I have a Mac mini 2012 i7 Quad-Core 16GB 3TB SSD and also own a MacBook Pro 2015 with the same specs but 2TB SSD

Given the latest WWDC even from Apple, it has got me thinking, what should I do with my Mac mini?

It is a 2012 model and with every new release or OS release from apple I am getting left further and further behind.

with the release of Big Sur the Mac mini was left out of the lineup, but there is a patcher online for it, which I have tried and tested, however decided to go back to Catalina.

So it begs the question...what do I do with my Mac mini?

Do I sell it, or retire it and just put it in a cupboard somewhere?

What would its sale value be?

 

I would keep it, as dry as possible with little moisture, so that nothing rusts. Should your Mac ever go on strike, you have a replacement that you can use to go online to find out how to repair your Mac. A second Mac is also good for large files like movies for example. Can be used as an archive. In addition, if you go completely bankrupt you have something to swap. Mac versus sack of potatoes ...

 

Looks like it is MacBook Pro from now on then...I liked using the Mac mini but I just want to be able to use the newer OS versions more.

I am just wondering if patching big sur, has f****d up the thermal paste in the Mac mini? When I was using it on Big Sur on a cubase project its fan really started spinning fast n loud.

 

If it does the work for you keep it. If you want to upgrade sell it and get a 2018 Mac Mini 3,2 GHz Intel Core i7 32GB or 64GB or wait for the upcoming M1X iMac and Macbook Pro

 

All well and good waiting for the upcoming releases, but with every release you have to pay probably a minimum of around £1,000 just for the base model and it probably gets you less features too ie ports etc.

 

Thermal pastes are also made for high temperatures. Many users who have updated Big Sur complain of problems. I also have a second PC, but Windows, with an older operating system as a film archive and it is fully functional if the first PC fails.
In Windows we have a "Task Manager " which shows the utilization of the CPU and RAM and individual programs. Useful to identify the CPU-intensive programs / applications.

 

use the mini as a plugin host using Audiogridder (do a search... and it's free)

 

Thanks, I will have a look at that

 

place it under a leg to steady a wobbly table

 

Last edited: Jun 10, 2021

I would sell it for sure,its 9 year old already so sell it now that still works and get the new mac mini that blows anything in that price range out of the water.I am not an apple fun boy, i have never used a mac i use linux and windows but apple with these new m1 chips didi a great job but watch out you cant upgrade the new macs unfortunately

 

Just been looking on eBay and there is a Mac mini same year as mine, which according to the seller can natively run Big Sur without a patcher. He says it has been installed on top of an adapted version of OpenCore - thought?

 

Use it as a network storage/server for your projects once you have upgraded.

Most likely that Big Sur has a different temperature management scheme. Big Sur is more efficient on a 2014 MacBook Air. Have not noticed the fan ramping up or, getting the usual warm/hot spot in heavy workloads now.

If you are good with disassembly/reassembly, a new thermal paste application may be in order. Artic MX-4 or Noctua (NH-1/NH-2) are good choices that should provide long term performance. Also make sure there is nothing causing heat buildup like dust or fine particulate.

Mac mini Late 2012 Heat Sink Replacement (iFixit)

 

Also note Apple is playing around again. The new non upgradable base iMac's have one fan, not two - the m1 has no fan, the other fan just draws air into case. You get a notable 10-15% reduction in speed, and up to 25% reduction if you use both the cpu and gpu at same time.

eg. run a game. The $1500 model will run at 3.2ghz. the base model will only run at 2.5ghz due to the heat issues.

Some base model users are using TG Pro app to increase the fan speed, but that of course adds to the noise level of a 'supposedly' silent machine. (thanks Apple)

Another example: Rendering 4.5K Red RAW video on both machines, Base fan runs at 7000RPM at 95C and the upgraded machine's fan runs at 4000RPM at 71C and still only 10db (base idles at 30C and upgraded machine with 2 fans at 26C)

It's hilarious Apple continues to try to profit off such cheap parts. :|

 

Yeah, but charge so much for base models.

 

My MacBook Pro 2015 has Big Sur on it at the moment.

 

General idea still applies. You should be running Catalina on the Mac Mini and, Big Sur will install on a Mac Mini using one of the well done guides out there.

 

Yeah, I am going through the process of sorting out Big sur on the Mac mini using the OpenCore method. Will let you know how it goes. Unsure if patching it last time using bensova's patcher f****d my thermal paste up, so will also be getting a expert to look at that for me

 

I somehow think my Mac mini is f****d, I cannot run diagnostics on it at start up when pressing 'D', just comes up with a black screen

 

Super Easy Fix for Mac Mini Black Screen
https://macmyths.com/mac-mini-black-screen/

 

can't you make music with it anymore, or what's the problem?
you can probably sell it for around 400€ max I guess, if you need money,
though it's still a capable machine, could be useful for something like HTPC TV rig in the living room eventually

I'm running plenty various Macs and hackintosh rigs, and in all honesty, High Sierra is just perfect for my needs, there is no reason for me to push into upgrading further,
yea I do have another Big Sur hackintosh running great, but the software and hardware compatibility is limited, and it's not even M1 architecture which is even more limited in terms of compatibility as of now, I haven't noticed any real benefit of newer MacOS versions...