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M2 Mac mini review roundup: Tiny, but mighty

The updated Mac mini has an M2 or M2 Pro processor

Last updated

Initial reviews of the new Mac mini with M2 and M2 Pro are in, and it offers great power on a budget.

Apple announced the Mac mini with minimal changes beyond new chipsets on January 17. M2 Pro models also get access to more Thunderbolt ports and improved HDMI.

Initial orders and in-store availability of the M2 Mac mini begin on January 24. Reviewers have had some time with the newly-announced desktop, and these are their initial thoughts and reviews of the product.

The Verge: Mac Studio Junior

The Verge says Apple's Mac mini has never been more appealing. It has two processor choices — the M2 for everyday computing and the M2 Pro for creative work.

If customers choose the M2 Pro option, they will get terrific performance in a small package, plenty of ports, and a variety of connection options like Wi-Fi 6E. The lack of front-facing ports or SD card slot isn't great though.

Setting up the Mac mini isn't ideal either, as users will need either a wired keyboard connection or Apple-made Magic Keyboard. It won't let third-party Bluetooth keyboards connect at setup.

The Mac mini offers an excellent entry-level price at $599 The Mac mini offers an excellent entry-level price at $599

Despite some small issues, The Verge calls this Mac mini the best version of the product that Apple has pulled off yet.

PCMag: elevated to new performance heights

PCMag celebrates the new processor options shoved into the classic Mac mini design. The additional Thunderbolt ports and 8K HDMI output in M2 Pro models are an added bonus.

The lack of user-upgradable memory and high-priced upgrades at purchase make this budget-friendly Mac a more difficult purchase. Especially since there are no peripherals included.

The decade-old design shouldn't stop people from upgrading, as the M2 or M2 Pro gives this product plenty of performance for the price. It may not match up spec for spec against dedicated, high-end desktop workstations, but it can fill the needs of many amateur and professional creators.

iJustine: impressive

YouTube personality iJustine does her usual unboxing treatment, setup, and testing in a video. She covers how the M2 and M2 Pro differ and does live performance tests on games and apps.

The base M2 model handled Apple Arcade games like "Sneaky Sasquatch" without issue. She also dropped 8K video into Final Cut on the M2 processor with only a little stutter.

iJustine calls the new Mac mini impressive, citing the low price and high performance.

CNET: top pick for podcasters and content creators

CNET says that the Mac mini continues the tradition of being the podcaster's favorite computer while also being the cheapest way to access macOS on the market. The fact it can be configured with the M2 Pro and match the performance of the updated MacBook Pros is also impressive.

Apple saves the better port arrangement for the $1,299 M2 Pro model, and even then, RAM maxes out at 32GB. This budget-friendly Mac can quickly get expensive with pricey SSD and RAM upgrades.

The M2 and M2 Pro handled most tasks thrown at it, with the M2 Pro obviously taking on bigger tasks better. And despite Apple advertising gaming as an aspect of the Mac mini, it isn't quite there yet.

M2 and M2 Pro make the Mac mini an obvious pick M2 and M2 Pro make the Mac mini an obvious pick

The baseline M2 Mac mini feels like it needs at least a storage bump, but it is going to be a clear choice for a lot of people. The flexibility to configure the machine from $599 to $4,499 means it can be set up to meet your needs.

TechCrunch: a serious contender

Even though the M1 Mac mini is still strong enough to tackle many tasks, TechCrunch says the M2 processor breathes new life into the machine. The M2 Pro, however, feels like new tires and a full tank of gas for an F1 driver.

That being said, most users would struggle to see the difference between the M2 and M2 Pro for day-to-day tasks. The M1 was already enough to handle it, and the M2 is improving on that, so the M2 Pro feels like a more difficult choice.

Apple pointed to gaming as a reason to get the new Mac mini, though that is a bit of an exaggeration. The only games worth playing on the platform are the ones optimized for Metal, like "Resident Evil Village."

