save some money and used external storage that can also be connected to another computer (either now or down the road).
I recently bought an M2 Pro Mini and it is a beast of a machine. I thought about getting the base version but I knew I would want to upgrade to 16/512 which would have brought the base model to $1000. $300 extra got me four USB C ports vs two and the Pro version has double the memory bandwidth. I'm glad I went with the Pro because I know it'll have more than enough horsepower for me for years to come.
Hi there, great information. With the Mac Mini M2 base model can I use Photoshop and Lightroom and plug-in a 27” BenQ Monitor on the Max mini M2? Thank you
Really interesting insight into the SSD. Apple M chips memory swap a LOT on systems with less ram. I'd argue to get the most ram and biggest SSD you can afford, and add a dock with external storage for your files, Im gonna go for a Pro with a 512gb drive, 16gb ram and a dock with a 1/2tb mechanical drive. (better for long term storage). Best future proofing i can afford and not quite enough to upgrade to the studio. Also I already have a monitor (a 2004! Cinema display) and keyboard and mouse so that helps keep costs down- even with needing an adapter for hdmi-vga
@@user-jv9qz2bu1r yep, I've got the 23 inch with the same adapter (got an open box apple one on ebay too) still a great monitor for its age. Not the best res by todays standards but the colour accuracy is still good!
Thank you. Very helpful in making my decisions on buying a M2 Mac Mini. No one else covered the issue with SSD life extension. Now I know exactly where the decision vectors are.
Apple deliberately hindered the performance of the 256Gb model to drive overpriced upgrades. Love their hardware, but their business practices are rapidly getting more questionable 🙄
I cannot comment on that as I do not program, but I believe there are a number of videos showing it as a very capable device for app building. Check out other videos on Youtubr
For reference, I fairly recently started using a MacBook Air M1 after developing on Windows for over 30 years. Apple Silicon performance is *phenomenal*, I am a convert now. My 3 year old M1 laptop has faster compilation times than my gaming rig that cost over twice as much! The M2 is even faster! I nearly bought this base mini myself for the brilliant price but i don’t really need it yet. I totally recommend Apple Silicon, they truly are next level.
If laptops are more your thing then M1 MacBook Air is discounted now and is also fantastic value. Aside from that and the Mini, I feel that the rest of Apples line up has diminishing returns on value (albeit higher performance in some cases). Apple really charge you for the high end stuff but its largely overkill for most dev work.
@@batmanonabike3119 have been seeing videos where people are saying that M2 basic configuration is not that great i.e. 8gb 256gb ssd. Everyones recommending min 16gb ram. Is it really worth upgrading to 16gb?
That's why I went for the Pro version, always buy the base version! Don't upgrade Ram or storage, I like to play retro-games through Wine too so extra GPU power is welcome
great video. would you prefer 16 gb ram, 256 gigs ssd and 1tb external ssd Or 16 gb ram and 512 ssd from apple? also what monitor,keyboard (wired) and mouse(wired) would you recommend? Thanks.
Definitely 16gb of ram and 1tb external ssd. Cheaper and external NVME enclosures with storage are cheaper than Apple’s upgrade. If you have used Mac’s in the past, go with Apple’s wireless set. Personally I use a Logitech wireless gaming mouse and a standard wireless keyboard. If you intend to type a-lot, go with a keyboard that is most comfortable.
My old 2014 Mini (secondary computer for financial stuff only) had become almost unusable, with the SSD portion of the 1TB Fusion drive having basically worn out. Performance was really dismal - taking almost 25 minutes to boot, and around 5 minutes to open the financial app I use, then checking for updates and opening my "since the beginning of time" financial data file - which is admittedly huge... Anyway, I bought a "base" Mac Mini M2 to replace the old one. Even with the 256GB SSD, what an amazing machine this is! It now takes less than 30 seconds to boot (including me logging in), and it opens that same financial app in
so glad I found you . your review was a breath of fresh air.. all I do is you tube ,email, and eBay. just found a brand new M1on eBay 660.00. a month ago but still my take advantage of the great trade in value Apple is offering me now I'm going to trade in My M1for the M2with upgraded 16 gb.Ram and add an external 1TB of SSD.I'm 62 yrs old .I should be set for awhile with this config.. thanks I will be watching for more content thx scot j
The value proposition is even greater given that the base M2 can be had for under $500 on sale at many vendors (it’s $449 at my local Costco right now) and you can no longer get a non-pro M2 16/512, which is nearly three times as expensive at $1299.
I do have the M2 with 256gb SSD, and have 1.62tb of iTunes media on a 2tb SSD external drive. I already have 90+gb of music on the M2, so it’s too late to consider the 512gb upgrade. If I obtain another 2tb SSD drive, how do I set it up to assist the 256 SSD internal to extend it’s life?
Ah, I thought maybe you kept your 2017 iMac as the display, if that’s even possible. Not sure how these things work lol. I’ve always had MacBooks and a 2019 iMac where I don’t need to plug anything anywhere else
This base model is the best value for money considering the price & also performance. Thanks for sharing the truth 🙏🏻. Will save many for people who have tight budget & needs best value for money. Subscribed your channel 😊
Wow, this video has really cleared up a lot of questions I had and some I didn't know I should have been asking. I love your ability to get straight to the point and then bring in other relevant issues. I have a couple of 2012 minis but I know I need (or would love) to upgrade them with newer models. Thanks to this video I am now reasonably clear on what my Ram and HD needs are. Thanks Manny.... well done mate.
