The is back for 2018, regaining its rightful place as the most versatile Mac in Apple’s entire computer lineup. The long-rumored update, which was announced during the midway portion of last week’s iPad Pro event, is exciting for a number of reasons. For starters, the Mac mini 2018 gets brand-new, highly-capable 8th-generation Intel CPUs. The CPU lineup starts with a rather anemic, but still way faster than the last Mac mini, quad-core 3.6GHz Core i3.
Jan 15, 2005 I still can't get over how small it is.especially the retail box it comes in!:) when i first saw on the website that it was 6.5x6.5 i was like. Mind you, I am not a serious gamer and Macs (including the Mac Mini) are fine for me and the games I occasionally play. But if I spent hours a day playing games, I would not hesitate to buy a high-powered PC or maybe a dedicated game machine like the Xbox One or Playstation.
The mid-tier CPU option is a 3.0GHz 6-core Core i5 with 4.1GHz turbo boost, while the highest configuration adds a 3.2GHz 6-core Core i7 that turbos up to 4.6GHz. While the CPU upgrades were much needed, the chip enhancements are arguably not even the most exciting thing about the new Mac mini. That award goes to the four Thunderbolt 3 ports on the machine’s rear. This opens up Apple’s smallest Mac to an ever-growing world of expandability, making it seem as if anything’s possible for what was once Apple’s forgotten Mac. Watch our hands-on video walkthrough as I explain why the Mac mini 2018 is the most versatile and adaptable Mac ever. The Mac mini 2018 finally brings Thunderbolt 3 The presence of four Thunderbolt 3 ports on the Mac mini means that it can grow substantially over time. Add a Thunderbolt 3 dock, and you instantly have a ton of other ports and I/O right at your fingertips.
Add a Thunderbolt 3 display, like LG’s 5K UltraWide, and you have a high-resolution HDR-capable display. Add an external SSD, and you can instantly have more storage that’s even faster than the built-in SSD. Add an external GPU, and enjoy better graphics for gaming, video editing, and much more. Needless to say, having Thunderbolt 3 on the Mac mini 2018 is a game-changer as far as expandability and versatility are concerned. Outside of the processor and memory, you can bolt on tons of different upgrades to your Mac mini, potentially saving money as you build it out over time.
Video review Special thanks to Hyper — creator of the and USB-C Hub for MacBook Pro, and the — for sponsoring 9to5Mac on YouTube. Upgradable memory The base model Mac mini 2018 ships with 8GB of faster 2666MHz DDR4. Users can configure up to 64GB of RAM if desired, but if you’re handy with an iFixIt toolkit, you may want to hold off on additional memory during the build-to-order process. That’s because Apple’s made a user-friendly decision to use standard SO-DIMM modules instead of soldered-on RAM, meaning that memory is now user-upgradable. That’s not to say that RAM upgrades will be as easy as they are on the 5K iMac, but at least they’re possible. Apple that you call on the help of an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider if you want to upgrade RAM. Whenever possible, I prefer to upgrade memory myself, because Apple charges a ridiculous amount of money for its RAM upgrades.
As I’ve previously shown, you can. For your convenience, we’ve put together a step-by-step. Tutorial: How to upgrade 2018 Mac mini RAM All-flash PCIe-based storage The 2018 Mac mini is the first of the line to adopt faster all-flash PCIe-based storage options for all configurations. If desired, you can build your Mac mini with up to 2TB of flash storage. From what I’ve seen. 128GB - 600MB/s 256GB - 1.3GB/s 512GB - 1.9GB/s 1TB - 2.6GB/s Reads are all 2GB/s.
— Paul Haddad (@tapbotpaul) Apple’s flash storage gets pricey rather quick, but larger storage options yield faster write speeds, so you’ll need to weigh your performance and storage needs carefully. In the end, you may be best off sticking with smaller storage configurations, and opting for external storage instead. Unlike the SO-DIMM modules, however, the flash storage on the Mac mini is soldered to the logic board.
With this in mind, any upgrades you’ll want to do relating to storage will have to be done externally. The good news is that Thunderbolt 3 is the perfect way to add extra-fast solid-state storage to your 2018 Mac mini. Apple T2 security chip Slowly but surely, Apple is updating its entire Mac lineup with its custom T2 security chip.
