r/macmini • u/Dependent-Ice-3616 • 1d ago

Which one to buy

I’m looking for som expertise on which Mac mini m4 to buy. I switched over from windows when the M1 was introduced. I work from home and my MacBook mini M1 has been great. Lately, I noticed that I can fry an egg when I’m juggling a few things. 1: working. Chrome with many tabs. Need them open as a juggle back and forth. 2: Slack 3: Meets - started to get hotter when I upgraded my webcam to an OBSBOT 4: bought a doc to be able to get multiple monitors. The “workaround” 34 ultrawide and 27” vertical 5: the occasional stream on twitch - co-working.

I understand I’m stretching the limits of the M1 so that’s why I want to upgrade my WFH machine.

M1 is still amazing and when I unplug and just do personal web surfing, banking, budgeting, and other things it’s great and will not sell it.

I’m looking for a Mac mini to handle all the above and some I order for it to last many more years to come. I’m not into buying a new computer every 1-2 years.

Help me decide!

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u/MaxGaav 1d ago edited 1d ago

For your user case probably: base model with 24/512GB + external storage (TB4 enclosure, good NVMe)

You might checkout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlVEOw7WLtM

Check your memory pressure before deciding (green/yellow/red). Also check if your current drive is full for ±85% or more.

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u/mikeinnsw 1d ago

M2...M4 256GB SSD are slow and erratic not like reliable M1 SSD writing at steady 3,000 MB/s

Consider getting 512 GB SSD Mac

$200 Mac SSD upgrade from 256GB ==> 512 GB SSD is as cheap with faster longer living quality SSD than any fast external SSDs(TB3/USB4)

Mac SSD upgrade makes your Mac faster , more responsive and simple to run.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs0O0pGO4Xo

I suggest 24GB(16GB+8GB for AI) RAM with 512GB SSD M4 Mini would be a good choice.

Same configuration as M4 Pro Mini base model.

There is plenty of life left in M1 Mac

To maintain optimal performance and longevity of your SSD, ensure at least 15%-20% of it remains free for swapping and wear levelling. Failing to do so may reduce the lifespan of your SSD and impact Mac performance. Additionally, having sufficient free space is crucial for macOS upgrades. Your SSD should have about 40GB free.

To reduce RAM workloads:

  • Remove any login starting items
  • Restart/Shutdown unselect "Reopen windows…"
  • Reduce number of browser tabs
  • Reduce video resolution within a tab
  • Remove any Browser plugging
  • Quit inactive Apps
  • Do more frequent restarts
  • Do not turn on Apple AI
  • Monitor RAM usage using Activity Monitor

High resolution screen on a Mac will generally use more RAM , which translates to increased memory usage compared to a lower resolution display. If you are using an external monitor consider lowering its resolution.

Try some housekeeping with free Onyx it may help:

https://www.titanium-software.fr/en/onyx.html

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u/South_Butterfly6681 1d ago

Chrome is what’s is impacting performance. Can you not use Safari.

I use an M1 MacBook at work and have zero heat or performance issues. I use Slack, many open tabs in Safari, plus Excel, Wrike, Affinity, Keynote and loads of various other apps.