apple macs

[leonardmartin29]

ok im looking for a Apple mac that is suitable for my usage. currently i watch youtube, netflix, disney plus, amazon prime. browse facebook, ltt forum, twitter(X) i also download torrents for movies and stuff i usually use bittorrent and VLC have never had a issue with either. other than that i have stopped gaming pretty much. i like to have lots of storage for movies and stuff easily accessible no usb etc. would consider a well built PC if it was comparable to Apple but not finding anything worth buying. looking at a Mac mini or Mac studio. no labtops dont ever travel with a computer i have my phone and tablet for all those needs. i use a Samsung un58tu7000 tv as a monitor. i am sitting 3-4 feet away from it (love it). I also type stuff and create flyers etc. i use google docs alot for spreadsheets (monthly budgets)

[RONOTHAN##]

20 minutes ago, leonardmartin29 said:

i like to have lots of storage for movies and stuff easily accessible no usb etc.

How much storage we talking? If you're in the ~500GB range or willing to go for external storage for your movie collection, the Mac Mini is easily the pick here (you don't need a Studio), especially if you go used where they're sometimes half the price of new. If you want to have 1TB+ of internal storage, Apple charges so much for storage that it starts getting cheaper to just have a NAS or cheaper yet external SSDs, so if you really want it internally you should be going for either a custom desktop with something like an i5 12400/13400F and throwing all the SSD you can in it. 

[leonardmartin29]

1 minute ago, RONOTHAN## said:

How much storage we talking? If you're in the ~500GB range or willing to go for external storage for your movie collection, the Mac Mini is easily the pick here (you don't need a Studio). If you want to have 1TB+ of internal storage, Apple charges so much for storage that it starts getting cheaper to just have a NAS or cheaper yet external SSDs, so if you really want it internally you should be going for either a custom desktop with something like an i5 12400/13400F and throwing all the SSD you can in it. 

i thought about a pc heres the build i thought about https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/XCwwrv well over 2k for it still doesnt include price for ssd, or windows (no i do not buy 20$ keys from unknown sites.) also doesnt include quality fans. or stuff like thermal paste, etc.  i know i dont necessary need the 3060 but i cant find anything comparable to a apple intergrated gpu.  i know i can get cheaper parts but im wondering which ones are quality that will last a long time. 

 

Mac mini i was considering. 

Apple M2 Pro with 10‑core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine

16GB unified memory

1tb ssd

total 1949 plus tax. 

[Electronics Wizardy]

4 minutes ago, leonardmartin29 said:

i thought about a pc heres the build i thought about https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/XCwwrv well over 2k for it still doesnt include price for ssd, or windows (no i do not buy 20$ keys from unknown sites.) also doesnt include quality fans. or stuff like thermal paste, etc.  i know i dont necessary need the 3060 but i cant find anything comparable to a apple intergrated gpu.  i know i can get cheaper parts but im wondering which ones are quality that will last a long time. 

 

Mac mini i was considering. 

Apple M2 Pro with 10‑core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine

16GB unified memory

1tb ssd

total 1949 plus tax. 

From what I have seen you don't need much cpu power here, so that built or a m2 pro mac mini is way overkill here. These tasks can be done easy on a base m2 or i3/i5 chip. If you want a mac I'd get the 16gb of ram, and 512ssd, and external storage if you want lots of movies. Otherwise, remove the gpu, get a i3/i5 and that pc will also be fine.

[leonardmartin29]

12 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

From what I have seen you don't need much cpu power here, so that built or a m2 pro mac mini is way overkill here. These tasks can be done easy on a base m2 or i3/i5 chip. If you want a mac I'd get the 16gb of ram, and 512ssd, and external storage if you want lots of movies. Otherwise, remove the gpu, get a i3/i5 and that pc will also be fine.

i know i dont need it right now but i am trying to "future proof" abit. i currently run a i5 6500 and a gtx1650 super with a 1tb ssd and a 2tb hard drive 16 gb ram. it was built with quality parts when the i5 6500 came out and i would like the new computer to last just as long. built it in 2016 so about 7 years now. gpu was upgraded in 2020. 

16 gb of ram is plenty on mac for sure from my knowledge with pc you will need more. although im currently only using about half of my 16 but im not really doing anything just typing on google chrome lol. 