Found already on the iMac Pro, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air, the Apple T2 brings several security-oriented capabilities to the Mac mini. The T2 features the Secure Enclave Coprocessor, which handles crucial tasks like FileVault key handling, secure boot, and APFS-encrypted storage, to name a few items. Along with the security-related aspects, the T2 consolidates several controllers into a single piece of silicon. Integrated in the T2 is the System Management Controller, image signal processor, audio controller, and SSD controller.
The 2018 Mac mini features the same chassis design as the previous generation, except it comes in a brand new anodized aluminum space gray color. This color change, like the iMac Pro before it, seems to represent the Mac mini’s move to more “pro-oriented” hardware. Besides the Thunderbolt 3 ports, the Mac mini has additional I/O. On the rear, you’ll find two USB-A 3.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port that can be configured to a 10 Gigabit Ethernet port, and a 3.5mm headphone port.
There’s also, for the very first time, an HDMI 2.0 port that affords DCI 4K output at 60Hz, and Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connectivity. The presence of both Thunderbolt 3 and HDMI 2.0 means that it’s possible to connect up to three 4K displays at 60Hz to a single 2018 Mac mini — two 4K displays (4096 x 2304) connected via Thunderbolt 3, and another 4K display (4096 x 2160) connected via HDMI. Connecting to a 5K (5120 x 2880) display at 60Hz, like, is possible as well, but you’ll only be able to connect one additional 4K (4096 x 2160) display at 60Hz using HDMI. The sweet spot: $1099 Mac mini 2018 Considering that RAM and nearly every other facet of the Mac mini can be “upgraded”, I highly recommend opting for the fastest processor if you can swing it. The base 2018 Mac mini starts at $799, which isn’t exactly cheap, but for an additional $300, you can update to the best CPU available to configure.
That brings the cost of the Mac mini to $1099 before tax. For everything else, I’d go with the base configuration. That means only 8GB of RAM, 128GB of SSD flash storage (even though I did somehow upgrade my unit to 256GB, doh!), and Gigabit Ethernet instead of 10 Gigabit Ethernet. If desired, all of these things can be upgraded sometime down the line. It’s worth noting that Apple doesn’t offer any GPU upgrades for the Mac mini. All models come with integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630. If you want a more powerful GPU, you’ll have to rely on a Thunderbolt 3-enabled (eGPU) external graphics chassis.
Benchmarks Now that Apple has finally updated the Mac mini, how does it compare with the company’s other modern desktop, the iMac Pro? As configured, my Mac mini sells for about $1300, while the base model iMac Pro sells for $5000. There’s a large price gulf between the Mac mini and iMac Pro, and a lot of that has to do with the latter’s built-in 5K display and 1TB SSD. Considering that these are the two newest desktops that Apple sells, and the Mac mini has obvious Pro overtures, I thought it would make for an interesting comparison. CPU performance The 8-core Xeon in the iMac Pro unsurprisingly has better multi-core performance than the 6-core i7 found in the Mac mini.
The Geekbench 4 scores denote an 8,000 point difference between the two machines in multi-core, which is substantial, and will only rise as you configure the iMac Pro with higher core counts. Remember, this is the top-of-the-line Mac mini CPU going against the entry-level iMac Pro CPU.
And as expected, single core performs slightly better on the Core i7 inside the Mac mini, besting the Xeon by about 600 points. GPU performance Considering that the iMac Pro comes with built-in discrete graphics in the form of AMD’s Vega 56 GPU, comparing the stock graphics performance of these two machines seems absurdand it is The Intel UHD Graphics 630 GPU inside the Mac mini is just about as anemic as its name implies. Thankfully, the Mac mini is equipped with Thunderbolt 3, which allows you to bolt on a much more capable eGPU. SSD performance There is an obvious difference between the two machines when looking at SSD performance. It’s not that the Mac mini’s SSD performance is bad, but the iMac Pro SSD is in a different class of speed. Granted, higher density SSDs — 1TB vs 256MB — usually yield better performance, and the speed difference could be owed to that.
