Mac Mini

[Poindexter Arachnid]

I did some research and the current Mac Mini has received near-universal praise.
So...Anybody here own one? If so, I'd like to read anecdotal evidence that it truly is the Bee's Knees after all.

I want one. They're so cute!
(Wish they'd come in assorted colors, though--Hot Pink)

 

[cafe]

My husband and I both had minis several years ago. They were great except they didn't have fans and when we used them to play WoW, they about cooked themselves. Loved how small they were, though.

 

[Poindexter Arachnid]

It's funny you mention World of Warcraft--it is one of the reasons I want one. While it isn't an optimal gaming unit, but it is relatively cheap and gives you more than enough bang for your buck. I truly miss this game--it isn't half of what it once was.

And when I played it on my current system about six months ago, the lag was unbearable. From what I have read, the current Mini plays the game exceptionally.

 

[tinker683]

I own a Mini that was released in 2012 (so one model before the current) and it's a pretty damned good little unit. I put 16 gigs of RAM in it and it ran world of warcraft pretty well.

I have a Macbook Pro with Retina display though which blows it out of the water, so I'm going to sell my Mini to my dad as he wants it.

Is it just because of WoW you want one or are you looking to get a Mac? If the former, I'd suggest buying a Gaming PC as you'll get a LOT more bang for your buck Gaming wise. Otherwise, if you already have the monitor that can connect to it, a Mini a good choice if you're looking to dip your toe into Mac computers.

 

[Poindexter Arachnid]

I just want a Mac for novelty's sake. Cheap, high-powered, optimal operating ops, etc.
Not a big PC gaming guy, really. I use consoles for that, mostly.

I don't own the Mac monitor--is the system only compatible with that?
'Cause if so, I won't bother. Too high-priced for my budget.

 

[cafe]

We've always used non-Mac monitors with our Macs, except when they were the really old one piece critters. Of course some of our current Macs don't have Mac hardware . . .

 

[tinker683]

I just want a Mac for novelty's sake. Cheap, high-powered, optimal operating ops, etc.
Not a big PC gaming guy, really. I use consoles for that, mostly.

I don't own the Mac monitor--is the system only compatible with that?
'Cause if so, I won't bother. Too high-priced for my budget.

I'm sure apple would love you to purchase one of their overpriced thunderbolt monitors but no, what I meant was a monitor that had an HDMI connection as that, and thunderbolt, are the only ways you can connect a mini to a monitor

 

[Poindexter Arachnid]

Sorta kinda got an HDMI monitor.
Would I need thunderbolt ports as well?

Unfortunately, my current PC crashed several hours ago.

 

[Kierva]

I don't own a Mac Mini, but I looooooooove World of Warcraft. I do own a 13" 2011 MBP which I use for school and graphic design; it's the one with the shitty Intel HD graphics and 4GB RAM.

On research, it seems like the Mac Mini has a slightly better core than my MBP does but overall it's the same. I run WoW on mostly low settings; I put everything to low except for the spell effects and character textures(?), which I crank up to max.

I play on Frostmourne and Stormwind CAN get a little crowded at times. At peak hours, my MBP was running at about 25fps in Stormwind, by the bank and auction house in Trade District.

In 10man raids, I usually get 50fps; in 25m LFR with all the gunk on the floor, I get around 25-30.

Things start to get a little TOO laggy once you do the stupid world bosses, which need 2 40m groups to down. Now, THAT, is unplayable -- averaging 5-10fps. It gets too choppy and you end up dying way too many times. I'm losing gold just to have a chance at purples.

 

[Poindexter Arachnid]

Man, you are hardcore.

Been researching; thinking about a laptop in the 500 dollar range.
Not a macbook...too expensive.

 

[Kierva]

Man, you are hardcore.

Been researching; thinking about a laptop in the 500 dollar range.
Not a macbook...too expensive.

But in good news, if you're planning on soloing content and 5mans, the Mac Mini should be more than enough. I average around 70fps in dungeons with all the spell effects, 100fps if I'm just running around.

 

[Poindexter Arachnid]

I will get a mac down the road, but right now, I need a replacement.

 

[Ingrid in grids]

I have one hooked up to my television that I use as a media centre. It works well for me, though other than storage and playing media, I don't use it for much else.

 

[sprinkles]

I'm sure apple would love you to purchase one of their overpriced thunderbolt monitors but no, what I meant was a monitor that had an HDMI connection as that, and thunderbolt, are the only ways you can connect a mini to a monitor

You can get adapters for that. Some of them cost like $40 but you can get them. HDMI to VGA, HDMI to DVI, heck even HDMI to Composite, and back and forth too.

 

[tinker683]

You can get adapters for that. Some of them cost like $40 but you can get them. HDMI to VGA, HDMI to DVI, heck even HDMI to Composite, and back and forth too.

This is true and something I had forgotten about. DoD, this is something else to consider should you consider a Mini again