p.1 #1 · MacMini vs MacStudio for photography: worth the pain?
Been waiting to upgrade my MacMini i7 from 2014, 16GB and 1TB SSD, I mostly run LightRoom, PhotoShop for some final edits if I send files to print or for publishing, not a big load of data to edit but, still, the computer struggles even at exporting modern camera files.
I upgraded the old MacBookAir from 2015 to an M4 MacBookPro and it's like drinking Ferrarelle (Italian sparkling water, can't use Pellegrino as a comparison as that's lovely...) vs Champagne (yeah, even tho Italian here I'd have Champagne over Prosecco all of my remaining life long!!!), I know I can use the MBPro for editing since I can plug the external screen and since I have the LR archive on external disk(s) but still I prefer to have a desktop for this kind of processing and as such waiting for Apple to release the new Studios coming probably within June by the usual convention, just wondering if for editing the extra GPU power of the Studio vs Mini is worth the pain.
Making a Mini to match the base Studio would still raise the cost a lot and if the gap is not that big I'd go Studio but, still, any personal experience on either a pumped up Mini and a Studio?
p.1 #2 · MacMini vs MacStudio for photography: worth the pain?
No one who is talking knows what the updated Studio will do, but you can bet it will be faster than the current M2 models.
However, the mini M4Pro is in the same speed range as the current Studio — faster on a few things and slightly slower on some.
I just moved to the m4 Pro mini. I just set it up a few days ago, so I don’t have a great baseline for performance comparisons yet, but the thing works great. I have it driving two 27” monitors and hooked up to multiple external drives.
Generally speaking, for the great majority of users (including serious photographers) the faster Studio machines are probably overkill. I’m sure the new one will have glorious specs, but the M4Pro mini already moves pretty quickly on Photoshop, ACR, and LR.
p.1 #3 · MacMini vs MacStudio for photography: worth the pain?
GiovanniAprea wrote:
Been waiting to upgrade my MacMini i7 from 2014, 16GB and 1TB SSD, I mostly run LightRoom, PhotoShop for some final edits if I send files to print or for publishing, not a big load of data to edit but, still, the computer struggles even at exporting modern camera files.
I upgraded the old MacBookAir from 2015 to an M4 MacBookPro and it's like drinking Ferrarelle (Italian sparkling water, can't use Pellegrino as a comparison as that's lovely...) vs Champagne (yeah, even tho Italian here I'd have Champagne over Prosecco all of my remaining life long!!!), I know I can use the MBPro for editing since I can plug the external screen and since I have the LR archive on external disk(s) but still I prefer to have a desktop for this kind of processing and as such waiting for Apple to release the new Studios coming probably within June by the usual convention, just wondering if for editing the extra GPU power of the Studio vs Mini is worth the pain.
Making a Mini to match the base Studio would still raise the cost a lot and if the gap is not that big I'd go Studio but, still, any personal experience on either a pumped up Mini and a Studio?
IMO if you're doing a lot of AI denoise batches that rely on GPU performance, then the Studio would make sense. Which M4 MacBook Pro did you get? Honestly, I'd try to get over the hangup of it not being a desktop and just plug a monitor into it for desktop editing sessions... You probably already have the computer you need.
p.1 #4 · MacMini vs MacStudio for photography: worth the pain?
GiovanniAprea wrote:
M4 MacBookPro
You're probably done.
I didn't see your spec for memory / storage ... but, unless you have a compelling reason that this isn't getting the job done for you ... you've got a nice rig.
I mean, I'm using my M2 MacBook Pro, and have no desire (other than GAS) to upgrade. I'm targeting 5-8 years on this rig, before spending the $$$ to upgrade again. We'll see how long I go, but I should be able to make 5 years, with a couple already in the rearview mirror.
p.1 #5 · MacMini vs MacStudio for photography: worth the pain?
I know, I could use the MBPro as a main machine, it's an M4 with the now usual 16GB and 1TB storage, I don't do any denoise, very rare, I either shoot portraits or, when it happens, landscape off a tripod so I don't make much use of advanced features as to need big processing power, actually the old MacMini from 2014 still does it unless I have to play with frequency separation in PS or when exporting, sometimes it literally takes ages while the M4 is almost real time.
I like to keep things separate, if I have to edit the files from the big MP cameras I can tell the M4 is a beast but I like to have a desktop as a main computer where to store all of my stuff and have the external drives attached to it.
I will wait to hear about the Studio, in any case I have to wait until at least June to upgrade the Mini.
p.1 #6 · MacMini vs MacStudio for photography: worth the pain?
I was a die hard desktop user for ages, even when I migrated to Apple back in 2013 and that included using a MBP. When the M1 Max debuted in the MBP I upgraded and discovered it was perfect for all my photography work. So, it's now in an upright dock with a Studio monitor. The monitor, external drives and the stand up dock with the MBP in clamshell mode are connected via one cable to a thunderbolt dock which is attached to the underside of the desk top. Very clean setup. I only have to slide the MBP into the dock and everything is automatically connected and running.
p.1 #7 · MacMini vs MacStudio for photography: worth the pain?
