Sensible monitor for new Mac mini M1

[Raymond Lin]

This is their Design monitor range.

DesignVue Designer Monitor

BenQ Designvue IPS Monitor for Graphic Design. With features as 4K, UHD, QHD 1440p, AQColour, USB C, Thunderbolt, CAD/ Animation Mode and 100% sRGB.

www.benq.eu

I actually bought one of these for work, or got work to buy it for me.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01K2210GS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But for a larger size, it seems this is the one

PD3200U

PD3200U 32” 4K UHD Professional monitor is equipped with IPS technology, excellent 100% sRGB, Rec. 709, DualView function, and special designer modes (Darkroom, CAD/CAM, Animation) for your design artwork to enhance precision and productivity.

www.benq.eu

They do a lower res Q version, it's VA not IPS though, although it still says 10-bit?

PD3200Q

The BenQ PD3200Q DesignVue Professional Designer Monitor with QHD resolution (2560x1440), 100% Rec. 709/ sRGB and a variety of preset modes such as darkroom, CAD/CAM and animation modes.

www.benq.eu

 

[nandbytes]

8 bits + FRC
sRGB = 100%
Adobe RGB = 88%

Thanks for finding it

@gremlin16 - that's kinda the same as what we have with our iMacs. I have both 8 bits+dithering (iMac) and 10 bits (Samsung) sat next to each other and definitely tell the difference especially in HDR situations. I would rather take lower Res but more colours depth than the other way round.

 

[gremlin16]

Don't shoot me, but....... I've just cancelled my order for the Mini. I just thought I was rushing into it without really getting to the bottom of what i actually need compared to what it will offer me. The draw of all this apple hyperbole was strong, but I have slept on it, and now i am going to just wait it out a little bit. It didn't help that the order wouldn't have arrived until 29th December. I think I would like to see more real world usage by people on youtube before I commit to my next computer which will have to last a few years. Having no clue about displays didn't help either

 

[nandbytes]

Don't shoot me, but....... I've just cancelled my order for the Mini. I just thought I was rushing into it without really getting to the bottom of what i actually need compared to what it will offer me. The draw of all this apple hyperbole was strong, but I have slept on it, and now i am going to just wait it out a little bit. It didn't help that the order wouldn't have arrived until 29th December. I think I would like to see more real world usage by people on youtube before I commit to my next computer which will have to last a few years.

Traitor!! I thought we were in this together

There is no way for me to know if this is good for me without trying it. I am going to put it through its paces within the 14 days returns period. Happy to run any tests if you like

Think you may have to wait a bit regardless if it's all made to order. I'm hoping it'll arrive closer to the 17th December date than the 29th December date. Let's see how it goes. If anything your cancelled order will only push mine forward in the queue

 

[gremlin16]

Traitor!! I thought we were in this together

There is no way for me to know if this is good for me without trying it. I am going to put it through its paces within the 14 days returns period. Happy to run any tests if you like

I know, I'm such a wuss. I am finding that as I get older, I am less impulsive and more analytical. I'm still dead certain I will get one, just not right now. I'm really interested to see how you get on with yours @nandbytes . Cheers.

 

[rob-nikon]

Don't shoot me, but....... I've just cancelled my order for the Mini. I just thought I was rushing into it without really getting to the bottom of what i actually need compared to what it will offer me. The draw of all this apple hyperbole was strong, but I have slept on it, and now i am going to just wait it out a little bit. It didn't help that the order wouldn't have arrived until 29th December. I think I would like to see more real world usage by people on youtube before I commit to my next computer which will have to last a few years. Having no clue about displays didn't help either

Personally I think you’ve done the right thing. I’d wait to see what apple replace the i5 and i7 intel models with. The fact they are still available makes me think a second (likely faster) chip will be coming to Mac mini at some point in the future.

I’m in a similar position that I want to replace my 2012 iMac. As I’m now working from home my computer set up has changed massively. I’ve had to get a screen for working from home. I went with a 4K 27 inch Dell screen so I don’t have room for an iMac too. That means I either need to go for a Mac or PC. Mac mini seems ideal for space saving and staying with apple (I’ve had no issues in the last 8 yrs with the iMac. Couldn’t say that with my previous PC), but the lack of ease to upgrade makes me worry. I’d like to see a strip down video to find out what’s actually user replaceable. I’m doubting RAM will be replaceable but even the SSD may not be replaceable either. These new apple chip Mac mini are likely quite different internally to the previous intel models.