Higher storage configurations will likely provide noticeable speed improvements. That said, any Mac mini SSD configuration is more than fast enough for most workflows, and will handle 4K video editing without breaking much of a sweat. Quiet operation One of the things that I most appreciate about my iMac Pro is its virtual silence under load. At time, the fans are audible, but most of the time the iMac Pro is as quiet as a mouse. The Mac mini is similar, in that while it’s actively cooled, the fan is virtually inaudible most of the time. The 2018 hardware features a rethought cooling system with a bigger fan and expanded vents.
Apple notes that overall airflow in the new 2018 Mac mini has increased by 2x, yet it’s still extremely quiet. If you’re a creative professional who relishes quiet environments, then you’ll appreciate this quality of the Mac mini. Thunderbolt 3 I/O expansion Although adoption started off slow, I’ve gradually been able to review tons of Thunderbolt 3 products over the years. As you can see, there are I/O options for your Mac mini’s display, GPU, audio interface, storage, dock, 10GbE, and more. Display Since the Mac mini 2018 comes as a headless unit, I connected it to the Thunderbolt 3-enabled. This is a 5120×2160 Nano-IPS display with a 21:9 aspect ratio.
Picture quality isn’t as nice as on the 5K iMac, but the aspect ratio, mated with its high resolution, provides a wonderful workspace for timeline-based apps like Final Cut Pro X. We’ll have a full review of the LG display soon.
GPU There are no build-to-order options for upgrading the Mac mini GPU, so you’ll need to rely on an eGPU if you plan on gaming, or doing any other sort of GPU-intensive task. Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650 eGPU chassis I opted for with the most powerful GPU that Apple recommends: the with a Radeon Pro WX9100 GPU inside. The performance of the Radeon Pro WX9100, as you can see from the graph above, runs circles around the integrated graphics, and turns the Mac mini into a legitimate gaming and graphics-intensive workflow option. Such a configuration is far from cheap, but the idea is that it’s at least possible if needed. Like the 2018 MacBook Pro, and the iMac Pro before it, you can configure up to for a total of four eGPUs connected simultaneously. Obviously that’s overkill, and a small subset of apps actually support such a setup, but it’s possible. Storage Faster than the built-in Mac mini SSD For extra storage, I connected a to my Mac mini 2018.
The result was additional storage that was actually faster than the computer’s built-in 256GB SSD. As noted above, larger SSD build-to-order configurations cost a lot more, but yield noticeably better write performance metrics. Samsung’s X5 Thunderbolt 3 SSD is blazing fast Dock My favorite Thunderbolt 3 Dock is , as it makes a large swath of I/O available via a single Thunderbolt 3 connection. Multiple USB ports, DisplayPort, and even a UHS-II-enabled SD Card reader are featured on this dock. CalDigit’s excellent TS3 Plus adds loads of extra I/O But one thing the CalDigit Dock doesn’t include is 10GbE connectivity. If you immediately need 10GbE, you’d be wise to configure the $100 build-to-order option as you purchase the Mac mini.
Yet, it’s good to know you can always bolt on 10GbE if need be, and allows you to do just that. Not only does Akitio’s Thunderbolt 3-enabled dock include 10GbE, but it also includes both CFast 2.0 and UHS-II SD, as well as a bunch of other handy I/O. 10GbE If you didn’t configure 10GbE, it’s nice to know that you can add a stand-alone bus-powered 10GbE option later. Akitio’s is a simple device that adds 10GbE to any Thunderbolt 3-enabled Mac or PC. Akitio’s bus-powered 10GbE option 9to5Mac’s take The 2018 Mac mini can truly be whatever you want it to be, and thanks to Thunderbolt 3, it’s immensely configurable using external components. It’s up to you to decide how far you want to take it, and how much you’ll want to spend adding external Thunderbolt 3 devices.
Some people may prefer to keep their Mac mini neat and clean, with as few cables attached to it as possible. Others will no doubt inundate the Mac mini’s chassis with tons of connected cables, routing them to all sorts of external devices. Don’t forget, you’ll also need a mouse and keyboard. I borrowed the space gray and from my iMac Pro, which matches the color of the Mac mini perfectly. Because it’s the cheapest Mac available on the market, I’m immensely happy that Apple decided to not only keep the Mac mini around, but give it a substantial upgrade. The biggest downside to the Mac mini 2018 is the price increase for the entry-level model, and how quickly the machine can balloon in price when you begin configuring build-to-order upgrades.
