Hey Art. First time watching one of your videos and this was exactly what I was looking for. Deep analysis but not in a shouty over the top presentation style like so many others. Thanks
Thanks for this comparison video. I have a M1 Mac Mini 16GB and 512 HD since 2020. It’s an awesome machine for photo and light video but want a machine capable for more demanding work. Recently was battling to decide between M2 Pro Mac Mini and the Mac Studio base model. Saw a lot of reviews here in TH-cam and few weeks ago finally I bought the Mac Studio M1 Max at $1699 brand new at Costco. Can’t let pass that offer.
@@andersphansson8335 the monitor its HDMI 2.0 at 60hz an thats the specs of the HDMI port of the MacMini & and also Mac Studio. Produce pretty good colors and sharpness.
Hey Art, can I just note that in Broadcast TV, ProRes just *is* typically what studios deliver to clients. H264 etc is what we’ll export after that main export, for web, and I’ll do that web export over lunch or when I go home, so that 3 minutes difference doesn’t really affect me , so for my money, the M2 MM is a value powerhouse that punches above its weight , especially when it comes to ProRes export which is a crucial metric for editors working in Broadcast, especially when measured against the more expensive Mac Studio Max or Ultra. I went ahead and bought M2 Pro MM 32/1TB 12cpu/19gpu 10gigE, also noting that the Mac Studio may well be one and done as Apple doesn’t want it to canibalise the upcoming MacPro.
Thanks Art, very detailed and great presentation style, I am now a subscriber. Also reassures me that Studio is better for my Long recording time GoPro and Insta360 One Inch video centric workflow along with 360 degree virtual tours. Just curious, what tablet were you using because it will be one to go for based on your knowledge. Thanks again.
iPad Pro 12.9" I have the miniLED version with the M1 SoC, the current version is the exact same with M2 SoC. There's an 11" version as well, however, this size does not have miniLED display.
thank you so much for doing this and especially at the level that you do these tests at. I was just thinking of going with one of these exact machines and was wanting real test results and you did it for me, thank you!
Thanks for the review and advises. I already had M1 Max Mac Studio. I am super happy with it, super fast with FCP. Also I updated memory to 64G which is helping more with my audio works.
I went for the Studio M1Max 32 GB Ram, 2 TB SSD, 32 GPU and I'm a happy camper. If they don't upgrade the Studio, big deal. Thanks for the great video.
Hi, I currently have a Mac Pro Late 2013 6-core 3.5GHz 32GB RAM and 512GB SSD... I would like to buy a mac studio m1 max 32gb and 512gb ssd I use it essentially with Lightroom Classic Is it worth it or not?
Either BenQ SW or PD, if you are a photographer who prints then choose SW with hardware calibration and 99% Adobe RGB. If you do work for screen and digital consumption then PD will do just fine.
Thanks for the awesome informative videos. I had a quick question, for someone who does photoshop/LrC and Final Cut Pro, would you still recommend to get M1 Max studio ?
I would look at how much you video ratio is compared to photo. If less than 40% I might not bother, if it is 50/50 I say the max for the dual encoder / decoder engine is worth it.
@@ArtIsRight one more question - did you notice any whining noise from Mac Studio in your testing, I am seeing users complaining about Mac Studio max emit whining noise.
I complained about that at first, but it really just all depends on the placement and ambient noise in the room. For instance when I first turned it on in the video, I can hear the fan noise but my studio is really quiet. However, when it comes to normal use, it has been great.
Art. Nicely Done! Thank You! Question. Will use for LRc , PS & Photo Mech work. Currently on a macbook pro. Does the fact that the Mini M2 Pro is spec with Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 and HDMI 2.1 maybe give it an edge over the M1 Max? Is the upgrade for the M2 Pro to the 12/19 for $270 worth consideration? Keep the Faith.
Only if you can use those. Wifi 6E, I mean great but how many have it and worse yet, talking about internet speed overall, how many are getting the theoretical max. I know that some do but majority don't. Bluetooth 5.3 great new features but again how many use and benefit from it. Half of the time we are either using Apple Products or buying products like Logitech that comes with its own dongle. There are some advantages for audio sure but again it is all about having the equipment that check all of the boxes for things to work right. HDMI 2.1 it is good to have but what is the immediate benefit, apple displays uses thunderbolt. You may say HDR output at 4K60 but HDR on computing in general is a messed without miniLED back light and the fundamental issues discussed in my various video still persists. If one does video, for the same price not getting the max is a bad idea. About the 12/19 upgrade, anyone can choose to do it, but is it the best $300 spend, probably not - speed improvement are marginal at best. See this th-cam.com/video/p32JKuRKbqc/w-d-xo.html so all of this comes down to workflow and creative needs. Wifi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 and HDMI 2.1 are ancillary times to considered at best and most people would not even put these 3 things into the comparisons criteria for the reasons above. Either way this is a test / suggestion as usual not a you must buy this or else guide :) Thanks for the questions though.
This is a great video and analysis, thank you so much! I’m at a tough point trying to decide which one to go for right now. I’m not a video creator nor an image one, I’m trying to get into audio mixing and songwriting, so all I’m gonna be doing is use Logic Pro X on those. However, I know I’m gonna need good RAM because I’m planning to use heavy sound libraries. I expect that kind of workload will be way easier than video rendering, but I’m not sure by how much. So I would like to know your view on that please.
Any "Pro" SoC would do just fine, having the "Max" does nothing for audio really. I would get more RAM 32 GB would be the min. Up to 32GB - you can get that in the Pro, anything more then you need the Max/Ultra
Nice analisys, but I want to know if Mac Mini M2 Pro works fine with hard load intense production projects of After effects, Please share, if this is a good option. Thanks.
Love this video and your content, Art. I can't get over the idea of future proofing with a M2 pro. I am a hobbiest videographer on FCPx and wife does some photo edits on lightroom occasionally. Got a $1699 costco mac studio and now contemplating doing the M2 pro 10/16 core, 32 gb, 512 for $1559 edu pricing. Don't need 10 gb ethernet, but i also don't need HDMI 2.1 or Bluetooth 5.3. Any thoughts on this?
