Should I use my Mac mini as a Server for my iMac?

Personally, I use a MacMini as a file server with the prime function as backup and general file access. I keep work in progress on drives on my main computer and then when complete move it to the Mini server. How you organize data and backup on the server is a matter of personal preference.

On the Mini server, I have multiple drives with some dedicated solely for back up and others for general access. I also have my music and video libraries on it so they can be shared across multiple devices and not consume space on those devices.

low-life-clothing wrote:

Hi I work as a freelancer and work with some huge files. I use an iMac 3.6 i9 with a 3tb hard drive. I have an old Mac mini sat around doing nothing which has a SSD. Would it make sense for me to set it up as a server. Would that speed things up or is it overcomplicating something that isn't an issue? Thanks Kev

If your interest is to speed up file reads & writes, using an external SSD that is either Thunderbolt 3 (40 Gbps) or USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) would be a significant improvement over the performance of your iMac's internal HDD especially if it's a Fusion drive.

Using your mini as a server is also something to consider but your transfer speeds will depend on your network speed plus the (small) overhead of accessing shared files on the mini. Assuming at least 1 Gbps wired ethernet connections, you will probably be happy with the setup. I am often pleasantly surprised about how fast file transfers are over my own network.

That said, using an external SSD as your boot drive would give you an overall, system-wide performance boost over an internal Fusion drive. But make it a TB3 or USB 3.2 Gen 2 drive connected to one of the USB-C ports on your iMac, not a USB3 drive connected to one of the USB-A ports.

I also use a Mac mini as a Media Server, but mostly for Music, Movie and TV Streaming. In addition to holding a large Music Library, it also holds our large Photos Library and other Files for redundant backups.

It will probably not speed up your work-flow compared to just using local drives with the iMac. But it can be used to free up your iMac from doing other mundane tasks like Music, Movie, TV Streaming, etc...

I often cannibalize internal drives from old Macs and use them as bare data drives with OWC SATA Dual Drive Dock.

Some old Macs that support old PowerPC apps or 32-bit macOS or have built-in Firewire for DV/D8 import and support old and goodie iMovie v1-6 are an exception as is Mac Plus in the basement (...hmm I must check if it still boots from the internal or external floppy disk or whether I must resort booting from a ZIP disk).