YOU Should Buy the M1 Mac Mini in 2023, And Here's Why! 

Even with the M2 Mac mini releasing (and yes it looks awesome), I still think if you can get one of these on sale or refurbished, that’s the way to go.

I’ve had my M1 MacMini for nearly two years, it is hands down the best Mac I ever got. It’s amazing.

I have to say that your videos convinced me to buy a Mac mini last year and it's literally been exactly what I needed for my music/RU-vid studio. I was upgrading from an old 2011 MacBook pro and everything you've said is 1000% accurate. It doesn't make sense how this computer is SO good for the price, but it is. Cheers to you, and congrats on hitting 500k!

Just bought one at Costco during Black Friday for $100 off. I bought it because of you! Had the older Mac mini but kept getting hot. Sold it for $250 so I used that to buy this. Almost like buying it for half the cost. Best decision of 2022 for me! Thanks.

this guy is forcing me to spend $1000 every single time

I bought shortly after released the 8GB 512 - I do database development and this machine has not once let me down, never gets hot as compared to my intel Mac mini. I run with 2 32 in monitors, windows and and other OS's on Parallels. The most reliable mini ever made!

I have an M1 Mac Mini and it has never been anything less that amazing and reliable! The best and fastest computer I have ever owned, hands down.

I have a loaded mini (16gb/1tb) from the Apple refurb store. For my needs, an absolute powerhouse and will serve me well for years to come. Absolutely love it.

The ONLY time I ever heard the fan kick in on my M1 Mini (and felt it warm up) was by running a graphic-intensive game on Parallels. Other than that,it’s always been cool - and even then, it wasn’t excessively warm. The 2018 Mini it replaced was always toasty-hot, and as for my 2016 Windows laptop, well you could warm the house with it - it’s always red hot. I love this computer - the best computer-related purchase I ever made.

I bought a refurbished M1 Mini (16GB 512) from Apple in May 2021. Love it! I've never heard the fan. I usually have about 60 tabs open on a couple of browsers and it's never is a problem.

I am so glad you put videos out on this! I was a life long windows user until I bought this awesome machine. I would NEVER have purchased a mac/apple product on price alone but then this came out at a reasonable price and am really satisfied with the purchase. And yes, it is still excellent today as the day I got it!

Well, this aged well lol

Bought the M1 back in 2020 and it still runs amazing. Actually bought it after watching your first video on it!

I bought the Mac Mini (M1, 16GB, 512GB) when it came out. And still it feels like a brand new computer and blazing fast. Did age VERY well. Mainly use it for basic office stuff, University, light music & video editing. Till this day never thought about getting a newer device. Plus it has such low power consumption - which helps me saving some money. The only downside is a lack of ports - but I already got a work around.

I bought one 2 years ago and yes I’d buy it again today. It still takes everything I throw at it including heavy still photo editing and light video editing. Best computer I’ve ever owned all the way back to that 8088 running DOS 1.1. It is so much better than my 2017 i5 Mac Mini because the Intel graphics on that machine just make it a slug for photo and video editing. As usual your videos are spot on because they address real issues truthfully and INSIGHTFULLY.😊

Gary, you are my favorite tech reviewer and always will be! Keep making awesome videos! ❤

Pretty much. It’s my go to when I’m at home. Came in handy many times. 1 TB 16 gig version I would highly recommend for long term use!

I bought the 2 TB 16gb M1 Mac Mini earlier this year and run 3 monitors via a special plugable adapter and it's taken my stock trading to the next level! Completely agree, BEST value for money by a mile!

Still rocking my M1 Mac Mini and got it a couple of months after release. Still works as it did new out the box.

wow. 13 days later and this vid is out of date... but congrats for getting your channel shown in the Apple roll-out. Even if it was only for a second. 👍

Got my M1 Mac Mini at the beginning of 2022 and it's been flawless since day one. Just like others have said, I haven't even thought about getting another computer because there's no need.