Great content, and very helpful review! I could recommend you use some audio compression on your voice, the audio level is going up and down enough that it is a bit distracting. Either a plugin or an analog unit in line with your mic would really help. Keep up the great work!
I plan to make the switch to mac os from my current amd pc I built around 2017 or so and yeah I think this will be a good upgrade, I can always just use a external drive and go for the 256 gb model.
The ssd drive is not replaceable. Ssd drives fail after a certain number of read writes so when it dies (3 yrs) instead of replacing a 100 part, you throw the whole thing away.
With a budget of around $700, which one would you pick for light video editing, multi tab browsing, client for virtual machine, and day to day email, and movie watching. M2 with 8GB ram and 512GB drive or 16GB ram with 256GB drive? Again, only M2 and no M1. Which and why?
16gb of Ram if you intend to use VM, you will need the extra memory. Also you can buy external M.2 Drive enclosures and expand the storage (larger and faster) much cheaper than what you would with Apple’s upgrade.
Short answer is yes. Long and complicated answer is it will probably not make a difference unless you understand memory management better than Apple Engineers. For the average consumer, allocating virtual memory to an external SSD will not be an easy task or make much of a difference.
does regular m2 have virtual ram? should i return my legion go and buy this? i realized its portable but it only last 1hr when gaming. might aswell buy a mini pc
You made some good points regarding SSD life span and write cycles. I will also go with base model because here in India, its Rs. 20K ($243) for RAM upgrade and another $243 for SSD. Manny bro, Are you from India?
If I were to buy the mac mini with the purpose to edit 4k video, and want it to last a decade (my 2013 macbook pro 13 inch lasted me a decade and still working fine other than 4k video editing!), should I still get the base model, or upgrade the RAM/SSD? Is it necessary to upgrade both? If not, which is the better choice to upgrade? Thanks!
If you want to save money but not sacrifice performance, i would upgrade the ram. The SSD speeds and storage are not concerning as you can always purchase an external NVME SSD and work on projects off of that with insanely fast speeds. External storage is also much cheaper than upgrading the internal SSD.
I got the m2 pro because it was so close to the 16 gig 512 gig ssd m2 anyways. If I'm going to spend over 1000 I might as well upgrade because there's no upgrade path in the future. I think you're downplaying having two nand chips though because it's not only the speed of the drive but with a single chip you significant reduce the Iops of the drive. IMO while you're not seeing it now you may in the future especially if you're hammering the swap memory
Good purchase on the M2 Pro but not everyone has the budget or the money to spend over 1000 dollars on a new machine. There is a use case for both and this video was intended to highlight the capabilities of the cheapest version.
@@MannyRataul point taken and you’re right not everyone will notice. I still have a 2016 MacBook 12 inch with a m5 and 8 gig and It is an excellent Chromebook now 🥰. Right tool for the right job
I tested the 8gb mac mini m2, and it is very slow in timeline performance, compared to my 16gb mini m1 with 3x color corrections and titles. Export times are not important on an entry level pc is actually how well does it perform in the timeline
I'm planning to switch to Mac after 20 years with Windows, can i use my old ssd in my pc desktop and use it as external ssd for the mac mini? As all my data, photos etcs is inside the secondary ssd
Yes you absolutely can. The only thing you have to make sure is that its formatted to exFat or Fat32. Before doing this you can check the current formatting in properties. If you do need to format, make sure to back all your data first as formatting erases everything.
Hey , I am from India, i was thinking of getting one mac mini m2 as my primary machine, but my requirements are a bit high.. you know running those hefty designing and drafting softwares on a regular basis demand for a fast and capable cpu as well as tons of storage, will the 16gb 512gb version be enough for me. I feel that the storage is too low.. i feel that i would a storage of minimum 2tb to a maximum 4tb while i am not sure about the ram thing, in windows i would love to have 32 or 64 gb but only 16gb is there to be got, but since its a m2 chip so i am not sure how to compare or whatsoever. Please help me reach a decision
I ordered my M2 Mini two days ago- M2 with 512gb and 16GB RAM. My primary purpose is Plex Server and Living Room Internet searcher. I did not really need the 512gb storage but several reviews said that the base model with 256gb was limited much more in both speed and MTBF- you state it as well. My usage for this machine requires little; however, the need for RAM in PLEX is a bit higher. This is replacing my 2018 Mac Mini i5 3.0GB 16GB model. My Goal is to be able to transcode 4K to remote location which PLEX says requires a higher CPU than my current model limited to 720p by their specs.
Enjoyed your video, I'm thinking about the base Mac Mini coming from a 2017 MacBook Pro with 3.1 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5 and 8 gb. I consider myself a normal user, occasionally playing around with photos and video, but certainly not a power user. I used a Samsung SSD for storage of files and photo/videos. Should I consider 16 gb to future-proof my purchase?
Hi Manny, thank you for your time, i realize the most of videos talking about mac mini m2 vs m2 pro , doesnt talk about compilation and performance for developers, like xcode, i wish buying a mac mini m2 or m2 pro 16GB and 256SSD, but i dont know what buying.
Thanks for watching! I believe there are a number or videos showing the compilation and coding performances of the Mac Mini M2, give those a watch and it should get you a better idea of which model to purchase.
