24" iMac vs M1 Mac mini: not as easy as it seems… 

Reasons I prefer Mac mini are: I already have spare monitors, speakers, keyboard and trackpad. Also Mac mini just comes with every ports I need. One less common reason is that I can move my Mac mini between office and home much easier.

“But that’s not very good for boosting my engagement and watch time”. Honest!

My husband had a 2012 Mac Mini and I finally made him upgrade to the M1 Mac Mini, on sale at Costco. He already has a keyboard and mouse along with a 4k display so he's set for another 9 years. A big improvement.

As a person who simply works from home and edit simple videos...this gave me the realization that the iMac is fine for me. I am the type that just want a simple set up. Picking out displays and etc overwhelms me and sends me straight into anxiety. Lol

It's easy: if you already have a nice screen kb and mouse go mini, otherwise go imac (but not the cheapest one).

You summed it up perfectly with the "you have to ask you" statement. I'm a guitar pedal enthusiast, and it's amazing how many people ask "which pedal is better, X or Y?" and the answer, as always, is "it depends." There are some things I like about the iMac, but it isn't for me, but that doesn't mean it's not for someone else. If there was a "best" mac desktop, then why would Apple need to build multiple of them?

The thing is, if you just want a computer, an all in one where you don't have to fiddle around anymore and you just want to unbox and be done with it. Go with the iMac. Want a bit more "freedom" and flexibility go with the Mac Mini... 🤷🏻‍♂️

Me who already has an m1 MacBook: *Yes, this seems interesting!*

I think the mini is more flexible, but I personally like the all in one-ness of the iMac.

Another angle to consider is that the iMac doesn't just come with a display, it comes with a VERY good display. DCI-P3 color reproduction, very crisp with the ideal retina resolution at 218 PPI, nice and bright at 500 nits. The PPI situation can be particularly bothersome, because if you want to be near that 220 PPI range to get perfectly crisp reproduction you have to get a monitor above 4K, and the options there are rare and expensive.

Everyone to Luke: "What's Better? An M1 iMac, or an M1 Mac Mini?" Luke: "Yes."

I just want them to release the touch id keyboard as a standalone accessory

I hate when people say mini is cheaper and act like I can just plug my 4k monitor that everyone has laying around

One big reason against iMac is gaming. You can’t plug in a PS5 to the iMac screen, but most none-Apple display accepts multiple inputs.

I use dual monitors, and having them be identical is important. This automatically makes the Mini a better choice for me. My two Dell 4k monitors will fit my needs longer than my 2018 Mac Mini will.

Upgrading what you connect to a mini and price it way above an iMac is great for people who will replace that mini years later for a MacBook Pro. The problem with the iMac is that apple decides what you can do with it and is costly for people who don’t need what apple thinks you need. The mini is more like older systems that still retained some sort of flexibility. The more they lock us out of changing or expanding them the less worthy they are of owning for that reason.

I’m a designer so for me 99%srgb accuracy matters a lot, the iMac display is AMAZING, but it does falter a little specially when you’re checking colour overlap allowance. So Mac mini is sadly the only option for me.

Mac Mini with an Apple Thunderbolt 27 Display, now that’s what I would do.

For me a Mac Mini would be the best. For my wife the iMac would be the best.

Try to clean the dust out of the fan of the imac at home.

I have the yellow iMac and I high key love it (mainly because of the nostalgia factor)... now i see this guy's green one and suddenly I freaking *need* it in green too. i have a problem. please send help.

I watched 2 full ads of 3 minutes, just to support Luke cuz he deserves it👍🏻

I already have a screen, so mini would be cheaper for me ,regardless of set up

My Mac mini setup is the base model, the iPad Air as a display using a wireless adapter, using the magic keyboard, Apple Pencil, and mouse as inputs. It’s a very clean setup and I love it for drawing art

I tend to keep my hardware for ten years or more. I decided to go with a Mac Mini. I really wanted the iMac but if I'm going to have a failure, I'd rather be able to replace the faulty component. Also, I really wanted to try a 27" screen. And with the larger screen, I needed a deeper desk. All said and done, I spent more on my setup. I don't know whether I regret it yet or not. It turns out that I need an expansion device either way and the one I got is the same form factor as the Mac Mini. It looks like part of the machine and it holds a backup disk. Still, that iMac is such a beautiful thing and would have been such a nice looking thing in my room.

M1 macbook has everything included and you can hook up a external monitor to behave like a mac mini

" Bit of a different Experience" ..... Lol !!!! Great delivery on that line. Thanks for posting.

