prk60091 Posted July 29, 2011 Share #1 Posted July 29, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) I need a new computer. I am looking at the Mac mini's. I am not a 'gamer' but I obviously need enough power for aperture and LR for processing. Do I need an i7 processor or will the i5 suffice? I will be maxing out the ram at 8Gb. Thanks in advance Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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Ruhayat Posted July 29, 2011 Share #2 Posted July 29, 2011 The new Minis look very good indeed. I would say get the fastest processor you can get, with SSD if possible, and get the 2GB RAM to save costs (reason being you can easily upgrade the RAM yourself later - it's very simple to do, and Apple RAM is VERY expensive so get third party ones from Crucial or Kingston). Re. Core i5 vs i7: in my experience, that SSD will make a lot more difference in real world usage. So if it's a choice between i7 and SSD, I'd choose SSD. But if the budget is there then, hey, SSD + i7 is the way to go, of course. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruhayat Posted July 29, 2011 Share #3 Posted July 29, 2011 But if you want the easiest way out, I'd say the quad core Mac Mini server is hard to beat. The maxed out Core i7 Mac Mini with the built-in GeForce card might give you faster graphic performance (and apparently Aperture utilises the graphics card more than Lightroom), but I'm using Lightroom and the integrated Intel graphic chip on my old Macbook does just fine. I keep wishing I had more processing power when doing edits, which is why I think the quad core with integrated Intel graphics would do better than the i7 with GeForce. The maxxed out i7 costs quite a bit more, too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted July 29, 2011 Share #4 Posted July 29, 2011 Does it have to be a Mini? I had the same dilemma not too long ago and went for a MacPro. It hurt my wallet but I am more than happy with the machine. CS does need quite a bit of power, especially Premiere and it copes with ease. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdriceman Posted July 29, 2011 Share #5 Posted July 29, 2011 The Mac mini will easily be able to handle Aperture and Lightroom with the i5 processor. I would opt for at least 4GB of Ram though. If you don't do gaming, video or a lot of heavy Photoshop there is really no need for more. It is true that the i7 will perform better, but I believe that is $400 more on a mac mini. Also, an SSD drive will help with performance, especially with Photoshop, but again, if you're not a heavy photoshop user you will never notice this advantage and SSD's are very expensive- a 240GB SSD will set you back as much as the entire Mac Mini with 500 GB installed. Now, if you think you will grow into a gamer, video editor and heavy user of Photoshop actions, you should strongly consider Jaap's suggestion... but if not, I'd spend the difference on a decent monitor or a lens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
prk60091 Posted July 29, 2011 Author Share #6 Posted July 29, 2011 Thanks all for your input. As much as I want SSD the budget won't stretch that far for the size I want. I don't use Photoshop, and I am hoping to use it as a media server. I thought the mini server did not come with 'user' software (eg mail I don't use web based mail) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted July 29, 2011 Share #7 Posted July 29, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) I thought the mini server did not come with 'user' software (eg mail I don't use web based mail) It does, easy enough to check on the Apple website. Follow the link and scroll down to 'included software'... Mac mini - Buy Mac mini desktop computers - Apple Store (UK) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
prk60091 Posted July 29, 2011 Author Share #8 Posted July 29, 2011 Stunsworth thanx!! That page does not appear on the US version of store.apple.com Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
prk60091 Posted July 29, 2011 Author Share #9 Posted July 29, 2011 I just checked all the spex the mini server is perfect for me. Off to buy one today. Thanks all! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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