Apple Mac mini with M1 review: Shockingly good for the money
Our Verdict
Holy moley! The Apple Mac mini with M1 processor is cheaper, faster, and keeps everything we loved about the Mac mini while changing up both the internals and where Apple sits in the larger manufacture. That's a lot to live up to, simply the M1 Mac mini does it with grace and mode.
For
- Seriously fast performance
- Seamless back up for most software
- More affordable than e'er before
Against
- No aftermarket upgrades
- Fewer Thunderbolt 3 ports
- A few small hiccups with compatibility and features
Tom's Guide Verdict
Holy moley! The Apple Mac mini with M1 processor is cheaper, faster, and keeps everything we loved nearly the Mac mini while changing up both the internals and where Apple sits in the larger industry. That's a lot to alive upwardly to, but the M1 Mac mini does it with grace and style.
Pros
- +
Seriously fast performance
- +
Seamless support for most software
- +
More than affordable than ever before
Cons
- -
No aftermarket upgrades
- -
Fewer Thunderbolt 3 ports
- -
A few minor hiccups with compatibility and features
Apple tree Mac mini (M1): Specs
Price: $699 (starting)
CPU: Apple M1 (eight-cadre, 8-Core GPU)
Memory: 8GB / 16GB
Storage: 256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB
Dimensions: vii.7 x seven.7 10 1.four inches
Weight: 2.6 pounds
The Apple Mac mini with M1 processor is the first desktop to get Apple Silicon, with the Apple M1 bit replacing the Intel Core i3 and Cadre i5 CPUs offered on by models. It's tough being the showtime to become new hardware, just the littlest Mac is more than up to the job.
When Apple appear it was going to switch the Mac family unit of laptops and desktops abroad from Intel in favor of Apple'due south own processing hardware, in that location was some understandable doubtfulness as to whether Apple could actually offer an culling to the long-dominant Intel. Just as our Mac mini with M1 review will show – like the MacBook Air with M1 review did on the laptop side – this is a new and exciting era for both Apple and manufacture contest. The all-new, all-different Mac mini is arguably the best it's always been, and one of the all-time mini PCs — and one of the best computers period — you can buy. In fact, it'southward and then good that it won the award for best mini PC in our Tom's Guide Awards 2021.
Mac mini with M1 review: Design
While Apple has made major changes nether the hood with the introduction of Apple Silicon processors, the exterior is unchanged from years past. The aluminum chassis is still milled out of a single block of metal, and finished in the silvery bare aluminum it's used for years.
The Apple Mac mini design is just as impressive as it has been in years past, despite the mini PC category expanding to include a huge array of very tiny computers with a broad variance of designs. The Mac mini's square shape and rounded corners are iconic, literally similar an icon rendered in 3D aluminum. The look has been consequent since the introduction of the third-generation Mac mini back in 2010, and since then the merely changes to the design have been the removal of the optical drive slot (in 2011) and the modify to a darker Infinite Gray anodized cease in 2018. (For a larger, but equally untraditional desktop pattern, check out our Asus ProArt PA90 workstation review.)
The 2020 M1 Mac mini is a render to that same look, even rolling back the anodized finish for the silverish bare aluminum used for years. The decade-former unibody blueprint is still a thing of beauty, stark and spare while staying familiar, even comfy -- non a term I'd usually associate with a desktop PC. But it's clear that Apple tree wants the only new piece of this Mac mini to be the Apple hardware inside, and everything else to experience equally consistent and familiar every bit possible. Whether that'southward to highlight the prowess of the M1 processor, or to abate the fears of easily spooked Apple devotees is some other question.
On the bottom of the compact motorcar is a blackness round plastic disc. This serves several purposes, acting equally a foot for the PC, elevating information technology slightly for ventilation, and providing internal access for the tiny desktop. Unlike previous iterations of the Mac mini, the new model isn't user serviceable and there are no options for aftermarket upgrades.
Mac mini with M1 review: Ports
There is i notable alter to the outside of the Mac mini, and that is the port selection. With all the ports grouped on the back side of the chassis in a black plastic I/O console, the M1 mini is outfitted with an ethernet port, dual Thunderbolt iii ports, an HDMI connexion capable of handling up to 6K resolution, dual USB three.0 ports and a headphone jack.
Compare that to the 2018 Mac mini and you'll detect a couple of large changes. The first is the loss of 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports – the 2018 Mac mini boasted four. The new model matches the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro with its dual Thunderbolt ports, but it's still a step down for anyone looking to upgrade their Apple desktop to the latest version.