At the end of the day the iMac is a cleaner, neater package, but the deal breaker is the size of the screen. As good as the screen is, it's just too small for 3+ years of use. If it was a 27 inch it would be a no brainier for me even at a premium. But during every day use, especially for immersion and content creation 28+ is better, especially considering the customization. With the iMac you're locked in with everything, in a year or two we'll be seeing 4K webcams etc. With the Mac Mini, you can buy what you like upfront, then upgrade the computer to it's max specs the next cycle around. Either way you can't go wrong with wither it depends on your use. But for most enthusiasts, I would advise that, since this is the first iteration of M1, play it safe to get into the ecosystem with the Mac Mini and find good deals for the peripherals you like (or own already and save more money), and good cable management. Once you see how the M chips go over the next few years, you can invest in a new Mini or depending on how much money you have a 27 - 32 inch iMac.

I just bought a new mac mini last month actually it's the intel version. main reason is it could be upgraded and I put 64 gigs of ram in. I can use what ever monitor I want and when I need to get a new in a few years I can choose a new mini or go PC without the need to change my whole setup

With your encouragement from the past, I added a 500 GB SSD to a 2012 21.5" bottom end Imac, and with low impact uses , web browsing, RU-vid, etc, it compares very favorably to my expectant uses from a new Imac model. Thanks!!

I love how u put a logo on the front of the 23.5 inch iMac on the the thumbnail

I went Mini last Xmas and feel that it's the best move I've ever made. Went from a 21.5in iMac (2011). I've had ZERO problems editing videos or music. Love this thing!!

Some people already have extra hardware from multiple other systems, I think that is one of the real keys for the Mini.

I'm leaning towards the iMac. Since my current Mac is a 2010 MacPro 5.1, I think that the iMac will be HUGE Improvement for a decent price.

Audio jack on the side is a blessing, not a curse. I hated fumbling around on the back of my iMac to find the audio jack and the SD card and an empty USB port. I want the headphone jack and SDXC slots on the FRONT. Add a USB-A and a USB-C (Thunderbolt 4/USB4) port on the front, too. Aesthetics are nice, but practicality rules. FUNCTION over form, Apple!

Great video. Get the Mac mini if you already have all the other stuff to plug-in, if you don’t go for the iMac 24”.

There's gotta be someone from apple watching this video. So here it goes: WE WANT THAT SD SLOT BACK. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?

Already having all the other equipment, I can see how the mini would be better for me, although something about the matching/all in one single cable setup of the iMac is very attractive short term

I am a pc guy but you are the only person who posts mac videos that I can watch and be very entertained. I’m thinking of trying out an m1 Mac mini.

Fabulous video my friend - entertaining, informative and not at all patronising as I find some other videos. However, I still can’t make my mind up between the two! 🤪🤪🇬🇧🇬🇧

As for me - I was deciding between iMac and Mac Mini for the music production studio setup, After some considerations, I went with the Mac Mini, because it’s easier and cheaper to upgrade my setup down the line. It’s cheaper and easier to switch up the Mac Mini in a set up with a new one down the line, while keeping your display, keyboard and mouse, instead of getting the whole new “package” once every few years. If I had to pick a new iMac in let’s say three years - it’s another 1500 dollars I’d have to pay for it, if I had to pick a new Mac Mini - I’d just have to pay 600-800$ for a new one, while keeping all of the stuff I had. Heck, if I wanted to get a new Mac Pro - that’s literally switching the computer part of set up and replugging the cables.

Wow, you’re knocking it out of the park in terms of your production value and overall video quality. Thank you for another great video!!

There are reasons to choose one over the other, but trying to save money by building up a Mac mini is not one of them. This is my detailed costing from *Created Tech* (he keeps removing anything that contradicts his claims). These are Created Tech's recommendations, not mine: *Mac mini M1* 8-Core CPU, 8-Core GPU, 256GB SSD, 8GB unified memory Gb ethernet US $699/ disc US $629 + Dell UltraSharp U2720Q 27" 4K 3840 x 2160 px 350 nits US $779.99 / LG 27UK650-W 27" 4k 3840 x 2160 px 350 nits US $346.99 + Wireless Keyboard - Keychron k6 Bluetooth 5.1 Keyboard US$69.99 / Logitech MX Keys US $98 + Wireless Mouse - Logitech MX Master 3 Wireless Mouse US $99 + 1080p camera/Microphone - Anker PowerConf C300 US $130 + Speakers/Headphones - Audia-Technica ATH-M30x Headphones $US 69 + Sabrent bracket US $14.98 + HDMI Cable US$10 + Velcro Tape US$10 TOTAL US $1428.96 to US $1889.97. [Discounted: TOTAL US $1358.96 to US $1819.97] *iMac 24" M1* 8-Core, CPU 8-Core GPU, 256GB SSD, 8GB unified memory Gb ethernet US$1499/ disc US$1349 24-inch 4.5K Retina display 4480 x 2520 px 500 nits Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports Two USB 3 ports HiFi speakers 1080p camera and microphone Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. Magic Mouse TOTAL US $1499 [Discounted: TOTAL US $1349] Having opted for markedly inferior displays, the mouse using up one USB port for its dongle, and creating a Chinese laundry basket of tech, you are paying: TOTAL US $70 saving or $391 MORE [Discounted: US $29.96 to US $490.97 MORE] Adding the extra RAM and/or SSD that you really need, does not make the argument any better for the Mac mini. Don't forget that because the display is built in on the iMac that means the iMac effectively has an extra Thunderbolt port over the Mac mini.