Hi Art, just came across your channel. Great video (now a subscriber), I currently run a late 2017 iMac 21.5" with Lightroom, Photoshop, Affinity photo, & sometimes Topaz for my photo editing. My 8 RAM is definitely not cutting it. I think either System would be a HUGE upgrade for me today, however, I'm not sure if 32 RAM available on the Mini or 64 on the Max would be the best option for me 2-3 years down the road. It was nice to see a comparison test that showed my setup nikon D850. What are your thoughts?
32 GB will be a huge improvement to what yo already have. Do you need 64, that all depends? Do you work with lots of apps open, especially the big dual, LRC and PS. If so and you have lots of other apps open as well or lots of tab then 64 GB is worth it. Plus think of it this way 32 could be tight border line not enough but 64 even if you don't use it now, it will give you room for the apps to expand in to.
HI thanks - always good to see the vids. I am only a hobbyis but hope you can point me in the right direction. With my new MacMiniM2Pro with 16GB/512G, I had thought my external SSD might run faster ? My Samsung T7 when totally empty are showing a max of 800 MB/s per Black Magic or AJA utilities. That is approx 20% below theoretical speed so not too bad and wo't really slow me down in practice. Formatting is APFS encrypted. But when I use my WDBlue SN550 or the new WDBlack SN770 the speed does not really inprove much. I had expected these 2 drives to rocket along - they are in good Sabrent EC-SNVE enclosures and I am using the T4 ports on the MacMini wth cables stamped as good for 40Gbps. What am I doing wrong / what settings should I change ? or is 800 as fast as the MacMiniM2 will support? Thank You
My Samsung T7 when totally empty are showing a max of 800 MB/s per Black Magic or AJA utilities. - That is normal. Mac has a lot of IO overhead in drivers. As far as other NVMEs I would try another enclosure. Acasis is the brand that I recommend. Sabrent not so much for speed. I know that on my computer I am getting close to 2.2GB read. Give those and go and let me know. Please start a new comment with response this way I see it.
I am faced with a choice between 16GB and 32GB for my Mac mini m2pro. Considering only the export function of Capture One Pro, is there a difference in the export time between 16GB memory and 32GB memory? (Approximately 1,000 Nikon raw files are exported)
Hi Art, just discovered your channel. I’ve held on to my 27” iMac 2015 late model I think as long as I can. Was going to jump for a Studio Max until the M2 Pro Mini appeared. Now I’m totally up in the air. Your comparisons have help a lot since I’m pretty much just a photographer and not video. A couple of questions - have you noticed any difference in the fans in particular the the fan noise ? Does one run hotter than the other when pushing Lr or Ps ? Would you recommend future proofing of the GPU to 12/19 on the Mini ? I assume your video on Top M2 Pro vs Base M2 Pro is applicable to the Mini not only MacBook ? Thanks
fan noise if you are in a total silent room studio has a light hum. Mini M2 Pro is fairly quiet. Temp there are some variations but they are closed. Max with more GPU is hotter when used. 12/19 is not really future proofing, it is paying $300 for a small marginal gained. If you can justify that and have the funding sure. And yes the video data can be extrapolated just know that the mini is going to be faster than desktop, hence the mimi m2 pro reference machine.
Informative, as always. I’m currently using a 14 inch MacBook Pro maxed out with 32 core GPU and 64G memory, 4T drive. I primarily use Lightroom, Topaz, and Photoshop with 61MP files, and do a bit of application programming. I am always multi-tasking with TH-cam, emails and many other browser sites. I typically edit from local disk and offload images to a Synology, with 10Gb ethernet connection, when the disk is 3.5T. I am looking at adding a desktop so I don’t have to keep swapping the laptop in and out and to get rid of the USB 10Gb ethernet brick. I am struggling with whether the M2 at 32G memory and 16 core GPU (1-2T storage) would be equivalent (using the Synology directly for image files). The only time I feel like I’m waiting excessively is importing, large focus stacked images, or panoramas. Do you have any insight?
I would look at your memory usage on the 64GB machine now. That will give you a good idea of how much RAM you will need and if 32GB is enough or not. Chances are I think you are at or close to equilibrium with 64GB anything less would work but be a push. It will work but will slow down on some task that uses a lot of RAM
I think it was a warehouse / online deal. With the way how things are going, I'm sure that deal will come back similar the 14 MBP M1 base, lots of sales on and off before the new one released.
It is no man land timing right now. If you can get a deal through Costco, Refurb or used, I would go for it, but to buy it at full price, I would advised against it. WWDC is upon us. There'll be some product launches but I can't tell you if M2 Ultra is one of them or not.
@@ArtIsRight beautiful advice thk u ❤️. I wud prob wait for WWDC. Who knows Apple's has tricks up their sleeves. Any predictions tho? I was considering a PC, it cud be cheaper and somewhat future-proof but its complexity n power cons is horrendous 😁
I have always heard heat is electronics worst enemy, will the increased heat from Mac Mini M2 pro chip, be a concern for an earlier failure vs the Max Studio? I only use lightroom for photos.
Yes but relatively speaking. These SoC don't run that hot and if it does, there's a thing called thermo throttling that will slow it down allowing for the chip to cool down. Don't worry about it.
Looking to update from 2017 iMac i5 with 48Gb RAM to a new desktop. Primarily use Capture One with a bit of Photoshop for school. One video says get MS M1Max but specs seem to run better with MM M2Pro. Would the 64Gb RAM be better given I sometimes have Capture 1 and PS on at the same time? Your videos are awesome - thank you for including Capture 1
Look at the export time, more GPU to a certain point is better for C1, hence the recommendation. There's nothing in the spec and actual usage data / utilization of C1 that makes it run better on the Pro variant of the SoC. And if you can afford to get 64GB then yes.
Thank you for this cost/performance comparison of Desktop Mac hardware configurations! In the video when deciding on how long to hold a slide up for review before going to the next a good rule is the same as a teacher deciding on how long it will take the average student to complete a test is you should be able to easily read the material twice (and work if its a test) for the average person to get though it once. That's because you already have the information in your mind and it doesn't take you time to interpret and process it, as it does when first exposed to it. People can pause the video, but that disrupts the flow. For stress testing a computer I'd like to see a batch video processing task. For the serious image producer I'd think having two Macs with one used for batch processes is an option that should be explored. This also makes having local 10Gbps ethernet ports where the computer is really able to run full duplex at that speed beneficial. When I was a Unix administrators it was common practice to develop code segments on local desktop Unix systems, but a large code compile was put on remote high memory Unix system.
