Apple mini Mac M2 for Lightroom and limited PS

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Following my previous post I am tempted to go with Apple for the first time. I want a desktop rather than a laptop and from my research, including posts on here, I have narrowed it down to the Mini Mac M2. However there is a lot of choice from the entry model M2 with 8 core CPU, 10 core GPU, 8 gb memory and 256 gb ssd to the M2 Pro with 12 core CPU, 19 core GPU, 36 gb memory and 8 TB gb ssd. The price difference is substantial.

I am thinking that 16gb memory and 500 gb ssd is sufficient. I will use external ssd storage for the vast majority of files. I’m not sure about the advantages of upgrading to the M2 Pro.

I need it to work well with LR and PS. My current PC now struggles with the recent AI and noise reduction features. It does not need to be lightning fast but a lot quicker than my PC which can take 1-3 mins to process an image. Also needs to be reasonably future proof.

In addition any recommendations on monitors.

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Hi, well as I said before I purchased Mac Mini 512 and 16 gig from a reseller on Ebay UK (not sure if you can promote on here but message if you want info)
It was near £300 cheaper than main stream sellers, downside you have to wait for it to be sent to the seller from Apple direct, mine took about two weeks but for £300 was not a problem, I also purchased a

SATECHI Type-C Stand & Hub with SSD Enclosure – Fits M.2 SATA SSD, USB-C Data Port, Micro/SD Card Readers, USB-A & Headphone Jack Port - For M2/ M1 Mac Mini, Mac Studio from Amazon along with a 1 TB SSD​

Notes: Internal SSD enclosure only fits M.2 SATA SSD drives read the description but at around £130 for 1 TB and enclosure well worth it IMO.
Monitor wise if you afford it a Benq 27" as it comes with hood also.
Russ.
 
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Before buying the M1 Max Studio I was running LR and PS on a standard M1 Mac mini with 256gb SSD and 16gb ram. It worked perfectly well.

I also bought another second hand M1 Mini with 8gb ram from Hoxton’s for £400 and you’d never know it was used. If you’re not too concerned about a used machine then you can save a fair bit.
 
I've had my M1 Air (8GB) for 3 years now, since release, and it still rips through 40mp XH2 files without missing a beat in LR. Also doing loads of video editing in DaVinci Resolve and I get no hint of slow down whatsoever. Shooting 40+ events a year (3000+ images a time) so getting fairly heavy use.

I assumed I would have needed to upgrade by now but it's as fast as the day I bought it, best purchase I ever made. If that's the M1 is capable of with 8GB I would imagine an M2 (in any spec) won't even blink for all but the most extreme, intensive tasks.
 
I bought an M1 Mac Mini a year or so ago (possibly longer). I use Affinity Photo 2 rather than LR & PS, but it handles that no problem, and I also use it for recording music with Reaper, sometimes with a few plugins as well. I've had no problems with it at all: I don't know if it's got a fan tbh, but if it has I've never heard it, and the casing has never even got warm to the touch.

Mine's the bottom of the range one: 8Gb RAM & 256Gb storage. I still have 144Gb left, and I've got a few external drives for backing up my photos etc. As @ukaskew says, the M2 should absolutely smash anything you need to do with it.
 
I bought an M2 Air with 16Gb of RAM last November after being a Windows user for years. It blasts through anything I throw at it in LR and PS and that's with other stuff running in the background. I bought the one with an 8 core CPU as the research I did indicated that the extra 2 cores wouldn't bring me any real benefit. Still running perfectly and I can't see me going back to Windows again.

As a test I've just run Photo>Enhance in LR on a Nikon Z7II Raw file. LR gave an estimate of 5 minutes and the Air did it in 80 seconds ! It used to take over 10 minutes on my old (2014) laptop.
 
You will likely be fine with the standard M2, rather than the Pro version. But you are best upgrading the storage, as the base model is slower, as it is one memory module, rather than 2 in parallel.
 
Craikeybaby said:
You will likely be fine with the standard M2, rather than the Pro version. But you are best upgrading the storage, as the base model is slower, as it is one memory module, rather than 2 in parallel.
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Thanks. Do you mean extra storage or memory?
 
Storage to >512GB.
 
Following advice on here I bought the M2 16GB Mac Mini with 512GB SSD. (I was lucky to find a second hand one locally for a good price)

No issues at all with handling LR or PS.

For the Monitor I bought a 27" BenQ PD2705U which was on offer at Wex. I looked at getting the 32" but the price increment was eye watering!
 
Bought mine a few months ago M1 with 8gb and 512 SSD coupled with a dell 27” screen it blasts through raw files in LR .topaz de.noise is virtually instant .
Hopefully be a good few years before I have to upgrade
 
Just looking on that famous auction site at Mac Minis, M2, 8gb, 256 storage, just a few months old at what seems like ridiculously cheap prices. Idly wondering whether to replace my 2017 iMac (Which is still fine, but cannot be upgraded to latest OS because of age). All data would be held on external SSD. Thoughts? PS still got to run in past the Thin Controller.
 
Nikon f1.8 said:
Would get a 16gig version with 512 SSD which is a lot better although a bit more money.
256 gig versions are the slowest at read / write speeds.
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Didn’t realise there was an internal i/o speed difference between the two ”drives”.
 
Stephen L said:
Didn’t realise there was an internal i/o speed difference between the two ”drives”.
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Yeah, the 256 model is really slow compared to the 512 version, Youtube is your friend, loads of vids on the comparisons.
 
If you're to get one second hand, it's always worth confirming with the seller it is no longer attached to the sellers (or anyone elses) apple account and then re-install the operating system once it arrives.

Perhaps I am paranoid, but the industry I work in, it's all about privacy and security. All too often I see people buy them second hand only to find they are un-useable.
 
I would not buy a used model, too many risks.

Most of the reviews I have seen recommend 16gb memory and 512gb ssd for photo editing. M2 is probably fine rather than M2 Pro but for those specs the price difference is not great.

The general consensus above is that the mini Mac is very capable.
 
Recently bought my first mac a M1 MBP with 16gb / 1tb ssd and it’s super quick processing 42mp A7R2 raw files in DXO, very happy with the performance.
As everyone has already mentioned M2 or new M3 would be more than enough for processing photos
 
Having examined my thoughts in the sober light of day, I reckon my present i7 iMac will last for a few years yet. It's quick enough for me in Lightroom, and the only downside, if indeed it IS a downside, is that it has reached end-of-life regarding new operating system versions. When I do eventually buy, it will probably be an official Apple refurb.
 
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