As my very first modern Mac, the Mac mini line holds a special place in my memory. I suspect that its status as the cheapest Mac in Apple’s lineup will ensure that others share a similar experience. What are your thoughts on Apple’s Mac mini refresh? You can find the and at.
Sound off in the comments down below with your thoughts and opinion.
If you’re really serious about gaming, your best bet is the 27-inch iMac. The base model with a 4GB Radeon Pro 570 delivers great performance and has a reasonable price-tag. Don’t get me wrong, an iMac isn’t cheap.
But when you take performance into account, the 27-inch iMac delivers the most bang for the buck. If this Mac can run Tomb Raider at a baffling 150 FPS and Grid 2 at an impressive 90 FPS, it should be able to run anything you throw at it. Most Mac games should even run at high resolutions (1440p or more) and high settings just fine. In addition to having the power to allow gaming without compromises, it also offers the best value for your money. The 27-inch iMac may the best Apple desktop for gaming, with the 21-inch iMac coming at a close second. But other desktop alternatives exist. IMac Pro gaming The iMac Pro is the hottest Mac available right now.
It also happens to be the most powerful computer from Apple, surpassing even the infamous Mac Pro. That should make it an ideal gaming machine, right? It goes without saying the iMac Pro is fast. In fact, if you’re a professional in need of raw power for video or 3D graphics editing, this is probably what you need. But when it comes to gaming, it’s simply.
It costs twice as much as an iMac with a Radeon Pro 580 and runs our test games at 120 FPS on average compared to 183 FPS on the Radeon Pro 580 iMac. Professional applications such as Final Cut are optimized to take advantage of everything the iMac Pro has to offer but most games aren’t. That means a lot of that raw power will be wasted on that machine Our take: Unless your job demands it, this machine is overkill. You’re better off with an upgraded 27-inch iMac.
Mac Mini gaming The Mac Mini may be cheap compared to every other Apple computer available, but it’s a machine you should stay away from. The Mac Mini hasn’t been updated in over 4 years and it shows. It’s slow and overpriced for what it has to offer.
On average, it ran our test games at 31 FPS, which is decent if a Mac Mini is what you currently have. But if you’re looking to buy a new machine, don’t bother. Our take: After all these years, Apple will either soon update it or (officially) kill it. Mac Pro gaming The current Mac Pro was supposed to revolutionize desktop computing. I won’t go into the whole story, but the Mac Pro was a failure and you should stay away from it too. The iMac Pro was partially released to help Apple recover from that disaster and a new Mac Pro is coming.
In the meantime, the current Mac Pro is overpriced and not that fast. With 91 FPS on average and a $2,999 price tag, an iMac is a much better choice. For the record, Mac Pro gaming is more than capable. Most games should be playable on one. It’s just not good value for money if you’re shopping for a new machine Our take: If you have the money for a Mac Pro and time, wait for the new Mac Pro.
If you don’t, an upgraded 27-inch iMac or iMac Pro is the way to go. So from the several Apple desktops available, a 27-inch iMac is the top gaming choice.
But what if you need a laptop? Apple offers several MacBook models ranging from the cheaper but outdated MacBook Air to the shiny new MacBook Pro (MBP) with a touch bar. Each MacBook line serves a different purpose and if you’re looking for a machine capable of running modern games, the 15-inch MacBook Pro is the top choice. The entry 15-inch MBP with a Radeon Pro 555 ran our test games at an average 70.5 FPS. Not as fast as an iMac, but more than enough for the average gamer. In fact, it should have the power to run all but the most demanding games on Medium settings and 1080p resolution at 30+ FPS. This is how the 15-inch MBP compares with the other MacBooks offered by Apple.