Recently grabbed a used 16gb 512 ssd model and it’s been running pro tools with ease, I’m an audio engineer/producer and I just really wanted to get rid of my big old custom pc. It’s definitely a minimalistic look but nothing is minimal about its performance

100% Agree! My 2020 M1 Mac Mini has been the power house of my workflow and business for almost two years now. Wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Love your energy, DAD! Agreed times five. Got the M1 Mini last spring (got tired of waiting for an M2) to replace my 2015 Mini. It is a beast, for CAD work with a maximized version! Cheers Dad

Bought one about a year ago and even though I had issues in the beginning, it’s now my base computer with my iPad being my portable terminal. Happy as a clam now.

Thanks for the videos. 2 years ago I went with the m1 mini 16 ram, and work in logic pro with lots of midi, and still runs smooth!

Great video ! I have always been curious about the Mac mini and how I may apply it to my work station.

Great video, I had seen your previous ones and decided that my next computer is a Mac mini. I’m currently getting ready to sell my 2019 16 inch MacBook Pro to try and get close to breaking even. I wasn’t sure whether I should pull the trigger on the M1 mini or wait for the M2, but I think you sold me on getting what I need now. Thanks!

Your editing has gotten really good in this video compared your old one. Great job and great info

I love my M1 Mac Mini! Thanks for promoting this fantastic machine.

I just bought mine last month, and it's on it's way for delivery. Thank you for making this video, It helps alot.

I bought mine just 6 months ago and I am so super happy with it! Work is so much easier on it ... not much slows it down!

I bought one last week, had been holding on for the Mac mini 2 , it’s taking too long to come out. I’m so glad i bought it for a discount price of the Xmas break does everything i want and more.

Can you make a video where you say the sentence „If I can figure it out, you can figure it out“. I loved it 😂

Bought my refurbished Mac min m1 two or so years ago and LOVE it. So pleased.

I bought an M1 Mac Mini about 3 months ago and I love it. Best computer I've owned. I upgraded to the 512 GB SSD and the 16 GB Ram and it was still under $1,000 after Apple took $50 off because I own several other Apple products.

I'm getting a Mac mini to replace my 2013 MacPro this year....thanks for me feeling better about this

Got it and absolutely LOVE it!

I bought a 8Gb 512 Mini a few weeks ago. I would recommend at least 16Gb 512. I had a 8Gb 256 MacBook Pro with NO issues but have already seen a full RAM notification a couple of times. WOW! No other issues with this machine and will keep it but wish I had spent the extra funds on RAM

I bought it on the last day of 2022 😄 - it’s good for people like me, who wants to own a Mac, on budget, but still want something that’s powerful - thanks for the affirmation 😃👏

I bought the cheapo version 2+ years ago. I do ALL of my professional design work on it. I do all my personal photo and video editing. And then just normal computing too. It does everything great!! Best computer I’ve ever owned and it’s also the cheapest. Totally agreed with you Gary!

Lol. The m2 Mac mini has just been announced.

I bought a Mac mini m1 with your recommendation last year. And its the best desktop pc I’ve ever owned. I have the 8GB ram and 256 storage basic model and its all i need .

Congrats on 1/2 a million! Thinking I'd be disappointed in the Mac mini if it won't keep my coffee warm...it is winter after all😂

Mac Minis are also very reliable and durable. Many people overlook this when buying Apple products. They last. I have two 2014 Mac Minis which still run like new and have never had any problems. They're often on for days being used as media servers and for normal everyday computing needs. One of them is at my beach house where humidity and salty air is a factor. They can't play 4K (but can play 1440p) but are perfect in every other way.

I just found one today at a pawn shop. 8GB Ram, 512SSD, and M1 like-new for $290. I still can’t believe it.

I finally decided to give my 8GB mini a real work out. I’ve been upscaling videos to 4K with Topaz AI software and then editing with iMovie. Often at the same time. Works great. And I still have yet to hear the fan!

I have a Mac mini from 2006, but it's not upgradable sadly. So seeing your video has convinced me to buy the new Mac mini with the m1 chip. Thanks for answering my questions, cheers!

I'm glad I found this video, as I need to replace my 'late 2014' Mac Mini as it's starting to struggle a bit! LOL

i bought one for streaming my ps5 games! I love this thing! Editing 4k Videos is super fast , even rendering ❤ Best purchase i made

Great video! I'm considering getting one this summer.

