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I am looking to update my older Apple iMac 27".
I trying to see the difference between the Mac mini and the iMac 24'
I don't know which one to choose.
MacBook Air, 15.0
To see what Apple recommends, input your wants and needs into > Mac - Which Mac is best for me? - Apple
The nice thing about the Mac mini versus the 24" iMac, is that you can use 27" or 32" display(s).
IMHO, the Mac mini would be the way to go.
The top tier mini has an improved chip as compared to the iMac.
The mini can be coupled with a larger monitor than the iMac without having to accommodate multiple monitors on a desktop.
The mini can drive more monitors than the iMac.
The mini is every bit a Mac computer as the iMac – but smaller and less expensive.
Compare Mac models – iMac (M4, two ports) vs. iMac (M4, four ports) vs. Mac mini (M4 or M4 Pro)
For a 27" 5K display that is as good as the one on a 27" 5K Retina iMac, there is Apple's Studio Display . However, it isn't cheap. There are two third-party 27" 5K displays, but a lot of people go with 27" – 32" 4K ones, largely due to price.
Note that while all 27" iMacs had user-upgradable RAM, no Apple Silicon Macs do. Whatever an Apple Silicon Mac comes with from the factory is what it will have for life. I would recommend 16 GB minimum – especially given that Apple is now including 16 GB or more with all new Macs sold on their site. If you run workloads that are especially demanding, you might need to get more. Video editing, running virtual machines, or doing heavy Photoshop-type work with huge panoramas and tons of layers might be examples of such workloads.
The base M2 mini is incredibly cheap (£599) compared to the base iMac (£1299) and is more powerful and has more connectivity. You would need to buy the £1,499 iMac to get the same power and even then you would not have as many connection sockets.
You already have a mouse and keyboard so all you would need is a 27" Monitor which can be bought for £110 upwards. You could even dispense with the monitor by plugging the mini into a TV.
So for power and cheapness the mini wins - no contest.
However, if money is no object and you want a self contained unit you need the iMac and be prepared to pay 2 - 3 times the cost of the mini.
I know which choice I would make!
Mac M4 with LG 5K 27" monitor would be very nice. If you have some extra cash then you could consider the Studio Display. That is what I did to replace my older 27" iMac.
Looking for a desk Top Apple Computer
