Just before the Chinese New Year, Apple has released a pre-recorded video to quickly introduce the new Mac mini.
The Mac mini has always been a budget go-to for those who wants to get started with the Mac, while using the display, keyboard and mouse of their choice. The M2 chip is the same 8-core CPU found on the current MacBook Air and comes with a 10-core GPU, while for users that require more power, the new M2 Pro chip will deliver that with a 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU, while it can be configured with up to a 12-core CPU and 19-core GPU.
In terms of memory options, the M2 Chip can be configured to 24GB of Unified Memory, while the M2 Pro chip can be configured with up to 32GB of Unified Memory, base storage will start at 256GB for the M2 model and 512GB for the M2 Pro model. One notable thing between the two models would be their memory bandwidth, the M2 and M2 Pro have 100GB/s and 200GB/s respectively, which the latter will be more superior for creative workflows.
Performance wise, Apple claims that the M2 Pro on the Mac mini is 4.7x faster on Photoshop than the Intel-based Mac Mini with a Core i7 processor, while compared to its M1 predecessor, it has 2.5x faster graphics performance on Affinity Photo, 4.2x faster rendering on a complex timeline on Final Cut Pro. However, no comments were made on the performance gains over the M1 Pro.
Ports selection is slightly different between the M2 and M2 Pro Mac mini, the M2 continues to feature the same set from its predecessor with its USB-C ports upgraded to Thunderbolt 4 with support for up to two display outputs, the M2 Pro features two additional Thunderbolt 4 ports and supports up to three display outputs, it’s HDMI port also exclusively supports 8K 60Hz resolution, while the M2 Mac mini’s HDMI port is only limited to 4K 60Hz.
Interestingly, Apple has dropped the base price for the Mac mini in Malaysia, it starts at RM2,499 for the M2 model with 8GB unified memory and 256GB storage, while the M2 Pro Mac mini with 16GB Unified Memory and 512GB storage will start at RM5,599, these are extremely reasonable prices if you’d like a powerful Mac creative workhorse, as most laptops and PC configurations at that price couldn’t perform as well.