I've been running my RU-vid channel with the m1 mac mini for a bit over a year and my only gripe with it is that I keep my activity monitor on my 2nd display to make sure I'm not stressing the ram when multitasking. But everything is incredible, except for gaming but I do play minecraft with pretty good performance on it.

Fully agree with you: it's great value! I personally used to keep it... in a drawer !! (granted: half open) and never had any heating issue.

Love this Mac Mini, upgraded mine to 16GB of RAM when I bought it, super fast & reliable. Highly recommend 👏

I love that you often review base models

I have the M1 MacMini. I have had MacMini's as long as there have been MacMini's...probably 5 progressive models. I use mine as my main computer (though I have and M1 iMac and an M1 MacBook) and it also acts as a server to my three AppleTV's (where I have a ton and a half of media which I've collected since 2007...when the ATV came out). So on my current M1 MacMini have two large drives "hanging" (12Tb & 14Tb...the latter being a backup to the former). I have two docks also hanging off of it (including a Satechi Type-C Aluminum Stand & Hub...which I've had over a year and like very much). So the MacMini is supporting a lot of peripherals, but the first thing I noticed about it is that it does not bog down when using the external docks. External disk performance is flawless and this has really been the perfect machine for all I do...using Pages, spreadsheets, streaming from Safari, 35,000 tracks on Music...it all "just works." It has almost no moving parts and (as an engineer) the number of moving parts is pretty much proportional to the number of breakdowns or failures (of which I have had none). So, yeah, for most of us the M1, I'm sure, is fully adequate.

My M1 Mac mini has been a powerhouse for 2 years ! The only time I heard the fans was when I forced them to spin at almost 5000 rpm with Mac Fans just to check whether the fan works !

Got one yesterday at Costco for $499 with the same specks brand new. and it's a great value.

Hi, I need advice. I would like to move fully to the Apple ecosystem and the last thing I need to change is my gaming computer for a Mac Mini or Macbook. I already have an LG ultrawide monitor, a good pair of speakers, and a wireless mechanical keyboard, so if I chose a Mac Mini I would only need to buy a Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad. I will also add that I don't travel much, especially for business purposes, so portability is not important to me. Being at home sometimes I missed not being able to move my computer and being "chained" to the desk, but most of the time it didn't bother me. On the other hand, what I like about Macbook is that we get everything in one. My current job doesn't require video conferencing so I don't need a webcam but who knows what the future will bring and if other jobs will require it. So what should I choose?

Yup... I'm still considering one. I think they're neat and sometimes feel really lazy to hook up my MacBook to the docked setup every day haha.

I’ve had mine for 2 years. Hasn’t slowed down a bit. But get the 16gb. I can run Minecraft WITH shaders. And I can run protools with little issues! Mind you I don’t do heavy recording at home. Amazing computer!!

I bought it, it was third over the years. Two problems with it were, can’t upgrade like previous versions, and power. The entry one was just a little under powered for work I do. Not that it wouldn’t do it, it just got the little spinning wheel. For a little more than what a built out Mac mini I traded it in on a Mac Studio refurbish from apple and it actually had a 1TB drive (got lucky). But I agree for almost all other people I know the Mac mini is more than enough computer and will far outlive those dust swallowing windows machines that every time you start them you have to take a coffee break waiting for updates.

I have a late 2012 MAC mini that still is fantastic for everyday computing. Updated with SSD and 16gb of ranm. these are great computers, and the M1 chip will be even better

I’m looking into getting either an iMac or a Mac Mini right now and the temptation to get the latest and greatest is strong. Your video is convincing me that I’ll be plenty happy with the M1 chip!

The M1 Mac mini aged very well. I bought the entry level Mac mini upgraded from my 10 year old MacBook Pro and man what an upgrade this was for the money. The cost for performance is second to none and in a sleek design.

Been rocking with mine since your video to buy one at apple refurbish store back in 2021. Waiting on M2 mac mini so I can get more memory and larger internal drive.

Just bought the 16 GB version, and while I love the computer, I've had problems with displays. My curved widescreen 3440 x 1440p is really blurry for text. I bought a curved VA panel 4k monitor, and I get a lot of flickering in dark mode or dark images. NOW I am trying a flat 4k panel from Samsung, which should hopefully fix these issues. I definitely think these things are a bit touchy though when it comes to non-Apple peripherals.