 

[Pound Coin]

^ agreed. Although I am not in the market for a new machine, and won't be for some time, I imagine that M2 and M3 processors are already being made, or are close to being made.

 

[Raymond Lin]

^ agreed. Although I am not in the market for a new machine, and won't be for some time, I imagine that M2 and M3 processors are already being made, or are close to being made.

Me too, they already stated earlier this year that the transition will be done by 2022, which will be the Mac Pro being the last thing. In between that you have all the other MBP from higher end 13" to 15" and 16", iMacs or new models.

They said the first wave of the machines will come out this year and they managed to hit that target, given the Pandemic is happening so that alone is pretty amazing. I am looking forward to the next keynote, there will be another one then definitely. They have a lot of models to be refreshed and only so many keynotes they do per year.

 

[SFTPhotography]

Me too, they already stated earlier this year that the transition will be done by 2022, which will be the Mac Pro being the last thing. In between that you have all the other MBP from higher end 13" to 15" and 16", iMacs or new models.

They said the first wave of the machines will come out this year and they managed to hit that target, given the Pandemic is happening so that alone is pretty amazing. I am looking forward to the next keynote, there will be another one then definitely. They have a lot of models to be refreshed and only so many keynotes they do per year.

I am using an old Xeon Mac Pro - it's going well but getting behind the times.

I looked at the new Mac Pro's but it was around £19k to get it to where I want it to be. A customer PC around half that and probably a 3rd of that with some careful part choosing. My concern is if I build a PC in the next year the M4 Mac Pro or whatever that comes in 2022 might be really good and nothing like £19k to get the performance of a present Xeon machine.

 

[nandbytes]

If rumours are to be believed it'll be nearly 6 months to a year before we see the next Mac product. They'll be more expensive because current ones are the base models after all.
I believe they also have said there is still an Intel product or two on the pipeline.
So the transition may complete by 2022 but that's 1.5-2 years away.

I am pretty sure I don't want another iMac. I don't really want a MacBook especially not a large one. I really don't want the air either. Definitely will never buy a Mac Pro.

So really the options I care about are the mini and 13" MBP. I will eventually get a 13" MBP from work anyway. So really as far as the mini is good now I might as well make the jump right now while my iMac is still worth something when I sell it. Once it's fully replaced with whatever apple silicon core it'll be worth even less.

So after selling and buying even if this mini lasts me 3-ish years at least I am happy with that. Though I feel if all the hype is real it'll last me longer.

The other option is to get a NUC. But that's crazy price.

 

[Raymond Lin]

If rumours are to be believed it'll be nearly 6 months to a year before we see the next Mac product. They'll be more expensive because current ones are the base models after all.
I believe they also have said there is still an Intel product or two on the pipeline.
So the transition may complete by 2022 but that's 1.5-2 years away.

I am pretty sure I don't want another iMac. I don't really want a MacBook especially not a large one. I really don't want the air either. Definitely will never buy a Mac Pro.

So really the options I care about are the mini and 13" MBP. I will eventually get a 13" MBP from work anyway. So really as far as the mini is good now I might as well make the jump right now while my iMac is still worth something when I sell it. Once it's fully replaced with whatever apple silicon core it'll be worth even less.

So after selling and buying even if this mini lasts me 3-ish years at least I am happy with that. Though I feel if all the hype is real it'll last me longer.

The option is to get a NUC. But that's crazy price.

There may be a slip in update to the Mac Mini with a new core when they do the higher end MBP and iMac at the same time but you are probably right that it is about a year away at this point. This time next year.

I am never the one into Mac Pro territory, it's not value for money for me, I only ever use a Mac for home and a laptop for travel and light editing. The current Mac Mini is a little too restrictive for what I need, not enough ports and I'd like more RAM for future proofing. So my iMac will struggle on until they bring out something with 32G RAM option..but it will be insane expensive as it's all SOC.

