WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:10.360 Wait, has Apple killed the big iMac? 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 00:00:15.120 --> 00:00:20.520 buy this 27-inch iMac. 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 00:00:26.120 --> 00:00:31.400 i5 processor, discrete graphics, and even user-upgradable memory. 00:00:31.400 --> 00:00:38.080 Now though, it's gone, and the beautiful iMacs they do sell aren't comparable. 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 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, 00:00:51.960 --> 00:00:57.000 you're going to have to shell out over $3,000. 00:00:57.000 --> 00:01:01.440 That's disappointing, but I have a clever solution, and part of that solution is an 00:01:01.440 --> 00:01:09.080 awesome monitor from ASUS who's sponsoring this video. 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 00:01:16.120 --> 00:01:19.520 average people, so long as they're not a gamer. 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. 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 00:01:33.880 --> 00:01:37.920 way to get what is the most dramatic performance jump in the range. 00:01:37.920 --> 00:01:42.840 For people with CPU intensive tasks, the M2 Pro makes a big difference. 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 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 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. 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 00:02:05.440 --> 00:02:09.080 Mac Pro as the most balanced Mac available. 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 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. 00:02:19.560 --> 00:02:23.360 That $1,800 iMac was a bit of a cut price model. 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:27.720 It only came with 8GB of RAM and 250GB of storage. 00:02:27.720 --> 00:02:32.480 So you could argue that spec-wise, it's closer to the cheapest Mac Mini. 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. 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 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. 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 00:02:57.480 --> 00:03:01.400 order of business is the monitor. 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. 00:03:10.320 --> 00:03:27.720 Instead, let's look at the ASUS ProArt PA279 CR-V. 00:03:27.720 --> 00:03:31.520 This MSRP is only $500. 00:03:31.520 --> 00:03:38.480 Like the Studio Display, it covers the entire P3, sRGB, and Adobe RGB color gamuts. 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 00:03:42.120 --> 00:03:47.660 even discern. In fact, it's even slightly better than the Studio Display. 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 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, 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 00:04:02.040 --> 00:04:08.780 more of those precious ports. And power even the thirstiest of MacBooks with 96W power delivery. 00:04:08.780 --> 00:04:14.840 With its slim profile, compact base, and decent cable management, I even think it looks good. 00:04:14.840 --> 00:04:18.160 And I'm the absolute pickiest when it comes to monitor design. 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 00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:25.320 with macOS's unfortunate display scaling. 00:04:25.320 --> 00:04:32.120 But remember, $500. The price difference alone almost pays for the Mac Mini. 00:04:32.120 --> 00:04:36.960 That means you can splurge for a touch ID equipped Magic Keyboard, which costs $150. 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. 00:04:41.920 --> 00:04:45.440 This brings the total up to $2030. 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. 00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:57.920 This form factor has been with us since I was in college, in 2010. 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. 00:05:04.520 --> 00:05:09.200 It could even be unapologetically plastic. I'd totally be down for that. 00:05:09.200 --> 00:05:13.600 With the M2 Pro processor, there are admittedly benefits to keeping this form factor. 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 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 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. 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 00:05:35.440 --> 00:05:38.800 a massive 3.5-inch hard drive for all your media. 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 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. 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 00:05:57.880 --> 00:06:02.840 to Apple's offerings. Put together, I think this stack looks pretty cool. 00:06:02.840 --> 00:06:08.040 The Mac Mini is now starting to become more like a full-fat desktop computer. 00:06:08.040 --> 00:06:11.240 Okay, so there are still two things missing. 00:06:11.240 --> 00:06:14.280 A webcam and speakers. 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 00:06:18.080 --> 00:06:21.160 recommend spending a minimum of $100. 00:06:21.160 --> 00:06:25.880 Not like these. Ugh, look at these Harman Kardon sound sticks. 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, 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. 00:06:39.480 --> 00:06:45.080 Okay. So this setup does admit some, we have an iMac at home vibes. 00:06:45.080 --> 00:06:48.640 There are certainly more cables to manage and power outlets to use. 00:06:48.640 --> 00:06:52.440 But there are also benefits to this modular setup worth considering. 00:06:52.440 --> 00:06:56.800 One of the big frustrations for owners of old iMacs is that they find themselves with 00:06:56.800 --> 00:07:02.120 an excellent, perfectly functioning display attached permanently to an unusable obsolete 00:07:02.120 --> 00:07:07.680 and unupgradable computer. From a waste and longevity perspective, this is bad. 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:13.560 But by modularizing our setup, we can replace and upgrade pieces as our needs change. 00:07:13.560 --> 00:07:16.680 Theoretically, this should make things less expensive in the long run. 00:07:16.680 --> 00:07:21.480 But we've made things less expensive in the short run, too, with this setup. 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 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. 00:07:36.280 --> 00:07:40.160 $1,500 is a bit dear for what you're getting and what you're missing. 00:07:40.160 --> 00:07:46.200 Worse still, if you upgrade the CPU, GPU, and memory, the price jumps to $2,000. 00:07:46.200 --> 00:07:51.080 It ends up being more than a comparably equipped M1 Macs-powered Mac Studio. 00:07:51.080 --> 00:07:56.600 That's just ridiculous and confusing. In that respect, I'm sad the iMac is dead. 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 00:08:03.720 --> 00:08:08.160 a reasonable desktop setup for any Mac user, desktop, or laptop. 00:08:08.160 --> 00:08:29.920 And that's something to be happy about.