Mac mini (M2 & M2 Pro) review: the perfect buy
Mac mini is more attractive than ever. The basic variant is now cheaper. And, in parallel, Apple has launched a new version with the M2 Pro that many professionals are going to fall in love with.
A little over two years ago, I was sitting in front of the monitor I have at home –it was still a pandemic time– writing up my experience with the Mac mini with the M1 processor. A team that, as was reflected in the text that we published in Hypertextual, fascinated me. It was powerful, quiet, economical, compact… And, on top of all that, it made the architecture transition invisible to the user – which is by no means easy. Impossible not to recommend it.
Today, as in those days, I find myself sitting again in front of a monitor writing my impressions on the machine’s successor that left me with such a good aftertaste. Its name has not changed, as with the iPhone or Apple Watch. It’s still called the Mac Mini. And its external appearance has not changed either. Except for some variations in the connectors, this equipment is, at first glance, the same as its predecessor.
However, the brain that governs this machine has taken a step forward. The Mac mini welcomes the second generation of Apple Silicon processors, which bring several improvements over the previous model.
But the interest does not end there. Apple has also made two other decisions regarding this product that, in my opinion, are even more relevant than that expected update.
- First of all, this Mac mini is cheaper than before. The entry model costs 100 dollars less in the US, 80 euros less in Spain, and 3,500 pesos less in Mexico.
- Secondly, the brand now allows you to configure this device with the M2 Pro chip, a more advanced variant designed for that group of people who want a compact machine like this but highly powerful.
That is to say: Apple has made the entry-level model even more attractive and, in turn, has given wings to the Mac mini to be a valid option for that group of users who demand a slightly more powerful computer and who, until now, did not have any other option than to resort to MacBook Pros with M1 Pro / Max or even a Mac Studio.
The unit I have tested incorporates an M2 Pro processor with a 19-core GPU, 16 GB of RAM, and 1 TB of unified memory. A team that, in Spain, is sold for 2,144 euros.
However, the previous experience we have had at Hipertextual with the MacBook Air with the M2 chip also allows us to judge the entry version since the only difference between the two is that, in the case of the Mac mini, a fan oxygenates the SoC –which contributes to better-sustained performance–.
This text therefore, we are going to divide it into two parts. First, talking about the Mac mini with the M2 Pro – the newest model – and, later, looking at the Mac mini with the standard M2 chip.
Mac mini (M2 & M2 Pro)
Mac Mini welcomes the M2 and M2 Pro processors. And the result couldn’t have been better. The machine that we have always known takes a step forward in power, covers a broader spectrum of users thanks to the Pro variant, and, in addition, lowers the barrier of entry by having reduced the price of the most basic variant. Impossible not to recommend it.
Mac mini with M2 Pro: how powerful is this new processor?
The M2 Pro processor is, in essence, an M2 with more cores. Both on the CPU and on the GPU. An evolution that also opens the door to more RAM, more internal storage, and higher bandwidth.
Of the M2 Pro, yes, there are two versions:
| M2 Pro “basic.” | M2 Pro “advanced.” |
|---|---|
| 10-core CPU (four high-efficiency, six high-performance) | 12-core CPU (four high-efficiency, eight high-performance) |
| 16 core GPU | 19 core GPU |
| 16-core Neural Engine | 16-core Neural Engine |
| 200MB/s of bandwidth | 200MB/s of bandwidth |
The one I have had the opportunity to test is the second, the most advanced. Therefore, the bulk of the experience is based on it. However, the first variant can be a pretty sweet middle ground for many users.
With this contextualization done, let’s get down to business: how powerful is the M2 Pro in this Mac mini? The best way to answer is with the following graphs:
The Mac mini with an M2 Pro processor is simply excellent. For about 1,500 euros, you can get a machine that, in many areas, surpasses the entry-level Mac Pro that Apple sells for 6,499 euros – nearly four times more expensive. And yes, I know that it is not a 100% fair comparison considering that the Mac Pro has not yet made the jump to ARM processors and incorporates chips with a certain age. But that a team of this range, price, and size can even battle with it demonstrates the great work the brand is doing with its chips.
