{"id":86792,"date":"2026-09-21T23:44:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T15:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=86792"},"modified":"2026-09-21T23:44:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T15:44:00","slug":"apple-mac-mini-m6-review-is-the-mini-still-great-value-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=86792","title":{"rendered":"Apple Mac mini (M6) review: Is the mini still great value in 2026?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<p class=\"_base_1s8rd_1 _default_1s8rd_12\">When Apple redesigned the Mac mini back in 2024, it created one of the most important Macs in the company\u2019s history. It\u2019s unbelievably compact, and yet, it has enough performance to run just about everything a regular user would ever need and want. And at the time when it was launched, you could get one for just S$849. What else could you buy for the same money that can do what it does?<\/p>\n<p class=\"_base_1s8rd_1 _default_1s8rd_12\">Sadly, the computing landscape has changed a bit since then. The current AI craze and subsequent memory crisis mean prices of components have gone up. As a result, the Mac mini now starts at <b>S$1,299<\/b> \u2013 an increase of around 50%. So, does the Mac mini still represent great value for money? Or should you cast your eyes elsewhere? Let\u2019s find out.\u00a0<\/p>\n<section class=\"_expanded_lwxdk_22\"><button class=\"_title_lwxdk_1\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"_base_1s8rd_1 _default_1s8rd_12\">Article jumplist<\/p>\n<p><default:svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"18\" height=\"9\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\"><default:path d=\"M1 1L9 8L17 1\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><\/default:svg><\/button><\/p>\n<ol class=\"_list_lwxdk_28\">\n<li class=\"_listItem_lwxdk_71\">1. <!-- -->What\u2019s new?<\/li>\n<li class=\"_listItem_lwxdk_71\">2. <!-- -->The debut of the M6 chip<\/li>\n<li class=\"_listItem_lwxdk_71\">3. <!-- -->Performance Analysis<\/li>\n<li class=\"_listItem_lwxdk_71\">4. <!-- -->Final thoughts and buying advice<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n<h2 id=\"what-s-new-\" class=\"_subHeading1_1k87u_111 _base_1k87u_1\">What\u2019s new?<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"_figure_wioo3_1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"_base_1sb7q_1\" alt=\"M6 Mac mini review ports\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"auto\" width=\"2000\" height=\"824\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/a1329c59c1b25e3a5c5294e23cc57ee1e044c8c5fc0f1ea27e4c8b96c4b6ad1a?w=500&amp;q=85 500w,https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/a1329c59c1b25e3a5c5294e23cc57ee1e044c8c5fc0f1ea27e4c8b96c4b6ad1a?w=800&amp;q=85 800w,https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/a1329c59c1b25e3a5c5294e23cc57ee1e044c8c5fc0f1ea27e4c8b96c4b6ad1a?w=1000&amp;q=85 1000w,https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/a1329c59c1b25e3a5c5294e23cc57ee1e044c8c5fc0f1ea27e4c8b96c4b6ad1a?w=2000&amp;q=85 2000w\" src=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/a1329c59c1b25e3a5c5294e23cc57ee1e044c8c5fc0f1ea27e4c8b96c4b6ad1a?w=1000&amp;q=85\" style=\"--custom-aspect-ratio:2.4271844660194173;contain-intrinsic-size:2000px 824px\"\/><figcaption class=\"_figureCaptions_wioo3_158\">\n<p class=\"_imageCaption_wioo3_165\">The rear ports look the same, but the Ethernet port now supports 2.5G speeds.<\/p>\n<p>Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"_base_1s8rd_1 _default_1s8rd_12\">This new Mac mini improves on its predecessor in two ways: performance and connectivity. Performance is significantly better thanks to the M6 chip, and I\u2019ll touch on this in greater detail. Connectivity has been enhanced thanks to <b>2.5G Ethernet ports as standard<\/b>, with 10G ports available as an upgrade option. Wireless connectivity is also better thanks to the use of Apple\u2019s N1 chip. This means this new Mac mini will support Wi-Fi 7 as well as Bluetooth 6.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"_base_1s8rd_1 _default_1s8rd_12\">There\u2019s also slightly improved external display support. At its absolute max, it can drive up to two 6K displays at 60Hz, and a third 4K display at up to 165Hz. The M4 Mac mini could also drive up to two displays at 60Hz, but then the third display is capped at 4K and 144Hz. Single display support is unchanged, which means an 8K display at up to 60Hz, a 5K display at up to 120Hz, or a 4K display at 240Hz.