Hello Manny so my question is using one of the thunderbolt ports and the right adapter cable can I drive a monitor that has a display port (TB4 TO DP 2.0) thanks
Hi Bryson, there are thunderbolt to DP cables that will work for a display. I recommend this over an HDMI to DP because the thunderbolt port has a higher bandwidth that will give you higher refresh rates.
I am planning to get the base version of m2 mac mini for audio production. Will it be able to handle cubase 12 and/or logic pro for the purpose ? Thanks a lot ..
Totally agree with you, Manny! With the Mini M2 you have the option to pay less and still have better performance. If you want to have also the fastest SSD, you pay a little more than the previous base model and you also have double the capacity! Where is the problem?! I personally did some tests with Macbook 14 inch M1 Pro (10-core 1TB SSD) and Macbook 14 inch M2 Pro (10-core 512GB SSD). M2 Pro is even faster in data transfer from external SSD (despite the slower SSD)! I made various exports video in multitasking with Final Cut Pro X, with timelines of 2 min, 5 min, 10 min and 1 hour and 30 min. M2 Pro always on average 20% faster, even about 25% faster in the export of 1 hour and 30! I've also seen some comparison tests from Max Tech where he's gets almost the same results as the 14" M1 Pro 8-core, but honestly I don't know how that's possible, since to me it's even faster than the M1 Pro 10 -core version! Probably he had a version with a chip not yet perfectly optimized with updates (I suppose). There was excessive and stupid hysteria with M2-based SSDs, in my opinion.
I've owned a MacBook Air for the last 10 years and it has been a wonderful machine. However, I recently installed the Big Sur OS 11.7.4 upgrade, which was a mistake, i guess. I've lost Garageband app and seems like a few more are no longer compatible. I think I will purchase a mac mini since I know 10 years is getting pretty old for my MacBook. I am a very casual user, browse the internet, a light user of Garageband, store some audio, definitely not a power user. My main concern is I would like this to be able to use this as long as possible. Should the 8GB memory serve me fine? or should I go ahead and get the 16GB upgrade.
8gb will be just fine, but many people opt in for 16gb if they do decide to get more out of their Mac in the future. The issue is that you cannot upgrade the memory after you’ve purchased the unit. If your intent is to keep it that long, then a memory upgrade seems absolutely logical.
Hi my local Costco has the M1 mini at $299 and the M2 at 579 should i go for the M1 i'm not a power user or anything i coming from a Windows i5 6 gen, i did own a Mac a few years ago i'm not OS tied - i can afford the $579 but i always go for deals.
Question. Did you say the different size SSD operate at different speeds? I am not sure I understand. I learned there are different sizes ... but different speeds? I like learning something new. How can we/one check for speeds of SSDs before buying one configured? Is there a specification? Also I heard say that "rendering" video (not sure what that means) the M2 does well but other features are near the same. ... unpausing to continue;....
Sorry to be more clear, there are two different types of SSDs used for the Mac Mini. The smallest available size is a NAND SSD which is old technology and significantly slower than the versions used with higher storage, therefore slower speeds.
I am really glad I ran across this video. I was not in a position to order a $1K computer, so I went with the Mac Mini with 8 gigs of memory and I upgraded the hard drive for the 512. This is my first time owning a Mac and it has not disappointed me yet. I have caught some flak for me purchase, but watching this video has reinforced my opinion on the Mini. Zero regrets, I love it.
Good purchase! The only thing that should matter is if your machine delivers exactly what you expect from it!
How did you increase your hard drive to 512?
@@ambuj6785 the internal upgrade has to be done before purchasing the device. You purchase one with a 512gb configuration.
Should have gotten 16 GB ram !!
@@ambuj6785 Added it to my order.
How refreshing to hear a practical, no-nonsense review without the opinionated hype, and bravado. Crap-free reviews are few and far between. Thank you!
I'm glad you found it helpful!
For the internal SSD life span, you can install you OS on the external NVME enclosure and run from there. In this way, no worry on the life span of internal drive ever. Now in US, top 2TB NVME SSD is just $100. 8 times of the 256GB with much faster speed: in my case WD SN850X. You will also need to buy a decent TB4 NVME enclosure which keeps the NVME SSD cool. I am doing this on my M1 mac studio basic and this had worked great so far.
Thanks for the video. I have the base m2 for my wife and I and it handles everything we do without using any swap whatsoever. I was regretting going with 8gb memory but the more I use it I know I made the right decision. People say go for at least 16gb to future proof. Well when the time comes I’ll just upgrade to a base m4 or m5 (whatever model is out when it’s time).
This is exactly what I say! Use that $400 you would have spent on storage and memory and the sale $$ to buy a new base model in 3 or 4 years. I’d rather have a base M5, M6 or M7 at that point rather than an old M2 16/512. That is if 8 GB does not hamper your use today.
Exactly. A base model is just the price of 3 upgrades. You will get a more powerful machine with probably more RAM when you switch to a new model. model is just the price of 3 upgrades. You will get a more powerful machine with probably more RAM when you switch to a new model.
Exactly. The insanity to think that 1500MBps is slow. LoL. That's 3x the speed of sata SSDs and those are already very good. I gave the base model to my daughter. She opens multiple browser Chrome tabs, multiple streams, discord, Roblox... And she isn't complaining. I use it to test it out. The value is just unbeatable
I'm a PowerShell developer primarily working in the Microsoft ecosystem and Python for automation of systems PowerShell can't touch or it'd be too much of a hassle to build a module for. I hate how everyone who recommends Apple machines always recommends those above the base model, but to be honest, there's truly no reason to stray from it unless you do intense video or photo editing. I'm so happy I bought the base M2 Mac Mini and haven't looked back since all I do is remote into VMs, servers, develop scripts using both of the mentioned languages, and your typical everyday stuff and I don't have 1,000 tabs open in Firefox. As a sysadmin, I never see myself needing something crazy unless I want to build VMs on the machine itself. All in all, an amazing purchase that so many people glimpse over.