I hear you but that is also why there's a "pause" disclaimer at the beginning. This is one of those USS Kobayashi Maru scenario for any creators. 10 GbE editing would not make that much of a differences at all in image editing. It is similar to running it on an SSD, most apps including LRC don't peak more than 300 MB/s if that most of time it is much lower than that number, sub 100 MB/s like shown here th-cam.com/video/-8UfQ-Tw9aw/w-d-xo.html
@@ArtIsRight Sorry I didn't catch the "pause" disclaimer. You appear to bring up critical metrics for weighing cost verses function. I am mostly paying attention to the conclusion. I was waiting for Apple silicone iMac Pro with 30" - 32" display and a good complement of physical ports. The Apple rumors are Apple is not in a hurry or possibly not going to release such a machine and the advice is making up a component system isn't that much different of a desktop presence than an Apple monitor and a Mac mini or Mac Studio processor with the benefit in 7 - 8 years the monitor will likely still have value while the processor will not. You are likely paying an extra $300 - $400 getting the system as components rather than a well packaged all-in-one iMac Pro that doesn't exist. Now I think I'd wait for the M3 Macs, but it I needed a serous system now or somebody I knew did I think I'd have confidence in choosing a component system. I'd want to hone in a bit, but it looks like a good choice. My mom recently purchased the iMac 24" memory maxed out with 500 GB SSD Dec. 2022. Its manufacture date is actually way back in 2021. Its very click responsive, but I'm disappointed in the display contrast and color rendering. The display doesn't seem as good as the older Intel iMac. It has a much higher resolution screen, but at only 24" the resolution needs to be run at medium resulting in only a slight increase in screen display over the Intel iMac 20". Bluetooth has been quirky compared with the previous Intel iMac especially with its delivered bluetooth keyboard and mouse. The previous Intel iMac's bluetooth mouse and keyboard are actually faster to discover and work better with the new M1 iMac. We're using those. I've read online the M1 silicone bluetooth is not up to the bluetooth performance of the past Intel based Macs. My experience has been at least that bad with the M1 iMac 24". Twisted pair ethernet gets its speed rating from full duplex speed. One way transfers is half the full duplex speed and some computers don't even allow duplex, simultaneous transmitting and receiving. Thin net ethernet using thin coax cable actually approaches throughput one way near its rated speed. A good estiimate of a high performing 10 Gbps ethernet, which is commonly twisted pair, would be 1/2 X 10 = 5 Gbps divided by 10 (8 bit to a byte, but there is overhead typically dividing by 10 is likely to be closer to reality and can be done in your head) you get 500 MB/s. That is actually still really good.
Great video watching again just to hone in, but it would be interesting to know how these machines cope with very large layered PhotoShop files as a designer I quite frequently end up with massive pieces of artwork. These layered files can be huge until they are finally compressed at the end. Would in most cases also be keeping the very large working file just in case. I also do photos and video as well.
As always, great video between these 2 desktop computer! I am wondering where the double memory bandwidth from M Pro to M Max and toM Ultra plays a role from a performance perspective…. Anyway, thank you for presenting us all these benchmark!
Not at all, I've tested in the M1 Pro / MAX gen already. TLDR, the apps that we have today can't take advantage of this yet. Also it is not just CPU/GPU but also you have to use NPU simultaneously at the same time as well. We are not there yet... sadly....
Hey Art, Just curious about why you chose the lower power M2 Pro? It looks like you wanted to compare like-for-like Core size. I think a more appropriate comparison would be to look at comparison between comparably priced models - compare the M2 Pro with the 12 cores with the Studio Max as they are within $100 of each other when configured with 32Gb and the 512 SSD. But I would imaging the 2 more cores in the CPU and 3 more in the GPU.
Because as I shared in other videos, I don't think that the extra 2 CPU and 3 GPU justify the extra $300 price point. That one would get a better overall performance and see more real world photo benefit when upgrading to 32GB of RAM vs upgrading the SoC. Price / performance improvement is justification. Either way, all the reason shared here are still valid, video, choose MAX, Photo Pro will do just fine
not really everything is designed within the thermo envelop that it operates in. Apple silicon run rather cool and one would have to push it hard before it throttle. So get what you need.
Might be nice to see the tests repeated with M2 Pro Mac mini 16 vs 32 GB of RAM, just to see how much of a factor RAM is. I believe there is a way to essentially turn OFF 16 GB of RAM in your 32 GB model by creating a 16 GB RAM disk and then filling up that RAM disk with something. Would also be interesting to see differences in memory pressure for the 16 vs 32.
Well the test that uses RAM you can already see in this video. And if you want know RAM performance you can just extrapolate my various M2 PRO / MAX laptop comparison video.
@@ArtIsRight thanks Art. I just received my 14” MacBook Pro M2 Max 32GB 1tb setup and compared it to my older 16” MacBook Pro M1 Max same configuration In my unscientific testing using Nikon Z9 HE* RAW files the M2 for me was only about 10% faster building 1:1 previews then my M1. I did not see the “significant” improvement you saw when doing the 1:1 previews. I still plan to keep 14 because I love the size
I think I may know why. Z9 compression is way different and it takes the computer much longer to decode, For instance, between my compressed set of D850 files and compressed Z9 files HE, Z9 files take about a good 3-5 min longer. So I can see why the improvement is only 10%. Along the line of what I said we are seeing 10-20% bump at most, not quite what Apple marketing materials said.
Do think that I have all them in 1 TB, but that is not necessary the only 1 task where you will see an issue with SSD speed, which is way too over blown and hype is the PS 56GB test, which is an edge case for most people and even in this extreme scenario, we are only looking at about 1 min longer to run the test using a 512GB vs 1TB SSD, or 2 1/2 min and 3 1/2 min respectively.