GiovanniAprea wrote:
I know, I could use the MBPro as a main machine, it's an M4 with the now usual 16GB and 1TB storage, I don't do any denoise, very rare, I either shoot portraits or, when it happens, landscape off a tripod so I don't make much use of advanced features as to need big processing power, actually the old MacMini from 2014 still does it unless I have to play with frequency separation in PS or when exporting, sometimes it literally takes ages while the M4 is almost real time.
I like to keep things separate, if I have to edit the files from the big MP cameras I can tell the M4 is a beast but I like to have a desktop as a main computer where to store all of my stuff and have the external drives attached to it.
I will wait to hear about the Studio, in any case I have to wait until at least June to upgrade the Mini.
The one thing that "might" make a reason for getting the Studio is to get some serious RAM, instead of the baseline 16GB. In my case, I opted for 64GB RAM in my MBP Max (and typically advocate for folks to get at least 32GB).
I know you mentioned you like the "separation" that the desktop form factor gives you organizationally. But, if you do go down that path ... and make a jump to the Studio ... I'd give serious consideration to whether you are in Pro / Max / Ultra territory to make it worth getting the Studio. Alternatively, one "could" have two MBP's ... one configured for lighter travel, one configured for your desktop arrangement (which likely includes external storage). Might even be worth considering getting an MBA for portability, and setting up your MBP as your "desktop" rig. Here again, 16GB may be a limiting factor sometime down the road, depending on your use case.
Stuff to think about ... you've got some time till June comes around ... I'd think about where you want to be in 5 years to get some perspective about what moves you make this year regarding a two rig setup.
I don't do very heavy editing, most of it is done in LR and some little stuff in PS if it needs to but no more than a few layers so no very CPU or memory intensive, the issue with my actual setup is that I can't update the OS and that it starts to show how heavy can be an uncompressed Nikon D850/Z8 raw file for an 11 years old CPU.
I don't plan to upgrade again in 10 years as at my age nothing is granted on such a long range, nowadays software is much more demanding than a few years back, RAM is cheap, storage cheaper and computing power is plenty whatever the task, this granted a Studio still costs 2.5K while a Mini with same RAM and storage falls short of 1.7K or so, if the Studio has a longer life expectations and power reserve for future software and camera update then worth spending a little more to be short term future proof.
Grazie
p.s. I thought of using the M4 MBP as a main machine but my archive is on external FW800 storage, I need a couple adapters to convert FW800 to USB-C, I already have a MiniDisplayPort to FW800, I would just need an extra one to move and this might well be an option while I wait for June or whenever I can afford the desktop upgrade
p.1 #10 · MacMini vs MacStudio for photography: worth the pain?
RustyBug wrote:
The one thing that "might" make a reason for getting the Studio is to get some serious RAM, instead of the baseline 16GB. In my case, I opted for 64GB RAM in my MBP Max (and typically advocate for folks to get at least 32GB).
These days I would want more than 16GB ram in a machine for post-processing. Apple is now making 24GB the default minimum in the new M4 miniPro. I have 48GB in mine.
If you aren't a super heavy user doing a lot of leading edge processing stuff, the M4 Powerbooks (or the M4 Pro mini) should be more than sufficient.
I was concerned about ports when I got my mini, but once I got mine set up it wasn’t an issue. The key is moving everything to USB-C. There are five USB-C ports on the mini. I have a 27" Apple Studio Monitor connected via a Thunderbolt/USB-C cable, and since the monitor has four ports, three of those remain for peripherals. So, with the monitor connected (taking one port on the mini) I still have 7 additional USB-C ports!
In my case, I have a second 27" monitor from LG... which has three more USB-A ports on the back.
Lots of ports! If that's still not enough — but it probably is — you could get some kind of hub with whatever extra ports you need.
Cooling should be a non-issue. A nice external usB-C card reader is a whole lot less expensive than a Studio! ;-)
I think that a challenge that many us face — especially those of us who remember the days when you really had to get a big, top-end machine to run Photoshop — is in believing that something so small and, well, "mini" as the Mac mini actually has the power it contains.
p.1 #11 · MacMini vs MacStudio for photography: worth the pain?
I purchased a MacMini M4 Pro with 64GB RAM and 2TB storage. I also obtained a CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 Pro Dock which I connected to the MacMini allowing easy access to my Old Thunderbolt 2 Hard Drives and Promise RAID storage (with the appropriate Thunderbolt 2 to 4 adapter cable). The CalDigit dock has numerous connectivity options including a SD card reader and allows older USB use and charging. I would suggest examining the CalDigit product to see if it meets your needs. It is a cost effective addition to the MacMini in terms of facilitating external component use.
The MacMini M4 Pro works very well and efficiently with Lightroom and Photoshop.
p.1 #12 · MacMini vs MacStudio for photography: worth the pain?
I have the "base model" mini with M4Pro and it is serving my needs well. I use DXO Photolab and Affinity. I think the computer is quicker than me, so I decided that the Studio will be too much for my needs.