 

i hate external storage for movies 

also removing gpu would not allow me to do anything the IGPU is horrible even for things like 4k movies and stuff. let alone if i tried to game. apple is compatible with gaming hardware wise just there is rarely any good games on apple. 

ive been a long time PC user always. also a long time Apple iphone user. I can see the value in both.

[RONOTHAN##]

3 minutes ago, leonardmartin29 said:

i thought about a pc heres the build i thought about https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/XCwwrv well over 2k for it still doesnt include price for ssd, or windows (no i do not buy 20$ keys from unknown sites.) also doesnt include quality fans. or stuff like thermal paste, etc.  i know i dont necessary need the 3060 but i cant find anything comparable to a apple intergrated gpu.  i know i can get cheaper parts but im wondering which ones are quality that will last a long time. 

 

Mac mini i was considering. 

Apple M2 Pro with 10‑core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine

16GB unified memory

1tb ssd

total 1949 plus tax. 

You're overspending an absolute ton for what you're trying to do. You don't need an M2 Pro to watch Youtube, you don't need a 13700K to do the same stuff, etc. Both of these machines can probably be dropped in price by half and you not notice a difference between them, and they'll still last basically forever. 

 

(I'm gonna talk in US pricing, mostly because I can't figure out how to change Apple's website to Canada immediately, and realistically all that actually matters is the relative numbers anyway)

 

The Mac Mini you actually need is just the base M2 with 16GB of RAM and maybe 512GB of storage if you want the extra, an external SSD to go with it. Finding a refurbished/new-old stock M1 isn't a bad idea either as it will save you quite a bit of money and there's only minor performance differences between the M1 and M2 chips anyway (only big difference I'm aware of is multi-monitor support on the M2). That will run you about $800-1000 US depending on the storage config you go with, plus however large an external SSD you throw behind it and never look at again (4TB will run you about $200). 

 

For the PC, you only really need an i5 12400, if you really want to have some extra cores go for the 13400/12600K instead. Just use the iGPU, it's plenty for the basic things you're trying to do. I set one up with a 12600K and a Thermalright cooler (pretty overkill for a CPU that isn't going to overclock), and it ends up at the $800 price mark as well, admitted with double the RAM (32GB vs. 16GB, though MacOS does handle RAM better than Windows) and the 4TB SSD internally rather than externally, though in a much larger footprint and an order of magnitude less efficient if you care about that. 

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Rpmdn6

(Canadian version: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/Bpz8TY)

 

3 minutes ago, leonardmartin29 said:

i know i dont need it right now but i am trying to "future proof" abit.

For the amount extra your spending you could just buy a whole new system half way through that 7 year period, swap in your SSDs and be done with it. Besides, you're going 13700K, which in relation to back then would be the i7 6900X, not the i5 6500 you're actually using (that would be about a 12400 in today's CPUs). There's "future proofing" and then there's overspending, you're in the overspending camp. 

 

6 minutes ago, leonardmartin29 said:

i hate external storage for movies 

When was the last time you tried? External storage has come a long way, and external SSDs have gotten really good for really cheap, especially if you just build your own with an off the shelf drive and a ~$15-25 USB 3.2 Gen 2 enclosure. It would be at least worth looking into if you want to go Mac. 

[leonardmartin29]

17 minutes ago, RONOTHAN## said:

You're overspending an absolute ton for what you're trying to do. You don't need an M2 Pro to watch Youtube, you don't need a 13700K to do the same stuff, etc. Both of these machines can probably be dropped in price by half and you not notice a difference between them, and they'll still last basically forever. 

 

(I'm gonna talk in US pricing, mostly because I can't figure out how to change Apple's website to Canada immediately, and realistically all that actually matters is the relative numbers anyway)

 

The Mac Mini you actually need is just the base M2 with 16GB of RAM and maybe 512GB of storage if you want the extra, an external SSD to go with it. Finding a refurbished/new-old stock M1 isn't a bad idea either as it will save you quite a bit of money and there's only minor performance differences between the M1 and M2 chips anyway (only big difference I'm aware of is multi-monitor support on the M2). That will run you about $800-1000 US depending on the storage config you go with, plus however large an external SSD you throw behind it and never look at again (4TB will run you about $200). 