Excellent review. Answered a couple of questions that I had. I just purchased a 2023 Mac mini M2 (replacing a 2012 Mac mini). I got the base model with 256GB and upgraded the RAM to 24GB. The computer works perfectly for my uses. I get notices that the internal HDD is getting full but there is still 90GB available. In the meantime, I've ordered a Samsung 2TB SSD drive, which should work finr to extend the base model storage.
Can you upgrade RAM in mac mini ?
With 24 gb of RAM you are good to go for the next 10 years.
@@ecoguy3081no. You have to choose how much RAM and storage you'll need while ordering. You can't upgrade after you unboxed the product.
I am on the verge of purchasing an M2 Mac Mini. Your review was impressive. Very honest and informative. Thanks, Jim
Ssd speed is not a constraint in video export. CPU is the bottle neck in that situation. Your case of 5 minutes at 1500MB/s, would mean 450GB file size if the disk was writing the whole time.
If I would buy a m2 with 256 and 16 gb ram would that be cool and still be able to compete with the lifespan
No doubt! Your swap memory issue would be non existent and you could always expand your storage with an external SSD.
@@MannyRataul Thank you alot you just saved my trouble
@@abdullaheddaifihussain9882 Glad I could help!
I know from personal experience that if the base Mac mini is used for its intended purpose swap memory won't be an issue (I have a base model M2 MacBook Air). Power users should look elsewhere.
@8:24 I did exactly that for my M2 Mac Book Air, upping it to 16GB and 512GB respectively, because I wanted longevity. It made the M2 MBA a lot more expensive, approaching MBP territory, but I did it anyway. I open lots of chrome tabs, I edit videos and also have chat apps like whatsapp in the background, and despite having 16GB, I regularly have the main SSD doing swap for RAM. Then I'll reboot to ensure everything is wiped clean so it won't use swap. Imagine I only had 8GB, it'll be SWAP everyday all the time. Your use case may be different and may not experience constant swaps.
Thanks for this video. I'm an illustrator that's used Windows my whole life thinking of trying out a Mac since so many people keep telling me I'll love it if I just give it a chance, but of course I don't want to spend a load of money on a computer I'm not sure about yet, but also want to make sure I have one that does what I need for my job.
This little guy seems like a good option for that. It's also small enough that I can have it on my desk together with my pc and just switch my USB hub with my perifericals between the two anytime.
My ten year old Intel Mac Mini stopped working, so I replaced it with an M2 Mini with 16 GB RAM and a 1TB SSD specified. Everything just plugged straight in to my existing setup (I’m going to buy a better monitor to replace my old 27” Dell unit) and carried on working as normal, except much faster. I’m very happy, and don’t regret paying for the extra RAM and storage at all. I always buy extra RAM if it’s available.
Awesome video. I'm a brand new Mac user and planning on returning the M3 Pro MacBook I just bought and getting the Mac Mini with the Studio Display.
I’m more then happy with my m2 base mac mini. I just added a 2tb external nvme ssd and the storage problem isn’t an issue. As for the 8gb of unified memory it’s not a big deal braker either. I only have 1 or 2 tabs open at a time. Plus I got the base model to learn MacOS and understand it before throwing more money away. And I am enjoying the user experience more then windows. Plus I already know it can handle so light photo editing as well.
Really helpful, thank you. Watched a few not-so-useful videos before youtube finally recommended me this one. Learned a lot!
I just ordered a mac mini m2 with 16gb ram and 256ssd
Thanks for the video, Just Ordered my base model
I got one and am very pleased with my computer. I am new to Apple. Compared to my last PC, this runs circles around anything I have owned previously. Very affordable too!
I have just today (28th Oct 2023) bought the 512GB SSD M2 Mac Mini. It replaces my 8 year old 27 inch iMac (which I had upgraded to 32GB RAM). I have no regrets and I use it daily for work and photo editing. It is so responsive and fast compared to the old unit. Using an ASUS TUF 28 inch 4k monitor with the new Mac Mini. Very, very happy :). Thank you for your video, it helped a lot.
Thanks for watching!
I've just taken delivery of an M2 Mac Mini. I went for the 16GB RAM and the 256GB Storage. I did, though, also buy a Samsung 1TB T7 SSD, which I shall be using as its main boot drive.
Last year I had an internal 500GB SSD placed into my old (late-2015) iMac 27" to replace its failed HDD 'Fusion' drive; and I have also upgraded the RAM from 8GB to 32GB. I now have two first-class units.
What is the real-world data transfer speed of your Samsung 1TB T7 SSD attached to the USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 ports on your Mac Mini?
This was an ideal purchase for me. I got the base model M2, 256gb ssd to replace my I think 2018 Model Macbook Pro that I have been using as a desktop almost the entire time. My macbook pro isn't evebn broken in the slightest just the battery doesn't like being plugged in 24/7. Since I already have a keyboard mouse and monitor and speakers all I needed was the mac mini. If my old macbook po can handle all my video editing and music poduction I think the M2 basic mini is moe than eno0ugh. I also have a 6 tb harddrive external.