A related limitation – which may exist attributed to the reduced number of ports, the limitations of Apple Silicon, or perhaps both – the M1 Mac mini just supports two displays, and just one of those over Thunderbolt. The other is forced to utilise HDMI. The older 2018 mini supported up to three.
The older Mac mini could too exist configured with a 10 gigabit ethernet connectedness, but the new M1 mini but offers standard ethernet. While the average user may non accept any demand for a 10 gigabit connection, that adequacy was specially welcome for coming together the demands of video professionals that demand those speeds for pulling uncompressed video files from network attached storage, as well as other professional users that may accept x gigabit bachelor in the office. It's an inconvenience for a specific niche of users, but it's a niche Apple has catered to in the past.
It's as well worth noting that the Thunderbolt 3 ports institute on the Mac mini are also USB 4 ports. While that may leave some users scratching their heads – Thunderbolt and USB were initially competing formats – the recently released USB 4 standard conforms to nearly of the Thunderbolt three specs. USB 4 uses a USB blazon-C connector, offers 40 gigabits per second of speed and supports power delivery up to 100 watts, all specs that sound extremely familiar if you've read upwards on the details of Thunderbolt 3. Substantially, the once disparate USB and Thunderbolt standards accept merged, and Thunderbolt three is more or less interchangeable with USB 4. It's also backwards uniform with USB 3.two and USB ii.0, only that's less of a business organisation thank you to the two USB iii.0 connections already offered past the Mac mini.
This is also notable in function because Apple tree – an early on adopter of Thunderbolt technology – has non switched to Thunderbolt four, likely because the development of the M1 processor focused on the well-established Thunderbolt three standard instead of the new Thunderbolt iv. Simply we can't disbelieve the possibility that Apple opted for the at present universal standard instead of Thunderbolt 4 because it's a proprietary Intel connection, and the Apple tree/Intel relationship is profoundly unlike now that Apple is migrating abroad from Intel-based Macs.
Mac mini with M1 review: Hardware changes
The Mac mini M1 is outfitted with the Apple M1 processor, the kickoff CPU in the Apple tree Silicon family to come up to Macs. It's the same processor institute in the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, and by offering that identical hardware the Mac mini promises more or less identical performance. Nosotros'll get into that more later.
The flake itself is a 3.2 GHz processor with 16 billion transistors squeezed onto its silicon. It combines processing and graphics onto the same system on a chip (SoC) and also packs in other features, like a secure enclave for security, unified memory for utilizing RAM more efficiently, and an integrated storage controller with accelerated cryptography for faster, more secure storage. It'south conspicuously designed to be a i-fleck solution to every bottleneck in modern PC designs. And it makes good on that hope thanks to it's 5 nanometer procedure engineering science, which lets the Apple design fit more than capability into the one CPU.
At the heart of the M1 processor are 8 processing cores: Iv "Performance Cores" for raw performance, and iv "Efficiency Cores" that tin can handle moderately demanding tasks without the same sort of power draw. That'south a big bargain on battery-operated Macs, like the MacBook Air, just less of an issue when discussing a stationary Mac mini desktop.
This is paired with a 8-core GPU, besides on the same fleck. Compared to the prior Intel-based graphics solution, Intel Iris UHD Graphics 630, Apple promises dramatically faster operation for things like video rendering, image editing, and even gaming.
Mac mini with M1 review: macOS Big Sur and Rosetta 2
On the software side, the Mac mini comes with Big Sur, Apple'south latest iteration of Mac OS and the starting time one congenital with Apple tree'due south processing hardware in mind. Information technology's worth noting that Big Sur has to do double duty supporting both Mac and Intel processors, and includes Rosetta 2, which translates apps designed for Intel x86 hardware for use on the ARM-based M1 processor. With most non-Apple software already written for Intel hardware, Rosetta 2 provides an emulation layer to keep things running smoothly. It's a technical tool to make everything play nicely while Apple tree balances 2 very different systems, providing equal capability to both until Apple tree is able to fully transition to Apple tree Silicon for all Macs sometime in the next couple of years.
It works well enough that you lot'll (nigh) never notice the difference, unless y'all use 1 of a handful of apps that apartment out aren't supported, like x86 virtualization software (like Parallels or VMWare Fusion). Only it's not 100% uniform with everything, then hiccups may arise as you get your own selection of preferred programs loaded up on your new Mac mini.