The 15-inch MacBook Pro can be an excellent gaming machine, but I’m sure you noticed one big downside: the cost of buying one. Having a powerful graphics card in ae slim laptop case has always been an expensive challenge, but the rise of eGPUs is changing that. Short for “external graphics card”, an eGPU lets you connect a full-sized graphics card into a MacBook via the high-speed Thunderbolt 3 connection. This is what ‘s Mac eGPU setup looks like: A MacBook eGPU setup should be cheaper and faster than a more expensive MBP, and with High Sierra eGPU’s improvements, the setup is quite easy to install and use. For example, a 13-inch MBP with a 3.5 GHz Intel Core i7 and Iris Plus Graphics 650 runs our test games at 46.3 FPS. The same machine with an 8 GB Mantiz Venus Radeon RX Vega 56 runs them at 76 FPS. That’s faster than the 15-inch MBP! So, are MacBooks good for gaming?
Some of them certainly are. But a MacBook’s graphics card is crucial and most MacBooks, with their integrated graphics, won’t cut it. If you’re wondering: What MacBook should I get? I can only say: It depends, do you want power or mobility?
MacBook Pro gaming (13-inch) But what if you don’t have over $2,000 to put into a laptop? You can always get a 13-inch MacBook Pro. It certainly won’t be as fast as a 15-inch model, in fact, it’s half as fast running our test games at 35 FPS on average, but it’s a $1,000 cheaper. For $1,299, you can get the non-touch bar version with an Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640. Compared to the 13-inch touch bar version, the non-touch bar has better bang for the buck at $37 per frame compared to $44 per frame. I can’t say I’m surprised; the touch bar version is $500 more expensive and is barely 5 FPS faster according to our tests.
You won’t be able to play Fortnite at the highest settings with it, but a 13-inch MBP is enough to enjoy most games out there. Trust me, I know, this is the machine I use the most! Our take: If you can’t afford a 15-inch MBP, the non-touch bar 13-inch model is an excellent compromise. MacBook Air gaming (13-inch) The MacBook Air (MBA) is the cheapest Apple laptop. Performance wise, it averages 25 FPS, which is surprisingly good for such a thin computer, and at $999, it sounds like a good deal for a super thin and sleek Mac. Don’t get me wrong, the list of games for MacBook Air is limited but still bigger than expected. Problem is, the MacBook Air hasn’t been updated in a long time.
The last time it received a major revision was in March 2015, and it shows, especially when you look at the computer’s screen. Compared to the retina displays most modern laptops use, the MBA’s looks downright obsolete for a product worth $1000. Our take: Rumors say the MacBook Air will receive a major update later this year; we recommend either waiting or saving an extra $300 and buying a 13-inch MacBook Pro. MacBook gaming (12-inch) The 12-inch MacBook is an impressive machine.
It’s so thin and small, it makes the MacBook Air look bloated and old. Seeing it when it first came out felt like catching a glimpse of what would look like. The future is always exciting but it’s rarely good value for money. The 12-inch MacBook is impressive and disappointing at the same time.
Its form factor, size, and weight are spectacular but its performance is mediocre. And that is obviously not good for games. At 22.3 FPS on average and a $1,549 price tag, this machine offers the worst bang for the buck at $70 per frame. Our take: Unless you have a back problem and need the lightest MacBook there is, go for a 13-inch MBP instead (or a 15-inch MBP if you can afford it). You now know what Mac you want and are ready to make the purchase.
But what about those upgrades Apple offers? They all sound great, but it can get very expensive really quickly. You already know that some upgrades are more important than others when it comes to gaming. Also, some upgrades can only be performed by Apple while others you can do yourself for less money.
So which upgrades are worth it? Graphics It goes without saying that the faster your graphics card, the better your games will run. Unfortunately, graphics can rarely be specifically upgraded. For example, if you want to upgrade the Radeon Pro 570 graphics on a 27-inch iMac, you’ll need to choose the more expensive iMac model with a faster processor, a bigger hard drive and a Radeon Pro 580. That will cost you $500 more. According to our results, that upgrade will result in a 50% increase in performance (going from 122 to 180 FPS) and it’s definitely worth it, but quite expensive. In some rare cases, you can purchase the entry model and just upgrade the graphics.