Thanks. You answered the remaining questions that I had. Off to buy it now.
dude, i think this was the last video i watched out of 30 mac mini videos you explained it so digestiable that it seemed very non biased. loved it thanks dude . I had no idea how the memory and ram borrowing worked.
Im glad it helped!
I will go for 16gb ram and 256G SSD w/ external 512G or 1TB SSD storage. I'm even thinking to move system to external SSD to maximize lifespan of internal SSD. :)
Good plan!
That's my idea also. I am just wondering what external SSD to take. Someone advised me this: a thunderbolt 3 SSD case like the Acasis TB3 (thunderbolt 3) 40 GBps NVME and adding the Samsung 980 Pro. Can you give me any advise on this. I appreciate it a lot.
greetings Richard
@@richardrem that is a good plan, that Samsung 980 Pro is an extremely fast NVME, you cant go wrong.
@@MannyRataul Hi, thank's for reply, I appreciate this. One last question. I gonna use the external drive for my video files of course. But what about the macOS system itself, should I install that on the internal or external drive.
thank's and greetings
@@richardrem you can absolutely install the OS on an external drive and it will benefit you in faster boot times. As far as applications and files go, you should definitely keep those on the external NVME for the fastest speeds possible.
I don't doubt more RAM and a bigger SSD would increase performance, but I just can't justify the price to upgrade the base model. I rather just sell my old Mac mini and get the new version when it comes out.
I brought a Mac Mini 2010 in a box many years ago but didn't really use it. Picked up a 2012 and 2014 Mac Mini a few months ago and it is great especially for $10 each at a garage sale. Swap out with an SSD or NVME and they are usable.
Been eyeing on an M chip Mac Mini but not willing to pay the full price for it yet. If I were to break down and get the M2 now I would get the 512GB version because of the higher rewrite and speed.
The SSD speed reminds me of the difference between a V8 and V6 engine. Yes the V8 will get up to speed faster or have more torque. However how often do people drive with the accelerator pedal to the floor? Either engine is still faster than a 3/4 cylinder engine with small displacement.
Save some money and used external storage that can also be connected to another computer (either now or down the road).
Very good analogy! I absolutely agree with buying external storage and saving on money!
Not a good analogy if you compare the TBW lifespan. The 512 will last 2x longer.
I recently bought an M2 Pro Mini and it is a beast of a machine. I thought about getting the base version but I knew I would want to upgrade to 16/512 which would have brought the base model to $1000. $300 extra got me four USB C ports vs two and the Pro version has double the memory bandwidth. I'm glad I went with the Pro because I know it'll have more than enough horsepower for me for years to come.
Solid pickup!
Hi there, great information.
With the Mac Mini M2 base model can I use Photoshop and Lightroom and plug-in a 27” BenQ Monitor on the Max mini M2?
Thank you
Thats correct!
So my photoshop & LR is gonna run with no glitch or issues with good performance?
Really interesting insight into the SSD. Apple M chips memory swap a LOT on systems with less ram. I'd argue to get the most ram and biggest SSD you can afford, and add a dock with external storage for your files, Im gonna go for a Pro with a 512gb drive, 16gb ram and a dock with a 1/2tb mechanical drive. (better for long term storage). Best future proofing i can afford and not quite enough to upgrade to the studio. Also I already have a monitor (a 2004! Cinema display) and keyboard and mouse so that helps keep costs down- even with needing an adapter for hdmi-vga
I also have my M2 mini tied to a cinema display! the 20 or 22" version with a VGI HDMI adapter
@@user-jv9qz2bu1r yep, I've got the 23 inch with the same adapter (got an open box apple one on ebay too) still a great monitor for its age. Not the best res by todays standards but the colour accuracy is still good!
I'm fed up with Apple messing with storage
Thank you. Very helpful in making my decisions on buying a M2 Mac Mini. No one else covered the issue with SSD life extension. Now I know exactly where the decision vectors are.
I'm glad you found this video helpful, thank you for watching!
Thats for your testing ,ordered the 256gb model, happy to i work now
Apple deliberately hindered the performance of the 256Gb model to drive overpriced upgrades.
Love their hardware, but their business practices are rapidly getting more questionable 🙄
100% they are using outdated technology to save on cost
Is it good for programming and building applications?
I cannot comment on that as I do not program, but I believe there are a number of videos showing it as a very capable device for app building. Check out other videos on Youtubr
@@MannyRataul thanks a lot
For reference, I fairly recently started using a MacBook Air M1 after developing on Windows for over 30 years.
Apple Silicon performance is *phenomenal*, I am a convert now.
My 3 year old M1 laptop has faster compilation times than my gaming rig that cost over twice as much!
The M2 is even faster!
I nearly bought this base mini myself for the brilliant price but i don’t really need it yet.
I totally recommend Apple Silicon, they truly are next level.
If laptops are more your thing then M1 MacBook Air is discounted now and is also fantastic value.
Aside from that and the Mini, I feel that the rest of Apples line up has diminishing returns on value (albeit higher performance in some cases).
Apple really charge you for the high end stuff but its largely overkill for most dev work.
@@batmanonabike3119 have been seeing videos where people are saying that M2 basic configuration is not that great i.e. 8gb 256gb ssd. Everyones recommending min 16gb ram. Is it really worth upgrading to 16gb?