That leaves my MBP but mine is only 2 years old and at this point I might as well keep it for 2 more years before replacing it.

 

[rob-nikon]

If rumours are to be believed it'll be nearly 6 months to a year before we see the next Mac product. They'll be more expensive because current ones are the base models after all.
I believe they also have said there is still an Intel product or two on the pipeline.
So the transition may complete by 2022 but that's 1.5-2 years away.

I am pretty sure I don't want another iMac. I don't really want a MacBook especially not a large one. I really don't want the air either. Definitely will never buy a Mac Pro.

So really the options I care about are the mini and 13" MBP. I will eventually get a 13" MBP from work anyway. So really as far as the mini is good now I might as well make the jump right now while my iMac is still worth something when I sell it. Once it's fully replaced with whatever apple silicon core it'll be worth even less.

So after selling and buying even if this mini lasts me 3-ish years at least I am happy with that. Though I feel if all the hype is real it'll last me longer.

The option is to get a NUC. But that's crazy price.

To be honest I can’t see intel macs selling as well as they used to second hand. The time to sell was before the apple chip models were released and everyone knew they were actually making the change.

The new Big Sur OS update showed an acceleration towards models being incompatible with future OS updates. That’s going to affect second hand prices as they won’t have as long a life compared to previous models (one of the benefits of macs have been the longevity and OS updates).

My 2012 iMac has just gone incompatible after 8 years. I was expecting it as it was at the bottom of the compatibility list on Catalina OS. That means it’s not compatible with the latest lightroom update.

If you look at Big Sur compatibility the lowest model is now the mid 2014 21.5 iMac. That means both the 2012 and 2013 models dropped off in one OS update. If that happens on each OS update a 2019 21.5 iMac will be incompatible in around 3-4 OS versions time (3-4 years if they carry on releasing a new OS every year). I doubt the latest intels will see 8 years like the 2012 model I have. A friend said the same happened when apple moved to intels (circa 2005). He bought a pre intel model the year before the change and it was incompatible within 4 years. The same is likely to happen again.

 

[LongLensPhotography]

I think I’ve almost settled on this. Any thoughts?

BenQ EW3270U 31.5 Inch Monitor - Metallic Grey | Wex Photo Video

The BenQ EW3270U 31.5 Inch Monitor is the perfect partner for movies, gaming and more. Delivering crystal-clear 4K HDR, the monitor uses a state-of-the-art B.I.

www.wexphotovideo.com

That's quite decent. Panel is VA which is middle of the road, and I think that matters far more than 10bit vs 8bit. It's not bad but at these prices you want IPS. I guess HDR10 is a sort of 10bit, but probably only simulated.

I'd rather pay a tiny bit more for something like this https://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-32un880-b-4k-uhd-led-monitor (check around for best uk price).

It's 95% DCI-P3 (almost same as adobe). For 100% you'll probably pay over well over 1k, or get smaller crappy res surrogate. At the end of the day LG makes most panels and the rest just repackage them.

For next year I would keep an eye out for this new micro LED displays like apple is supposed to get. That's like AMOLED just without the drawbacks.

 

[nandbytes]

To be honest I can’t see intel macs selling as well as they used to second hand. The time to sell was before the apple chip models were released and everyone knew they were actually making the change.

The new Big Sur OS update showed an acceleration towards models being incompatible with future OS updates. That’s going to affect second hand prices as they won’t have as long a life compared to previous models (one of the benefits of macs have been the longevity and OS updates).

My 2012 iMac has just gone incompatible after 8 years. I was expecting it as it was at the bottom of the compatibility list on Catalina OS. That means it’s not compatible with the latest lightroom update.

If you look at Big Sur compatibility the lowest model is now the mid 2014 21.5 iMac. That means both the 2012 and 2013 models dropped off in one OS update. If that happens on each OS update a 2019 21.5 iMac will be incompatible in around 3-4 OS versions time (3-4 years if they carry on releasing a new OS every year). I doubt the latest intels will see 8 years like the 2012 model I have. A friend said the same happened when apple moved to intels (circa 2005). He bought a pre intel model the year before the change and it was incompatible within 4 years. The same is likely to happen again.

