2018 Mac Mini - are they smoking crack?

[Zaap]

The whole point is doing an Apples to Apples comparison.

So the point is you can needlessly gouge yourself for parts?

A 970 Evo is about $80 for 250GB.


I guess if the point is to just copy Apple even where its pointless- you can make your own DIY system throttle and overheat like a pro.

 

[PeterScott]

1) Neither is an 850 EVO, but it's good enough for my use case

2) Don't need them

3) 160W PicoPSU. Been running a Z97/4130T Hackintosh in that StreaCom case for a while now.

Thunderbolt is VERY useful on a PC with no expansion slots and again goes along with Apples to Apples comparison.

160W Pico and Adaptor kit is nearly the same price as the Nano PSU from Streacom:
http://www.mini-box.com/picoPSU-160-XT-192W-Adapter-Power-Kit

It's essentially the same thing.

 

[Zaap]

The mobo you chose has 6 open SATA ports. (But ironically I don't think an M.2 slot. Edit: actually it does have an M.2 slot. Pretty robust little board.)
I suppose to make it fair 'Apples to Apples' you could pour sand and hot glue in yours. And crazy glue in your CPU.

 

[XMan]

Don't forget to close off all those nice ventilation holes the Streacom has in the sides, the ones in the back do just fine.

 

[XMan]

If you need Thunderbolt, here's an option:

 

[Ichinisan]

Show me a similar small form-factor system with a high-quality aluminum case(streacom/dancase), high quality storage(Samsung 970 pro),Thunderbolt ports, and real Windows OS license and see what it costs.

There is an Apple premium but it isn't as bad as your flame bait title suggests. At least until you start adding upgrades, but at least there are RAM slots to mitigate some of the typical upgrade costs.

Storage upgrade costs are painful though. It really should come with 256 GB minimum.

Example, using Streacom Mini like case and Nano PSU. It's essentially the same price as the Mini. Of course not as slickly built, with only 1 Thunderbolt port.

Just add Windows (or macOS):

Serious. Like half the price.

 

[Zaap]

Ah well. Every time I even think about buying actual Mac desktop hardware again, Apple comes out with something so underwhelming I'd feel like a fool buying it. At first glance I thought the Mini would be pretty awesome. But leave it to Apple to disappoint.

It's a black mark it's even possible to get a micro PC that can outperform it for half the cost- I personally don't even want the handicap of a mini system. So it's amazing I could do better even tying a hand behind my back with a size limitation I have zero use for.

Much rather have a full size mini tower with no compromises, dedicated graphics, absolute silent performance, stellar cost-to-performance ratio etc. A tower doesn't take up any space in a desk setup designed for one, vs. a mini computer that'd actually waste space ON my desk, so it's a no-brainer.

I think I'll finally be upgrading my 2012 sig Hack in 2019. The install process has gotten even 'one click' easier, the performance blows the barn doors off of everything Apple makes for thousands less... and 4 years from now it'll be upgraded a couple of times vs. the same Mac Mini.

 

[sonitt]

Look on the bright side. At least they updated the specs for the first time in a few years. That Mac nano looks interesting. Lol.