Currently watching this on my M1 Mac Mini ........ I don't play a lot of modern games, so that angle wasn't important to me, but for everything else, I've never had any issues with this - unlike my previous Windows PCs that I'm always reinstalling, randomly rebooting etc.etc., this M1 Mac Mini has been turned on since I owned it, I think I only ever had to power it off once to cold boot it - apart from that, it just remains on (or in "sleep mode") ...... it just works. I'm an iPhone person as well, so the integration between Mac Mini and iPhone is perfect, and I also recently replaced my old laptop with an M1 MacBook Air and I'm more than happy with that too. From an ex-Windows convert, I'm loving life over in the Apple world ....... I still keep an ageing Windows PC around for some things, but it doesn't get a lot of usage.

Not anymore. M2 mini starting at 599. And 499 with student discount. 😂

The Costco $569 deal for the basemodel M1 Mac Mini is fantastic. Easily became the family computer in our livingroom. I sometimes steal it and hook it up to a 4k TV to stream sports events or UFC events. If you can find a good price on the 16gb ram model,then go with that for more peace of mind and future-proofing,but for now the base model with 8gb ram is fine. Also, If you like having multiple opened tabs and windows simultaneously, Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox seem to manage memory better than Chrome and Safari from my personal usage. If you're good with one opened window and a dozen or so tabs,Chrome and Safari work fine. Just check the "Activity Monitor" from the MacOS task bar to see if you are using too much memory 👍

I got my mini because your, "you should buy" two years ago. Great buy

I am looking at refurb'd minis now... thanks for the tip on the refurbished thing. I'm looking to replace my hurting Dell, and I think this will be it.

That Chainsaw Man reference got me 👏🏼🙌🏼

I’m like yourself where I don’t actually need a computer as such for everyday life even though I work in Application and Deployment, but that’s what I have a work laptop for. Otherwise my “main pc” these days is the iPad Air 5 and it works a treat with Stage Manager for what I need to do. BUT I will still end up getting the Mac mini for that go to computer that is always reliable and solid to just get things done on. The M1 chip is just such a good progression for the tech world in general that i know it’s all I’d need even with the m2 out now.

So cool to see you in the new Apple video today! :)

And now? 🙂

I enjoy my m1 Mac mini to bits, totally recommend

Love my M1 Mac Mini. Just want more native screen support.

I got an M1 Mac mini and I use logic x and run my business plus it’s been a breeze to use. My other Mac late 2009 lasted 12 years before it died.

I held on to my 2018 Intel Mini for an extra year or so before I went M1 since I was running some Windows stuff for work that had no Mac versions. Parallels made this a breeze. With the latest version of Parallels almost everything now works on the M1 with the exception of some older serial port devices for which no ARM drivers have been made. While I used the M1 Mini for a while I traded it in for an M1Mac MBP to allow portability but if I didn't need that the M1 Mini would be just fine still.

Excellent presentation!

1:03 I was shocked. Really thought that there was something!!

I bought mine when the M1 came out, it's amazing. I edit video and run my business and life on it.

I am considering it now!

Before getting my MacMini M1 I had 2 MacBooks that sat on my desk like a regular desktop. I could see that 400 bucks would be great savings and I was "OK, I might lose some performance but that's fine. It can't be THAT bad..." OH BOY WAS I WRONG!!!!!! The MacMini M1 is SOOOOOO much better than my MacBooks have ever been. It's up and running in no time and now the Apple loading screen is almost unperceivable. I run Adobe software on it. I never thought Premiere Rush could be so fast on an entry level machine like the MMM1 is. I'm very happy with it and I thanks for letting me know I'm not alone! Thank you!

I needed a Mac Mini just for a browsing system and just found a slightly used but fully boxed M1 Mac Mini for $275.00. Yes it's 9 months after this video was made, but the current M2 versions are $500 leading into Black Friday 2023 so with tax on the new one, my $275.00 is exactly half the full cost of the On Sale M2 and it's pretty much 200% more power than I need for emails and browsing. I'm a happy camper.

