Which desktop mac do you recommend to buy

Hi & Happy New Year!


Would love to hear thoughts on which desktop mac to buy?


I currently have an old MacBook Pro 2012 (16gp & 512gb ssd + 512gb hdd (replaced the dvd drive with this - store only photos & videos) & it’s slowly dying on me. Bluetooth keeps disconnecting and doing rendering, regardless of size in Adobe AI, it takes forever, plus I can’t get any of the latest updates for software. 


I wish to get a mac that would be powerful enough for Adobe AI 3D imaging and larger illustrations, photo editing in Adobe LR & PS, and running the other Adobe Suite apps, as I learn to use them.


I was waiting for the m3 chip, but now I just can’t wait any longer, as the slowness of my beloved Macbook Pro is driving me insane. I am pondering should I get the Mac mini M2 - 8 CPU/10GPU 24GB / 512GB SSD  (€1439) (1TB SSD is +€230); or Mac mini Pro M2 10CPU/16GPU 32GB / 512GB SSD (€2059) (1TB SSD is +€230). The Mac Studio starting price in Finland is €2449.  


There is a huge price difference in the options. So my question is, if you were me, what Mac would you get & with what specs? I’m a hobbyist, so not my main source of income. Right now I can’t even create a pivot table in Numbers, as can’t upgrade the app 😂 


What would be your recommendation? I’m happy to put in the money, if need be, but I’d rather not, if not necessary. Or, do I get the base modal 8GB/256GB for the time being and wait for the M3 to arrive, which we have no idea when, but I can’t wait until then to buy a new mac. All input is appreciated & thanx in advance!

Posted on Jan 7, 2024 6:22 AM

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9 replies

Jan 8, 2024 5:15 AM in response to NordicLife

Personally, regardless of model, with Adobe apps, get a machine with at least 32GB of RAM. When I was using my late 2013 27" iMac with 32GB of RAM with Adobe LR and PS, they would quickly gobble up over half of that in a short session. And that was a few years ago. I hate to think what they gobble up now.


Internal storage for is very expensive and I would get 512 GB and then you can get 1 or 2 TB (or more) high speed external Thunderbolt SSD which will be cheaper than what you would pay for 2TB of internal storage. Use the internal drive for apps and work in progress if the external is not sufficiently fast enough.


Beyond that, my rule of thumb has been get the highest performance machine that will comfortably fit your budget.

Jan 8, 2024 4:51 AM in response to NordicLife

I wanted extra TB ports so it was a choice between the Mini Pro and the Studio. I got the studio so I could also have some ports on the front side to use. I got the 512GB with the 32GB ram and works great. I feel this will also future proof for use. I also got a LG 5K 27" display which also has extra ports on the back so now I do not need a hub.

Jan 7, 2024 5:19 PM in response to NordicLife

First, it's a budget question.

I don't see a urge to go for a M3. M2 will do the trick and for a long time.

If you use hungry apps, aim for more RAM, faster processor, and if you need space, aim for a 2 TB internal SSD.


I do lots of audio work, some video, and my mini 2018 has 32GB ram, 2 TB and I'm probably good to go for another couples of years. Not giving you a receipe, just sharing my own experience.

Jan 8, 2024 11:27 AM in response to NordicLife

If the Apple Store in Finland has a Certified Refurbished section, and you can find one of the machines you want there, that might be one way to save money.


Like tbirdvet, I wanted more ports than the base M2 Mini had. I was looking at the M2 Pro Mac mini, the M2 Max Mac Studio, and the Certified Refurbished M1 Max Mac Studio. I ended up going with the latter, and attaching a credit-card-sized 4 TB USB-C SSD. The front-panel USB-C ports and SDXC card slot have been very useful.

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Which desktop mac do you recommend to buy

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