It can export a 20'x30' 240 PPI file for a poster print in four seconds. My system can export 30 – 16GB images from raw files in Lightroom in under 20 seconds. My experience with the M1 is very satisfying.

Then attach FAST external drives via a Thunderbolt hub or dock. My recommendation for those buying M1 Macs is that unless you are making money with it on a daily basis, get the 8GB model with full processor cores and the most internal storage you can afford. He's learning not to fight either one, but to use them as intended! The operating systems are just different.

Part of his issue is that he straddles the Mac/PC fence as I did for decades. I am working with him on strategies that make use of very fast external storage. He HAS complained about 512GB SSD storage not being enough. He is a media studies major at UNCG, and has done significant 4K video editing and graphics production on his MacBook Air. My son has never complained about 8GB being too little. Adobe Premiere is the one app they don't like running on Macs, and never did like running on Macs, because it is better-tuned for Windows.ĭepending on what you are doing, 8GB can be enough. Most of them say it is fine for YouTube content development and all but the most intensive work in the Adobe Photography apps. There are many reviews of the 8GB Mini on YouTube by people who use Lightroom, Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, various software development and coding environments, ProTools and Logic Pro audio editing suites, and other heavy lifting software. They've become very efficient about using data 'in place' instead of bouncing it back and forth between graphic memory and RAM. This is the way ALL Apple Silicon in iPhones and iPads has worked for the last decade. The 'Unified' memory is used by all processing functions, without moving data unless a swap to the SSD happens. YES, the M1 family do use memory VERY differently from Intel machines. That's due to the presence of its very efficient fan. The Mini is a little faster than the MBA and the MBP, and about the same speed as the mid-tier iMac.

These are essentially the same machines as the 2020 M1 Mini, the 2021 24' M1 iMac, and the 2020 13' MacBook Pro. My son has the same computer, but with 8GB/512GB. I don't have that Mini, but I do have an M1 MacBook Air with 16GB/1TB. But people say the new Apple M1 chip handles Ram differently. Most of the versions out that I see know only have 8 GB of ram. I am looking to upgrade to a new version Mini. I have a 2012 Mac Mini with 16 gb of ram. I am asking for anyone with experience using the Mac Mini with the M1 chip and 8 gb of Ram.

Imac m1 lightroom