But in the big shift from Intel to Apple Silicon, Mac mini is the reasonable place to get-go with this transition, given that the tiny PC is built to leverage laptop grade processing hardware in a compact desktop form factor. Information technology is the typical mini PC in that sense, and in this case the prototypical Mac desktop. But as the first desktop running on Mac processing hardware, information technology's a taste of things to come soon for other desktop systems, from the iMac to the Mac Pro workstation.
Mac mini with M1 review: Functioning
Our review unit of the Mac mini is the new standard base of operations model, equipped with the Apple M1 processor and 8GB of RAM. With 256GB of wink storage, it's the cheapest Mac you can get. It'due south too a smashing test case for what the M1 chip tin can really do. While nosotros will exist comparison the Mac mini with other mini PCs, this is one case where we may besides betoken out interesting similarities and differences with Apple'due south latest laptops, the MacBook Air and Apple MacBook Pro, which both utilize the same processing hardware.
Our informal evaluation starts with web browsing, and when browsing across more than a dozen Safari tabs and watching 4K video on YouTube, at that place was no noticeable slowing of performance. Even while writing this review with more 30 tabs open, I never one time saw the slightest lag.
In Geekbench 5.iii multi-cadre benchmark test, which has been optimized for Apple tree Silicon, the Mac mini scored 7,683 points. That'due south roughly identical to both the 8GB MacBook Air (7,581) and MacBook Pro (7,571), with the difference being statistically negligible.
In all honesty, I had hoped Apple would tweak the Mac mini to offer meliorate operation, seeing as information technology has the cooling that gives the MacBook Pro an edge over the MacBook Air, and has none of the battery life concerns of those laptops. Possibly in the future in that location volition be options to goose the Mac mini'south performance and squeeze a piffling more capability out of the M1 processor, just for now, they're essentially the same.
Switching to Geekbench 5, the version used for our electric current PC testing of non Apple systems, the Mac mini scored 6,005 – simply it did it using Rosetta 2 to get the software running. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M90N Nano scored a much more small-scale iii,265 with an Intel Cadre i5-8365U processor. On the other end of the spectrum is the Intel NUC ix Pro, outfitted with an Xeon E-2286M processor, which had a category-leading score of 7,985. The Mac mini falls somewhere between the 2, but easily ranks on the loftier-stop for mini PCs.
Getting into a more existent-world comparison of processing muscle, we turn to Handbrake, testing how rapidly a organisation can transcode a 4K video prune to 1080p. Using the Apple Silicon friendly Handbrake 1.4, the Mac mini finished its task in eight minutes 11 seconds. The MacBook Pro was slightly faster (7:46) and the MacBook Air a flake backside at 9:08.
Rerunning the Handbrake exam with the Intel-friendly version using Rosetta 2, the Mac mini did the same task in 12:38, significantly slower than when using the Apple-optimized version. Only information technology again falls in between the slower Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n (20:23) and the faster Nvidia Quadro-equipped Intel NUC 9 Pro (8:23) The Mac mini was faster with the native app. .
Looking at a different real-world application, we apply the PugetBench thirty-infinitesimal Photoshop claiming, which simulates using the organization for graphics work. Hither, the Mac mini scored 566 points. The Intel NUC 9 Pro did improve (849.seven), but the Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n only managed 390.
Initally, nosotros looked at how well the Mac mini did with gaming. In Civilization VI, the Mac mini turned in a respectable 31.5 frames per second at 1080p resolution, and 17.3 fps when dialed up to 4K. That's in line with both the M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, which managed 37 and 38 fps at the in-betwixt resolution of 1440 x 900 that was usable on the MacBook brandish.
But while the Mac mini offered a playable 31.v fps with its integrated graphics adequacy, it was outpaced past both the Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n (73.6) and the Intel NUC 9 Pro (100.1 fps) despite the fact that only the NUC had a defended graphics card.
The overall conclusion seems clear: For almost uses the Apple M1 chip can take on Core i3 and Core i5 processors and win. There are e'er more powerful systems out at that place, like the Intel NUC 9 Pro, but for a upkeep desktop, Mac mini marries great value with surprisingly potent performance.
But it'south not all sunshine and roses. Gaming is limited on the niggling Mac, and there's no clear benefit to getting the Mac mini if you can afford to buy one of Apple's M1 MacBooks.