Think they have said they'll continue to support them for at least another 3 or so years. So yeah 4 years or even under it seems likely.

I agree it'd have been better to sell it earlier in the year but it wasn't the right time for me to sell then. They'll continue to decline in price more so once replacement apple silicon iMacs become a thing.
So the way I see it better late than never lol.
I still see these being bought and sold. Longer I wait to sell harder it's going to be.
I have been wanting a mini for a while so this for me is the best time to make the jump when my iMac is still worth a semi-decent amount.

IMO the sensible options are keep the iMac till or as close as possible to end of life support and dispose of it and buy whatever best apple silicon Mac is at the time
OR
Make the move now to apple silicon and sell the iMac when it's worth something.

I have chosen the latter, partly because of GAS, partly because I want a better monitor.

 

[ancient_mariner]

For those wondering if the me mini can be upgraded, the only way will be a full mobo replacement. RAM is part of the processor, SSD will almost certainly be soldered on. Buy for the future, not the present.

 

[LongLensPhotography]

There may be a slip in update to the Mac Mini with a new core when they do the higher end MBP and iMac at the same time but you are probably right that it is about a year away at this point. This time next year.

That's all rumors at this time. We have 3 realistic possibilities for the mini and one of them will almost certainly have to materialise:

1. No further updates for next 2-3 years. It's a basic product and they used to neglect this line in the past (i.e. 2014-2018). MBP is far more likely to be replaced soon so this is mini only scenario.
2. Storage bump or maybe even RAM bump at the same price, like they did to the 2018 model. No further updates for another year.
3. New CPU whenever it is ready, or at least a pricier new option.

2 and particularly 3 would give you a major incentive to sell M1 hardware just before new release cycle. Even if it is 1. what would you do if 2021 M2 MBP or iMac is 4-8x faster?

Personally I could see myself getting one, but until Adobe releases all the pro apps in 2021, the printer driver debacle and potential major hardware updates (not necessarily like for like, but MBP16M2 may make mini look like raspbery Pi) - it all makes it a very questionable move.

Incidentally, this base spec mini is quite a good sell for people just looking to plug some sort of middle of the road computer to their TV, watch content and just do everyday things. Connectivity is amazing as far as they are concerned. You just are not getting 2x TB3 + 2 USB3 ports in any PC or self build under £1500 or even more. Games... well that I don't know. Ipad content should run if its any good, not that I care at all.

 

[nandbytes]

For those wondering if the me mini can be upgraded, the only way will be a full mobo replacement. RAM is part of the processor, SSD will almost certainly be soldered on. Buy for the future, not the present.

I can see my iMac easily lasting me another couple years if not more. If these M1 minis are really as good as they say it should last me 3+ years easily which is good enough for me.

 

[LongLensPhotography]

For those wondering if the me mini can be upgraded, the only way will be a full mobo replacement. RAM is part of the processor, SSD will almost certainly be soldered on. Buy for the future, not the present.

Respectfully what good would that do at these prices if the 2nd or 3rd line of devices would double, triple or quadruple everything by default, or worse introduce a major architecture change leaving it on thin ice like first intel devices?

 

[SFTPhotography]

For those wondering if the me mini can be upgraded, the only way will be a full mobo replacement. RAM is part of the processor, SSD will almost certainly be soldered on. Buy for the future, not the present.

That's how I do my computers. Look to what you think you'll want in 3-5 years.

 

[garryknight]

Just throwing this in the pot:

Apple's next Macbook Pro could feature the AMD Radeon RX 6700 series

Big Navi for big performance

www.techradar.com

 

[nandbytes]

Just throwing this in the pot:

Apple's next Macbook Pro could feature the AMD Radeon RX 6700 series

Big Navi for big performance

www.techradar.com

Sounds inline with what read about another intel 16" MBP still in the pipeline before they get fully replaced.

 

[LongLensPhotography]

Just throwing this in the pot:

Apple's next Macbook Pro could feature the AMD Radeon RX 6700 series

Big Navi for big performance

www.techradar.com

Clearly this will be for Intel version. Closing the doors with the bang?

