M4 Mac mini vs M2 Max Mac Studio - The Value is UNREAL..

Summary

In this comparison, the video delves into the performance and value proposition of the M2 Max Mac Studio versus the M4 Mac Mini. Despite the Mac Studio's higher price tag, the M4 Mac Mini impresses with its speed in web browsing, photo export, and even CPU rendering, beating the Mac Studio in some tests. While the Mac Studio excels in graphics and gaming performance, the M4 Mac Mini offers unbeatable value for everyday use at a fraction of the cost. With performance benchmarks close to the Mac Studio and a price tag as low as $550, the M4 Mac Mini proves to be a powerhouse for those on a budget.

Takeaways

• 😀 The M4 Mac Mini, priced at $600 (or $550 with a discount), offers incredible value compared to the $2400 M2 Max Mac Studio, outperforming it in several tests.
• 😀 The M4 Mac Mini delivers faster single-core performance, which translates to a snappier user experience and quicker app launches.
• 😀 In multi-core performance, the M4 Mac Mini is nearly on par with the M2 Max Mac Studio, showcasing impressive CPU capabilities for its price.
• 😀 The M2 Max Mac Studio outshines the M4 Mac Mini in GPU-heavy tasks, such as 3D rendering and gaming, with its 38-core GPU versus the Mac Mini's 10-core GPU.
• 😀 Despite its lower GPU performance, the M4 Mac Mini supports ray tracing, which gives it a competitive edge in some gaming and rendering tasks.
• 😀 The M4 Mac Mini is far more power-efficient, using just 2.97 watts in a 3DMark test, while the Mac Studio consumes over 50 watts.
• 😀 In web-based tasks like Figma, the M4 Mac Mini outperforms the Mac Studio by being 4 seconds faster, demonstrating its strength in web design.
• 😀 In professional software like Xcode, Logic Pro, and Lightroom, the Mac Studio remains faster, but the M4 Mac Mini still offers solid performance for a fraction of the cost.
• 😀 Despite the Mac Studio’s better performance in tasks like music production (Logic Pro) and photo editing (Lightroom), the M4 Mac Mini outperforms it in some scenarios, like exporting 500 photos.
• 😀 For video editing tasks in Final Cut Pro, the Mac Studio is faster at exporting 4K HEVC files, but both machines deliver smooth timeline performance for most edits.
• 😀 If you need maximum graphics power or a larger storage option, the Mac Studio is the better choice, but for most users, the M4 Mac Mini is the better value, offering similar performance for a fraction of the price.

Q & A

What is the price difference between the M2 Max Mac Studio and the M4 Mac Mini?

The M2 Max Mac Studio is priced at around $2400, while the M4 Mac Mini starts at $600. In fact, the M4 Mac Mini can even be found for as low as $550 with discounts.

How does the SSD performance compare between the Mac Studio and the Mac Mini?

The Mac Studio has a significantly faster SSD, with a read speed close to 5,000 MB/s and a write speed of 6,000 MB/s. In contrast, the M4 Mac Mini has a read speed of around 3,000 MB/s and a write speed of 2,000 MB/s.

How does the performance of the M4 Mac Mini compare to the M2 Max Mac Studio in terms of Geekbench scores?

The M4 Mac Mini outperforms the M2 Max Mac Studio in single-core Geekbench tests, with a higher score by about 1,000 points, making it feel snappier in day-to-day tasks.

Does the M4 Mac Mini outperform the M2 Max Mac Studio in any real-world applications?

Yes, the M4 Mac Mini performs better than the M2 Max Mac Studio in some web design tasks, even beating it by 4 seconds in Figma web design, despite costing significantly less.

Which device performs better in multicore tasks like CPU rendering in Cinebench?

Surprisingly, the M4 Mac Mini outperforms the M2 Max Mac Studio in a 100% workload CPU rendering test in Cinebench, despite its lower price.

What is the impact of graphics performance in these devices?

The M2 Max Mac Studio is much faster in raw graphics performance, being 2.5 times faster in Geekbench Metal tests and offering better gaming and 3D rendering capabilities.

How does power usage compare between the Mac Studio and Mac Mini during high-performance tasks?

The M4 Mac Mini is much more efficient, using only 2.97 watts during high-performance tasks like 3D Mark, while the Mac Studio uses around 50.92 watts in the same test.

What were the results in terms of music production performance with Logic Pro?

The M2 Max Mac Studio was able to handle 194 tracks at once, while the M4 Mac Mini could manage only 130 tracks. Thus, the Mac Studio is better for large-scale music production tasks.

How do the devices perform in photo editing tasks, such as with Lightroom?

In photo editing, the Mac Studio was almost twice as fast when exporting 50 photos, completing the task in 28 seconds versus 52 seconds for the Mac Mini. However, the M4 Mac Mini outperformed the Mac Studio when exporting 500 photos by 1.5 minutes.

How does the Mac Mini compare to the Mac Studio in terms of video editing and export times?

The Mac Studio is faster in exporting 4K HEVC video due to its dual encoder, making it nearly twice as fast as the Mac Mini in export times. However, both devices perform smoothly during 4K video editing.