Do you remember a week ago when we reviewed an Apple computer priced at only 3699 yuan — the Mac mini?

This is currently the cheapest new Mac computer. If you want to experience the Mac ecosystem without spending too much money, this is a good choice.

Today, our protagonist is still it, but the configuration has changed significantly, with the processor upgraded toM2 Pro, and the Thunderbolt ports have been upgraded fromtwo tofour, making it the complete version of the new Mac mini.

So how does this computer perform in real-world tests, and is it worth spending so much more to purchase? Let’s analyze it briefly:

Apple Mac mini

Swipe left to see the ports

Back of the machine

Its configuration is as follows:

Apple M2 Pro chip (10-core CPU + 16-core GPU)

16GB unified memory

512GB SSD

Length 197 mm

Width 197 mm

Height 36 mm

Weight 1.28 kg

Power cord weight 73 g

Official price 9999 yuan, educational discount 9199 yuan

Its advantages and disadvantages are as follows:

Advantages!

1. Exquisite workmanship, good texture of the body

2. Good performance release, internal cooling module optimized

3. Very low noise under high load

Disadvantages!

1. The starting price of M2 Pro is very high

2. No expandability, and the official upgrade prices are severe

3. Poor speaker quality (far inferior to MacBook)

[Upgrade Suggestions]

Disassembling the Mac mini is quite troublesome. First, you need to remove the bottom black cover fixed by the clips, exposing the metal cover underneath the bottom shell, secured with a star screw. Note that the metal cover is connected to a screw-fixed WiFi antenna. After disconnecting the antenna, removing the metal cover will reveal the internal machine.

Further disassembly requires removing the fan and disconnecting the power and all cables, unscrewing the screws that secure the motherboard, and pushing the fins towards the interface direction to remove the motherboard. Since the SSD and memory are both onboard and cannot be replaced, self-disassembly is not recommended.

16GB unified memory can meet the needs of most applications. The memory is onboard and cannot be replaced, and upgrading to 32GB requires an additional 3000 yuan.

The SSD capacity is 512GB, and the actual read and write speed is about 3000MB/s, which is basically comparable to the speed of PCIE3.0. Upgrading to 1TB requires an additional 1500 yuan, and upgrading to 2TB requires an additional 4500 yuan. (M2 version 256G upgrading to 512G also requires 1500)

[Purchase Suggestions]

1. No need for a mobile computer

2. Users with productivity needs in film/graphic design

3. Users who can accept macOS and ARM ecosystem

We purchased the entry-level configuration of the Mac mini M2 Pro version, which has been upgraded to 16GB + 512GB storage compared to the entry version of M2. The unified memory meets moderate needs, and the SSD does not slow down. The bad news is that the price has risen to 9999 yuan, and even with the educational discount, it still requires 9199 yuan. This price is almost enough to buy three entry-level M2 Mac minis.

In terms of ports, the M2 Pro version of the Mac mini is equipped with 4 Thunderbolt 4 ports as standard, but the 10G network port still requires an additional upgrade. The remaining ports on the back of the machine: two USB-A 5Gbps, HDMI 2.0, RJ45 Gigabit network port, 3.5mm audio port, and power port. To this day, I still haven’t used the 10Gbps A port, and Apple really has a firm grip on this.

In terms of noise, its full-load noise level is 36.6dB, which is very quiet. (The ambient noise level is 32.1dB)

The configuration customization options for the Apple Mac mini are very rich, but the price increase is significant. The only good thing is that the 10G network port only requiresan additional 750 yuan, which professional users can consider.

So if you want a compact desktop with decent video editing productivity, then this Mac mini is a good buy.

But if you pursue more extreme performance, you might want to look at the higher configuration Mac Studio.

[Cooling Analysis]

The left side of the above image is a disassembly shot of the Mac mini M2 Pro version, featuring a single fan with a heat sink directly covering the core, without heat pipes. The fan draws air from the bottom and blows it directly onto the heat sink, expelling hot air through the opening at the back.

The motherboard of the M2 chip is the same as the previous generation, and the internal usage rate of the machine is very low; the motherboard of the M2 Pro is obviously much larger, and the cooling fins are also larger.

Room temperature 25℃

Reflectivity 1.0

Using R23 and Wildlife Extreme for dual testing, under full load, the CPU temperature reached a maximum of 105℃, with a power consumption of about 25W, P-core frequency at 3.2GHz, and E-core frequency at 2.4GHz. The GPU power consumption was about 22W, temperature 84℃, frequency 1400MHz.

Swipe left to see the side temperature

Back side of the machine

The surface temperature is as shown in the above image, with the front of the machine exceeding 40℃, feeling hot, and the highest temperature on the back occurs at the exhaust port, with most of the machine’s temperature around 40℃. The machine is much hotter than the M2 version, but the body temperature is not too high, and we don’t need to touch the main unit during use.

[Zhu Wang’s Conscientious Conclusion]

The above image shows the multi-threaded score of the cross-platform benchmarking software Cinebench R23, which indicates that the M2 Pro has nearly a 20% performance improvement compared to the previous generation, but its “absolute performance” can no longer compete with Intel and AMD processors. Apple’s energy consumption advantage is still significant, as we can see that under similar performance, the power consumption is much lower.

The same situation exists on the GPU side; a GPU that can exceed 50W, like the RTX3050Ti, is already impressive, but it is not comparable to the RTX40 series graphics cards at all. Apple’s current advantage still lies in the high energy efficiency ratio, providing strong performance with low power consumption, saving energy!

In summary, the high-end version of the Mac mini M2 Pro is indeed stronger than the 3699 yuan M2 Mac mini, but its applicability is narrower, suitable only for users with

“some professional needs”

to purchase. Once your needs reach a more professional level, and the memory and storage are insufficient, purchasing the M2 Pro with a 12-core CPU + 19-core GPU, along with 32GB of unified memory and a 10G network card, will bring the price to 15999 yuan. At this point, the price is already close to the high-end Mac Studio, which has better cooling, more reasonable interfaces, and stronger performance…

Therefore, in my opinion, the entry-level Mac mini M2 is more universal, and users who need performance should consider going straight for the Mac Studio and MacBook Pro series.

Click to read the original text and view the Pen Review Room’s Bilibili video