@@ArtIsRight I was looking more for editing side performance comparison using premiere pro and resolve and FCP but that too with the Mac mini 12/19 gpu core version.... which could be the toughest competition. or say closest competitor. nevertheless there are some parameters which are very close if one can imaging the 12c/19gpu version based on this review
For video work, normal grind in timeline will be about the same. MAX will still beat the Pro in encoder / decoder, h.264, HEVC, but not necessary in ProRes 422 because all SoC has the same dedicated engine.
I only hope there is a M2 Ultra Mac Studio coming/announced on March 14 Apple Event. Hopefully then we will also see used M1 Mac Studios coming to Ebay.
The word on the street (well, internet) is that Apple will launch a new Mac Pro before upgrading the Mac Studio to M2 chips.....and the latter is not even certain......
Thanks for the video Art. Looks like for most applications, it is a toss up between the two. My friend was asking me about these two machines. I have the Max with 64GB RAM/1TB and was telling him he should get the same config. However, he carries his machine between office and home a lot and the Mini is more compact and more conducive for that. I'll have him look at your video before his final decision. Currently he shoots with a Sony A7III and Canon 5D MK III and the 32GB RAM should be more than sufficient. BTW, he currently uses an old Mini with 16GB/1TB config and loves it. He probably owns a half a dozen PC towers and a few laptops but Mini is the machine he uses almost exclusively these days! Go figure. The softwares he uses for photo work are PS, LRC, AC/DC and Luminar Neo. For video he uses Premiere Pro.
I’m tortured by the comparison. So far, I’ve ordered and canceled the order for the Studio. And this week ordered and canceled the order for the M2P mini…
Yes there are talks about SSD but a lot of this is looking at the machine performance, not sure how you missed that with all of the charts, perhaps you just watch 3 min of this and post this. There are so much more, but we hear, what we want to hear. Oh well.
I Do Music Production And I Am Not Happy With My Mac Studio Ultra I Have Maxed Out Ram And The VST Instrument Performance Using Cubase 12 Sucks And Just Had Another Happen Yesterday 95% Of The File Folders In My ( Application Support ) Folder Disappeared Just Were Gone They Were Not In The Trash Bin And Then Some Of My Software Would Not Open Saying NO VALID LICENSE I Had To Reinstall The Licenses And Then It Happened Again In 20 Years Of Using Apple Mac I Never Had That Happen I Am Not Happy
I am guessing the issue happens due to software compatibility with Apple silicon. It also happens on plug-ins on Video apps, which were optimized for Intel chips, not Apple silicon yet.
The basemodell of the mac mini m2 is probably all you need if you do only photos since it kicks my old workstation with a 11 gig gtx 1080 insides but for under half the price I paid for it. I use it for video which I believecis a bit harder for a computer compared to photos. th-cam.com/video/OxgFAtrwNgc/w-d-xo.html
it all depends, personally I would rather pay the extra 300 to get a much faster export time. That increased performance is justified for me. But one need to examine their own workflow, usage and where they are in the creative endeavor.
Yes it does and in real life is account for nothing. I've tested this extensively with the M1 gen already. It is a variable to know about but not really consider in real life usage. Software right now can't handle that type of bandwidth to start with, let alone saturated it.
I love your videos, it’s exactly the kind of information I am looking for at any given point. I really appreciate it. Thanks for all of your work.
You are so welcome!
One of the best comparison videos I’ve seen on mac desktops. Super clear, no drama, fact based, thorough, great job.
Thank you!
Hey Art. First time watching one of your videos and this was exactly what I was looking for. Deep analysis but not in a shouty over the top presentation style like so many others. Thanks
Awesome, thank you!
Great Video with a very methodical approach. Lots of thoughts and analysis has given into it which is apparent. Thanks
THanks
Thanks for this comparison video. I have a M1 Mac Mini 16GB and 512 HD since 2020. It’s an awesome machine for photo and light video but want a machine capable for more demanding work. Recently was battling to decide between M2 Pro Mac Mini and the Mac Studio base model. Saw a lot of reviews here in TH-cam and few weeks ago finally I bought the Mac Studio M1 Max at $1699 brand new at Costco. Can’t let pass that offer.
Good
What monitor are y using with your Mac mini?
@@andersphansson8335 I use the Acer Nitro VG280K 28" UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS Gaming Monitor. Specs: 100% sRGB, DCI-P3 90% and HDR10 Technology.
@@GTphotofilm thanks and settings 4K?
@@andersphansson8335 the monitor its HDMI 2.0 at 60hz an thats the specs of the HDMI port of the MacMini & and also Mac Studio. Produce pretty good colors and sharpness.
Hey Art, can I just note that in Broadcast TV, ProRes just *is* typically what studios deliver to clients. H264 etc is what we’ll export after that main export, for web, and I’ll do that web export over lunch or when I go home, so that 3 minutes difference doesn’t really affect me , so for my money, the M2 MM is a value powerhouse that punches above its weight , especially when it comes to ProRes export which is a crucial metric for editors working in Broadcast, especially when measured against the more expensive Mac Studio Max or Ultra. I went ahead and bought M2 Pro MM 32/1TB 12cpu/19gpu 10gigE, also noting that the Mac Studio may well be one and done as Apple doesn’t want it to canibalise the upcoming MacPro.
For what you do yes, I can see that but for transcoder, h.264 or hevc export then studio is the way to go!
Thanks Art, very detailed and great presentation style, I am now a subscriber.
Also reassures me that Studio is better for my Long recording time GoPro and Insta360 One Inch video centric workflow along with 360 degree virtual tours.
Just curious, what tablet were you using because it will be one to go for based on your knowledge.
Thanks again.
iPad Pro 12.9" I have the miniLED version with the M1 SoC, the current version is the exact same with M2 SoC. There's an 11" version as well, however, this size does not have miniLED display.
Super helpful, well done video. Thanks so much for the informative comparison.
Much Appreciated
thank you so much for doing this and especially at the level that you do these tests at. I was just thinking of going with one of these exact machines and was wanting real test results and you did it for me, thank you!
You're very welcome!
Thanks for the review and advises. I already had M1 Max Mac Studio. I am super happy with it, super fast with FCP. Also I updated memory to 64G which is helping more with my audio works.
Very nice!
U'R doing a SUPERB job here! Thanks a lot for these tests! :)
Thank you!