 

For the PC, you only really need an i5 12400, if you really want to have some extra cores go for the 13400/12600K instead. Just use the iGPU, it's plenty for the basic things you're trying to do. I set one up with a 12600K and a Thermalright cooler (pretty overkill for a CPU that isn't going to overclock), and it ends up at the $800 price mark as well, admitted with double the RAM (32GB vs. 16GB, though MacOS does handle RAM better than Windows) and the 4TB SSD internally rather than externally, though in a much larger footprint and an order of magnitude less efficient if you care about that. 

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Rpmdn6

(Canadian version: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/Bpz8TY)

 

For the amount extra your spending you could just buy a whole new system half way through that 7 year period, swap in your SSDs and be done with it. Besides, you're going 13700K, which in relation to back then would be the i7 6900X, not the i5 6500 you're actually using (that would be about a 12400 in today's CPUs). There's "future proofing" and then there's overspending, you're in the overspending camp. 

 

When was the last time you tried? External storage has come a long way, and external SSDs have gotten really good for really cheap, especially if you just build your own with an off the shelf drive and a ~$15-25 USB 3.2 Gen 2 enclosure. It would be at least worth looking into if you want to go Mac. 

Apple M2 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine

16GB unified memory

512TB SSD storage

for 1299 cdn

 

Apple M2 Pro with 10‑core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine

16GB unified memory

512GB SSD storage

for 1699

 

or https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/962KHG

 

Mac mini is so much simpler to clean compared to the pc. also much smaller. i wish i could go use one for abit for what i want to use it for and see what it feels like. see what the experience is like. 

 

 

[johnt]

I think you need to get in bed with external storage if you're trying to purchase an Apple computer with a storage heavy usage. You could also consider a simple NAS setup and it might cost as much as upgrading an Apple to 1 TB. Which even that is arguably insufficient for movies and the Apple overhead. Don't get me wrong. I love Apple devices. I would never purchase a Windows based laptop again. I am a total fan boy. But there is a reasonable limit to where it doesn't make sense. And you are there.

 

Although I can't fault you for going with Apple for streaming, I still think you would be better served with a 12100 or 12400 as @RONOTHAN##suggested. I have a PC for similar purposes with a 12400, GTX 1050ti, 32GB DDR4, a cheapo ASUS board with 4 NVME slots, and like 8 TB of storage. I mean you would be thousands deep for comparable specs from an Apple. Yeah it might outperform my wimpy 12400 but I mean I average 10% usage when watching a 4k mkv file. I have headroom lol

 

Then get an Apple TV for your streaming services. They are selling for dirt cheap these days and absolutely no other set top box on the market can compare.

 

 

[johnt]

4 minutes ago, leonardmartin29 said:

i wish i could go use one for abit for what i want to use it for and see what it feels like. see what the experience is like

If you want the Apple environment experience, get yourself an M1 or M2 MacBook Pro 14"

[leonardmartin29]

Just now, leonardmartin29 said:

Apple M2 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine

16GB unified memory

512TB SSD storage

for 1299 cdn

 

Apple M2 Pro with 10‑core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine

16GB unified memory

512GB SSD storage

for 1699

 

or https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/962KHG

 

 

 

3 minutes ago, johnt said:

If you want the Apple environment experience, get yourself an M1 or M2 MacBook Pro 14"

no labtops

[johnt]

2 minutes ago, leonardmartin29 said:

 

no labtops

You're missing out big time lol

[leonardmartin29]

5 minutes ago, johnt said:

I think you need to get in bed with external storage if you're trying to purchase an Apple computer with a storage heavy usage. You could also consider a simple NAS setup and it might cost as much as upgrading an Apple to 1 TB. Which even that is arguably insufficient for movies and the Apple overhead. Don't get me wrong. I love Apple devices. I would never purchase a Windows based laptop again. I am a total fan boy. But there is a reasonable limit to where it doesn't make sense. And you are there.

 

Although I can't fault you for going with Apple for streaming, I still think you would be better served with a 12100 or 12400 as @RONOTHAN##suggested. I have a PC for similar purposes with a 12400, GTX 1050ti, 32GB DDR4, a cheapo ASUS board with 4 NVME slots, and like 8 TB of storage. I mean you would be thousands deep for comparable specs from an Apple. Yeah it might outperform my wimpy 12400 but I mean I average 10% usage when watching a 4k mkv file. I have headroom lol

 

Then get an Apple TV for your streaming services. They are selling for dirt cheap these days and absolutely no other set top box on the market can compare.