That's why I went for the Pro version, always buy the base version! Don't upgrade Ram or storage, I like to play retro-games through Wine too so extra GPU power is welcome
Thanks. This was the most informative and well-presented video I’ve spotted on this subject.
great video. would you prefer 16 gb ram, 256 gigs ssd and 1tb external ssd Or 16 gb ram and 512 ssd from apple? also what monitor,keyboard (wired) and mouse(wired) would you recommend? Thanks.
Definitely 16gb of ram and 1tb external ssd. Cheaper and external NVME enclosures with storage are cheaper than Apple’s upgrade. If you have used Mac’s in the past, go with Apple’s wireless set. Personally I use a Logitech wireless gaming mouse and a standard wireless keyboard. If you intend to type a-lot, go with a keyboard that is most comfortable.
My old 2014 Mini (secondary computer for financial stuff only) had become almost unusable, with the SSD portion of the 1TB Fusion drive having basically worn out. Performance was really dismal - taking almost 25 minutes to boot, and around 5 minutes to open the financial app I use, then checking for updates and opening my "since the beginning of time" financial data file - which is admittedly huge...
Anyway, I bought a "base" Mac Mini M2 to replace the old one. Even with the 256GB SSD, what an amazing machine this is! It now takes less than 30 seconds to boot (including me logging in), and it opens that same financial app in
I’m really happy you’re enjoying your new Mini!
so glad I found you . your review was a breath of fresh air.. all I do is you tube ,email, and eBay. just found a brand new M1on eBay 660.00. a month ago but still my take advantage of the great trade in value Apple is offering me now I'm going to trade in My M1for the M2with upgraded 16 gb.Ram and add an external 1TB of SSD.I'm 62 yrs old .I should be set for awhile with this config.. thanks I will be watching for more content thx scot j
I’m very happy you found this video helpful!
The value proposition is even greater given that the base M2 can be had for under $500 on sale at many vendors (it’s $449 at my local Costco right now) and you can no longer get a non-pro M2 16/512, which is nearly three times as expensive at $1299.
These are only deals in US so that review is not much useful in Europe.
I just bought a M2 256/512 in Malaysia.
I do have the M2 with 256gb SSD, and have 1.62tb of iTunes media on a 2tb SSD external drive.
I already have 90+gb of music on the M2, so it’s too late to consider the 512gb upgrade.
If I obtain another 2tb SSD drive, how do I set it up to assist the 256 SSD internal to extend it’s life?
Go sir, are a fantastic example of good, clean & cut to the chase and no bs content! Thank you
I’m happy you found it helpful!
11:07
So glad I found this video as I am presently shopping for this very unit.
Thanks for watching!
I needed that wired connection to reinstall and re-authorize the software
This is the best video on the SSD speed test. Subscribed!
Thanks!
I just ordered one with 516/16. Replacing my old 2017 iMac. I can’t wait to get my hands on it. Thanks for this review Manny.
What are you using as your display for the mini?
HP’s 27" IPS LED FHD
Ah, I thought maybe you kept your 2017 iMac as the display, if that’s even possible. Not sure how these things work lol. I’ve always had MacBooks and a 2019 iMac where I don’t need to plug anything anywhere else
This base model is the best value for money considering the price & also performance.
Thanks for sharing the truth 🙏🏻. Will save many for people who have tight budget & needs best value for money.
Subscribed your channel 😊
If I'll go for 16gb ram and 256gb, will it be worth it for video editing purpose ?
It will be a very capable device! My only recommendation is to purchase an external SSD as the 256GB of storage will most likely fill up very fast.
Wow, this video has really cleared up a lot of questions I had and some I didn't know I should
have been asking. I love your ability to get straight to the point and then bring in other relevant
issues. I have a couple of 2012 minis but I know I need (or would love) to upgrade them with
newer models. Thanks to this video I am now reasonably clear on what my Ram and HD needs are.
Thanks Manny.... well done mate.
Im happy you found it helpful!
Great content, and very helpful review! I could recommend you use some audio compression on your voice, the audio level is going up and down enough that it is a bit distracting. Either a plugin or an analog unit in line with your mic would really help. Keep up the great work!
Sweet thanks for the tip! Do you know any good plugins that will work with Adobe Premier Pro?
@@MannyRataul Mike Russel has a quick tutorial ua-cam.com/video/42y8oaoQurQ/v-deo.html
I plan to make the switch to mac os from my current amd pc I built around 2017 or so and yeah I think this will be a good upgrade, I can always just use a external drive and go for the 256 gb model.
I just ordered a Mac mini M2 and it will be delivered in two weeks. My MacBook Pro Mid 2012 will be retired. I'm sure it will be OK
You will see a drastic improvement in performance, great purchase!
The ssd drive is not replaceable. Ssd drives fail after a certain number of read writes so when it dies (3 yrs) instead of replacing a 100 part, you throw the whole thing away.
Nothing in the Mac is replaceable, everything is soldered onto the chip and unified together. You have to make your upgrade decision before you buy
I’ll stand Pat with Mini M1 512, 16 gb. But this is an excellent test showing the the theM2 is an actual improvement.
With a budget of around $700, which one would you pick for light video editing, multi tab browsing, client for virtual machine, and day to day email, and movie watching. M2 with 8GB ram and 512GB drive or 16GB ram with 256GB drive? Again, only M2 and no M1. Which and why?
16gb of Ram if you intend to use VM, you will need the extra memory. Also you can buy external M.2 Drive enclosures and expand the storage (larger and faster) much cheaper than what you would with Apple’s upgrade.
