That also depends on the speed of your internet service. The short answer is: For really light computing like browsing the web, the M2 chip won't make things noticeably faster unless, of course, your wireless network is Wi-Fi 6E, and you might experience faster loading and reliability. Since the base M2 Mac mini has the same M2 chip, the export times were virtually identical in my testing. If you want to see how the M2 chip compares to the M1 chip with 8GB of unified memory (and also with the M1 Max chip and 64GB of unified memory), definitely check out my M2 MacBook Air review. I was blown away by the M1 chip performance when Apple introduced it to the Mac lineup in 2020, and while the performance bumps may not seem very major, in real-world applications like layered timelines in Final Cut Pro, you absolutely will notice the extra power. The M2 is a monster chip that's up to 10 percent faster for the CPU and up to 18 percent faster for the GPU compared to the M1 chip inside the previous generation Mac mini. Both have a 16-core Neural Engine and 100GB/s memory bandwidth. The $599 base model M2 Mac mini with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 256GB SSD, and 8GB of unified memory is equal to the $1,299 M2 MacBook Air with the same specs that I reviewed last year. When I said that the M2 Mac mini redefines 'entry-level' for a Mac, I was not kidding. For aspiring or even professional YouTubers, filmmakers, 3D artists, the M2 Mac mini delivers more than it appears to on paper. The M2 Mac mini is not only an excellent machine for light computing tasks, but it's also a powerhouse for real content creation. Nothing wrong with a PC (I have equal love them) but if you want macOS and its direct integration with Apple services like iMessage and FaceTime that work seamlessly with iPhones and iPads, the M2 Mac mini is a slam dunk, especially if you're not interested in stepping up to over $1,300 for an M1 iMac or $2,000 for the Mac Studio.Įntry-level on a Mac mini used to mean serious compromise - an underpowered Intel CPU and underpowered integrated graphics - that was only good for web browsing or writing documents.

I'm sure the PC Master Race will argue that you can build a better desktop for the money with the right discounts on parts, but that's a Windows computer. Starting at $599, the M2 Mac mini redefines the meaning of 'entry-level'.

The compact desktop computer went from being a terrible value with horrible Intel CPU and GPU performance - basically the worst Mac in Apple's lineup - to the M2 Mac mini, which is easily the best value Mac that Apple sells thanks to a $100 price drop and incredible CPU and GPU power. If you're still in denial about how transformative Apple silicon has been for Macs, look no further than the Mac mini.

Synergy mac and windows