 

 

i just looking into nvme external storage wowzas that has gotten alot cheaper and faster with thunderbolt. ok im onboard with that. put in 512gb for mac and use external. 

Apple M2 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine

16GB unified memory

512TB SSD storage

for 1299 cdn

 

Apple M2 Pro with 10‑core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine

16GB unified memory

512GB SSD storage

for 1699

 

or https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/962KHG

 

Mac mini is so much simpler to clean compared to the pc. also much smaller

 

 

[leonardmartin29]

Just now, johnt said:

You're missing out big time lol

i want to use it on a 58" tv what would i need with a labtop? labtops are for mobility. i have a tablet and phone for all of that

[johnt]

1 minute ago, leonardmartin29 said:

i just looking into nvme external storage wowzas that has gotten alot cheaper and faster with thunderbolt. ok im onboard with that. put in 512gb for mac and use external. 

Apple M2 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine

16GB unified memory

512TB SSD storage

for 1299 cdn

 

Apple M2 Pro with 10‑core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine

16GB unified memory

512GB SSD storage

for 1699

 

or https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/962KHG

 

Mac mini is so much simpler to clean compared to the pc. also much smaller

 

 

I'm not sure what the exact differences are. Make sure you get one with an ethernet port or enough USB-C to use a dongle.

[johnt]

1 minute ago, leonardmartin29 said:

i want to use it on a 58" tv what would i need with a labtop? labtops are for mobility. i have a tablet and phone for all of that

Sure but you need a way to control the device too. The MBPs have HDMI output, mouse, and keyboard. Also the mini LED display is quite the beauty and probably better than your TV for HDR. The Mini has an HDMI port but nothing else.

 

You mentioned you wanted the experience. In my opinion the laptops offer a better experience than Apple desktops. The trackpads are insane!

[leonardmartin29]

1 minute ago, johnt said:

I'm not sure what the exact differences are. Make sure you get one with an ethernet port or enough USB-C to use a dongle.

mac mini has a 1gb ethernet port 125 extra for 10gb. is that for a external ssd? i will be using ethernet for internet because i hate wifi

[leonardmartin29]

Just now, johnt said:

Sure but you need a way to control the device too. The MBPs have HDMI output, mouse, and keyboard. Also the mini LED display is quite the beauty and probably better than your TV for HDR. The Mini has an HDMI port but nothing else.

 

You mentioned you wanted the experience. In my opinion the laptops offer a better experience than Apple desktops. The trackpads are insane!

idc about quality of screen i want size. i am satisfied for quality i want size. my buddy has a 32" samsung 1440p monitor i hate it when i sit down to it. so small. can only imagine watching a movie on it would suck. i hate trackpads. i want keyboard and mouse. mac mini has hdmi which is what my tv uses. and i believe i can get a thunderbolt dongle for usb ports for keyboard and mouse. 

[johnt]

2 minutes ago, leonardmartin29 said:

mac mini has a 1gb ethernet port 125 extra for 10gb. is that for a external ssd? i will be using ethernet for internet because i hate wifi

You won't need 10Gbps ports for internet. The 1 Gbps ports are enough. For the SSD, you just need a USB-C port.

[johnt]

2 minutes ago, leonardmartin29 said:

and i believe i can get a thunderbolt dongle for usb ports for keyboard and mouse.

I think the M2 mac mini has 2 USB A ports for mouse and keyboard. So you shouldn't need a dongle.

[leonardmartin29]

Just now, johnt said:

I think the M2 mac mini has 2 USB A ports for mouse and keyboard. So you shouldn't need a dongle.

i am seriously considering Mac mini. with a external nvme ssd.  but once again which one the base M2 or the Pro think future use. 

 

Apple M2 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine

16GB unified memory

512TB SSD storage

for 1299 cdn

 

Apple M2 Pro with 10‑core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine

16GB unified memory

512GB SSD storage

for 1699

[johnt]

14 minutes ago, leonardmartin29 said:

i am seriously considering Mac mini. with a external nvme ssd.  but once again which one the base M2 or the Pro think future use. 

