The M2 Mac mini base has 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores.
The M2 Mac mini Pro base has 6 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores.
If you have an app that can use those extra cores, the M2 Mini Pro could be (for CPU tasks) perhaps 50% faster.
The GPU is 16 cores in the base Pro vs 10 in the normal M2 mini, so the Pro could be 60% faster if you have an app that can use all of those cores.
For most common apps that you as a user use for everyday things, the only thing that matters is single-threaded CPU speed, and at that, the M2 and M2 Pro are exactly the same speed.
I went to the Pro because:
1. It was immediately available
2. It had 2 more TB4 ports
3. I wanted the faster GPU with 60% more GPU cores (for the almost nonexistent MacOS games)
4. The price premium was $330 or so. Not happy, but it is what it is.
The additional 2 cores of CPU didn't really figure into it for me, as I almost never have jobs that overwhelm "even" "just" 4 CPU cores.
For code-compile, multimedia encoding, and some music creation tasks, particularly in Adobe and Apple professional apps, there is a significant gain to be had there. For Chrome, Edge, Safari, Mail, and GarageBand, probably not as much...
expiredsocalguy9 posted Feb 20, 2023 08:41 PM
Item 1 of 5
Item 1 of 5
expiredsocalguy9 posted Feb 20, 2023 08:41 PM
Costco Members: 512GB Apple Mac Mini w/ M2 Pro Chip
+ Free Shipping$1,250
$1,299
3% offCostco Wholesale
Visit RetailerGood Deal
Bad Deal
Save
Share
Leave a Comment
Top Comments
(MB/sec)
256GB = 1500
512 = 3000
1TB = 6000
Pretty crummy, borderline criminal of apple to not advertise this little change and give all the youtube reviews early-access to the 1TB knowingly hiding this important fact upon launch.
The M2 Mac mini Pro base has 6 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores.
If you have an app that can use those extra cores, the machine could be (for CPU tasks) perhaps 50% faster.
The GPU is 16 cores in the base Pro vs 10 in the normal M2 mini, so it could be 60% faster if you have an app that can use all of those cores.
For most common apps that you as a user use for everyday things, the only thing that matters is single-threaded CPU speed, and at that, the M2 and M2 Pro are exactly the same speed.
I went to the Pro because:
1. It was immediately available
2. It had 2 more TB4 ports
3. I wanted the faster GPU with 60% more GPU cores (for the almost nonexistent MacOS games)
4. The price premium was $330 or so. Not happy, but it is what it is.
The additional 2 cores of CPU didn't really figure into it for me, as I almost never have jobs that overwhelm "even" "just" 4 CPU cores.
For code-compile, multimedia encoding, and some music creation tasks, particularly in Adobe and Apple professional apps, there is a significant gain to be had there. For Chrome, Edge, Safari, Mail, and GarageBand, probably not as much...
100 Comments
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
Can confirm it's a beastly machine. If you want 3 screens, this is it. If you need 2 screens, better to buy regular M2 w/ 16GB of RAM.
Definitely get the 16GB of RAM for sure. I am a power user but even AT IDLE my computer is using 10GB of RAM and 5.70GB is free. Unbelievable!
Can confirm it's a beastly machine. If you want 3 screens, this is it. If you need 2 screens, better to buy regular M2 w/ 16GB of RAM.
Definitely get the 16GB of RAM for sure. I am a power user but even AT IDLE my computer is using 10GB of RAM and 5.70GB is free. Unbelievable!
Can confirm it's a beastly machine. If you want 3 screens, this is it. If you need 2 screens, better to buy regular M2 w/ 16GB of RAM.
Definitely get the 16GB of RAM for sure. I am a power user but even AT IDLE my computer is using 10GB of RAM and 5.70GB is free. Unbelievable!
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
For example, if Chrome "takes" 3.0GB, but it can page out 2.5GB and so the active set it only 500MB, is it using 3.0GB? Or just 500MB?
What if the OS can easily compress some part of that 3.0GB that it is using; is it still using 3.0GB?
Can confirm it's a beastly machine. If you want 3 screens, this is it. If you need 2 screens, better to buy regular M2 w/ 16GB of RAM.
Definitely get the 16GB of RAM for sure. I am a power user but even AT IDLE my computer is using 10GB of RAM and 5.70GB is free. Unbelievable!
Can confirm it's a beastly machine. If you want 3 screens, this is it. If you need 2 screens, better to buy regular M2 w/ 16GB of RAM.
Definitely get the 16GB of RAM for sure. I am a power user but even AT IDLE my computer is using 10GB of RAM and 5.70GB is free. Unbelievable!
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank dclive
The M2 Mac mini Pro base has 6 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores.
