1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:10,360 Wait, has Apple killed the big iMac? 2 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:15,120 A few years ago, if you wanted to get a decent mid-range Mac desktop experience, you would 3 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:20,520 buy this 27-inch iMac. 4 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:26,120 Starting at $1,800 it came with a large, crisp and colorful 5K display, desktop-class core 5 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:31,400 i5 processor, discrete graphics, and even user-upgradable memory. 6 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:38,080 Now though, it's gone, and the beautiful iMacs they do sell aren't comparable. 7 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:44,080 What is is the new Mac Mini, which is now the least expensive way to get the much more 8 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:51,960 powerful M2 Pro processor. However, this doesn't come with any peripherals, so if you want to set up like the old iMac, 9 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:57,000 you're going to have to shell out over $3,000. 10 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:01,440 That's disappointing, but I have a clever solution, and part of that solution is an 11 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:09,080 awesome monitor from ASUS who's sponsoring this video. 12 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:16,120 Let's talk about that new powerful Mac Mini. In a previous video, we already determined that the base vanilla M2 model is great for 13 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:19,520 average people, so long as they're not a gamer. 14 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:27,400 At $600, it's a great deal. However, if you want any more oomph, you're going to have to pay more than twice that. 15 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:33,880 Because the M2 Pro powered Mac Mini costs $1,300, despite this, it does represent a less expensive 16 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:37,920 way to get what is the most dramatic performance jump in the range. 17 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:42,840 For people with CPU intensive tasks, the M2 Pro makes a big difference. 18 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:48,800 To export a collection of 100 RAW photos on the $600 M2 Mini, it takes 1 minute and 12 19 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:55,320 seconds. A base M2 powered MacBook Pro does it in 34 seconds, and a fully upgraded M2 Pro Mac 20 00:01:55,320 --> 00:02:00,720 Mini will do it in only 20 seconds. I can't even heat up my coffee in that time. 21 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:05,440 It's a similar story in my DaVinci export 2, and it's why I recommend the M2 Pro powered 22 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:09,080 Mac Pro as the most balanced Mac available. 23 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:13,600 At $2,000, it does cost more than that old iMac does, and it doesn't provide any of 24 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:19,560 the benefits of a desktop setup. So you're still going to have to shell out for all of this. 25 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:23,360 That $1,800 iMac was a bit of a cut price model. 26 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:27,720 It only came with 8GB of RAM and 250GB of storage. 27 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:32,480 So you could argue that spec-wise, it's closer to the cheapest Mac Mini. 28 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:39,560 But back then, $400 would upgrade the CPU, RAM, and SSD to the same level as the M2 Pro. 29 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:45,560 At $2,200, that's a full $1,000 less than the Mac Mini with a Studio Display Magic Mouse 30 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:53,120 and keyboard. Compared to the old iMac, the M2 Pro powered Mac Mini looks to be a bad deal then. 31 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:57,480 But I think I can tweak this setup to bring the price back down to earth, and the first 32 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:01,400 order of business is the monitor. 33 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:10,320 The Studio Display is $1,600. Sure, it's nice, but I wouldn't spend that much of my own money on it. 34 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:27,720 Instead, let's look at the ASUS ProArt PA279 CR-V. 35 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:31,520 This MSRP is only $500. 36 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:38,480 Like the Studio Display, it covers the entire P3, sRGB, and Adobe RGB color gamuts. 37 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:42,120 Which means that on average, the colors are close to as accurate as the human eye can 38 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:47,660 even discern. In fact, it's even slightly better than the Studio Display. 39 00:03:47,660 --> 00:03:51,240 If you're editing pictures or video, you don't have to worry about the monitor tainting 40 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:57,480 your edits. You can connect it to your Mac Mini with HDMI, or if you prefer a single cable solution, 41 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:02,040 you can plug in via USB-C and take advantage of the monitor's built-in USB hub to get 42 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:08,780 more of those precious ports. And power even the thirstiest of MacBooks with 96W power delivery. 43 00:04:08,780 --> 00:04:14,840 With its slim profile, compact base, and decent cable management, I even think it looks good. 44 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:18,160 And I'm the absolute pickiest when it comes to monitor design. 45 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:22,240 The 4K panel is not quite as sharp as the Studio Display, so you might have to put up 46 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:25,320 with macOS's unfortunate display scaling. 