Mac Mini vs. iMac

iMac, Mac Mini, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air — there are a lot of different Macs to choose from. On the desktop front, though, the two obvious choices are the Mac Mini and iMac.

In this guide, we put up the specs on the newest, refreshed Mac Mini against the iMac. We probably would have never compared these two in the past, but thanks to the price jump on the new Mac Mini, and the update to eighth-generation Intel CPUs on the iMac, there’s now some overlap in configurations and capabilities. Weighing in features like design, performance, and our overall impressions of the new Mac Mini, we’ll help you decide which is right for your setup at work or home.

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Design

Both the iMac and Mac Mini are made of aluminum and are designed as desktops, but the form factor could not be more different between the two. At 2.9 pounds and 1.4 inches in thickness, the Mac Mini is a thin slab of metal that is similar to a super-compact cable box.

A highlight for us in our review, the Mac Mini is ideal for sitting under a monitor or at the side of a desk. It easily stays out of the way in places with limited space and the fans are quiet as a whisper. Great as that is, the sleek space gray aluminum design doesn’t account for monitors or keyboards, all of which need to be purchased separately, reflecting its history as a computer designed for Windows switchers who likely already had these accessories.

The iMac contrasts with the Mac Mini since it is an all-in-one computing solution. The base 21.5-inch iMac model ends up at 17.7 inches tall, and 20.8 inches in width, but a 27-inch model is also available.

It also packs a 21.5-inch display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, whereas the Retina 4K model comes with a display with a 4096 x 2304 resolution. There’s also a separate 27-inch model with a Retina 5K display, which works out at 5120 x 2880 pixels. Apple even includes both a Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2 in the box, keeping you from separate purchases.

Some professionals might prefer the iMac for its display and all-in-one design, but the Mac Mini will be more appealing to someone who already has a monitor.

Performance

Apple revamped the Mac Mini with new internals to make it a better buy against the iMac. The base $799 Mac Mini model ships with an 8th-gen Intel Core i3 quad-core processor clocked at 3.6 GHz. It also comes with 8GB of RAM and a 256 GB PCIe-based SSD. The drive is super fast and hits a read speed of 2,753MB/s and a write speed of 1,238MB/s in our file transfer testing. That is double the speeds on similar SSDs in the other desktops which we have tested before — barring the iMac, of course, which we’ll get to in due course.

For more processing power, a Mac Mini model with a six-core 8th-gen Intel Core i5 processor clocked at 3.0GHz is also available for $1,099. This is the model we reviewed, which is right where the Mac Mini crosses into iMac territory. It’s a seriously powerful machine — especially for its size.

In all models of the Mac Mini, up to 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB RAM can also be added, and there are options for configurations for 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of SSD storage. Unsurprisingly, given its size, there is no dedicated graphics option. All Mac Mini models ship with Intel UHD Graphics 630.

As for the iMac, the entry-level 4K model features the same 8th-gen Intel Core i3 processor and 8GB RAM found in the base Mac Mini. Unfortunately, the base model (with the 1080p display) still comes with a 1TB mechanical hard drive and older 7th-generation processor. Its pricing starts at $1,099 — a full $300 more than the base Mac Mini. If we’re only comparing those two options, the Mac Mini wins by a mile.

When you compare the Mac Mini to the higher-end iMac models, though, it gets trickier. A separate 4K iMac with a slightly more powerful 8th-generation six-core Intel Core i5 processor clocked at 3.0 GHz is also available, but that pushes prices well into the $1,499 range. For even more processing power, Apple offers the 27-inch 5K iMac with an option for the newer 9th-generation Intel Core i5 processor. You can even go all the way up to an eight-core Core i9 if you need some real horsepower. That puts it way out of the little Mac Mini’s league, though.

There are a wealth of dedicated graphics options for the iMac, something the Mac Mini doesn’t offer at all. The 21.5-inch iMac comes with either a Radeon Pro 555X or 560X with 2GB or 4GB of video memory. Higher-end 5K iMacs come with either the Radeon Pro 570X, the 575X, or the 580X for graphics. You can even upgrade to the Radeon Vega 48 or Vega 20 for extra graphics power.

Connectivity

Apple has embraced USB-C, and the ports on board both the Mac Mini and the iMac continue that trend. On the Mac Mini are four Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports, two USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI 2.0 port, Ethernet port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The iMac keeps a similar range of ports, including four USB 3.0 ports, two Thunderbolt 3 USB ports, an Ethernet port, and an SDXC card slot.

The iMac has the most ports between the two machines. We see the absence of an SDXC card slot on the Mac Mini as a hurdle to content creators thinking of adopting the machine. Mac Mini users needing that slot will need to purchase a separate dongle to transfer their files. It is a slight inconvenience that might be a deciding factor for some.

Buy the Mac Mini, unless you’re going big

At the end of the day, the $799 Mac Mini is worth more than a $1,099 iMac or possibly even the upgraded $1,299 4K iMac. That price doesn’t include your keyboard, mouse, or video option, but many users have that equipment on hand anyway.

For those after some serious performance, the 5K iMac is Apple’s top-of-the-line model. Its Core i9 processor makes this machine considerable faster than the Mac Mini. On the low end, it’s all about the Mac Mini. On the top end, the iMac has earned its spot. For those seeking the middle ground, you’ll need to honestly evaluate your current and future needs to decide which is the best machine for you. For more graphical power or the visual appeal of the all-in-one, the iMac is what you want. For a more versatile setup, the Mac Mini is the way to go.

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