Both figures narrowly surpassed the M1 Max Studio, which took 43 seconds with a CPU encode and 34 seconds using the GPU.īeyond benchmarks, the Mac Mini was an absolute dream for my typical workflow (dealing with dozens of browser tabs, batch image processing, and practically every chat app out there).

In a more practical test, the Mac Mini transcoded a minute-long 4K clip into 1080p in 37 seconds with pure CPU power using Handbrake - the same job took 32 seconds with the GPU. The Mac Mini scored 2,000 points higher than the M1 Max Studio in the Cinebench R23 benchmark, and it was on-par with the MacBook Pro 14-inch with M2 Max.Īpple MacBook Pro 14-inch (Apple M2 Max, 2023)Īpple MacBook Pro 13-inch, (Apple M2, 2022) What's most important for some creatives though is its potential rendering performance. The M1 Ultra-equipped Studio is far faster, not surprisingly, because that's essentially two M1 Max chips joined together. It's slower than the M2 Max in the 14-inch MacBook Pro in GeekBench's CPU benchmark, but it also beats the M1 Max in the Mac Studio. Our review model, which featured the pricier 12-core M2 Pro chip, performed as well as I expected. You'll need a separate adapter to use SD cards with the Mini - a cheap fix, but one that also leads to more desk clutter. The Studio, in comparison, offers two USB-C ports and an SD card slot up front.

That could be a bad thing if you need to access its rear ports frequently, though. Unlike the taller and more domineering Mac Studio, the Mini is meant to disappear into your desk, a sliver of power that doesn't need to be seen. Most striking about the Mac mini is its combination of simplicity and functionality.

Mac mini m1 handbrake