47 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:32,120 But remember, $500. The price difference alone almost pays for the Mac Mini. 48 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:36,960 That means you can splurge for a touch ID equipped Magic Keyboard, which costs $150. 49 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:41,920 If you're among the seemingly few who like the Magic Mouse, it adds $80 to the tally. 50 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:45,440 This brings the total up to $2030. 51 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:53,040 This is really coming together nicely, isn't it? But the one thing I haven't brought up about the new Mac Mini is its tired design. 52 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:57,920 This form factor has been with us since I was in college, in 2010. 53 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:04,520 I just gave it for one my age. It's not a bad design, but it's lacking personality. 54 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:09,200 It could even be unapologetically plastic. I'd totally be down for that. 55 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:13,600 With the M2 Pro processor, there are admittedly benefits to keeping this form factor. 56 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:18,120 The chip is larger and warmer, so the internals and cooling do fill the Mac Mini's volume 57 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:23,800 now. And if you want expandability, there are already a bunch of great accessories that you can 58 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:29,000 stack perfectly underneath. We're not going to include them in our price comparison, but they're pretty cool. 59 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:35,440 Let me go get them. This OWC hard drive enclosure is exactly the same shape as the Mac Mini, and lets you install 60 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:38,800 a massive 3.5-inch hard drive for all your media. 61 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:43,000 Better yet, if you still need front-facing USB-A ports and an SD card reader, there's 62 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:50,720 also this Satetshi USB-C hub and SSD enclosure, whose M.2 slot supports a SATA SSD. 63 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:57,880 Empty, they're each about $100. But even with the cost of a drive, these are a much cheaper way to increase storage compared 64 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:02,840 to Apple's offerings. Put together, I think this stack looks pretty cool. 65 00:06:02,840 --> 00:06:08,040 The Mac Mini is now starting to become more like a full-fat desktop computer. 66 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:11,240 Okay, so there are still two things missing. 67 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:14,280 A webcam and speakers. 68 00:06:14,280 --> 00:06:18,080 The integrated speakers in the iMac were pretty good, so if you get a set for your desk, I 69 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:21,160 recommend spending a minimum of $100. 70 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:25,880 Not like these. Ugh, look at these Harman Kardon sound sticks. 71 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:32,080 So nice. On the webcam front, a $40 phone mount for a continuity camera is a really great option, 72 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:39,480 available to anyone using an iPhone as old as a XR. If you want a dedicated webcam, they'll set you back $52-150. 73 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:45,080 Okay. So this setup does admit some, we have an iMac at home vibes. 74 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:48,640 There are certainly more cables to manage and power outlets to use. 75 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:52,440 But there are also benefits to this modular setup worth considering. 76 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:56,800 One of the big frustrations for owners of old iMacs is that they find themselves with 77 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:02,120 an excellent, perfectly functioning display attached permanently to an unusable obsolete 78 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:07,680 and unupgradable computer. From a waste and longevity perspective, this is bad. 79 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:13,560 But by modularizing our setup, we can replace and upgrade pieces as our needs change. 80 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:16,680 Theoretically, this should make things less expensive in the long run. 81 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:21,480 But we've made things less expensive in the short run, too, with this setup. 82 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:29,720 The grand total of this entire desk is $2,204, only $5 more than that upgraded iMac I mentioned 83 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:36,280 earlier. That's not bad. Even still, I do think the M2 Pro Mac Mini is too expensive. 84 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:40,160 $1,500 is a bit dear for what you're getting and what you're missing. 85 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:46,200 Worse still, if you upgrade the CPU, GPU, and memory, the price jumps to $2,000. 86 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:51,080 It ends up being more than a comparably equipped M1 Macs-powered Mac Studio. 87 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:56,600 That's just ridiculous and confusing. In that respect, I'm sad the iMac is dead. 88 00:07:56,600 --> 00:08:03,720 It offered really good value for the package. To get that value now, though, it's with this sponsored ProArt display, which offers 89 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:08,160 a reasonable desktop setup for any Mac user, desktop, or laptop. 90 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:29,920 And that's something to be happy about.