 

[nandbytes]

Clearly this will be for Intel version. Closing the doors with the bang?

I would believe so. Think they even said somewhere can't find it again that there is 1 or 2 intel machines still in the pipeline.

 

[ecoleman]

Ordered my 16Gb Mini M1 last weekend but still have a couple of weeks to wait.

Also ordered one of these which has arrived and is gorgeous

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0748DGHSG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

10 Bit
99% aRGB
100% sRGB
100% Rec 709 (I think)
Hardware calibration (although not yet compatible with Big Sur or M1 - Coming soon)

 

[nandbytes]

Ordered my 16Gb Mini M1 last weekend but still have a couple of weeks to wait.

Also ordered one of these which has arrived and is gorgeous

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0748DGHSG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

10 Bit
99% aRGB
100% sRGB
100% Rec 709 (I think)
Hardware calibration (although not yet compatible with Big Sur or M1 - Coming soon)

how much harddrive did you go for?

 

[ecoleman]

how much harddrive did you go for?

256Gb. Only using this machine for photo editing and all images will be on external SSD.

 

[Bristolian]

Can't seem to find out if Samsung monitors support 10 bit colours....

I've just bought a Samsung LU28R550quxen monitor and that is 10-bit ... provided you have a 10-bit capable video card. You are right though, they don't exactly advertise it

If I'd known you were going to put your iMac back up for sale I'd have had that instead.

 

[nandbytes]

I've just bought a Samsung LU28R550quxen monitor and that is 10-bit ... provided you have a 10-bit capable video card. You are right though, they don't exactly advertise it

If I'd known you were going to put your iMac back up for sale I'd have had that instead.

looks like a good monitor.

the iMac still available
can use it with dual screen like i do, its good fun

apologies for taking it off, as it is family members i got messed around a bit with "i will buy it definitely" to basically saying "i thought it you would do a deal for me" (yes I'd do a deal for family but not practically give it away!)

 

[Bristolian]

looks like a good monitor.

the iMac still available
can use it with dual screen like i do, its good fun

apologies for taking it off, as it is family members i got messed around a bit with "i will buy it definitely" to basically saying "i thought it you would do a deal for me" (yes I'd do a deal for family but not practically give it away!)

The thought process was always a choice between a 47/48" UHD monitor or an iMac - with preference for the iMac - but I've spent the iMac money on a gift for the wife now otherwise I'd be biting your arm off. Maybe in 6 - 12 months the itch will need scratching again

 

[Carl Hall]

@gremlin16 did you order one in the end? @nandbytes which one did you get and are you loving it?

I'm still using a 2009 27" iMac with a Core 2 Duo and even with an internal SSD and increased RAM it is unbelievably frustrating when you're importing and viewing photos in LR. Takes an age to import into LR and then you may as well make a cup of tea whilst you're waiting to zoom in to a photo at 100%. I also can't get any more LR updates which is fun when you're paying a subscription to get the latest version lol.

I was thinking of waiting for the new M1 iMac to come out later in the year but now I'm considering a Mac Mini instead (just the base level 128gb with 8gb RAM). If I can get Currys to Price match BT and then use vouchers through work it should work out just over £600. I'm thinking I just need a monitor and I'm set then, and I'll have the advantage of being able to just replace the Mac Mini in the future if I want to upgrade rather than splashing out on a new all-in-one iMac. Might be able to upgrade more frequently than every 11-12 years then

I'm expecting the M1 iMac to be double the price of the base level M1 Mini and monitor, so the question is do I upgrade now or wait and see what happens with the iMacs later in the year!

 

[RedRobin]

@gremlin16 did you order one in the end? @nandbytes which one did you get and are you loving it?

I'm still using a 2009 27" iMac with a Core 2 Duo and even with an internal SSD and increased RAM it is unbelievably frustrating when you're importing and viewing photos in LR. Takes an age to import into LR and then you may as well make a cup of tea whilst you're waiting to zoom in to a photo at 100%. I also can't get any more LR updates which is fun when you're paying a subscription to get the latest version lol.

