Mac mini M1?

[gavspen]

Hi, I asked this in the DP11 thread but this is probably a better place:

"I'm thinking about that too, but wondering about the lack of ports on the M1 mac minis. I've got 2 monitors (VGAs. Will they work?) I'll need a big external HD, iLok, 828 mk3, keyboard/mouse obviously, other stuff I've forgotten about. I guess there's some expander/hub. Have to do the research I guess."

If anyone is thinking about buying one, what about the lack of ports?

Thanks,
Gavin

[HCMarkus]

Thunderbolt / USB 4: Connect one external display up to 6K (with USBC) and a second with HDMI 2.0 up to 4K.

A second USBC TB port available, plus two USB Type A ports. Add hubs as necessary and go!

I've got one of the new MacBook Airs; using for live shows with MainStage. It has only two USBC ports. I'm using two hubs to get all the connections I need. Working great.

[mikehalloran]

I was hoping you'd start another thread.

TB 4 doesn't add functionality or bandwidth except in one important aspect: It allows TB 4 hubs that let you add multiple TB 3 devices. By contrast, TB 3 hubs only pass through the TB 3 port into which it's plugged. This is big.

5K and 6K monitors require TB 3; 4K monitors do not. Many TB 4 hubs have additional HDMI ports and that doesn't use much bandwidth. As for myself, I have a pair of 27" 4K monitors off each side of my iMac Pro. Can I see the difference? Yes but it's ok. You'd have to check with Apple or someone knowledgeable to see if a TB 4 hub would let you run a pair of 5K monitors—I suspect you can. This 5K is the same display used in the 27" iMac since 2017. New, the Apple Store usually has the best price though I've seen refurbs on Amazon for less. If purchased at the same time as a Mini and AppleCare, it's also covered.
https://www.apple.com/shop/product/HMUB ... 5k-display

Likewise, the fastest external drives are TB 3 and are available up to 4TB. Most of us probably don't need them that fast and USB 3.1/3.2 are a lot less expensive but it's nice to know that you can hook up pretty much anything you like.

USB 3.2 is half as fast as TB 3; 3.1 is half that of 3.2 and 3.0 is half that of 3.1. SATA III SSDs are the same speed as USB 3, more or less, but available up to 8TB.

[greg328]

Great info as usual, thanks Mike


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[gavspen]

Thanks for your detailed response Mike. Since you clearly know a lot of stuff about a lot of stuff, let me keep on at you till I wear out the welcome mat.

I dont understand this statement "....only pass through the TB 3 port into which it's plugged", but I guess I get the general drift. A TB4 hub is what you need, right?

I see this on the Apple site: "Two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports". Are TB 4 and USB 4 the same thing then?

That fancy monitor looks very nice, but I have two old VGA monitors that work fine. I assume one connects a hub to the Mac mini, and then the monitors to the hub, is that so? Apple says "VGA output supported using adapters (sold separately)" but I've also been told that when connecting a VGA monitor that a simple cable like this one....

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HF9BQJD?ref=myi_title_dp

...does the trick. Do you know?

What hubs do you like?

Thanks again for your help.

Gavin

[gavspen]

A second USBC TB port available, plus two USB Type A ports. Add hubs as necessary and go!

Thanks HC,

Are there hubs that can get their power from the port they are attached to, or are good ones all separately powered, like this one...

https://www.caldigit.com/thunderbolt-4-element-hub/

Got any recommendations?

Thanks

[mikehalloran]

Thanks for your detailed response Mike. Since you clearly know a lot of stuff about a lot of stuff, let me keep on at you till I wear out the welcome mat.

I dont understand this statement "....only pass through the TB 3 port into which it's plugged", but I guess I get the general drift. A TB4 hub is what you need, right?

I see this on the Apple site: "Two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports". Are TB 4 and USB 4 the same thing then?

That fancy monitor looks very nice, but I have two old VGA monitors that work fine. I assume one connects a hub to the Mac mini, and then the monitors to the hub, is that so? Apple says "VGA output supported using adapters (sold separately)" but I've also been told that when connecting a VGA monitor that a simple cable like this one....

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HF9BQJD?ref=myi_title_dp

...does the trick. Do you know?

What hubs do you like?

Thanks again for your help.

Gavin

Hey Gavin,

Yes, you want a TB4 hub with a TB4 capable Mac. A TB3 hub has only one TB3 port—it may have multiple USB-C ports but only one can carry TB3. That's what I mean by it passing through the port it's plugged into. TB4 allows multiple TB3 devices on a TB4 hub. A TB4 hub cannot add this functionality backwards to a TB3 Mac like mine.

USB-C is just a port, not a protocol. On the M1, it carries TB4 and USB4 — and TB3, USB 3.2 and video and a large number of other protocols. The USB3 ports are not compatible with USB4 is all that statement means.

I don't know of any bus powered TB4 hubs and wouldn't buy one if it exists. Many TB3 devices require bus power and quite a bit of it — where is that juice going to come from? It's the hub's power supply, not the Mac's.