I've always used an iMac but after watching this video I'm going to go with a MacMini. My only question what monitor should I buy for it? I've never bought a separate monitor before. I'm currently using a 27" iMac 2017 5K

Found this for $384 used at Best Buy. I’m debating on pulling the trigger and getting it

Developer here. M1 still rocks. Problem is, it's hard to get hands on a brand new one nowadays :(

Truly one of the best computers coming out of Apple in a long time - perfect balance of price x performace x features. My 16 GB will last us a long time: 3-4 years as my work desktop, then for the kids to do homework ( and Xbox Cloud Gaming I assume 😂 ) for another 2-3 years. Projected TCO / month: 10 USD ... how's that for value?

It's a great machine for developing Clojure apps with IntelliJ! I'm a 45 yrs old software engineer. I used Window, Linux & Mac for decades. I had a Thinkpad T480 too and I still use a 2017 MacBook Pro 15" when I need a laptop. I bought an M1 Mac mini with 16GB RAM at the end of 2021 and I've never been happier with a computer before! The only reason I'm contemplating buying some M1 Pro/Max or M2, to get more than 16GB RAM, so I don't have to be so careful with the number of open tabs and apps and I can be more mobile. The price difference though... Just doesn't worth it, given the i7 MacBook Pro is still a pretty decent machine and I already have 4K external monitor(s)...

I bought an Imac but changed my mind, sent it back and bought this Mac Mini instead with a bigger good quality monitor. It all came out with half the price and when the Mac Mini is outdated I don't have to buy a new monitor. The Mac Mini runs perfectly but one or two more USB C ports would have been nice.

Great video.

i'm very happy with my m1 mac mini so far. i just got it a couple of months ago. but i hope it lasts longer than 3 years without any breakdowns. one thing i've noticed, which i've also seen reported by other users on the web, is that it gets warmer to the touch while sleeping, compared to when in active use, when it's at room temperature. that seems like a bad sign to me. hopefully it's a software and not a hardware thing.

One of the main reasons I got a Mac Mini 2018 was that it was cheaper to buy than getting my Macbook Pro repaired so it actually would work and I didn't go with the repair especially because not only am I able to view my monitor better when I have good posture, I also never took my Macbook Pro anywhere outside of where I lived so I didn't see a need to spend the money to get it fixed. The Mac Mini 2018 is fast enough overall for me especially when running fast wifi speeds and that is me saying that after using some older iMacs and older smartphones. Heck, some older lower priced iMacs with a curved back are slow overall to me just after starting up even with fast wifi speeds to me, but my Mac Mini both has a faster startup. My Note 9 (still my favourite phone) which is a few years old now and has not the latest software update to slow it down is faster than my Mac Mini sometimes which is crazy considering they came out in the same year and you would think a computer would be always faster than a phone. For sure if you want some insane speeds on a Mac Mini I recommend getting one of the latest ones. I think for the prices of all Mac Minis, they are a usually better value than the iMacs. Even with some good monitor screens they still usually remain cheaper than iMacs. I think the new Apple monitor is so not worth the price considering some good 4K monitors are way cheaper. The new Apple has a big problem with overpricing some products I think.

I don't have a monitor or keyboard so I think the MacBook Pro 16" laptop would work best for me. I currently am using a 2013 HP Envy 17" laptop.

Great video, I have no problem with anything you said. But I have a somewhat related question. As I write this we're about 2-3 months out from what "the experts" are guessing will be the release of the next iteration of the Mac mini (M2, MX, M?). Whatever it is called I know it also will be more than what I need. What I really want to get is a 2020 M1 Mac mini because it's more than I need already. My question is, do you think the 2020 M1 Mac mini price will drop significantly after the release of the new Mac MX mini or not? If so it would be worth the wait for me as the savings I can put toward a better monitor. If not maybe I'll just go ahead and get the 2020 M1 Mac mini now. Thanks in advance. 😎

I bought a used m1 mac mini in 2021 for $350. Have used it for 2 years now. Insane deal.

Thanks for the great video! I live for silly pics 😂

I use my m1 Mac mini as an entertainment system for my TV…it’s the best ever