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iMac is Apple’s flagship home computer, offering everything you need in a ready-to-go colorful package. However, it’s not the best choice for everyone, especially when the Mac Mini presents such an appealing alternative.
Mac Mini is Apple’s Most Valuable Computer
Perhaps the best reason to consider the Mac Mini over the iMac is the price. The Mac Mini starts at $599, which is less than half of the equivalent specification iMac (starting at $1299).
Of course, there are some caveats. The iMac comes with everything you need (including the monitor and peripherals), while the Mac Mini is just a computer in a box. You only get the shell and power cord; nothing else. Whether the iMac’s additional value of $700 is worth it is debatable and will vary depending on who you ask.
This means the Mac Mini is perfect for those who already have everything needed to get started. It’s great for those looking to try switching to macOS without the need to purchase an expensive all-in-one machine. If you expand your search to the second-hand market, you will have even more options.
Apple’s M4 Mac Mini offers excellent value for money, but if you are willing to buy an older machine, you can get an M2 or M1 Mac Mini and save hundreds of dollars. You will get all the benefits of Apple chips, such as power and thermal efficiency, along with compatibility with the latest version of macOS; the M1 or higher can even utilize Apple Intelligence.
If You Need It, the Mac Mini Can Provide More Power
The 2024 iMac comes with an M4 processor, offering up to 10 CPU and GPU cores on the high-end version. While this is sufficient for the average user, the Mac Mini can up the ante with its (albeit more expensive) M4 Pro option.
With the M4 Pro, the Mac Mini can offer 12 CPU cores and 16 GPU cores, or you can upgrade to 14 CPU cores and 20 GPU cores. These higher-spec M4 Pro models come standard with 24GB of memory, compared to the basic M4’s 16GB.
Not to mention another significant upgrade of the M4 Pro Mac Mini over the iMac: Thunderbolt 5. With the right peripherals, you can achieve transfer speeds of up to 120Gb/s, while Thunderbolt 4 offers 40Gb/s.
Additionally, the Mac Mini has more room for storage and RAM upgrades. You can opt to upgrade the Mac Mini to 8TB of storage (the iMac is limited to 2TB) and 64GB of RAM, or what Apple calls “unified memory” (the iMac is limited to 32GB).
If you think you need more power for video editing, 3D rendering, or heavier workflows like data analysis or running AI models locally, these upgrades are perfect. More storage is always a good thing if you can afford it. Be prepared to pay Apple for these upgrades, although they remain competitive across the lineup.
The enhanced Mac Mini offers better performance than the iMac while avoiding the costs associated with choosing the Mac Studio or MacBook Pro. Most importantly, even if you max everything out, the form factor remains small.
Compared to the iMac or MacBook series, the Mac Mini offers great flexibility. For some, the lack of a monitor or Apple peripherals may be seen as a disadvantage, while for others, it’s an opportunity to save money or expand their business.
Most importantly, it’s perfect for anyone wanting to reuse an old monitor or keyboard and mouse with a new computer. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t provide a perfect low-cost monitor for the Mac Mini. If you want an Apple display, your best bet is the Apple Studio Display, priced at $1599.
The good news is that whether you use HDMI 2.1 output, DisplayPort over USB-C, or Thunderbolt, your old monitor can work with the Mac Mini. Note that macOS is designed for a Retina pixel density of 218 PPI or higher, so display scaling may negatively impact monitors that do not meet this goal.
If you want to achieve Apple’s magical Retina goal, you have several options. The Samsung ViewFinity S9 is a 5K monitor that is very similar to Apple’s displays, priced at about half of the Studio Display. You can find older LG UltraFine 27-inch 5K monitors second-hand. BenQ and ASUS have also released new 27-inch 5K displays.
You’ll also need a mouse and keyboard. We recommend not using the Magic Mouse but instead opting for the Magic Trackpad or another Mac-compatible mouse. For the keyboard, you can choose an Apple USB-C Magic Keyboard with or without Touch ID, or you can go for something completely different.
It’s worth noting that Apple’s promotional materials for the M4 Mac Mini include some product shots with mechanical keyboards. There are many enthusiast keyboards designed to appeal to Mac users, such as NuPhy Air 75v2 and LoFree Flow, which are excellent alternatives to the Magic Keyboard if you’re looking for something more “physical.”
The wonderful thing here is that no matter what Apple gives you, you won’t be stuck. When all you need is the brain for operation, you won’t pay an extra $700 for a computer that is grafted onto a monitor (like the iMac). If you’re already satisfied with your existing setup, you won’t waste money on Apple peripherals that you’ll never use.
You Will Get More Vitality from the Mac Mini
The lifespan of the Mac Mini may not necessarily be longer than the iMac’s, as the hardware will age at the same rate. Years down the line, when 16GB of RAM and the M4 chip start to feel slow and outdated, you will still want to upgrade.
Perhaps Apple will introduce some revolutionary new features that your Mac cannot utilize, or you just hit the end of the macOS support lifecycle. But compared to the iMac, the Mac Mini has greater potential as a repurposed machine. Because the iMac is a huge monitor with a computer inside, it must be placed somewhere and is somewhat easy to access.
The Mac Mini is not like that; you can connect it to the router in your office or hide it in a cabinet for easy relocation when maintenance is needed.
If you’re looking for a media center computer running XBMC or similar, this is also a great choice. With an Apple Arcade subscription or Steam’s Big Picture mode, you can even use it to run modern games. Better yet, even outdated Mac Minis have enough power to run as emulators (Bluetooth means wireless support for Xbox, PlayStation, 8BitDo, and more controllers).
You may also find that the second-hand market for old Mac Minis is hotter because they are popular little computers for all the reasons listed above. When it’s time to part ways, you might not have to wait long, and you could have some cash in your pocket for your next upgrade.
Ultimately, it needs to be said that both the Mac Mini and the iMac have their pros and cons. For a simple home setup that has everything you need, the iMac is an incredible value for money.
But for anyone looking to push beyond Apple’s limits or save money by utilizing existing resources, the Mac Mini is hard to beat.