I have currently have a 21.5-inch, Late 2013 iMac. Its running very slow. Can I connect the iMac to the mini and use it as a monitor?
Yes it absolutely can be! You can plug it straight into the Mini and use Target Display Mode by hitting Command+F2
@@MannyRataul Thank you, I appreciate the info.
Fantastic non bias review. Question: will virtual memory extend out to an external ssd ?
Short answer is yes. Long and complicated answer is it will probably not make a difference unless you understand memory management better than Apple Engineers. For the average consumer, allocating virtual memory to an external SSD will not be an easy task or make much of a difference.
Thank you for the kind words!
does regular m2 have virtual ram? should i return my legion go and buy this? i realized its portable but it only last 1hr when gaming. might aswell buy a mini pc
You made some good points regarding SSD life span and write cycles. I will also go with base model because here in India, its Rs. 20K ($243) for RAM upgrade and another $243 for SSD. Manny bro, Are you from India?
Canada
An HONEST review, NO B.S. NO CLICKBAIT ,earned my subscription❤
Thank you!!
If I were to buy the mac mini with the purpose to edit 4k video, and want it to last a decade (my 2013 macbook pro 13 inch lasted me a decade and still working fine other than 4k video editing!), should I still get the base model, or upgrade the RAM/SSD? Is it necessary to upgrade both? If not, which is the better choice to upgrade? Thanks!
If you want to save money but not sacrifice performance, i would upgrade the ram. The SSD speeds and storage are not concerning as you can always purchase an external NVME SSD and work on projects off of that with insanely fast speeds. External storage is also much cheaper than upgrading the internal SSD.
@@MannyRataul Thanks a lot!
I got the m2 pro because it was so close to the 16 gig 512 gig ssd m2 anyways. If I'm going to spend over 1000 I might as well upgrade because there's no upgrade path in the future.
I think you're downplaying having two nand chips though because it's not only the speed of the drive but with a single chip you significant reduce the Iops of the drive. IMO while you're not seeing it now you may in the future especially if you're hammering the swap memory
Good purchase on the M2 Pro but not everyone has the budget or the money to spend over 1000 dollars on a new machine. There is a use case for both and this video was intended to highlight the capabilities of the cheapest version.
@@MannyRataul point taken and you’re right not everyone will notice. I still have a 2016 MacBook 12 inch with a m5 and 8 gig and It is an excellent Chromebook now 🥰. Right tool for the right job
This video is so informative and helpful and without all the nonsense. Liked and subscribed
Thank you for subscribing, I'm glad you found the video helpful!
The Review I was looking for, Thanks man
Thanks for watching!
I edit 4K videos on Adobe Premiere 4K 60fps!! like an hour long is the base model enough?@@MannyRataul
I tested the 8gb mac mini m2, and it is very slow in timeline performance, compared to my 16gb mini m1 with 3x color corrections and titles. Export times are not important on an entry level pc is actually how well does it perform in the timeline
What is the timeline ? Sorry if a silly question
@@Wlooby I believe he's referring to video software editing tasks prior to the rendering aspect of the software.
I'm planning to switch to Mac after 20 years with Windows, can i use my old ssd in my pc desktop and use it as external ssd for the mac mini? As all my data, photos etcs is inside the secondary ssd
Yes you absolutely can. The only thing you have to make sure is that its formatted to exFat or Fat32. Before doing this you can check the current formatting in properties. If you do need to format, make sure to back all your data first as formatting erases everything.
Thank you for the informative video, Manny; appreciated.
Thank you for watching!
Hey , I am from India, i was thinking of getting one mac mini m2 as my primary machine, but my requirements are a bit high.. you know running those hefty designing and drafting softwares on a regular basis demand for a fast and capable cpu as well as tons of storage, will the 16gb 512gb version be enough for me. I feel that the storage is too low.. i feel that i would a storage of minimum 2tb to a maximum 4tb while i am not sure about the ram thing, in windows i would love to have 32 or 64 gb but only 16gb is there to be got, but since its a m2 chip so i am not sure how to compare or whatsoever. Please help me reach a decision
Excellent review - thank you very much. Subscribed.
Thank you for subscribing!
I ordered my M2 Mini two days ago- M2 with 512gb and 16GB RAM. My primary purpose is Plex Server and Living Room Internet searcher. I did not really need the 512gb storage but several reviews said that the base model with 256gb was limited much more in both speed and MTBF- you state it as well. My usage for this machine requires little; however, the need for RAM in PLEX is a bit higher. This is replacing my 2018 Mac Mini i5 3.0GB 16GB model. My Goal is to be able to transcode 4K to remote location which PLEX says requires a higher CPU than my current model limited to 720p by their specs.
Congrats on the purchase!
The m2 one isnt actually slow, and still stands as THE best value for money pc
So probably worth the upgrade from my decade old iMac
Thanks for your great video.. do you recommend buying base mini m2 to learn aftereffect? I am beginner.. thanks
I would recommend going to 16gb of ram for AfterEffect
@@MannyRataul thanks for your reply.. I will upgrade just the ram and get base mini with 16 ram .. thanks again .. have a nice day..
this is one of the most relevant reviews out there!
Thanks for watching!
Can you disable the virtual memory on Mac like you can manually set or disable pagefile on Windows?