I love this presentation format, and the data provided is highly informative. Thank you!
Our pleasure!
I went for the Studio M1Max 32 GB Ram, 2 TB SSD, 32 GPU and I'm a happy camper. If they don't upgrade the Studio, big deal. Thanks for the great video.
👊🏼
Hi, I currently have a Mac Pro Late 2013 6-core 3.5GHz 32GB RAM and 512GB SSD... I would like to buy a
mac studio m1 max 32gb and 512gb ssd
I use it essentially with Lightroom Classic
Is it worth it or not?
Totally, that MP is so slow, I have one, I know ;)
thank you very much@@ArtIsRight
Helpful advice and breakdown of the two options.
Glad it was helpful!
Great videos! Been watching these for months before I dive in with the M2 mini pro.
Great to hear!
Great video again! Have ordered a Mac mini m2 pro. Q; what monitor do you recommend with high Rgb, for photo editing, printing?
Either BenQ SW or PD, if you are a photographer who prints then choose SW with hardware calibration and 99% Adobe RGB. If you do work for screen and digital consumption then PD will do just fine.
@@ArtIsRight thanks! No issue switch scaling and BenQ?
Non that I know of
Thanks for the awesome informative videos. I had a quick question, for someone who does photoshop/LrC and Final Cut Pro, would you still recommend to get M1 Max studio ?
I would look at how much you video ratio is compared to photo. If less than 40% I might not bother, if it is 50/50 I say the max for the dual encoder / decoder engine is worth it.
@@ArtIsRight thank you. I foresee more video work in future, so will stick to Mac Studio. thanks
👍🏼
@@ArtIsRight one more question - did you notice any whining noise from Mac Studio in your testing, I am seeing users complaining about Mac Studio max emit whining noise.
I complained about that at first, but it really just all depends on the placement and ambient noise in the room. For instance when I first turned it on in the video, I can hear the fan noise but my studio is really quiet. However, when it comes to normal use, it has been great.
Art. Nicely Done! Thank You! Question. Will use for LRc , PS & Photo Mech work. Currently on a macbook pro. Does the fact that the Mini M2 Pro is spec with Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 and HDMI 2.1 maybe give it an edge over the M1 Max? Is the upgrade for the M2 Pro to the 12/19 for $270 worth consideration? Keep the Faith.
Only if you can use those. Wifi 6E, I mean great but how many have it and worse yet, talking about internet speed overall, how many are getting the theoretical max. I know that some do but majority don't. Bluetooth 5.3 great new features but again how many use and benefit from it. Half of the time we are either using Apple Products or buying products like Logitech that comes with its own dongle. There are some advantages for audio sure but again it is all about having the equipment that check all of the boxes for things to work right. HDMI 2.1 it is good to have but what is the immediate benefit, apple displays uses thunderbolt. You may say HDR output at 4K60 but HDR on computing in general is a messed without miniLED back light and the fundamental issues discussed in my various video still persists. If one does video, for the same price not getting the max is a bad idea. About the 12/19 upgrade, anyone can choose to do it, but is it the best $300 spend, probably not - speed improvement are marginal at best. See this th-cam.com/video/p32JKuRKbqc/w-d-xo.html so all of this comes down to workflow and creative needs. Wifi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 and HDMI 2.1 are ancillary times to considered at best and most people would not even put these 3 things into the comparisons criteria for the reasons above. Either way this is a test / suggestion as usual not a you must buy this or else guide :) Thanks for the questions though.
You always read my mind with your videos. Thanks. :)
You're welcome!
This is a great video and analysis, thank you so much!
I’m at a tough point trying to decide which one to go for right now.
I’m not a video creator nor an image one, I’m trying to get into audio mixing and songwriting, so all I’m gonna be doing is use Logic Pro X on those. However, I know I’m gonna need good RAM because I’m planning to use heavy sound libraries. I expect that kind of workload will be way easier than video rendering, but I’m not sure by how much.
So I would like to know your view on that please.
Any "Pro" SoC would do just fine, having the "Max" does nothing for audio really. I would get more RAM 32 GB would be the min. Up to 32GB - you can get that in the Pro, anything more then you need the Max/Ultra
Nice analisys, but I want to know if Mac Mini M2 Pro works fine with hard load intense production projects of After effects, Please share, if this is a good option. Thanks.
Yes
Thank you, Art, very professional!!! Great video
Thank you! Cheers!
Exactly the test I needed for my decision! buy the M1 Max now, thank you
Nice!
Love this video and your content, Art.
I can't get over the idea of future proofing with a M2 pro. I am a hobbiest videographer on FCPx and wife does some photo edits on lightroom occasionally.
Got a $1699 costco mac studio and now contemplating doing the M2 pro 10/16 core, 32 gb, 512 for $1559 edu pricing. Don't need 10 gb ethernet, but i also don't need HDMI 2.1 or Bluetooth 5.3.
Any thoughts on this?
M2 Pro mini is great deal especially if you don't do video. If you do video it is max all the way.
Hi Art, just came across your channel. Great video (now a subscriber), I currently run a late 2017 iMac 21.5" with Lightroom, Photoshop, Affinity photo, & sometimes Topaz for my photo editing. My 8 RAM is definitely not cutting it. I think either System would be a HUGE upgrade for me today, however, I'm not sure if 32 RAM available on the Mini or 64 on the Max would be the best option for me 2-3 years down the road. It was nice to see a comparison test that showed my setup nikon D850. What are your thoughts?
32 GB will be a huge improvement to what yo already have. Do you need 64, that all depends? Do you work with lots of apps open, especially the big dual, LRC and PS. If so and you have lots of other apps open as well or lots of tab then 64 GB is worth it. Plus think of it this way 32 could be tight border line not enough but 64 even if you don't use it now, it will give you room for the apps to expand in to.
@@ArtIsRight Generally, when I use LRC, PS and/or Topaz, I don't have a lot of tabs open when I'm editing photos.
32 would be the minimum. You might be able to get away with that.
