Mac Studio vs. Mac Mini Buyer's Guide

The entry-level Mac mini that Apple launched in November 2020 is not the most powerful Mac Studio that Apple has.

Do you need the latest high-end Mac, or do you just need the old one? Our guide will help you decide which of the two desktop Macs is best for you.

Comparing the Mac mini and the Mac Studio

The mac mini and mac studio have some fundamental features, including a silver aluminum design and two rear USB-A ports. The two devices have the same features.

Similarities

• Apple M1-series chip
• 16-core Neural Engine
• HDMI port supports multichannel audio output
• Two USB-A ports
• 10Gb Ethernet (optional on ‌Mac mini‌)
• 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0
• Built-in speaker
• Silver aluminum design

The two machines have more in common than they have in common, including different chips, memory capacities, ports, and external display capabilities.

Differences

The Mac mini is small.

• M1 chip
• 8-core CPU
• 8-core GPU
• Up to 16GB unified memory
• Up to 2TB storage
• Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• Support for one display up to 6K and one display up to 4K
• Starts at $699

Mac studio

• M1 Max chip or ‌M1‌ Ultra chip
• Up to 20-core CPU
• Up to 64-core GPU
• Up to 128GB unified memory
• Up to 8TB storage
• Media engine with two video decode engines, up to four video encode engines, and up to four ProRes encode and decode engines
• Up to six Thunderbolt 4 ports
• 3.5mm headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones
• Support for up to four Pro Display XDRs and one 4K display
• SDXC card slot (UHS-II)
• Starts at $1,999

Apple's older, Intel-based Mac mini starts at $1,099. This high-end mac mini has two additional ports, up to a six-core Intel Core i7 processor with Intel UHD Graphics 630, up to 64GB memory, and support for up to three 4K displays or one 5. The Space Gray enclosure is also demarcated.

Despite being a high-end model, it is an aging model and is often surpassed by the _M1_ chip in the _Mac mini. Unless you have a specific need for an Intel-based system, and you need more ports, memory, or the ability to connect to additional displays, you should not buy the M1 model.

• M1 Mac Mini vs. Intel Mac Mini Buyer's Guide

The mac mini is the best option for the vast majority of users. It is more powerful in practice.

As an older Intel-based machine, the high-end Mac mini does not directly compare to the Mac Studio, and any prospective customers who are confident they need more Thunderbolt ports, more.

Final Thoughts

It is clear that the mac mini and mac studio are different machines for different customer bases. If you want to save money on your desktop computer, you can use the savings to buy an external display such as the Apple Studio Display, which starts at $1,599. A mini Mac with a display costs $2,298, which is $300 more than a single model with no display.

If you have a professional workflows that can leverage the power of the Mac Studio or M1 Max, you should consider it. If you need a powerful machine that can support a lot of work, you will know that you are looking for it.

The mac mini can be upgraded to up to 16GB of memory, up to 2 terabytes of storage, and 10Gb of Ethernet, making it a very capable machine. This may be a good option for professionals orumers that have specific needs. If you can afford it, the mac studio is a better long-term option.

The mac mini is still a powerful and versatile machine that can tackle all but the most intense tasks. It still has useful ports, such as USB-A and Ethernet, which are absent from Apple's laptops, and it boasts excellent performance that surpasses the MacBook Air.