Where the Studio could be faster than the mini is during exports. That does take time. But I generally don't care about that because I can start the export and go to the kitchen for a snack. Or do whatever else I want to do. It will be done when I get back.
I do not worry about ports too much. I have a little bus-powered hub from Satechi. I use it with the Mac mini and my Macbook Air.
I estimated I will have 6 years of useful life out of the Mac mini. I bought it in November 2024.
p.1 #14 · MacMini vs MacStudio for photography: worth the pain?
mstein274 wrote:
For the mac mini 4 pro would you suggest 24 or 48 gigs?
Nothing less than 32GB has been my standing suggestion. Imo, the bump from 16 > 24 sounds like it is meaningful ... but, after demo'ing units with 24 / 32 / 64 ... the pain vs. gain threshold was when I bumped down from 32 to 24 as the most noticeable.
p.1 #15 · MacMini vs MacStudio for photography: worth the pain?
24, for the OP's use case. OP's use case is similar to mine, and I have 24 and the only time I got it to stutter was when I loaded a 2GB tiff into Affinity and threw layers on it. And I had web browsers, a lot of MS Office, all that going at the same time.
For my normal use, the thing flies with just 24. If your normal use is like the OP and mine, I'd say save your money.
p.1 #16 · MacMini vs MacStudio for photography: worth the pain?
mstein274 wrote:
For the mac mini 4 pro would you suggest 24 or 48 gigs?
I upgraded the memory to 48GB when I purchased my Mini M4 Pro. When I'm running PS and have a few other miscellaneous programs open like safari and music the activity monitor shows 39GB used. I keep the base SSD storage at 500 GB and look to add a TB5 external.
p.1 #17 · MacMini vs MacStudio for photography: worth the pain?
Alan4color wrote:
I upgraded the memory to 48GB when I purchased my Mini M4 Pro. When I'm running PS and have a few other miscellaneous programs open like safari and music the activity monitor shows 39GB used. I keep the base SSD storage at 500 GB and look to add a TB5 external.
p.1 #18 · MacMini vs MacStudio for photography: worth the pain?
I have a base model Studio ( 32 gig ) and run both LR and PS and have not run into any delays. Now when I’m processing images, I don’t have the net open, don’t read mail etc… I just focus on my processing.
p.1 #19 · MacMini vs MacStudio for photography: worth the pain?
GiovanniAprea wrote:
Been waiting to upgrade my MacMini i7 from 2014, 16GB and 1TB SSD, I mostly run LightRoom, PhotoShop for some final edits if I send files to print or for publishing, not a big load of data to edit but, still, the computer struggles even at exporting modern camera files.
I upgraded the old MacBookAir from 2015 to an M4 MacBookPro and it's like drinking Ferrarelle (Italian sparkling water, can't use Pellegrino as a comparison as that's lovely...) vs Champagne (yeah, even tho Italian here I'd have Champagne over Prosecco all of my remaining life long!!!), I know I can use the MBPro for editing since I can plug the external screen and since I have the LR archive on external disk(s) but still I prefer to have a desktop for this kind of processing and as such waiting for Apple to release the new Studios coming probably within June by the usual convention, just wondering if for editing the extra GPU power of the Studio vs Mini is worth the pain.
Making a Mini to match the base Studio would still raise the cost a lot and if the gap is not that big I'd go Studio but, still, any personal experience on either a pumped up Mini and a Studio?
Absolutely. If you do any sort of intense PP, then the Mini simply isn't up to the task. I speak from experience. I tried to upgrade from my iMac Pro (great machine) to a fully speced Mini. Simply didn't/couldn't do the job. So lost quite a bit $$ replacing it with a Studio. Also, tried to work with a 4k monitor. Again not acceptable. Bought the Studio display. Excellent.
Bottom line. Fine tools are always more expensive that 'value' items but in the long from they do a better job, last longer, and provide the ability to give greater satisfaction with your work.
p.1 #20 · MacMini vs MacStudio for photography: worth the pain?
OntheRez wrote: Absolutely. If you do any sort of intense PP, then the Mini simply isn't up to the task. I speak from experience. I tried to upgrade from my iMac Pro (great machine) to a fully speced Mini. Simply didn't/couldn't do the job. So lost quite a bit $$ replacing it with a Studio. Also, tried to work with a 4k monitor. Again not acceptable. Bought the Studio display. Excellent.
Bottom line. Fine tools are always more expensive that 'value' items but in the long from they do a better job, last longer, and provide the ability to give greater satisfaction with your work....Show more →
It is very definitively “up to the task.” I “do the job.” I, uh, speak from experience, too. I’m using one now for all kinds of ACR/Photoshop based post processing.
Actual tests of the M4 Pro version against typically spec’s Studios show that it is in the same speed class, a bit faster at some things and a bit slower at a few others.
It is, in fact, a “fine tool” if spec’ed appropriately.
One thing that is hard for long-time computer users to accept sometimes (and I am one) is that while we often needed truly high-end machines to do this kind of work back in the day, today’s computers are so much more powerful that this is no longer the case.