 

Apple M2 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine

16GB unified memory

512TB SSD storage

for 1299 cdn

 

Apple M2 Pro with 10‑core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine

16GB unified memory

512GB SSD storage

for 1699

I would go with the 1299 cdn model

[leonardmartin29]

4 minutes ago, johnt said:

I would go with the 1299 cdn model

i am going to try and go into a store and see if they have both models on display see what they are like. im hoping if i buy the M2 Pro version for only 400 more within the next 4-5 years maybe more games will open up to apple os and not need a upgrade. also 400 for abit of future proofing is not horrible.  my next concern is what it is like to use the thing. ugh

[Darkseth]

+1 for the base M2 Model, 512/16gb configuration.
It's way more than enough. Probably even 8gb would do the job, but 16gb are good for more Multitasking.

 

You won't future proof it with an M2 Pro, as the M2 will already be bored as hell doing these Tasks. Before the M2 starts to struggle with stuff like watching movies, download stuff, browsing the web, Apple would've already dropped support 15 years ago.

I'm not even exaggerating, even the M1 in Low Power Mode (4w limit) would be bored doing these kind of things. This will most likely not change in 10-20 years.

I mean, watching a Movie in 10 years won't need more power than today, unless Resolution increases. Same with opening Twitter. A 10 year old Midrange-Android phone can do that.

 

You're FAR better off (even financially) buying what you need, and if you really do need more at some point, sell the device for a still good amount, and upgrade to a new one.

If you want to play Games in 4-5 years and IF Games even come out for Mac (i doubt it), then switch to a 2027 machine that outperforms the m2 pro.

Besides, Nvidia Geforce Now is probably the best option for Mac Gaming right now.

 

 

Futureproofing with an M2 Pro only means: You pay for a Performance, you will never use, untill the point Apple ends support, and you have to get a new Machine, because you don't get any security Updates anymore.

 

 

Also, i don't recommend more than 512gb SSD here, maybe even 256 would be enough.

For alot of storage, use any external SSD or HDD, or a NAS, much cheaper.

[leonardmartin29]

5 hours ago, Darkseth said:

+1 for the base M2 Model, 512/16gb configuration.
It's way more than enough. Probably even 8gb would do the job, but 16gb are good for more Multitasking.

 

You won't future proof it with an M2 Pro, as the M2 will already be bored as hell doing these Tasks. Before the M2 starts to struggle with stuff like watching movies, download stuff, browsing the web, Apple would've already dropped support 15 years ago.

I'm not even exaggerating, even the M1 in Low Power Mode (4w limit) would be bored doing these kind of things. This will most likely not change in 10-20 years.

I mean, watching a Movie in 10 years won't need more power than today, unless Resolution increases. Same with opening Twitter. A 10 year old Midrange-Android phone can do that.

 

You're FAR better off (even financially) buying what you need, and if you really do need more at some point, sell the device for a still good amount, and upgrade to a new one.

If you want to play Games in 4-5 years and IF Games even come out for Mac (i doubt it), then switch to a 2027 machine that outperforms the m2 pro.

Besides, Nvidia Geforce Now is probably the best option for Mac Gaming right now.

 

 

Futureproofing with an M2 Pro only means: You pay for a Performance, you will never use, untill the point Apple ends support, and you have to get a new Machine, because you don't get any security Updates anymore.

 

 

Also, i don't recommend more than 512gb SSD here, maybe even 256 would be enough.

For alot of storage, use any external SSD or HDD, or a NAS, much cheaper.

hey i get it M2 pro is probably to much. I did notice some games for Mac that i do like mainly Farming simulator 2022 and CS:GO the reason i havnt played in awhile is because i built a system 2 years ago that i spent 3k on it and it got ruined by a thunderstorm. everything monitor, computer. im on Disability so buying a new one is very hard takes me 2-3 years to save up for a new one. which is why i try not to buy all the time. as i have to sacifrice alot of things while saving. thats why i like to save and get it done and over with and be good for 7-8 years. 

[Darkseth]

Fair enough, but on Apple the resale value is kinda high. There's not much loss from upgrading.

 

But yea, see if there's any Games now that you want to play, and if you benefit from M2 Pro now.

Don't think of what COULD or could not be in 5 years, that's a really long time. The M5/M6 probably will be faster than M2 Pro by then, and cheaper.