Congratulations on being very early!

As long as you go for the 16GB instead of the 8GB memory M1, you should be fine with both machines. Standard memory use for the average user is about 10 - 12 GB in M1 MacOs. If you buy the 8GB version you will always result with a SWAP file of about 2-4GB that will stress your SSD in the long run. SWAP file use (SSD 3Gb/s) is also about 20 times slower than RAM memory (60Gb/s), although the difference is less notable than on Intel machines, because memory management is smarter. This SMART feature, however, also results in the SWAP file being continuously changed, hence resulting in very high SDD read/writes of easily a few TB per week. Although the SSD should handle this in the long run, I think the 8GB should only be bought if you really have to save that money. From a longevity/durability perspective I think Apple should have included the 16GB as standard. Ps. I prefer Mac Mini in my office and iMac in my living room. I think Apple should also expand their Monitor line-up, with cheaper displays under their own brand name. The LG displays are excellent but they don't fit the design language of the new iMac and Mac Mini. I think the Apple display PPI is a necessity to use with MacOS.

The 24" iMac is good for my needs but Luke was right though when it comes to the screen. It ended up being a little small coming from a 27". But like Luke's my 27" was also 2K only so I appreciate the higher resolution and more color accuracy on the iMac display. The display is so nice I deal with it being a little smaller. Plus I prefer glossy over matte something Luke forgot to mention. If you go with a Mac mini you'll end up spending more than the iMac when trying to find a monitor equally as good as the one on the iMac. BenQ, LG, etc. I think 4K glossy monitors are not easy to find either. At least a high quality one. The only one I know is the LG Ultrafine and we all know how much they can run. I'm good for now with the iMac. I love it. So convenient. Speakers are supringlgy good, display albeit a little small is fantastic and see how I'll feel with the pro models come out.

For an average consumer, IMac is the way to go. It is not expensive once we added up all the extras.

Horses for courses. The biggest thing that catches people out is lack of webcam and speakers in the mini. By the time you have added these and a reasonable quality screen, you are spending a lot more than the iMac.

I went back-and-forth on this like crazy. For my personal use case, I just went with the mini with 16 gigs of RAM. The iMac display is beautiful and everything but the fact that I can’t really do much means I’m just losing a monitor and some versatility.

Great video. I've been fighting this over for a few weeks. I bought a mac mini for my dad. He's got a monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers that he likes (albeit that its not a 4k monitor, but he likes the typewriter USB keyboard that he has as well as the rocking Klispch 2.1 pro media that I bought him 3 years ago for Christmas). He doesn't want to spend anymore money than necessary to "upgrade" his 10 year old machine. I've been pushing him into the Apple ecosystem (already has the iphone/ipad thing going). Went with the mac mini. Solid little machine. Your video helped confirmed my bias. Same machine, different use cases. Some like heads, others like tails.

I've had more iMacs than I can shake a hat at (not really sure why I want to shake a hat at my computer) but recently when I upgraded from my old 27" iMac, I got the Mac Mini M1. Paired it with a Dell 27" monitor and I'm McLoving it.

For me, Mac mini. I can use pretty much whatever monitor, mouse, and keyboard I want, and I can get a stand/hub that sits underneath with various ports in the front (including USB-A and an SD card slot, both of which I need).

Luke your expecting the impossible. Your expecting people to think!!! Beyond what they think they know!

Now that's apples to apples comparison

Good video. However, for me it was clear: Mac Mini (16GB, 1TB), Mx Master Mac, Mx Keys Mac, Benq EW3280u (4K) costs me in total 2,330€ iMac (16GB, 1TB) costs 2,360€ So the Mac mini setup has a much bigger display, better mouse and costs 30€ less (which is nothing really worth mentioning). However, I can also easily plug the display to any other MacBook or Surface or whatever, which I do regulary …

iMac for me,Its just the designs of them which disappoint me but with an iMac all I have to do is plug it in and thats it, with the mac mini I need a power cable and a monitor which im not gonna spend another 400 for

You here me saying “I’m not sponsored to get all this devices. I need to buy them all myself” 😳

uhh, why does 480p look so good? also 4k is scary......