HI thanks - always good to see the vids. I am only a hobbyis but hope you can point me in the right direction. With my new MacMiniM2Pro with 16GB/512G, I had thought my external SSD might run faster ? My Samsung T7 when totally empty are showing a max of 800 MB/s per Black Magic or AJA utilities. That is approx 20% below theoretical speed so not too bad and wo't really slow me down in practice. Formatting is APFS encrypted. But when I use my WDBlue SN550 or the new WDBlack SN770 the speed does not really inprove much. I had expected these 2 drives to rocket along - they are in good Sabrent EC-SNVE enclosures and I am using the T4 ports on the MacMini wth cables stamped as good for 40Gbps. What am I doing wrong / what settings should I change ? or is 800 as fast as the MacMiniM2 will support? Thank You
My Samsung T7 when totally empty are showing a max of 800 MB/s per Black Magic or AJA utilities.
- That is normal. Mac has a lot of IO overhead in drivers.
As far as other NVMEs I would try another enclosure. Acasis is the brand that I recommend. Sabrent not so much for speed. I know that on my computer I am getting close to 2.2GB read.
Give those and go and let me know. Please start a new comment with response this way I see it.
I am faced with a choice between 16GB and 32GB for my Mac mini m2pro. Considering only the export function of Capture One Pro, is there a difference in the export time between 16GB memory and 32GB memory? (Approximately 1,000 Nikon raw files are exported)
No
Very helpful. Thank you!
You're welcome!
Hi Art, just discovered your channel. I’ve held on to my 27” iMac 2015 late model I think as long as I can. Was going to jump for a Studio Max until the M2 Pro Mini appeared. Now I’m totally up in the air. Your comparisons have help a lot since I’m pretty much just a photographer and not video. A couple of questions - have you noticed any difference in the fans in particular the the fan noise ? Does one run hotter than the other when pushing Lr or Ps ? Would you recommend future proofing of the GPU to 12/19 on the Mini ? I assume your video on Top M2 Pro vs Base M2 Pro is applicable to the Mini not only MacBook ? Thanks
fan noise if you are in a total silent room studio has a light hum. Mini M2 Pro is fairly quiet. Temp there are some variations but they are closed. Max with more GPU is hotter when used. 12/19 is not really future proofing, it is paying $300 for a small marginal gained. If you can justify that and have the funding sure. And yes the video data can be extrapolated just know that the mini is going to be faster than desktop, hence the mimi m2 pro reference machine.
Excellent video, thanks Art!
My pleasure!
Informative, as always. I’m currently using a 14 inch MacBook Pro maxed out with 32 core GPU and 64G memory, 4T drive. I primarily use Lightroom, Topaz, and Photoshop with 61MP files, and do a bit of application programming. I am always multi-tasking with TH-cam, emails and many other browser sites. I typically edit from local disk and offload images to a Synology, with 10Gb ethernet connection, when the disk is 3.5T. I am looking at adding a desktop so I don’t have to keep swapping the laptop in and out and to get rid of the USB 10Gb ethernet brick. I am struggling with whether the M2 at 32G memory and 16 core GPU (1-2T storage) would be equivalent (using the Synology directly for image files). The only time I feel like I’m waiting excessively is importing, large focus stacked images, or panoramas. Do you have any insight?
I would look at your memory usage on the 64GB machine now. That will give you a good idea of how much RAM you will need and if 32GB is enough or not. Chances are I think you are at or close to equilibrium with 64GB anything less would work but be a push. It will work but will slow down on some task that uses a lot of RAM
Outstanding Presentation! Picked up the Max Studio Base Model from Costco for $1699!
That is or was one of the best deal around!
Nice! Was that an in store deal? Website states $1949.
@@danieldphotos got it online two weeks ago. must have been a sale. check site again in a few weeks - it may come back on sale
I think it was a warehouse / online deal. With the way how things are going, I'm sure that deal will come back similar the 14 MBP M1 base, lots of sales on and off before the new one released.
Great vid! I m torn between mini M2 Pro 10/16 or Mac Studio 32gb for video and audio. Any recommendation?
Video better off with studio.
@@ArtIsRight thank you
@@ArtIsRight Mac Studio M2 anytime soon, u think? Kinda gamble here takin the current studio
It is no man land timing right now. If you can get a deal through Costco, Refurb or used, I would go for it, but to buy it at full price, I would advised against it. WWDC is upon us. There'll be some product launches but I can't tell you if M2 Ultra is one of them or not.
@@ArtIsRight beautiful advice thk u ❤️. I wud prob wait for WWDC. Who knows Apple's has tricks up their sleeves. Any predictions tho?
I was considering a PC, it cud be cheaper and somewhat future-proof but its complexity n power cons is horrendous 😁
Hi I am Street Photographer and Filmmaker. I am shooting cinematic videos. So for Photo and Video Editing which machine will be the best?
Either really, what do you do more, photo or video. Choose base on primary task
I have always heard heat is electronics worst enemy, will the increased heat from Mac Mini M2 pro chip, be a concern for an earlier failure vs the Max Studio? I only use lightroom for photos.
Yes but relatively speaking. These SoC don't run that hot and if it does, there's a thing called thermo throttling that will slow it down allowing for the chip to cool down. Don't worry about it.
This video makes me realize that my decision to purchase a Refurb M1Max Mac Studio was the best choice, given the better I/O.
👍🏼
Truly appreciated for great content!
Much Appreciated!
Looking to update from 2017 iMac i5 with 48Gb RAM to a new desktop. Primarily use Capture One with a bit of Photoshop for school. One video says get MS M1Max but specs seem to run better with MM M2Pro. Would the 64Gb RAM be better given I sometimes have Capture 1 and PS on at the same time? Your videos are awesome - thank you for including Capture 1
Look at the export time, more GPU to a certain point is better for C1, hence the recommendation. There's nothing in the spec and actual usage data / utilization of C1 that makes it run better on the Pro variant of the SoC. And if you can afford to get 64GB then yes.
@@ArtIsRight thank you
Thank you for this cost/performance comparison of Desktop Mac hardware configurations! In the video when deciding on how long to hold a slide up for review before going to the next a good rule is the same as a teacher deciding on how long it will take the average student to complete a test is you should be able to easily read the material twice (and work if its a test) for the average person to get though it once. That's because you already have the information in your mind and it doesn't take you time to interpret and process it, as it does when first exposed to it. People can pause the video, but that disrupts the flow.
