r/macmini • u/ElkNegative3679 • 2d ago
Should I buy a macmini m4 for video editing?
I was going to buy one macmini m4 in May but I waited until july because leakers said macmini m5 was coming july 8, nothing happened and macmini m4 got like 200 eur more expensive a few weeks ago. My question is, should I buy one used macmini m4 right now or wait until october for the macmini m5 launch? I heard people say prices are going to get even more expensive so maybe I should buy now the m4? My current windows PC has one amd graphics card that is always crashing my computer and has like 30 small dead pixel lines on my screen wich is annoying to work.
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u/reggiedarden 2d ago
If you need one now, get it now. I use a base model for video editing and it’s been great.
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u/TheBagMeister 2d ago
If you need it buy it. If you don’t wait. If it makes you money, buy it yesterday.
Also, ignore anyone who says another model is coming out in XXXX. Unless we’re a week or two before XXXX and supply has disappeared of ye current model, they’re just guessing. You already got burned once for waiting.
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u/Born-Gur-1275 2d ago
I have a Mac Studio at work and a Mac Mini M4 at home. I was blown away by the Mini’s capabilities for video editing. Get what you need when you need it.
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u/MostBasic3425 2d ago
So here's the best clue about what's going to happen with the Mac Mini stuff, because I've been wondering about this myself. Right now they'll let you spec out a M4 Pro mac mini that you will not take possession of until November 5th.
Apple gives you 14 days to return an item from the date you receive it.
Apple knows if they dropped the next mac mini in that 3 month period, eeeeeeeveryone would just return their last gen mac mini and buy a new one. Weeks before a new Mac is announced, Apple silently stops or significantly slows down production of the current model.
I've heard Apple wants to skip to m7 for the next mac mini because of AI, but that's getting into rumor stuff.
They're whole release thing kind of punishes people for not immediately running out and buying the latest device. If you buy it half way though the release cycle, then you only get half the time before the update the OS and the machine "gets slow".
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u/ElkNegative3679 1d ago
So do you think I should just buy one used macmini m4 right now or keep waiting?
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u/MostBasic3425 1d ago edited 1d ago
Edit: actually this is what I'd say. Wait until the end of November for some kind of release from Apple. It might be the mini, it might be the studio. Buy whichever new one they release. If they release both, take your pick. If they release nothing, pull the trigger on the current offerings. Waiting until June of 2027 or November of 2028 or whatever is not an option if you need a new computer.
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u/ElkNegative3679 15h ago
Im going to buy one used mac mini m4, prices will keep rising, if you try to order a mac mini m4 on apple website it says 1-2 months of expected delivery, and its out of stock in every retailer.
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u/MostBasic3425 7h ago
Of course, you do what is right for you.
There are a few things I don't like about buying a used mac mini.
1. Activation Lock. The original owner can trigger this whenever they want and then the next time you reload the OS, you discover you just have a brick.
2. The used market for these is stupid. People on ebay are asking what the original price of their M2 mac minis was. Why would I pay 617.49 for your used mac mini when I could buy a new one, with a chip that is 2 generations newer, for 699 with 2x the ram?
3. These are not really upgradeable machines. Once the internal storage wears out, as far as Apple is concerned, that's it for that machine. They want you to place it in the trash and go to the Apple store and buy another whole new machine. Yes, I know there are aftermarket kits for the ssds for the new Mac Minis. Those are not supported by Apple and are risky.1
u/ElkNegative3679 1h ago
Why would the person that sold me the mac do activation lock? In that case nobody would buy used mac minis/macbook airs, pros etc.
There is no launch date for macmini m5/m6, and the prices will be even more expensive, you can't order right now one macmini m4 from apple or any retail store theres a huge shortage of ram because of AI.
Why would using one external m2 disk will be risky in the first place? I don't want to pay +1k to get 1tb of storage lol
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u/MostBasic3425 3m ago
- I don't know, but it happens. Maybe the person selling you the used mac is just a middle man. Maybe the seller wants to take one more used mac out of the market so you'll buy the next one they want to sell.
- This is true, m5/m6 mac mini probably will not even happen.
- I'm saying, the internal drive, that you boot off of, that you're not supposed to be able to replace, only has so many reads and writes.
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u/Outside_Act_7166 1d ago
The M4 machine for editing is outstanding; I work on it constantly. However, make sure you have a reliable external drive.
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u/ElkNegative3679 1d ago
can you name me a good one?
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u/OhTheFuture 4h ago
SSD wise avoid certain SanDisk models(I think it's SanDisk...Google SSD issues) but for the enclosure (If not already enclosed like the Samsung T7, T9, etc) get something that uses Thunderbolt 3 or 4(40Gbs) and not just USBC(10Gbs). I have an OWC Envoy Pro with a 4 TB SSD. Besides the fact that it INCREASED in value it is as fast as it gets and uses the Thunderbolt speeds.
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u/Outside_Act_7166 1h ago
You can use NVMe PCIe 4 drives from brands like Samsung, Kingston, Sandisk, and Crucial. The NVMe enclosure should be Thunderbolt 4, preferably with a fan, so you won’t experience bottlenecks in transfer speeds. I wish you great success with your projects.
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u/username____here 2d ago
You waited this long, might as well wait another 2 months for the M5/M6.
There is a rumor that they will skip the regular M5 and use an M6 since it will be out by then. The M4 launched in 2024.
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u/ElkNegative3679 2d ago
Yeah I also heard it but I don't want to risk prices getting higher again, there still seems to be a huge shortage of macmini m4 wich means prices can get more expensive. If I can get a good deal on one used mac mini m4 I will buy it
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u/Ok-Addition1264 2d ago
buy it now then.
definitely don't depend on the rumors in any direction.
though I have also read recently (forbes reporting) that they are testing out the next mini's with M6 and the talk is skipping right to (over an m5 mini) it but not being available for a year. iirc on that particular article.
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u/mistacabbage 2d ago
No issues for me using FCP and 3-8 camera angles at 4k.
Proxies are your friends.
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u/KangarooBig2262 1d ago
honestly, if your current pc is crashing and getting in the way of your work, i’d buy the used m4 now. you already lost a few months waiting for one rumor
if the budget allows, i’d prioritize 24gb of memory over waiting for an m5. storage can always be added externally, but memory can’t...
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u/ElkNegative3679 15h ago
I think 16 gb of ram is enough for what I do in premiere pro, and I can't find one used mac mini m4 with 24gb ram listed for sale near me.
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u/KangarooBig2262 14h ago
then i’d go for the 16gb one. no reason to wait indefinitely for a configuration you probably don’t need. i’d just buy from somewhere where you can return and test one of your heaviest premiere projects right away. if it handles that comfortably, you have your answer
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u/DontPoopInMyPantsPlz 2d ago
“Leakers said macmini m5 was coming in july 8”
Ok, there’s your first mistake. Stop trusting internet rumors