If you have an app that can use those extra cores, the machine could be (for CPU tasks) perhaps 50% faster.
The GPU is 16 cores in the base Pro vs 10 in the normal M2 mini, so it could be 60% faster if you have an app that can use all of those cores.
For most common apps that you as a user use for everyday things, the only thing that matters is single-threaded CPU speed, and at that, the M2 and M2 Pro are exactly the same speed.
I went to the Pro because:
1. It was immediately available
2. It had 2 more TB4 ports
3. I wanted the faster GPU with 60% more GPU cores (for the almost nonexistent MacOS games)
4. The price premium was $330 or so. Not happy, but it is what it is.
The additional 2 cores of CPU didn't really figure into it for me, as I almost never have jobs that overwhelm "even" "just" 4 CPU cores.
For code-compile, multimedia encoding, and some music creation tasks, particularly in Adobe and Apple professional apps, there is a significant gain to be had there. For Chrome, Edge, Safari, Mail, and GarageBand, probably not as much...
The M2 Mac mini Pro base has 6 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores.
If you have an app that can use those extra cores, the machine could be (for CPU tasks) perhaps 50% faster.
The GPU is 16 cores in the base Pro vs 10 in the normal M2 mini, so it could be 60% faster if you have an app that can use all of those cores.
For most common apps that you as a user use for everyday things, the only thing that matters is single-threaded CPU speed, and at that, the M2 and M2 Pro are exactly the same speed.
I went to the Pro because:
1. It was immediately available
2. It had 2 more TB4 ports
3. I wanted the faster GPU with 60% more GPU cores (for the almost nonexistent MacOS games)
4. The price premium was $330 or so. Not happy, but it is what it is.
The additional 2 cores of CPU didn't really figure into it for me, as I almost never have jobs that overwhelm "even" "just" 4 CPU cores.
For code-compile, multimedia encoding, and some music creation tasks, particularly in Adobe and Apple professional apps, there is a significant gain to be had there. For Chrome, Edge, Safari, Mail, and GarageBand, probably not as much...
The M2 Mac mini Pro base has 6 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores.
If you have an app that can use those extra cores, the machine could be (for CPU tasks) perhaps 50% faster.
The GPU is 16 cores in the base Pro vs 10 in the normal M2 mini, so it could be 60% faster if you have an app that can use all of those cores.
For most common apps that you as a user use for everyday things, the only thing that matters is single-threaded CPU speed, and at that, the M2 and M2 Pro are exactly the same speed.
I went to the Pro because:
1. It was immediately available
2. It had 2 more TB4 ports
3. I wanted the faster GPU with 60% more GPU cores (for the almost nonexistent MacOS games)
4. The price premium was $330 or so. Not happy, but it is what it is.
The additional 2 cores of CPU didn't really figure into it for me, as I almost never have jobs that overwhelm "even" "just" 4 CPU cores.
For code-compile, multimedia encoding, and some music creation tasks, particularly in Adobe and Apple professional apps, there is a significant gain to be had there. For Chrome, Edge, Safari, Mail, and GarageBand, probably not as much...
And ML, assuming it can use the GPU cores, should get a good bump too.
Hmm. Maybe not for those two: https://www.google.com/search?q=a...e&
(MB/sec)
256GB = 1500
512 = 3000
1TB = 6000
Pretty crummy, borderline criminal of apple to not advertise this little change and give all the youtube reviews early-access to the 1TB knowingly hiding this important fact upon launch.
(MB/sec)
256GB = 1500
512 = 3000
1TB = 6000
Pretty crummy, borderline criminal of apple to not advertise this little change and give all the youtube reviews early-access to the 1TB knowingly hiding this important fact upon launch.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
The M2 Mac mini Pro base has 6 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores.
If you have an app that can use those extra cores, the machine could be (for CPU tasks) perhaps 50% faster.
The GPU is 16 cores in the base Pro vs 10 in the normal M2 mini, so it could be 60% faster if you have an app that can use all of those cores.
For most common apps that you as a user use for everyday things, the only thing that matters is single-threaded CPU speed, and at that, the M2 and M2 Pro are exactly the same speed.
I went to the Pro because:
1. It was immediately available
2. It had 2 more TB4 ports
3. I wanted the faster GPU with 60% more GPU cores (for the almost nonexistent MacOS games)
4. The price premium was $330 or so. Not happy, but it is what it is.
The additional 2 cores of CPU didn't really figure into it for me, as I almost never have jobs that overwhelm "even" "just" 4 CPU cores.
For code-compile, multimedia encoding, and some music creation tasks, particularly in Adobe and Apple professional apps, there is a significant gain to be had there. For Chrome, Edge, Safari, Mail, and GarageBand, probably not as much...
Leave a Comment