Mac mini with M1 review: Price and configurations
Perhaps the almost unexpected part of Apple'southward announcement of the new Mac mini was the move to a lower price, dropping the cost of the base model from $799 to $699. Afterwards years of seeing pocket-sized iterative changes used to justify significant price jumps, Apple tree actually fabricated something cheaper – and they did it while also ensuring this footling desktop offers snappy performance.
Our test unit is the base model of the M1 Mac mini, with 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage. That storage isn't a traditional SSD – it's soldered in, so there's no swapping out drives – but it's functionally the aforementioned thing.
There'southward another default option for the M1 mini, which bumps the storage chapters upwards to 512GB, and sells for $899. Both models can besides exist configured with more RAM, bumping up to 16GB for an additional $180.
Finally, you can besides step up the storage. The 512GB model costs $200 more, with 1TB and 2TB options available for $380 and $740, respectively. All told, the top configuration of the M1 Mac mini tin be bought for $1,599.
Even for buyers wanting a fairly basic Mac mini, we recommend stepping upwardly to the 16GB retention pick. While 8GB was plenty for our purposes, long term users – and Apple has been known to get years between Mac mini updates – will experience the limits of that smaller RAM allotment and in that location's no way to upgrade after you've bought it. It's an extra $180, only it'southward ane expanse where we remember that volition exist money well-spent.
Storage is a similar business, with soldered-in Flash modules instead of a replaceable SSD, but this can at to the lowest degree be supplemented with an external drive. Thunderbolt iii speeds are fast enough that most users won't exist able to tell the divergence between a plugged external bulldoze or 2TB of internal storage, merely with Apple charging several hundred dollars for even modest storage upgrades, you lot'll probably go better value from an external drive.
Mac mini with M1 review: New guts, new problems
But with new hardware and software, there are always some snags, and nosotros did hit a few during our review of the Mac mini. Here are some things to keep in mind if you're thinking most getting the new Mac mini.
Software is a potential problem, with Large Sur and Apple Silicon promising compatibility with roughly annihilation that has been compatible in the past, but we've seen a few hiccups ourselves and others have encounter similar issues. If y'all rely on x86 emulation for Windows apps, you lot're fresh out of luck.
The lack of Kick Camp for running Windows will besides be a stumbling block for a lot of potential buyers, considering there's no mode to run Windows on this new Mac auto. And with that loss you besides give up Windows games, a lot of programming and developing usefulness, as well as whatever programs you may adopt that don't have an Apple tree equivalent. In the past Boot Camp was the solution to all of these issues, but in that location's none of that on this Mac mini, and that's probable due to Apple tree's new processing hardware simply not having that compatibility, and requiring software emulations such every bit Rosetta 2 in order to even run programs designed for Intel processors.
Bluetooth connectivity is another clear effect, even though the Mac mini boasts Bluetooth v for wireless connectivity. We ran into issues with wireless keyboards, mice and headphones that had problem establishing or keeping a connection. Even once connected, other users have noted laggy performance, with Bluetooth mice failing to track at consistent speeds across the screen. This is probable something that can be fixed with a software patch down the road, but it's a problem you'll demand to worry virtually in the concurrently.
Another major limitation that will affect professional users more than casual Apple fans, only is definitely worth noting: the new Mac mini does not support external graphics cards. This means there's no option for connecting an eGPU like the Razer Core X or the Blackmagic eGPU that Apple tree sells for apply with other Macs. Adding an external graphics card has been a handy feature on past Macs for more graphics horsepower, a capability prized by video and photo editors on past Macs, as well as gamers.
Mac mini with M1 review: Verdict
If our Apple Mac mini with M1 review does anything, information technology's to highlight what Apple has always excelled at, releasing innovative products with an obsessive's eye for detail and a perfectionist's polish. The M1 Mac mini isn't a perfect machine, simply it'southward surprisingly close. For a arrangement that's offering a price cut from past versions while introducing new hardware and balancing Apple-centric software with Rosetta 2-translated apps, it'southward shockingly good, and while there are some issues, they're few and far between.
For near users, this is a no-brainer: The M1 Mac mini is the most affordable of Apple's new crop of Macs, and delivers huge value for the affordable price. If you're a professional or were swell for now-missing features like eGPU support, then y'all might want to look elsewhere, but if you just want a Mac desktop that won't cost a lot of money, the M1 Mac mini is the best thing out there.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/mac-mini-m1
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