The 15-inch MacBook Pro is a good example. Going from the standard 2GB Radeon Pro 555 to a 4GB Radeon Pro 560 will cost you only $100. The upgraded graphics are 16% faster, with 82 FPS compared to 70 FPS. Given a MacBook Pro GPU’s importance, this is good news.
Processor If gaming is important to you, prioritize upgrading your graphics instead of your processor. Some games are very sensitive to faster processors, but the vast majority will benefit more from an upgraded GPU. To give you an example, a 13-inch MacBook Pro with an upgraded processor (3.5 GHz instead of the standard 3.1 GHz) is only 12% faster at 46 FPS VS. 41 FPS and costs $300 more. RAM More RAM is always good, even if it will never have a significant impact on gaming (unless you have very little RAM, to begin with). Unfortunately upgrading RAM on a Mac is extremely expensive. There was a time when most Macs could be upgraded by users for a fraction of the price, but those days are over.
You can’t upgrade the RAM yourself in any of the current models except the 21-inch iMacs, the 27-inch iMacs, and the Mac Pros. If you want one of these models, upgrade the RAM yourself. Otherwise, I don’t recommend paying for an upgrade from Apple. It wasn’t easy choosing the best Apple desktop and laptop among several models available. As our target is to give you an unbiased and complete overview of the best Macs for gaming, we had to use multiple criteria to ensure things stay as objective and comparable as possible: Raw Performance (FPS) It’s no secret our most important criteria was performance. After all, playing modern video games requires a decent amount of raw performance.
RAM and a speedy processor are certainly important, but for most games, a powerful graphics card will make the most difference. A dedicated graphics card will be much better for gaming than an integrated card and the faster the graphics card, the faster the game should run. But while most guides simply focus on listing the most powerful cards, we run actual tests on games and use those real-world results instead. As you can see from the above results, we focus on frames per second to evaluate the gaming performance of each machine. That information should give you a realistic and accurate idea of how well each machine can run modern games.
Value for money We could simply list the Macs with the most powerful graphics card and call it a day. Or we could test all current Macs and just recommend the ones with the highest FPS. But if we stopped there, we would be ignoring a critical factor for you and me: money.
Most of us don’t have the budget for a top of the line $5,000 iMac Pro. We all have limited budgets that force us to look for the best value for money. That’s why every model was analyzed with a critical eye focused on getting the most bang for the buck. To keep things in check, we calculated a Dollars per Frame (total number of frames divided by the machine’s price tag) figure for each machine. That should help you more easily compare the value each machine delivers in terms of gaming potential.
Date since updated The last factor we took into account was the number of days since each model was last updated. We can’t recommend a machine if the risk of it becoming obsolete in just a few months is high. To keep track of the days since each model was updated, we used: MacRumors guide is impressive, but I would take their recommendations with a grain salt.
They recommend not to buy all Mac models except the Mac Pro and the iMac Pro. That recommendation is not entirely relevant because it takes into account the days since the machines were last updated, regardless if the update was significant or not. This is what I recommend, no matter your intentions of gaming with it or not: Model Should you buy it? MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017) Don’t, wait for an update! MacBook (12-inch, Mid-2017) Only if on sale MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid-2017) Sure, why not? MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid-2017, Touch Bar) Sure, why not?
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid-2017, Touch Bar) Sure, why not? IMac (21-inch, 4K, Mid-2017) Sure, why not? IMac (27-inch, 5K, Mid-2017) Sure, why not? IMac Pro (27-inch, 5K, Late 2017) Sure, why not?
Mac Pro (Late 2013) Don’t, wait for an update! Mac Mini (Late 2014) Don’t, wait for an update! Our Pick Runner-Up Value Pick Top Mac desktop Top laptop option Low buget option 27-inch iMac 15-inch MacBook Pro 21-inch iMac Fastest gaming Mac overall Fastest gaming MacBook Cheaper Mac with good enough performance $1,799 $2,399 $1,299 And by the way, this guide wouldn’t have been possible without the precious help from Rob-Art from and several Mac Gamer HQ readers. Thanks a lot, guys! Don’t hesitate to share this with a friend looking for their first Mac or a college student thinking about upgrading.
And especially with friends who think you can’t game on a Mac. And finally, make sure you bookmark this guide. It will be updated every time Apple releases a new machine!