I was thinking of waiting for the new M1 iMac to come out later in the year but now I'm considering a Mac Mini instead (just the base level 128gb with 8gb RAM). If I can get Currys to Price match BT and then use vouchers through work it should work out just over £600. I'm thinking I just need a monitor and I'm set then, and I'll have the advantage of being able to just replace the Mac Mini in the future if I want to upgrade rather than splashing out on a new all-in-one iMac. Might be able to upgrade more frequently than every 11-12 years then

I'm expecting the M1 iMac to be double the price of the base level M1 Mini and monitor, so the question is do I upgrade now or wait and see what happens with the iMacs later in the year!

.... Hmm, I can't help thinking that a big factor is Lightroom. Before I moved to a Mac Mini I had the same 27-inch spec iMac as you but never had the problems you describe with Capture One. At least, not so slooow as to bother me. The Mac Mini is faster as you would expect but I would definitely increase the RAM - You can do this yourself although I got a very experienced friend to do it for me. My Mac Mini is an i7 with 1TB storage and 32GB RAM and I use Capture One, not Lightroom. Having only 8GB RAM and small storage will slow any computer down significantly - They need room to breathe! You can't upgrade the storage inside the Mac Mini and so I also connect a 4TB LaCie external HD semi-permanently and they aren't expensive. I run macOS 10.14.6 Mojave and don't want to upgrade the macOS because of valued third-party software then becoming no longer compatible.

I hope this helps in some way.

 

[Carl Hall]

.... Hmm, I can't help thinking that a big factor is Lightroom. Before I moved to a Mac Mini I had the same 27-inch spec iMac as you but never had the problems you describe with Capture One. At least, not so slooow as to bother me. The Mac Mini is faster as you would expect but I would definitely increase the RAM - You can do this yourself although I got a very experienced friend to do it for me. My Mac Mini is an i7 with 1TB storage and 32GB RAM and I use Capture One, not Lightroom. Having only 8GB RAM and small storage will slow any computer down significantly - They need room to breathe! You can't upgrade the storage inside the Mac Mini and so I also connect a 4TB LaCie external HD semi-permanently and they aren't expensive. I run macOS 10.14.6 Mojave and don't want to upgrade the macOS because of valued third-party software then becoming no longer compatible.

I hope this helps in some way.

You might well be right as it's only really slow when photo editing, but that's the only taxing thing it does so it makes sense that's when it's slow. It's not quite as "get a cup of tea" slow as I said but I just did a quick test and it takes 18-22 seconds to show a 24mp raw file at 1:1. I had assumed a lot of that was from the photos being stored on the external hard drive which is over USB 2.0, but the speeds aren't noticeably quicker with photos on my internal SSD.

My understanding is that the RAM isn't upgradable in the M1 Minis, only the Intels? From what I've seen the 8gb M1's cope fine with video editing so they should do me for simple photo editing for years to come really. Also, the 16gb's are only available from Apple so no discount, so the prices are £600 vs £900, or £950 vs £1250 after buying a monitor. With the latter, I'd probably just hold off and see what the M1 iMacs look like later in the year.

 

[RedRobin]

You might well be right as it's only really slow when photo editing, but that's the only taxing thing it does so it makes sense that's when it's slow. It's not quite as "get a cup of tea" slow as I said but I just did a quick test and it takes 18-22 seconds to show a 24mp raw file at 1:1. I had assumed a lot of that was from the photos being stored on the external hard drive which is over USB 2.0, but the speeds aren't noticeably quicker with photos on my internal SSD.

My understanding is that the RAM isn't upgradable in the M1 Minis, only the Intels? From what I've seen the 8gb M1's cope fine with video editing so they should do me for simple photo editing for years to come really. Also, the 16gb's are only available from Apple so no discount, so the prices are £600 vs £900, or £950 vs £1250 after buying a monitor. With the latter, I'd probably just hold off and see what the M1 iMacs look like later in the year.

..... Always a good idea to hold fire if you know that new improved hardware versions are coming in the not too distant future.