I think it’s rather simple. Do you have a 4K monitor already? Get the mini. If you don’t have a nice monitor, get the iMac.

I thought maybe you might get around to touching on the e-waste aspect at least briefly here. Makes the iMac seem a bit less “clean” as far as I’m concerned - not in a way that negates all other points, but it shouldn’t be ignored.

I just retired my Mini and got the 24” iMac. Both of them are great computers. It really depends on how much you need simplicity or how much you need a more custom setup. If you get the iMac just go ahead and spend the extra $200 for all 8 GPU cores, Two more ports on the back, Touch ID, and Ethernet. Also the 24” display is amazing. I’ve never had such a nice display.

I love the simplicity of the iMac and I REALLY hope Apple comes out with a bigger screen.

With the Mac Mini I can use the same monitor, speaker set, mouse and keyboard not just for the Mac mini but also for my gaming PC and PS5 thanks to a switcher. Speakers plugged in to my monitor, Mac Mini, PC and PS5 plugged in to my monitor and keyboard an mouse (you can use the bluetooth compatible peripherals for the three of them) or as me use wired keyboard and mouse with a switcher that plugs to the PC, mac an PS5 unifying every USB port. This way every sound that goes to the monitor goes out though my main speakers regarthless the platform and every device can be controlled with the same keyboard and mouse. I wouldn't be able to do that with the iMac at all. I would need a separate everything

I already decided to go with the Mac Mini. I use a 27“ curved display, an Apple Magic keyboard and a very comfortable mouse with my mid 2015 MacBook Pro. So all I need is just a new computer to replace my current MacBook. But For now, I want to wait to see if a new version of the Mac Mini will be released by the end of this year. If so, I would go with the new version.

Very Good Points! .. One more is that you can Actually move the IMac from Room to Room with ease because it is not as Weighty as Previous Imacs ☝️

Mac Mini 🚀 More versatile. I choose my display, much better.

The LG, Dell and Philips USB-C screens with built-in speakers and webcam are a good pairing.

7:26 that’s what she said

At least the Mac mini doesn't have a crooked display that makes it fall over.

The iMac screen is equivalent to a 600 dollar monitor so it's worth it

You can use Bluetooth speakers with either. Just plug them into a power socket. (Ports aren’t occupied).

Lol at the emphasised cut-away at 4:53

M1 macs are amazing

for me i already have 32 2k Display "idc about 4k" and speakers and Mic and K&M so i could take the mac mini and use it nicely with my PC and if new M2 came i could upgrade without any problem with same setup and less price

Thank you Luke 'Skywalker' Miami 😉

Thing is once you buy the Mac Mini, a decent keyboard, mouse and monitor, you might as well have gotten the iMac instead.

Well, i bought both of them! :)

the rarer colors of that mouse and keyboard will be worth a lot on ebay in 10 years

Great job! I have a Mac Mini b/c it better suites my needs. It is also SUPER CLEAN AND MINIMAL! I have two, 30" monitors mounted on articulated arms. So the monitors consume no space on my workstation. The Mini it's mounted under the table so it also consumes no space on my workstation. Two speakers...yep, mounted on the wall. No workstation space consumed. All I have on my desk is a keyboard and mouse. Oh, and a picture of my wife and daughter. ♥️♥️♥️

What’s the maximum refresh rate of the iMac screen? The M1 Mac mini can be set to refresh at 144Hz, or 120Hz with HDR, providing your display supports it and you use the correct cable.

For me Mac mini, Just 4K Monitor/TV Setup, Trackpad and magic keyboard ⌨️ simple!

The Mac mini is my preferred option because it’s more affordable

I mostly want the iMac because I just want something all in one and I don’t have to think about it. To get a monitor, keyboard, etc. anywhere near the quality of Apple’s, you’ll be spending about the same if not more.

Its either "minimalist" (iMac) or "maximus" (Mini). One flaw in your analysis is that most folks who would go route of Mac Mini would typically have the requisite accessories (display, keyboard, mouse, speakers, etc.). But, as you conclude - these are two solutions to two different requirements, and are def not the same thing! CANT GO WRONG ETHER WAY!!!

Both of em can perform exceptionally. It’s just what you want out of it. Like Luke said if you want all in one then get the IMac. If you already have a good monitor, keyboard and mouse then the Mac mini is just perfect. Both will work well.

