How Big Is The Beast Of The Basic M2 Mac mini
Apple Mac mini for $599 vs Apple iMac for $8k. Does the mini even have a chance to beat such a machine?
The Mac mini M2 review is one of the things I couldn’t pass up in the world of Apple. After all, when Apple introduced this computer, I found it almost unbelievable that anyone could offer a computer at the price Apple sells it for these days, and that includes the operating system.
I was very curious about this little guy, so I’m glad I could look at it, thanks to one of my customers. I wanted to try out the Mac mini M2, especially as a computer that my wife could have in the office, and it would be used for basic things like email, spreadsheets, Safari and so on. The price of the machine itself is an unbeatable $599.
The customer also had the then-latest available Intel iMac in the office, for which he paid more than 14 times the cost of a new Mac mini. So I’d like to confirm whether Apple’s processors are so good that even the weakest computer with the M2 will outperform the most powerful Intel. Let’s see what the cheapest Apple computer can do because I’m curious about it.
Apple Mac mini M2 base model
First, let’s look at the price you get from Apple. This is a basic Mac mini without any accessories or extra configuration. In terms of hardware, you get the M2 with an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage.
The computer also comes with a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports, a pair of USB-1 ports, an HDMI port, gigabit Ethernet and a 3.5mm jack for connecting headphones.
In terms of wireless connectivity, the Mac mini offers Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6, which will be plenty for users who reach for this computer. Of course, you can configure the Mac mini pretty interestingly when you buy it, but all fun comes at a price.
Contents of the Apple Mac mini M2 package
You’ll only find a power cable and documents in the package besides the computer. That’s the end of the fun, and you need your mouse, keyboard and monitor. Of course, neither has to be from Apple. This also brings us to what the Mac mini is.
It’s a full-featured computer, just like a regular PC, but just like a regular PC, you won’t find anything in the package. If you decide you’re happy with a classic keyboard and mouse for a couple of $, you’ll probably find one at home and a monitor, which everyone has at home.
Mac mini design
The first thing that strikes you is how incredibly thin Apple has made the computer. On the other hand, it’s basically the same thing as the MacBook, and it’s even thinner, but overall, it’s just a nice sight to see the Mac mini grasped in one hand.
Putting it on your desk won’t take up much space, but there are solutions to attach it directly to your monitor or under your desk so that you can’t see the computer or any cables. But even if you can see it, you’ll still have something you’ll love to look at on your desk. In terms of design, then, I thumb up.
Does it bear a comparison to an $8k Apple computer?
Let’s look at what I outlined in the introduction, a comparison with the last iMac Apple offered with an Intel processor. Specifically, this configuration has a 3.6GHz Intel Core i9 ten-core processor, AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT with 16GB of RAM and 128GB of DDR4 RAM and 1TB of flash storage. The computer is then further connected to an Apple Pro Display XDR.
Geekbench synthetic tests
As you can see from the GeekBench tests, the M2's performance is crushing even for a computer that cost more than 10x as much as a Mac mini two years ago as it does today. Of course, you can’t disregard RAM, graphics performance and so on, but the performance measurements in a classic Geekbench test are simply what they are, and you have to accept that.
On the practical side of things, it’s not a problem to have Spotify, Spark, MS Office, Teams, and Slack running while running Safari with 30 tabs! Even with this, the computer doesn’t overheat, and the fan is inaudible even when you put your ear inches from the computer. In short, Apple’s cooling combined with the M2's energy efficiency is second to none.
So if anyone feels that 8GB of RAM is useless, it’s the person who uses the computer for something other than traditional office work or what 90% of users use it for. What is described above is what most people will do on a Mac mini, and it does that just fine!
However, it is important to note that the measurements of both machines were made in a different version of Geekbench. I looked so the results in the new version are significantly different so that the machines will be rather comparable is not just a construct where I wanted at all costs a better result for the basic Mac mini with M2 since I do not want to bother the customer again, so I translate the results I pulled during the last visit.
Who is the basic M2 Mac mini for?
When looking at the price, it’s also important to remember that you’re not just buying hardware at this price. You’re also buying an unlimited license for macOS. At the same time, you get Pages, Keynote, Number or iMessage, for example, which is no small thing.
If you buy a Mac mini M2 today, you can be sure you’ll be running the latest macOS and the latest versions of Apple software for at least 7–10 years. So if you’re looking for a Mac for everyday tasks, either yours or your kids, there’s not much to consider.
In an age where most of our content is streamed or stored somewhere in the cloud, 256GB of memory is enough for me. As far as RAM goes, yes, it’s true that having ten apps running can be a problem, but the basic Mac mini is bought by people who want to open the email and Safari or play music or video.
If you want a computer for the office or your front desk staff to do basic work. In this review, I deliberately didn’t mention the problem with the slower SSD as that won’t bother the target audience for which this incredible machine is designed.
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