Enjoyed your video, I'm thinking about the base Mac Mini coming from a 2017 MacBook Pro with 3.1 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5 and 8 gb. I consider myself a normal user, occasionally playing around with photos and video, but certainly not a power user. I used a Samsung SSD for storage of files and photo/videos. Should I consider 16 gb to future-proof my purchase?
16gb is always an excellent option, and if you have the budget I recommend it!
Thanks@@MannyRataul
16 Gb / 256 is enough for adobe photoshop , illustrator & multitasking?
Absolutely, with 16gb ram you are good for today and well into the future.
Hi Manny, thank you for your time, i realize the most of videos talking about mac mini m2 vs m2 pro , doesnt talk about compilation and performance for developers, like xcode, i wish buying a mac mini m2 or m2 pro 16GB and 256SSD, but i dont know what buying.
Thanks for watching! I believe there are a number or videos showing the compilation and coding performances of the Mac Mini M2, give those a watch and it should get you a better idea of which model to purchase.
@@MannyRataul i saw a lot of video, thought i dont figured out a especific that i need. appreciate that indeed.
Upgrade the RAM folks! 16Gig! Harddrive no! Just add any 2TB expansion
YASS!!! My new M2 Mac Mini (1 Tb + 16 Gb Ram) is worth it! No regrets!
What keyboard are you using and do you loose the fingerprint reader? Thanks
It is a generic keyboard I got off of Amazon and unfortunately there is no fingerprint or retinal security features with the Mac Mini.
One question, how much space on the SSD for both model were use during these test ?
Hello Manny so my question is using one of the thunderbolt ports and the right adapter cable can I drive a monitor that has a display port (TB4 TO DP 2.0) thanks
Hi Bryson, there are thunderbolt to DP cables that will work for a display. I recommend this over an HDMI to DP because the thunderbolt port has a higher bandwidth that will give you higher refresh rates.
Exactly the video I needed to see. Great insight about the SSD speeds and longevity. Thanks, man!
You’re welcome! I’m happy you found the video helpful 😀
Great Review man.....touched on all subjects very well.
Thanks man!
I am planning to get the base version of m2 mac mini for audio production. Will it be able to handle cubase 12 and/or logic pro for the purpose ? Thanks a lot ..
Would you recommend to upgrade the ram or ssd？
Ram
Is the fan noisy? Even noticeable?
Not even a little bit, extremely silent.
Thank you! Mine is on the way! 🙂
You’re welcome!
Totally agree with you, Manny!
With the Mini M2 you have the option to pay less and still have better performance. If you want to have also the fastest SSD, you pay a little more than the previous base model and you also have double the capacity! Where is the problem?!
I personally did some tests with Macbook 14 inch M1 Pro (10-core 1TB SSD) and Macbook 14 inch M2 Pro (10-core 512GB SSD). M2 Pro is even faster in data transfer from external SSD (despite the slower SSD)!
I made various exports video in multitasking with Final Cut Pro X, with timelines of 2 min, 5 min, 10 min and 1 hour and 30 min. M2 Pro always on average 20% faster, even about 25% faster in the export of 1 hour and 30!
I've also seen some comparison tests from Max Tech where he's gets almost the same results as the 14" M1 Pro 8-core, but honestly I don't know how that's possible, since to me it's even faster than the M1 Pro 10 -core version! Probably he had a version with a chip not yet perfectly optimized with updates (I suppose).
There was excessive and stupid hysteria with M2-based SSDs, in my opinion.
I've owned a MacBook Air for the last 10 years and it has been a wonderful machine. However, I recently installed the Big Sur OS 11.7.4 upgrade, which was a mistake, i guess. I've lost Garageband app and seems like a few more are no longer compatible.
I think I will purchase a mac mini since I know 10 years is getting pretty old for my MacBook. I am a very casual user, browse the internet, a light user of Garageband, store some audio, definitely not a power user. My main concern is I would like this to be able to use this as long as possible. Should the 8GB memory serve me fine? or should I go ahead and get the 16GB upgrade.
8gb will be just fine, but many people opt in for 16gb if they do decide to get more out of their Mac in the future. The issue is that you cannot upgrade the memory after you’ve purchased the unit. If your intent is to keep it that long, then a memory upgrade seems absolutely logical.
@@MannyRataul Thanks!
I’m planning to get the M2 Mac mini with 16GB and 1TB, main use is music production on logic. Should I go for the pro?
Whats the price difference?
@@MannyRataul Thnaks for responding. Around USD 400 difference for 16GB 1TB
Hi my local Costco has the M1 mini at $299 and the M2 at 579 should i go for the M1 i'm not a power user or anything i coming from a Windows i5 6 gen, i did own a Mac a few years ago i'm not OS tied - i can afford the $579 but i always go for deals.
Only 299?!? That is an insanely good deal!! Go with the M1!
thanks for the explanation on ssd problem didn't realize that!
Do you know if this unit will run TD's ThinkorSwim ??
Yes it will
@@MannyRataul Thx !
Question. Did you say the different size SSD operate at different speeds? I am not sure I understand. I learned there are different sizes ... but different speeds? I like learning something new. How can we/one check for speeds of SSDs before buying one configured? Is there a specification? Also I heard say that "rendering" video (not sure what that means) the M2 does well but other features are near the same. ... unpausing to continue;....
Sorry to be more clear, there are two different types of SSDs used for the Mac Mini. The smallest available size is a NAND SSD which is old technology and significantly slower than the versions used with higher storage, therefore slower speeds.
Great unbiased and objective video on the Mac Mini, good job👍🏽