11 replies to this topic

[johntravers]

got some spare cash and could squeeze to buy a new one at mo.

got a 2ghz 2009 machine. works fine for most use. only real issue is ive bought a lot of pc games on steam that struggle or more than struggle on my mac. i like mac mini because i have a monitor already and im not looking for a top of the range machine. just could be persuaded to upgrade.
things like borderlands and alan wake, but also newer games. i know i could just buy a cheap pc but thats not going to happen...


how much quicker, would a new 2.3 ghz i5 mac mini be over my coreduo 2 ghz 2009 edition?

also is the 2.5 ghz worth 200 euro more?

[Thain Esh Kelch]

The new model won't be much better at games. But if you plan on using it for games, definitely get the 2.5Ghz model, since it has a dedicated graphic card. You get twice the mount of RAM on top, which will help you also.

But it is not a gaming monster by any means..

Delete all that. Turns out they are pretty much comparable. In that, I wouldn't waste my money until the Mini is upgraded to at least an Intel HD4000.

[Janichsan]

johntravers, on 08 August 2012 - 05:47 AM, said:

how much quicker, would a new 2.3 ghz i5 mac mini be over my coreduo 2 ghz 2009 edition?

Geekbench score Mac mini early 2009: 3120; Mac mini mid 2011: 5852.

So, quite a bit, I would say.

Quote

also is the 2.5 ghz worth 200 euro more?

Yes! But not for the additional 200 MHz CPU clock speed, but for the AMD HD6630M GPU (and the 2 GB RAM more).

[Thain Esh Kelch]

Janichsan, on 08 August 2012 - 06:20 AM, said:

Geekbench score Mac mini early 2009: 3120; Mac mini mid 2011: 5852.

So, quite a bit, I would say.

It is still quite slow compared to everything else. And you need something for gaming!

[Janichsan]

Thain Esh Kelch, on 08 August 2012 - 07:19 AM, said:

It is still quite slow compared to everything else. And you need something for gaming!

I have Deus Ex Human Revolution, Left 4 Dead 2, Duke Nukem Forever, Borderlands and Batman Arkham Asylum running very smooth (30+ fps) at high or highest settings on my AMD Mac mini. Admittedly only at 1280x720 or 1366x768, but that's more or less PS3 quality. Just saying.

[Thain Esh Kelch]

Impressive! Maybe I'm being too cynical after all..

[johntravers]

Janichsan, on 08 August 2012 - 08:12 AM, said:

I have Deus Ex Human Revolution, Left 4 Dead 2, Duke Nukem Forever, Borderlands and Batman Arkham Asylum running very smooth (30+ fps) at high or highest settings on my AMD Mac mini. Admittedly only at 1280x720 or 1366x768, but that's more or less PS3 quality. Just saying.

on my 2009 machine human revolution is single figures frames per second, borderlands is sluggish on the lowest settings....

what mac mini is that mate? how fast cpu?

[Sneaky Snake]

The 2.3 GHz i5 mini would destroy your 2009 Mac Mini in every benchmark. Spend the extra $200 to get the 6630 and 2.5 GHz and you got yourself a good little machine that can game.

[Janichsan]

johntravers, on 08 August 2012 - 03:05 PM, said:

what mac mini is that mate? how fast cpu?

As mentioned, the mid 2011 Mac mini with AMD GPU (Geekbench score 6719). I coughed up 100 € extra for the 2.7 GHz i7 CPU, which might be a factor for some games. (Anyway, truth to be told: even the cheapest iMac is faster – but the iMacs are simply out of the question for me as long as they have the reflective glass pane.)

[johntravers]

Janichsan, on 09 August 2012 - 01:21 AM, said:

As mentioned, the mid 2011 Mac mini with AMD GPU (Geekbench score 6719). I coughed up 100 € extra for the 2.7 GHz i7 CPU, which might be a factor for some games. (Anyway, truth to be told: even the cheapest iMac is faster – but the iMacs are simply out of the question for me as long as they have the reflective glass pane.)

thats tempting but the price is rising even higher. i was looking at 609 euros for the basic 2.3 ghz i5, certainly it doesnt make sense to me to go to 813 for the 2.5ghz i5, but...but...but.....915 euro for a 2.7ghz i7...sounds to the untrained eye that it would get me a much faster machine that would last far longer.

the 09 machine was a bargain tbh as i got it in 2010 as an ex display model for 400 euros and i guess i could stick it in the bedroom and use it as a media player

of course it would sicken me if i buy one and apple announce better newer cheaper models soon, it seems a bit of a risk to buy a machine that is generally updated yearly, and hasnt been for a year.

[Janichsan]

johntravers, on 09 August 2012 - 03:33 AM, said:

the 09 machine was a bargain tbh as i got it in 2010 as an ex display model for 400 euros and i guess i could stick it in the bedroom and use it as a media player

I also have an early 2009 Mac mini hooked to my TV and my stereo as media player and DVR. It does a good job there.

Quote

of course it would sicken me if i buy one and apple announce better newer cheaper models soon, it seems a bit of a risk to buy a machine that is generally updated yearly, and hasnt been for a year.

That could of course happen, although I don't expect the next mini to be cheaper (but of course better equipped). But I don't think we will see an updated Mac mini before there are new models of the iMac, and those are still nowhere to be seen.

[Frost]

How much i5 could a Core Duo crunch if a Core Duo couldn't crunch i5?