This article has been updated based on some of the peripherals that can make the Mac Mini an excellent computer for digital photography, but the hardware of the Mac Mini itself hasn’t really changed since then. All that changed was the amount of storage you get for your money (2x for the same price). Apple just updated the Mac Mini here in March 2020! Nothing too exciting though.Realistic ExpectationsBefore we get into the configuration decisions, I want set some expectations for you as a photographer looking to buy a computer. You can get help with those seven decisions in my Photographer’s MacBook Pro Buying Guide article, though I think the Mac Mini is a better choice as far as value for the money. There is really only one choice to make compared with seven decisions you have with the 2018 MacBook Pro lineup. A photographer almost can’t make a bad choice with the Mac Mini, though the $800 entry level model isn’t really up to the challenge of running Lightroom.Apple has made the choices for a Mac Mini much easier than their MacBook Pro lineup. What is the best configuration of a late 2018 Mac Mini for photographers?The best configuration of a late 2018 Mac Mini for photographers is 3.2GHz 6‑core 8th‑generation Intel Core i7, with 16GB of memory, and 512GB of SSD storage at a cost of about $2,100.With the 2018 refresh of the Mac Mini Apple has a solid lineup of computers that are great for photo editing.
Photoshop Compatible With Dell Mac Mini AnIt will last you at least 3 years and you should get 5 years out of the machine if you invest it properly. You can do quite well with a machine that costs between $1,500 and $2,500. Not even on a computer from Apple. $1,500 is significantly better.On the other hand, you absolutely do NOT have to spend more than $3,000 on a computer to run Lightroom and Photoshop REALLY well. Mac or PC, here in 2019 you shouldn’t really expect to get a computer that can do a good job with Lightroom and Photoshop for less than $1,000.Yes, you might find some sales that make desktop computers (especially desktops running Windows) that dip a little below that $1,000 mark but if you don’t have a budget of at least $1,000 then I recommend you keep saving until you can get up there. If budget is constrained, this is not an area you should save money on. I said there is really only one because to me two of the three configuration decisions to make are made for you as a photographer.Which processor you are going to choose is the first decision Apple presents, but it really isn’t too much of a decision for a photographer wanting to run Lightroom and Photoshop. Decision 1: ProcessorI know I just said there is really only one choice to be made but there are actually 3. Core i5 Processor – SufficientThe next processor up from that is the 3.0GHz 6‑core 8th‑generation Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz) for $1,099. You can also expect exports from Lightroom or HDR/panorama merges, more advanced features, to take longer with the Core i3. If you have more advanced skills and needs with Lightroom and Photoshop running at the same time then a Core i3 processor is just really not enough power.Yes, this Core i3 processor will technically start the software and run it, but if you are editing full frame raw files then expect the sliders and adjustment brushes in Lightroom to be somewhat slow to respond in comparison to how Lightroom does with Core i5 or Core i7 processors. For beginners just starting out to learn Lightroom, who are more likely to work on jpeg files and not use Photoshop at the same time, the baseline 2018 Mac Mini with a Core i3 process is going to be just fine. Everyone has different expectations when it comes to performance in Lightroom and Photoshop. Core i3 Processor – Not Really Enough PowerAt the least expensive end of things, $799 gets you a 3.6GHz quad‑core 8th‑generation Intel Core i3 processor. It is only 25% faster than the Core i5, but that 25% makes a real difference in Lightroom.Going to the Core i7 means another $200, taking the price up to $1,300 now, but you already have a pretty decent computer for running Lightroom and Photoshop without spending any more money.If there is more money in the budget I do recommend upgrading the memory from 8GB to 16GB, which is your next decision, but the processor is so important to running Lightroom that if you can only do $1,300 then this is where you should go. Core i7 Processor – ExcellentFinally, you have the 3.2GHz 6‑core 8th‑generation Intel Core i7 (Turbo Boost up to 4.6GHz) processor that is going to do a good job running Lightroom and Photoshop for at least 3 years and probably 5 years. If you go with the Core i5 you may not get 5 years out of this machine before you feel like it is running this too slowly.Because you can’t upgrade the processor in the Mac Mini, if you want this computer to last as long as possible then I recommend investing in the Core i7. It is the lowest I recommend you go for photo editing on the 2018 Mac Mini. Completely worth the $300 more to get here (you also get 2x the SSD storage in that $300). It will be sufficient.The Core i5 is nearly 50% faster than the Core i3 option. On a Windows computer I would tell you that 8GB is not enough for running Lightroom and Photoshop. 8GB – Almost SufficientThe baseline Mac Mini has 8GB of memory. Check out my How Much Memory does Lightroom Need article for more information.Of course there is a cost to the memory, and prices are inflated right now due to so much demand placed on the market with the crypto mining craze, so what is the reasonable amount of memory for photographers? So glad you asked. The more memory you can throw at Lightroom and Photoshop – especially if you run them at the same time – the better. This decision is not as easy to make as the processor. Next to that is the memory that just so happens to be your next configuration choice.This memory decision is the real decision you have to make when buying a Mac Mini for photo editing. It will work for the “normal” types of editing or if you are just getting started in Lightroom and Photoshop.Save yourself a lot of money by upgrading the memory yourself following iFixit’s excellent Mac mini Late 2018 Memory (RAM) Replacement guide.This is also something you could buy if you want to upgrade the memory yourself. The lack of memory is also going to slow down moving from photo to photo in Lightroom, so if you don’t like that “Please wait…” message at the bottom of Lightroom you will want to invest more here.If you maxed out the processor already (which is higher priority than memory) and there isn’t any room in the budget to upgrade to 16GB of memory, then stay right here. If you do any kind of panorama or HDR work you won’t be happy with 8GB of memory. Why isnt grammarly for microsoft office not supported on mac anymoreThe right price to performance ration for most photographers, though it won’t really be useful for video editing.If you willing to give it a try (are you catching on yet that you can do it) you can get to 24GB of RAM for half the cost of paying Apple the $200 to have them upgrade from 8GB to 16GB of memory. 16GB is the sweet spot for a 2018 Mac Mini to do photo editing. There is a big difference there, just that 16GB of memory in a Mac Mini will function more similarly to a basic (things can be done for Windows too but takes some advanced knowledge) Windows computer with more physical memory.Upgrade the processor first, and if there is $200 in the budget then I recommend going to 16GB of memory. I already mentioned the special sauce that Apple has put into macOS with regard to memory management, and that is going to make 16GB feel more like 20 or 30.Not saying that 16GB of memory is going to be the same as actually having 32GB of memory. 16GB – SufficientIf you don’t want to take on upgrading the memory yourself (seriously, you can do it!), 16GB of memory is sufficient to make photo editing work well on pretty well any modern computer. It will save you quite a lot of money and even if you have never done something like this I promise this is something you could do without breaking anything.You should also check out this OWC Mac Mini Memory upgrade video because even if you have NEVER opened up a computer in your life, you can totally do this! You will save yourself a ton of money in the process.
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