I actually watched this video multiple times as I am struggling with which to get. I end up getting the mac mini m1, purchase a 4k resolution monitor, good quality camera and total expenses are way more expensive than the basic iMac but I did get the 16GB ram version of the Mac mini as I am struggling with the 8GB MacBook air m1 I used for 9 months. I think I did the right decision due to the following: screen size, price point compared to 16GB ram, and customization but I do adore the iMac! maybe if they release a 27-inch iMac with m1 then I might upgrade again to that. ahhahahaha

Damn my respect for you went through the roof when I saw that B&O Beosound M5 made a cameo

I have my mini connected to a 4k TV. My entertainment center has a custom electric desk mechanism. When I want to use it for work, I just lower the desk part, which lowers the monitor. The sound system is my speakers. Raise it and it stores the keyboard and mouse, while making the TV ready. The mini is also my travel computer. I have the hard case that fits it all and a HDMI cable..

If you don't have a good monitor and keyboard mouse. Then get iMac. Getting all those seperate will cost more then the whole package together

After a hard days work, I can unplug the Mini and take it do bed with me, can I do that with the iMac? No!

is literary the same thing.. If you are smart, apple is just giving you the option to either have one package (iMac) hence the price higher.. The Mac mini on the other hand is giving you the option to use your own monitor keyboard and other accessories, hence why is cheaper.

Some history: the Mac mini was designed primarily to get PC users to switch to the Mac. The idea was that the PC user could keep all their screens and peripherals, and just buy a relatively cheap Mac, getting them in to the Mac ecosystem. It was never designed to be an all-in-one-system or a substitute for the iMac. Whereas the iMac was designed to be a complete desktop solution from day one, for both first-time computer buyers, and existing Apple customers. Which helps explains the hesitancy with which Apple treats the mini. It kinda-sorta helps grow the Mac platform, but it can also cannibalise from their iMac sales. So the mini has always lived on a tightrope. It can't be allowed to get so good that people will automatically buy it instead of a higher profit machine. Apple have deliberately built compromises in to each machine.

And then there's me, who just uses my MacBook Pro as my main machine, and uses a hub to just dock it to my main setup LOL

I don't know why there is a Mac Mini if you need to buy a display y mouse and keyboard! Then go for the iMac instead!

I just bought a loaded M1 Mac Mini, migrating from a Windows 7 computer for my voice over business. FIrst, the Mini blows the PC out of the water, but it's not a fair comparison since the PC is 8 years old. But I can't imagine restricting myself to a monitor/computer combo like the iMac. What if the monitor goes bad? Then the whole computer is dead. I don't know if you can add an external monitor to the iMac or not...never had an iMac. All in all, I LOVE the Mac Mini. It checks all my boxes for what I need. Maybe if I had used an iMac I would feel differently. But I HAVE used a PC and all I can say is I am a Mac convert. I will probably never go back to the PC for voice over work...and I've only had the Mac for a week. I still have PCs for other work in the house. I'm used to the Windows way of doing things which is sometimes confusing when trying to do the same thing on the Mac...but I'm learning. Thanks for the video and thanks for letting me drone on and on.

Please get the Mac Mini and here is why: 1) you can hook it up to whatever monitor you wish 2) all in one computer have a huge risk. Lets say if your iMac's screen does not work, gets dead pixels, scratches and other bad stuff what are you going to do? all you can do is take it and pay to get it fixed. 3) the mac mini can be portable and you can take it on the road easily and hook it up to whatever display but you can't take the imac on the go.

Fewer ad breaks this time around. Good. What I want to say is when I went from windows laptop to the Mac mini all I did was plug the cal digit hub into the Mac mini and now my monitor, printer, 5 mass storage devices, speakers, Wacom tablet ready to go. That was easy.

Only concern with any all in one, is if the monitor dumps, you lose the use of the computer while the monitor is being repaired. With the Mini, just upgrade to a new monitor.

Ha Ha Ha...this is so funny. For about 15 years people have been saying that, the mac mini is for "first time" Apple computer users and, I have been saying no, they are wrong. Why, because I have always felt an All-in-One desktop is better for a "first time" Apple user because everything you need comes right inside the box, set-up is easy, and it all just works. In 1996, when buying my first desktop Apple's marketing brochure showed two external speakers on the model that, I had selected. However, when my All-in-One 5400 desktop arrived it included a pair of built-in speakers, 15-inch Sony CRT, built-in modem, CD-ROM, floppy drive, Apple internal video card system, Apple internal TV/FM radio card system with matching black remote control, keyboard, and mouse.

I've done the costings and no-way can you build up a Mac mini to match the iMac without spending a LOT more money.