New Mac Mini recommendations

Posted on
Wed Apr 10, 2019 2:10 pm
norcoscia offline
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Re: New Mac Mini recommendations

I purchased the i5 with 8gig and updated the memory myself to 32 gig - I went with the 250gig HDD - working great with security spy (w 3 4k cameras - 4 planned) and indigo.

Not even coming close to making it work ....
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Posted on
Wed Apr 10, 2019 2:11 pm
siclark offline
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Re: New Mac Mini recommendations

Indigo minimal memory usage? You must run a lot less plugins than me!
I'm interested in processor speed Vs cores, as I think the more memory is biggest performance gain?



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Posted on
Wed Apr 10, 2019 2:19 pm
petematheson offline
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Re: New Mac Mini recommendations

Are you running plex on there too?

Looks like 32GB isn't needed just yet, 16GB definitely worth it though.

I wonder how the i3 would perform on those stats!?

Posted on
Wed Apr 10, 2019 2:20 pm
norcoscia offline
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Re: New Mac Mini recommendations

This is the set of plug-in I'm running - if best buy would have offered the i7 I would have got that but no issues with the core i5. Indigo does not need much HP to run great. The memory $$$$ from apple is crazy - went to 32 gig for less than 1/3 the apple price.
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Posted on
Wed Apr 10, 2019 2:26 pm
norcoscia offline
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Re: New Mac Mini recommendations

No plex - to be honest, it was running just the same with 8gig of memory (at least I could not tell / notice a difference)- I just like to take things apart and the memory was a deal compared to the apple prices....

I think the i3 does not support turboboost plus the HDD was twice the size for the low end next model up from the base model.

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Posted on
Wed Apr 10, 2019 9:38 pm
akimball offline
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Re: New Mac Mini recommendations

i7 w/8GB memory and 128GB solid state soldered down harddrive. Added a 10GB ethernet port and use external storage with a USB-C Samsung 1-TB SSD which does about 400-MB per second. Lots cheaper than Apple memory.

Lately I’ve had a bit of trouble with the Mini occasionally up and shutting down, but my research says that upgrading the memory to 32GB solves this. I haven’t done this yet but here is the recommended memory to do this:

https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-16GBx2-P ... 176&sr=1-2

I don’t think it’s over-heating.

Running indigo, securityspy, plex, printopia, and Spamsieve. Plex and media editing can really take cpu cycles.

-Al

Posted on
Thu Apr 11, 2019 8:21 am
rehafer offline
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Re: New Mac Mini recommendations

As a side note; I had my min stacked with external drives, hubs, and such. I had problems that I suspected was caused by heat retention.
I bought a pack of stick-on rubber feet, put them on the bottom of every piece of the stack, and the problems went away. YMMV


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Posted on
Thu Apr 11, 2019 9:02 am
akimball offline
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Re: New Mac Mini recommendations

Rehafer, thanks, I’ll try the rubber feet. I have had a fan on it for months now and it still Quits with same regularity. That’s why I think it’s a memory timing issue with the 8-GB Apple native memory along with a few other reports that the 32GB upgrade solved the issue. I’ve intended to do that in any case, but you have a good idea and worth a try.

-Al

Posted on
Thu Apr 11, 2019 9:04 am
akimball offline
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Re: New Mac Mini recommendations

...it quits about once every several weeks. Not acceptable for home automation.

-Al

Posted on
Sun Jan 05, 2020 5:42 pm
hamw offline
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Re: New Mac Mini recommendations

Looking at one of these now. Any advantage to the 10 gb ethernet port? Assume I would need to upgrade my switch. Right now I have 8 cameras and not running Plex or anything and have no issues. Thoughts?

Posted on
Sun Jan 05, 2020 6:07 pm
akimball offline
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Re: New Mac Mini recommendations

Ben over at SecuritySpy software has made an online calculator which may help answer your question. It tells you which macs can be used for a given number of cameras of a given size at given frame rates but I think it assumes simple 1-GbE.

https://www.bensoftware.com/securityspy ... lator.html

I have the 10-GbE port on my 2018 i7 mac mini... it made a difference on streaming plex to and from the server especially for blu ray and 4k movies.... i also have noted better security spy performance over my older 2014 vintage mac. If you’re not doing plex then for 8 cameras you’ll be fine. Try the on-line calculator.

-al

-Al

Posted on
Mon Jan 06, 2020 1:51 am
kw123 offline
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Re: New Mac Mini recommendations

akimball wrote:
...
I have the 10-GbE port on my 2018 i7 mac mini... it made a difference on streaming plex to and from the server especially for blu ray and 4k movies....
-al

Just for my education what kind of switches are you using
Karl


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Posted on
Mon Jan 06, 2020 4:48 am
siclark offline
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Location: UK

Re: New Mac Mini recommendations

akimball wrote:
Rehafer, thanks, I’ll try the rubber feet. I have had a fan on it for months now and it still Quits with same regularity. That’s why I think it’s a memory timing issue with the 8-GB Apple native memory along with a few other reports that the 32GB upgrade solved the issue. I’ve intended to do that in any case, but you have a good idea and worth a try.

I have i5 2018 with 8GB and not seen any crashes (prob have now jinxed it)

I see a massive performance upgrade over my 2012 mini and not seeing it struggle at all despite the number of plugins I run, and also SS is fine (although only 3 cameras). I didnt do 10GBe as didnt see the benefit, and was a large cost in upgrading switches to take advantage as well. Figure my next mini I will get it.

I do seem to be using a lot of the 8GB, but it doesnt seem to be an issue. I will upgrade the RAM when I find the time.

Posted on
Thu Jan 09, 2020 9:36 am
durosity offline
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Re: New Mac Mini recommendations

I have the 2018 i7 6 core Mac mini with 64Gb of ram... I regret not paying the extra £90 for the 10gbit connection.. instead I spent it on upgrading the SSD to 512GB and do I ever use more than 100gb on the machine? No. :roll:

Computer says no.

Posted on
Thu Jan 09, 2020 10:02 am
norcoscia offline
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Re: New Mac Mini recommendations

You could always add it, but I'm not convinced it will improve anything, especially if you don't have the rest of your infrastructure set up for it....

Happy New Year!!!!!
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