[gavspen]

Thanks again Mike.

As I continue to vacillate, the way one does (this one. anyway), I am now thinking about an Intel mini (2014 or 2018) instead. No need to upgrade to DP11 (which has features I wont even understand, let alone use) and no need for the hub thing-y (I dont think. Maybe, maybe not).

One thing I'm wondering is, do I need the i7? What I have now, processor wise, is 2 x 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon. Pretty much anything made these days would be a step up I assume, right?

Gavin

[HCMarkus]

I am now thinking about an Intel mini (2014 or 2018) instead. No need to upgrade to DP11 (which has features I wont even understand, let alone use) and no need for the hub thing-y (I dont think. Maybe, maybe not).
Gavin

Step up from your old machine is likely, but methinks you will kick yourself in a year or two if you avoid Apple Silicon now. The new machines offer so much more bang-for-the-buck.

The "hub thingy" is a non-issue. If you want to use two monitors, use the HDMI port and one of the two USB-C ports for your monitors. You will probably need an adaptor cable for the monitor connecting to the USB-C port. Get something like this $15.00 hub only if you need more USB ports...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087QFM3GF?ps ... ct_details

It gets power from the port it is connected to.

[bayswater]

Step up from your old machine is likely, but methinks you will kick yourself in a year or two if you avoid Apple Silicon now. The new machines offer so much more bang-for-the-buck.

Depends on the buck. The M1 Mini runs about 30% higher than my 2018 Mini on Geekbench. That's not a trivial difference, but what does a 2018 i7 Mini go for? Also consider that, as I've posted a couple of times, my stupidly huge test project runs on the 2018 mini without a sweat. I think it's a matter of whether it does what you need at a decent price.

[HCMarkus]

Step up from your old machine is likely, but methinks you will kick yourself in a year or two if you avoid Apple Silicon now. The new machines offer so much more bang-for-the-buck.

Depends on the buck. The M1 Mini runs about 30% higher than my 2018 Mini on Geekbench. That's not a trivial difference, but what does a 2018 i7 Mini go for? Also consider that, as I've posted a couple of times, my stupidly huge test project runs on the 2018 mini without a sweat. I think it's a matter of whether it does what you need at a decent price.

I heard ye, bays, the difference in track count is fairly nominal. It just seems to me that, at this point, if one wishes to continue using Apple products, Apple Silicon is the way to go with new purchases. Buying used is another matter entirely, and is not a bad option at all.

[gavspen]

Step up from your old machine is likely, but methinks you will kick yourself in a year or two if you avoid Apple Silicon now. The new machines offer so much more bang-for-the-buck.

Depends on the buck. The M1 Mini runs about 30% higher than my 2018 Mini on Geekbench. That's not a trivial difference, but what does a 2018 i7 Mini go for? Also consider that, as I've posted a couple of times, my stupidly huge test project runs on the 2018 mini without a sweat. I think it's a matter of whether it does what you need at a decent price.

I heard ye, bays, the difference in track count is fairly nominal. It just seems to me that, at this point, if one wishes to continue using Apple products, Apple Silicon is the way to go with new purchases. Buying used is another matter entirely, and is not a bad option at all.

I see both sides of the argument, which really doesnt help at all. Haha.

I'm even seeing decently configured used M1s (with warranty left) out there, so that's also a way to go. There is a Waves plug I use a bit and there's no official support for that with M1/Big Sur, although they say it works using Rosetta, which I suppose would allow me to run my old version of DP as well, right? Maybe? Anyone know?

Gavin

[mikehalloran]

I am now thinking about an Intel mini (2014 or 2018) instead. No need to upgrade to DP11 (which has features I wont even understand, let alone use) and no need for the hub thing-y (I dont think. Maybe, maybe not).
Gavin

Step up from your old machine is likely, but methinks you will kick yourself in a year or two if you avoid Apple Silicon now. The new machines offer so much more bang-for-the-buck.

The "hub thingy" is a non-issue. If you want to use two monitors, use the HDMI port and one of the two USB-C ports for your monitors. You will probably need an adaptor cable for the monitor connecting to the USB-C port. Get something like this $15.00 hub only if you need more USB ports...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087QFM3GF?ps ... ct_details

It gets power from the port it is connected to.

Avoid non-powered hubs like that one. I don’t recall if I have one of those in a drawer or if I was able to get it back to Amazon in time. That exact one. There’s another that I know is in a drawer. I got tired of having to unplug and replug it into my iMP to wake everything up. Sometimes it would be weeks but was always at an inopportune moment.

[HCMarkus]

I haven't had any issues with that hub, but usage certainly differs from user to user; generous return policies are always a good thing!

[gavspen]

I asked MOTU about Rosetta and they said, "We do not support or expect any earlier version of DP to run on Big Sur or Rosetta." Not terribly surprising I guess, since they have no interest in testing such a configuration and wold like every one to buy DP11 anyway.

Anyone here tried that? If you've got Big Sur, would you? Haha. Not too much to ask, is it?