 

[Sootchucker]

I've had my M1 Mac mini for about 4 weeks now (500gb storage, 16gb ram), and to be honest it's handled everything I've thrown at it including Davinci Resolve 17 and Final Cut Pro (which Im currently trialling). Lightroom, Photoshop and Capture one (though I'm only on version 12), work an absolute charm and it's a very quick computer. I've especially noticed when doing noise reduction from Topaz DeNoise AI, it's quicker to run the filter than my desktop PC which is a core i7 9700k, 64gb ram, 1tb NVme drive and a Radeon 5700 GPU !

 

[nandbytes]

@gremlin16 did you order one in the end? @nandbytes which one did you get and are you loving it?

I'm still using a 2009 27" iMac with a Core 2 Duo and even with an internal SSD and increased RAM it is unbelievably frustrating when you're importing and viewing photos in LR. Takes an age to import into LR and then you may as well make a cup of tea whilst you're waiting to zoom in to a photo at 100%. I also can't get any more LR updates which is fun when you're paying a subscription to get the latest version lol.

I was thinking of waiting for the new M1 iMac to come out later in the year but now I'm considering a Mac Mini instead (just the base level 128gb with 8gb RAM). If I can get Currys to Price match BT and then use vouchers through work it should work out just over £600. I'm thinking I just need a monitor and I'm set then, and I'll have the advantage of being able to just replace the Mac Mini in the future if I want to upgrade rather than splashing out on a new all-in-one iMac. Might be able to upgrade more frequently than every 11-12 years then

I'm expecting the M1 iMac to be double the price of the base level M1 Mini and monitor, so the question is do I upgrade now or wait and see what happens with the iMacs later in the year!

I moved away from the iMac for pretty much the same reason as you mentioned. With my model (and any later models) you cannot even use it as a monitor. So basically you have to replace the whole lot. So i decided to go back to my previous setup with a laptop/computer + good monitor.

I was going to buy a M1 mac mini fully maxed out but I got gifted a base model M1 macbook air by santa

The base model lags a little with 61mp files but works fine for 24mp files. The issue is that LR constantly tries to use 10-12GB RAM on a 8GB machine. Its not very well optimised for this. But the performance is still quite impressive considering its working via. a translation plus using some swap memory.
If I was buying new myself I'd have gone for the 16GB M1 mac mini model (in fact I had order one and I cancelled it) and kept it easily for next 3-ish years and then upgraded thereafter. Now that I have a macbook air that works well enough I'll wait for a higher end model with more RAM (you are right in that RAM can't be upgraded).

But my budget for a Mac goes as far as £2K. If your budget is sub £1k or even sub £1.5K you won't go wrong with the new M1 mac mini. Whatever higher end "M1X" macs are released they will cost more than the current models which are clearly "starter/base" level models. So you are looking at prices upwards of £1.5K. So no point in waiting a year then deciding on a M1 mac mini when you can buy it now and apple prices are hardly reduced or discounted. One thing I'd advice is to dish out the £200 extra for the 16GB RAM upgrade.

 

[gremlin16]

@Carl Hall sorry, I’d not seen this. I went with a viewsonic 32” 4K thing. Got it around Black Friday for about £600 instead of £850. It’s bloom in’ lovely. Very pleased with the combo. It’s not an iMac, but really please with it. Would recommend getting the 16gb, I returned my 8gb for ‘future proofing’

 

[nandbytes]

@Carl Hall sorry, I’d not seen this. I went with a viewsonic 32” 4K thing. Got it around Black Friday for about £600 instead of £850. It’s bloom in’ lovely. Very pleased with the combo. It’s not an iMac, but really please with it.

Can you link us to the exact model?
Is it hardware calibrated?

 

[gremlin16]

Yes it’s all calibrated, bear with me. See my edit about getting the 16gb over the 8gb mini

 

[gremlin16]

Monitor :

ViewSonic VP3268-4K, 32 Inch 4K Ultra HD

 

[SFTPhotography]

@Carl Hall sorry, I’d not seen this. I went with a viewsonic 32” 4K thing. Got it around Black Friday for about £600 instead of £850. It’s bloom in’ lovely. Very pleased with the combo. It’s not an iMac, but really please with it. Would recommend getting the 16gb, I returned my 8gb for ‘future proofing’

Viewsonic have a pretty decent reputation. I think you will really enjoy it.