The new generation of Mac mini has generated great expectations among all users due to the possibility of incorporating professional chips such as the M2 Pro chip and 32 GB of unified RAM memory. However, are there so many differences from the previous generation? We analyze their differences in this article.
Hardware
From a hardware point of view, the differences between the generations are practically non-existent . Both devices carry almost the same connection ports, the same design, and practically the same weight, although, in particular, those Macs that carry the M2 Pro chip, have a little extra weight due to the incorporation of components to dissipate heat.
This increase in weight also occurred in the Mac Studio, since the version that incorporates the M1 Ultra is heavier than the Max version, due to the aforementioned heat sink. In short, except for that small detail, the main differences are located inside.
If you buy the Mac mini with M2, you’ll get four Thunderbolt 3 ports instead of two, an important difference in a world where USB-C is the future. Lastly, there is a difference between the two generations, but it is additional, that is, it does not come as standard and you have to checkout if you want to add it to your team. Specifically, we are referring to the 10 GB Ethernet connection . This additional option is also paid for in 24-inch iMacs with an M1 chip.
internal components
The first difference with respect to the previous generation are the processors , which a priori, has meant an update from the first generation of Silicon to a second generation. Regarding the CPUs , there has been an increase of 10% compared to the first generation, while in the GPU there is an increase of 35% if you take the version that has two more cores for the graphics part.
Another difference is RAM . In the previous generation you could mount up to a total of 16 GB of RAM, just like in the 24-inch iMac, while in this new generation of Mac mini, you can mount up to a total of 32 GB of RAM. In the case of internal storage , this has taken a significant leap in capacity, since the M1 could mount up to a total of 2 TB while the current version has a storage capacity of up to 8 TB , a real outrage.
Perhaps the most substantial difference between the two generations is the 3.5 mm Jack connector, since the new generation incorporates high-fidelity audio capability. The Wi-Fi connection has taken a small leap in quality, carrying Wi-Fi 6 e , having more channels and a faster connection speed. We have the same progress with Wi-Fi , going from 6.0 to 6.3.
Is it worth buying to renew the Mac mini?
The performance leap of the Mac mini is determined by the incorporation of the M2 Pro chip, the evolution of the M1 Pro Chip and that the Mac mini of the previous generation did not carry. Therefore, if you have a Mac mini M1, it is not worth making the jump to the new generation M2, except if you want to buy the M2 Pro version.
In this case, you are going to have a professional computer to carry out both office automation tasks and professional video editing tasks, interface design and professorial 3D animation, and best of all, it has an outstanding value for money for a computer from Apple and with the features it offers.