For stress testing a computer I'd like to see a batch video processing task. For the serious image producer I'd think having two Macs with one used for batch processes is an option that should be explored. This also makes having local 10Gbps ethernet ports where the computer is really able to run full duplex at that speed beneficial. When I was a Unix administrators it was common practice to develop code segments on local desktop Unix systems, but a large code compile was put on remote high memory Unix system.
I hear you but that is also why there's a "pause" disclaimer at the beginning. This is one of those USS Kobayashi Maru scenario for any creators. 10 GbE editing would not make that much of a differences at all in image editing. It is similar to running it on an SSD, most apps including LRC don't peak more than 300 MB/s if that most of time it is much lower than that number, sub 100 MB/s like shown here th-cam.com/video/-8UfQ-Tw9aw/w-d-xo.html
@@ArtIsRight Sorry I didn't catch the "pause" disclaimer. You appear to bring up critical metrics for weighing cost verses function. I am mostly paying attention to the conclusion.
I was waiting for Apple silicone iMac Pro with 30" - 32" display and a good complement of physical ports. The Apple rumors are Apple is not in a hurry or possibly not going to release such a machine and the advice is making up a component system isn't that much different of a desktop presence than an Apple monitor and a Mac mini or Mac Studio processor with the benefit in 7 - 8 years the monitor will likely still have value while the processor will not. You are likely paying an extra $300 - $400 getting the system as components rather than a well packaged all-in-one iMac Pro that doesn't exist. Now I think I'd wait for the M3 Macs, but it I needed a serous system now or somebody I knew did I think I'd have confidence in choosing a component system. I'd want to hone in a bit, but it looks like a good choice.
My mom recently purchased the iMac 24" memory maxed out with 500 GB SSD Dec. 2022. Its manufacture date is actually way back in 2021. Its very click responsive, but I'm disappointed in the display contrast and color rendering. The display doesn't seem as good as the older Intel iMac. It has a much higher resolution screen, but at only 24" the resolution needs to be run at medium resulting in only a slight increase in screen display over the Intel iMac 20". Bluetooth has been quirky compared with the previous Intel iMac especially with its delivered bluetooth keyboard and mouse. The previous Intel iMac's bluetooth mouse and keyboard are actually faster to discover and work better with the new M1 iMac. We're using those. I've read online the M1 silicone bluetooth is not up to the bluetooth performance of the past Intel based Macs. My experience has been at least that bad with the M1 iMac 24".
Twisted pair ethernet gets its speed rating from full duplex speed. One way transfers is half the full duplex speed and some computers don't even allow duplex, simultaneous transmitting and receiving. Thin net ethernet using thin coax cable actually approaches throughput one way near its rated speed. A good estiimate of a high performing 10 Gbps ethernet, which is commonly twisted pair, would be 1/2 X 10 = 5 Gbps divided by 10 (8 bit to a byte, but there is overhead typically dividing by 10 is likely to be closer to reality and can be done in your head) you get 500 MB/s. That is actually still really good.
Great video watching again just to hone in, but it would be interesting to know how these machines cope with very large layered PhotoShop files as a designer I quite frequently end up with massive pieces of artwork. These layered files can be huge until they are finally compressed at the end. Would in most cases also be keeping the very large working file just in case. I also do photos and video as well.
Look at the PS benchmark Medium chart @13:22 it handle it just fine
@@ArtIsRight Thank you! 😊
As always, great video between these 2 desktop computer!
I am wondering where the double memory bandwidth from M Pro to M Max and toM Ultra plays a role from a performance perspective….
Anyway, thank you for presenting us all these benchmark!
Not at all, I've tested in the M1 Pro / MAX gen already. TLDR, the apps that we have today can't take advantage of this yet. Also it is not just CPU/GPU but also you have to use NPU simultaneously at the same time as well. We are not there yet... sadly....
@@ArtIsRight I thank you very much because it will help me to set up the right machine to use Logic Pro.
Good info thanks
You bet
Hey Art,
Just curious about why you chose the lower power M2 Pro? It looks like you wanted to compare like-for-like Core size. I think a more appropriate comparison would be to look at comparison between comparably priced models - compare the M2 Pro with the 12 cores with the Studio Max as they are within $100 of each other when configured with 32Gb and the 512 SSD. But I would imaging the 2 more cores in the CPU and 3 more in the GPU.
Because as I shared in other videos, I don't think that the extra 2 CPU and 3 GPU justify the extra $300 price point. That one would get a better overall performance and see more real world photo benefit when upgrading to 32GB of RAM vs upgrading the SoC. Price / performance improvement is justification. Either way, all the reason shared here are still valid, video, choose MAX, Photo Pro will do just fine
After a short conversation with Apple sales expert, I got an inkling that new Mac Studio with M2 chips just around the corner.
Probably, but they don't know release timeline until product is announced but from the timing for everything, it would seem so.
@@ArtIsRight When will the new comparison? Looking forward it.
Is there a video you've done that covers a bit of 3d as well?
no
Wouldn't the Mac Mini start earlier to throttle the CPU because it has a less capable cooling system?
not really everything is designed within the thermo envelop that it operates in. Apple silicon run rather cool and one would have to push it hard before it throttle. So get what you need.
Might be nice to see the tests repeated with M2 Pro Mac mini 16 vs 32 GB of RAM, just to see how much of a factor RAM is. I believe there is a way to essentially turn OFF 16 GB of RAM in your 32 GB model by creating a 16 GB RAM disk and then filling up that RAM disk with something. Would also be interesting to see differences in memory pressure for the 16 vs 32.
Well the test that uses RAM you can already see in this video. And if you want know RAM performance you can just extrapolate my various M2 PRO / MAX laptop comparison video.
Art quick question when you do your LRC Import 1:1 previews are you applying a preset during import or do you have not set to "None"
set to none, been consistence, setting to various preset can add 1-3 min depending on the group of files and presets.
