Basic M2 Mac mini's slow SSD and it's suitability for editing?

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Level 7

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Basic M2 Mac mini's slow SSD and it's suitability for editing?

I received the announcement of the new M2 Mac mini with enthusiasm.

30% increase in CPU and GPU performance together with updated Bluetooth and Wi-fi sounded enough to tempt me to shell out a few quid on the base model.

However, 24 hours later I discovered the nasty trick that Apple had played with the SSD . . . there was only a single 256GB chip instead of 2 x 128GB ones resulting in Read and Write speeds being little more than half that of the base M1

Apparently the larger capacity SSDs do not suffer from this problem but on principle there is no way I would fork out £200 for another meagre 256GB of storage.

Should I wish to buy a Mac mini, it appears I have 2 choices . . . get the M2 and take a performance hit with that dodgy SSD or buy one of the old M1s. There should be quite a few new/unsold M1s going cheap.

What sort of negative effect am I likely to notice with the base M2 when video editing?

Will the extra CPU and GPU performance outweigh the slower SSD?

Mac mini

Posted on Jan 27, 2023 02:02 AM

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Answer 1

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Luis Sequeira1

Level 9

71,976 points

Jan 27, 2023 02:17 AM in response to Ian R. Brown

Well, it is a fact that the single chip SSD provides for a slower performance, compared to the 512GB version.

But it is still quite fast - some 2700MBps read, about the same as what I get in my MBP (2019 intel).

Would you in many cases notice the difference between 2700 and some 3400 for the faster version?

The way I see it is this: most people would never know unless they were told. The SSD is still plenty fast, just not as fast as the higher options.

The internal is still three times as fast as any USB-C external you may use. I edit 4K material with my Crucial external SSD and it reaches only some 900MBps, no problems there...

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Answer 2

Jan 27, 2023 02:23 AM in response to Ian R. Brown

Anyway, if you were to opt for only 256GB internal, you probably would still put your media in an external, right?

From the amount of comments and criticism, it makes it seem like the base model had something akin to a 5400rpm HD. (Now that was sloooooooow and shame on Apple for selling macs with them for so long)

But very very very far from fact now.

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Answer 3

Ian R. Brown Author

Level 7

23,730 points

Jan 27, 2023 04:06 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

When you put it that way, it doesn't sound too bad.

I heard one commentator claim that as there was a cost of living crisis, Apple was having to cut corners to make ends meet. What utter rubbish! Their profits are so excessive they could afford to double the specs without taking a noticeable hit.

Anyway, I'll hang around for a few months until the likes of Amazon and John Lewis discount them.

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Answer 4

Ian R. Brown Author

Level 7

23,730 points

Jan 27, 2023 02:07 AM in response to Ian R. Brown

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Basic M2 Mac mini's slow SSD and it's suitability for editing?

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