The Mac mini continues to be an excellent value proposition, and has never looked better than it does now with the M2 and M2 Pro.



15 Comments

DAalseth 7 Years · 3131 comments

I’m very impressed with the new mini. Mind you mine will be bumped up with 16 gigs of ram and a 512 drive. Plus i’m paying Canadian prices. So it’s going to be a fair amount more expensive. But it should do me for almost a decade so the extra cost will be worth it.

5 Likes · 0 Dislikes
bill42 18 Years · 131 comments

Upping the specs to mid level to match how I always buy new Macs, this Mac Mini alone would cost about $2000, and that's without a monitor. As an Apple snob who has not purchased a non-apple screen since my 21 inch Sony CRT for my 840AV back in 1991, I would want to buy an Apple screen. All we have available is a Studio Display starting at $1600.  I would prefer an iMac like my current 27" iMac from 2012, but the only iMacs available today have a screen just a bit too small for my taste. I really wish Apple would just make a new 27 or 30" iMac. It would be half the price of a Mac Mini with Studio Display, and it would sell like mad, just like the old 27" iMacs did when they dominated the graphics world.

13 Likes · 0 Dislikes
canukstorm 12 Years · 2765 comments

bill42 said:
Upping the specs to mid level to match how I always buy new Macs, this Mac Mini alone would cost about $2000, and that's without a monitor. As an Apple snob who has not purchased a non-apple screen since my 21 inch Sony CRT for my 840AV back in 1991, I would want to buy an Apple screen. All we have available is a Studio Display starting at $1600.  I would prefer an iMac like my current 27" iMac from 2012, but the only iMacs available today have a screen just a bit too small for my taste. I really wish Apple would just make a new 27 or 30" iMac. It would be half the price of a Mac Mini with Studio Display, and it would sell like mad, just like the old 27" iMacs did when they dominated the graphics world.

A 27" 5K iMac with the M2 Pro would be my dream Mac.

13 Likes · 0 Dislikes
davebarnes 20 Years · 378 comments

bill42 said:
 I really wish Apple would just make a new 27 or 30" iMac.

Me too. Have money set aside.

8 Likes · 0 Dislikes
rob53 14 Years · 3329 comments

bill42 said:
Upping the specs to mid level to match how I always buy new Macs, this Mac Mini alone would cost about $2000, and that's without a monitor. As an Apple snob who has not purchased a non-apple screen since my 21 inch Sony CRT for my 840AV back in 1991, I would want to buy an Apple screen. All we have available is a Studio Display starting at $1600.  I would prefer an iMac like my current 27" iMac from 2012, but the only iMacs available today have a screen just a bit too small for my taste. I really wish Apple would just make a new 27 or 30" iMac. It would be half the price of a Mac Mini with Studio Display, and it would sell like mad, just like the old 27" iMacs did when they dominated the graphics world.
A 27" 5K iMac with the M2 Pro would be my dream Mac.

The problem with this scenario (which is what I'd like to get) is that my 2019 27" iMac already has a Studio Display (kind of) in it. Would be interesting to see if someone would gut a 5K iMac and drop in a mid-level Mac mini (Mac Pro mini with enough internal storage) with ports moved to the back. Of course, even though it would look a bit ugly, I could go with attaching the mini to the back of the iMac and figure out how to drive the display at full 5K resolution. Maybe put the mini under the display stand would be a better idea. I know the Studio Display has a ton on electronics inside including an A7(?) CPU for performing lots of things but for many of us just an accessible 5K display might be enough. I like having everything in one "box" but I still have a couple external drives and Thunderbolt dock/hub(s) plus a bunch of external power bricks so why am I worried about having an all-in-one. I gave up on this years ago after adding RAID arrays. Maybe it's time for a rack-mounted Mac mini (flat) along with slots for RAID arrays and a rack-mounted dock for extra I/O ports. Put all the power supplies in the back of the rack, install a couple whisper fans and everything is organized cleanly. 

1 Like · 0 Dislikes