Used Mac Mini - which are decent buys?

TimmyOTimmyO Frets: 7349
I'm working from the spare room more regularly now, and would like to stick a Mac Mini in there (currently I take my MBP in there and hook it up to the external monitor that lives in there, which also means unplugging my laptop charger from where it normall lives and taking it in there - it's a first world problem but feel like I'd like to just leave a Mac Mini in there that pretty much mirrors my MBP for days when I spent most of the day in there.


Needs:

Not tank when I've got Excel, Word, Outlook, 20 Chrome tabs and Skype for Business all running

Preferences:

Ability to also plug my thunderbolt audio interface into it
Ability to run modest Logic sessions

Not looking to spend big money (ie won't be buying new) but also aware that there was a epriod when people said the spec wasn't good value - any suggestions? 
Red ones are better. 
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Comments

  • goldtopgoldtop Frets: 6101
    The 2012 one was the one I was recommended to buy hereabouts. About £500.


    It was absolutely fine, and would have been even better with an SSD swap (but I never bothered). Sold recently, but this thread lists the typical spec and price: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/153160/sold-mac-mini-i7


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  • TimmyOTimmyO Frets: 7349
    goldtop said:
    The 2012 one was the one I was recommended to buy hereabouts. About £500.


    It was absolutely fine, and would have been even better with an SSD swap (but I never bothered). Sold recently, but this thread lists the typical spec and price: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/153160/sold-mac-mini-i7


    thank you 
    Red ones are better. 
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  • wibblewibble Frets: 1083
    Alternatively, pick up a a second charger (used/new) for your spare room and also consider getting a keyboard/mouse for your mbp when using the external display.

    As another option, if you can get an Apple thunderbolt 27" display cheap, it can power your mbp without the need for a separate charger.

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  • notanonnotanon Frets: 604
    I'm still using a late 2012 i5 and it handles reaper fine with lots of tracks and effects. I did upgrade to 16GB.

    I recently upgraded to SSD, simple and a huge performance increase. 

    I use a 2560 x 1440 monitor but may drop a second 4m monitor on there.

    In still very happy with it as a work machine 
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  • spark240spark240 Frets: 2073
    goldtop said:
    The 2012 one was the one I was recommended to buy hereabouts. About £500.


    It was absolutely fine, and would have been even better with an SSD swap (but I never bothered). Sold recently, but this thread lists the typical spec and price: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/153160/sold-mac-mini-i7


    I have this exact spec...use it quite heavily with Studio One....I have SSD but not put it in yet !


    Mac Mini M1
    Presonus Studio One V5
     https://www.studiowear.co.uk/ -
     https://twitter.com/spark240
     Facebook - m.me/studiowear.co.uk
    Reddit r/newmusicreview 
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  • BlaendulaisBlaendulais Frets: 3316
    Picked up a great one on ebay 2014 model from 2017 and only £210 great as under tv media centre

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  • TeetonetalTeetonetal Frets: 7801
    I use a late 2012, mainly for logic. Runs really well. Also you can upgrade ram and disc in these models :)
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  • TimmyOTimmyO Frets: 7349
    Ok nosed around, local ISH there's a late 2012 for sale for £270 - spec below - if I out 16GB in this would it be worthwhile, or better to find an i7 ? 

    wireless keyboard and Apple trackpad  2

    500gb hard drive

    2.5ghz i5 processor

    4gb Ram

    Red ones are better. 
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  • JezWyndJezWynd Frets: 6021
    500gb HD will probably need an upgrade as well the RAM. Personally, I'd look for an i7 but the i5 is a very capable processor.
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  • TimmyOTimmyO Frets: 7349
    Cheers 
    Red ones are better. 
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  • notanonnotanon Frets: 604
    @TimmyO that is a reasonable price IMO. If you are on a budget then that will perform fine with 8GB (or more) Ram and 500 GB SSD. Depending on what you do 500GB is still a fair amount of space unless you are into video or heavy on photography.
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  • spark240spark240 Frets: 2073
    Shop around for the i7 dude...there’s plenty about , probably get 16G ram and 1 Tb drive also.... if your really lucky SSD 


    Mac Mini M1
    Presonus Studio One V5
     https://www.studiowear.co.uk/ -
     https://twitter.com/spark240
     Facebook - m.me/studiowear.co.uk
    Reddit r/newmusicreview 
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  • TimmyOTimmyO Frets: 7349
    I have continued to nose around on reseller sites and ebay - as you say there are i7s about all the time so may be the way to go.

    Agree re drive size - I have a 512GB SSD in my MBP and it’s always been plenty, and with a desktop I’d be happy hooking up an external drive if I found myself wanting to store more locally (all my photos and whatnot live mostly in the cloud currently)

    Is there any downside to the “server” model? Seems to have 2 internal drives - could upgrade one to an SSD and have the best of both maybe? 
    Red ones are better. 
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