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Should I get an M3 iMac, an M1 iMac, an M2 Mac Mini, or something else?

Michael Tharrington on November 22, 2023

It's time for me to get a new desktop and I could use a hand choosing the right one! I recently got a beautiful blue 5th generation iPad Air and I ...
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Ben Halpern

If aesthetics aren't a huge deal, I'd go with M2 Mac Mini — which lets you swap or upgrade your display later and has more bang for the buck.

But the iMacs are beautiful, and if it's going to be awesome to work on that machine, I'd go M3 iMac.

Either way, check out the refurbished section in your shopping process if there aren't big black Friday sales that overpower those.

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Michael Tharrington

Right on! Great point about being able to swap out the display. That is a bonus!

Also, good tip on the refurbished section... I would absolutely consider a refurbished device.

I also found an option for an M1 Mac earlier today on Craigslist that seems like a pretty sweet deal! I've sent a few questions to the owner to get some more info.

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Ben Halpern

Yeah if you can get a good deal on a used one, definitely worth looking at — my only concern is that 8gb RAM config might be too low for some programs.

I'm actually not sure what the limiting factors usually are for music software, but RAM is often the thing you don't want to go lowest configuration on.

I'd read up on your RAM needs as part of the process.

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Michael Tharrington

Right on — good to know, Ben!

The bit of research I've done thus far has informed me that the new Mac chips have integrated memory and so perform pretty well but RAM can't be upgraded... I'm already somewhat familiar that Mac computers are a pain to upgrade, but this sounds particularly painful. Your advice (and Joe's elsewhere in thread) is convincing me that I should be cautious in this regard.

I'll totally be reading up on common RAM requirements for music-making.

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Joe Mainwaring • Edited

I do appreciate the aesthetic of the iMacs but I traditionally gravitate towards the Mac Minis for two primary reasons:

  • I typically want a larger/higher quality monitor than what's packaged in the current iMac Models and I prefer dual, matching monitors for my desktop setup.
  • Historically the Mac Minis have had more hardware customization and an easier time making those changes

Regarding the RAM choice - I would verify if the RAM can be upgraded or not on the device you're picking. If it can, then you can go with a lower amount of ram initially and upgrade later; if it cannot then you want to make your up-front investment to maximize the longevity of the device. Regardless of which Mac I pick today, I tend to set a baseline of at least 16GB Ram and 500GB Hard Drive in anticipation of my future needs.

Also worth mentioning - if you have an Apple Credit Card, that 0% APR financing makes it a lot easier to afford the hardware upgrades when ordering.

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Michael Tharrington

Great practical advice, Joe!

Upgradability is definitely a plus and leaving myself a bit of room to spare in both the RAM and hard drive departments also def makes sense.

I can't promise that I'll make the practical decision though... those M1s just look so dang pretty, haha.

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OpenSource

I'm not buying a desktop right now, so I wouldn't know the specifics, but I often have the same question: go for the best now or the good enough? The thing is that it is really expensive, but, usually, when I can, I try to go to the best now, because it soon gets outdated, and they are meant to last. But again... it's expensive. So it depends!

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Michael Tharrington

I totally hear ya on that! The tech world does move so fast... buying a device that is already 2 years into its life (e.g. the iMac M1) feels like it could be a bit of a risk.

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Monty Harper

Get as much ram as you can, but these days I think any iMac can run a DAW with no trouble; my mac is pretty old and still does great with the recording software. So relax in the knowledge that you can't really go wrong there. Screen real estate may actually be the thing that will make the most practical difference in your day-to-day, especially if you're working with dozens of tracks and effects. I know plenty of people who just hook up a second monitor to expand their workspace. My imac has a 27" screen and that's generally plenty for my purposes.

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Michael Tharrington

Really appreciate the chime in, Monty! Nice to hear from a musician that the DAW should run smoothly whatever way I end up going.

And good point about the monitor space. My desk space is kinda limited right now so not sure I have room for more than one right now.. still, it would be nice to future-proof myself if I decide that a multi-monitor setup is what I need!

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Bala Madhusoodhanan

the Mac mini is easily the more compact and portable. Also extensive life compared to iMac.
If you want a bit of extra computing power, you could always try the Mac Studio, which is basically a Mac mini on steroids.

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Michael Tharrington

Right on, Bala! Good advice.

I think the Mac Studio is awesome but just a bit out of my price range... it's probably a little overkill for my needs too.