@@ArtIsRight thanks Art. I just received my 14” MacBook Pro M2 Max 32GB 1tb setup and compared it to my older 16” MacBook Pro M1 Max same configuration
In my unscientific testing using Nikon Z9 HE* RAW files the M2 for me was only about 10% faster building 1:1 previews then my M1. I did not see the “significant” improvement you saw when doing the 1:1 previews. I still plan to keep 14 because I love the size
I think I may know why. Z9 compression is way different and it takes the computer much longer to decode, For instance, between my compressed set of D850 files and compressed Z9 files HE, Z9 files take about a good 3-5 min longer. So I can see why the improvement is only 10%. Along the line of what I said we are seeing 10-20% bump at most, not quite what Apple marketing materials said.
@@ArtIsRight Art as you name applies Art is Right it has to the compression Nikon is using now. Makes complete sense.
Thank you! Interestingly enough, Nikon is doing massive compressions with the Z9 files. The algorithm that they license is really great!
we would love to see ( MBP M1 max vs M2 Pro vs M2 Max ) all with 1Tb SSD at one vid as a recap, if possible
Do think that I have all them in 1 TB, but that is not necessary the only 1 task where you will see an issue with SSD speed, which is way too over blown and hype is the PS 56GB test, which is an edge case for most people and even in this extreme scenario, we are only looking at about 1 min longer to run the test using a 512GB vs 1TB SSD, or 2 1/2 min and 3 1/2 min respectively.
You are amazing
Thank You!
Thanks... 👍
Welcome 😊
@@ArtIsRight I was looking more for editing side performance comparison using premiere pro and resolve and FCP but that too with the Mac mini 12/19 gpu core version.... which could be the toughest competition. or say closest competitor. nevertheless there are some parameters which are very close if one can imaging the 12c/19gpu version based on this review
For video work, normal grind in timeline will be about the same. MAX will still beat the Pro in encoder / decoder, h.264, HEVC, but not necessary in ProRes 422 because all SoC has the same dedicated engine.
I only hope there is a M2 Ultra Mac Studio coming/announced on March 14 Apple Event. Hopefully then we will also see used M1 Mac Studios coming to Ebay.
The word on the street (well, internet) is that Apple will launch a new Mac Pro before upgrading the Mac Studio to M2 chips.....and the latter is not even certain......
@spotr well I hear that the technical problems with the Mac pro are so large that we won't see a real one for a long time.
We'll see soon!
Will there be a new M2 Max Studio or Mac Pro with M2 Max?
I have no idea, based on what I am hearing and seeing it may be a Mac Pro M2 MAX/Ultra and no studio this time around.
@@ArtIsRight oh, I hope it would be priced similar to the base model Mac Studio since there's a big market for that.
we'll see knowing Apple, they may easily add $1000 and called it the Pro model.
M2 24ram or M2pro 16ram? 🤔 My budget is $1.300 aprox
watch this, exact same idea th-cam.com/video/539Bs3dLS04/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for the video Art. Looks like for most applications, it is a toss up between the two.
My friend was asking me about these two machines. I have the Max with 64GB RAM/1TB and was telling him he should get the same config. However, he carries his machine between office and home a lot and the Mini is more compact and more conducive for that. I'll have him look at your video before his final decision. Currently he shoots with a Sony A7III and Canon 5D MK III and the 32GB RAM should be more than sufficient.
BTW, he currently uses an old Mini with 16GB/1TB config and loves it. He probably owns a half a dozen PC towers and a few laptops but Mini is the machine he uses almost exclusively these days! Go figure. The softwares he uses for photo work are PS, LRC, AC/DC and Luminar Neo. For video he uses Premiere Pro.
If primary is photo then pro with occasional video. If primary video then MAX no doubt.
I have m2 pro Mac mini ordered, but now Mac Studio is only 1500...
I know I saw that too, I have a few clients that is in the same dilemma as you.
@@ArtIsRight sadly I wouldn't be able to cancel current one and do studio on payment plan.
hmm, you can return the current one, but payment plan, that I can't advise you
I’m tortured by the comparison. So far, I’ve ordered and canceled the order for the Studio. And this week ordered and canceled the order for the M2P mini…
simply enough ask yourself do you do video and how much. If yes you do video and often then max, if every now and then pro is fine.
@@ArtIsRight Pulled the trigger for a refurb Studio.
Nice!
@@ArtIsRight Thanks for your meticulous reviews!
@@RollGlide are you happy with your purchase?
There's all this analysis of internal SSD speeds when the cost of upgrading the mac mini pro to 1TB is $200. What a waste of time.
Yes there are talks about SSD but a lot of this is looking at the machine performance, not sure how you missed that with all of the charts, perhaps you just watch 3 min of this and post this. There are so much more, but we hear, what we want to hear. Oh well.
I Do Music Production And I Am Not Happy With My Mac Studio Ultra I Have Maxed Out Ram And The VST Instrument Performance Using Cubase 12 Sucks And Just Had Another Happen Yesterday 95% Of The File Folders In My ( Application Support ) Folder Disappeared Just Were Gone They Were Not In The Trash Bin And Then Some Of My Software Would Not Open Saying NO VALID LICENSE I Had To Reinstall The Licenses And Then It Happened Again In 20 Years Of Using Apple Mac I Never Had That Happen I Am Not Happy
I am guessing the issue happens due to software compatibility with Apple silicon. It also happens on plug-ins on Video apps, which were optimized for Intel chips, not Apple silicon yet.
@@yenjun0204 That Is Intresting Thank For The Info
Yes sadly sound have not really caught up with Apple Silicon yet, it is a really slow progress.
The basemodell of the mac mini m2 is probably all you need if you do only photos since it kicks my old workstation with a 11 gig gtx 1080 insides but for under half the price I paid for it. I use it for video which I believecis a bit harder for a computer compared to photos.
th-cam.com/video/OxgFAtrwNgc/w-d-xo.html
it all depends, personally I would rather pay the extra 300 to get a much faster export time. That increased performance is justified for me. But one need to examine their own workflow, usage and where they are in the creative endeavor.
Please remember that both the M1 Max, and M1 Ultra have twice, and four times the memory bandwidth of the M2 Pro, respectively.
Yes it does and in real life is account for nothing. I've tested this extensively with the M1 gen already. It is a variable to know about but not really consider in real life usage. Software right now can't handle that type of bandwidth to start with, let alone saturated it.
irelevant 10 core cpu
right, ditto comment.