Apple showed great success in 2020. They brought their new series of Mac with the M1 chip. They released new items and have been continuously improving their technology. Apple doesn’t only make fashion hardware or high-end products. Apple makes sure they have a consumer-ready, easy to use the device. Their products are beautiful, user-friendly, and safe to use. But, their machines are also powerful and a great addition to your work setting.
Are you unsure which of the newest Mac computers you should get? We have narrowed it down to the two more likely options if considering an office set up: Mac Mini and iMac 5K. These machines are still using the Intel technology in the processor. This means the M1 chip has yet to reach a newer version of the machines.
So which one is the best choice? Which computer offers the best performance? Read along and discover our Mac Mini vs iMac 5K showdown.
Specs
Mac Mini
- The Mac Mini offers some great hardware options for being the smallest and most compact computer in the Apple line-up. The computer has a 3.2GHz 6-core 8th Generation Intel Core i7. The Turbo Boost allows the performance of up to 4.6GHz.
- The Mac Mini has up to 1TB SSD storage capacity. It uses Intel UHD Graphics 630.
- The price this far is about $2500.
- The other necessary items would be a monitor, if comparing with the iMac 5K let’s choose another similar quality and the price would be around the $1000.
iMac 5K
- The iMac 5K offers a better version than the Mac Mini with its 3.6GHz 10-core 10th generation Intel Core i9 processor. The Turbo Boost performs up to 5.0Ghz.
- The computer has up to 1TB SSD storage capacity.
- And it comes with the Radeon Pro 5300 with 4GB of GDDR6 memory included.
- The price is about $2,700.
Performance
The Geekbench performance scores are quite unexpected. In the single-core score, the Mac Mini has a whopping 1,707, while the Mac 5K scored only 1,118. The reason for this could is the cooling system added in the Mac Mini. This would allow the processor to push harder than it would seem possible by its abilities.
The multi-core test done by Geekbench yielded the expected results. The iMac 5K results came at 8071, while the Mac Mini stayed behind with a 7386 scores. This might be the result of the Turbo Boost option, which optimizes all the core performance to provide the best results.
Performance scores though can be dubious depending on the task the computer is performing. On editing raw processor performance done, the Mac Mini displayed more side to side results. For the single-core, the Mac Mini came slightly on top with 5,666, unlike the 5,656 of the iMac. The multi-core test declared the win for the Mac mini with a score of 25,979, while the iMac lagged behind at 19,257.
The 5-run stress test done, using Cinebench R15 showcased the Mac Mini’s victory. The small computer-scored 1,140. The iMac, on the other hand, averaged 930 points only.
Verdict
The Mac mini is a true wonder. This compact machine manages to possess a powerful processor that beats the supposedly better computers. The fight was tight, but the Mac Mini got the victory nonetheless. However, we still cannot recommend this computer.
We recommend the iMac and there are a few reasons for that. The iMac has all you will need, the speakers, the display, and the power. For a work setting, it’s the most practical choice. And even the slight difference in power doesn’t sway us in this decision. The seemingly higher price point is an illusion, as you would need to own or purchase a screen monitor for the mini in order to even use it.
We recommend the Mac Mini only to those who have the set up done, maybe an extra monitor, and speakers. Or someone who change from PC to Apple, and has all the accessories. But, if you are looking for the most efficient option. That will save you the most money, then the iMac 5k is the machine you should be looking for.
That’s our Mac Mini vs iMac 5K showdown. Which one will you go for? Let us know in the comments below.