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-debut-of-the-m6-chip\" class=\"_subHeading1_1k87u_111 _base_1k87u_1\">The debut of the M6 chip<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"_figure_wioo3_1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"_base_1sb7q_1\" alt=\"Apple M6 and M5 Pro\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"auto\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/89d8eff9cce6719c6e5c51ed751304ef026637e9a5fba2257aedaf7c06ad3c46?w=500&amp;q=85 500w,https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/89d8eff9cce6719c6e5c51ed751304ef026637e9a5fba2257aedaf7c06ad3c46?w=800&amp;q=85 800w,https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/89d8eff9cce6719c6e5c51ed751304ef026637e9a5fba2257aedaf7c06ad3c46?w=1000&amp;q=85 1000w,https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/89d8eff9cce6719c6e5c51ed751304ef026637e9a5fba2257aedaf7c06ad3c46?w=2000&amp;q=85 2000w\" src=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/89d8eff9cce6719c6e5c51ed751304ef026637e9a5fba2257aedaf7c06ad3c46?w=1000&amp;q=85\" style=\"--custom-aspect-ratio:2;contain-intrinsic-size:2000px 1000px\"\/><figcaption class=\"_figureCaptions_wioo3_158\">\n<p class=\"_imageCaption_wioo3_165\">The Mac mini is available with the M6 chip as well as the M5 Pro chip.<\/p>\n<p>Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"_base_1s8rd_1 _default_1s8rd_12\">The big change is obviously the new M6 chip. This is <b>Apple\u2019s first 2nm Mac chip<\/b>, and it boasts a number of improvements and changes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"_base_1s8rd_1 _default_1s8rd_12\">To start, the CPU core configuration is different. Instead of a 10-core CPU, M6 has a <b>12-core CPU that consists of two super cores, four performance cores, and six efficiency cores<\/b>. Because of this new core configuration, Apple claims the M6 chip offers up to 40% more CPU performance over a Mac mini with the M4 chip.<\/p>\n<p class=\"_base_1s8rd_1 _default_1s8rd_12\">If you remember our M5 Pro\/Max interview, performance cores are a new type of core that is derived from the super core, but uses a unique microarchitecture that is designed for maximising multi-threaded performance while maintaining low power consumption.<\/p>\n<p class=\"_base_1s8rd_1 _default_1s8rd_12\">T<b>he GPU also gets a bump to 12 cores<\/b>, and each core is paired with a Neural Accelerator. Together with the new dual 16-core Neural Engine, Apple claims the M6 offers 4x the AI performance of a last-generation Mac mini with the M4 chip.<\/p>\n<p class=\"_base_1s8rd_1 _default_1s8rd_12\">M6 gets 16GB of memory as standard, but users with more memory requirements and deeper pockets can also opt to spec their Mac minis with 24GB or 32GB of memory. The M4 Mac mini only went up to 24GB. What\u2019s more notable is that the <b>M6 chip\u2019s memory bandwidth is 170GB\/s,<\/b> which is a 50GB\/s or 40% increase over the M4 chip. If you are keen to dabble in running AI locally, this will help it run LLMs better.<\/p>\n<p class=\"_base_1s8rd_1 _default_1s8rd_12\">For users who demand more, the Mac mini can also be ordered with the M5 Pro chip. Despite being based on an older architecture, the M5 Pro is a considerably more powerful chip. It has 50% more CPU cores, 60% more GPU cores, and nearly double the memory bandwidth. Furthermore, you can spec an M5 Pro Mac mini with up to 64GB of memory. In that sense, an M5 Pro Mac mini is more like a cut-price Mac Studio.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"performance-analysis\" class=\"_subHeading1_1k87u_111 _base_1k87u_1\">Performance Analysis<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"_figure_wioo3_1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"_base_1sb7q_1\" alt=\"Mac mini with iPhone 18 Pro\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"auto\" width=\"2000\" height=\"891\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/d734cce38e9ddc12833bd80cf86b0fbef9cf78f883b9091e32230143dc0cb953?w=500&amp;q=85 500w,https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/d734cce38e9ddc12833bd80cf86b0fbef9cf78f883b9091e32230143dc0cb953?w=800&amp;q=85 800w,https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/d734cce38e9ddc12833bd80cf86b0fbef9cf78f883b9091e32230143dc0cb953?w=1000&amp;q=85 1000w,https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/d734cce38e9ddc12833bd80cf86b0fbef9cf78f883b9091e32230143dc0cb953?w=2000&amp;q=85 2000w\" src=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/d734cce38e9ddc12833bd80cf86b0fbef9cf78f883b9091e32230143dc0cb953?w=1000&amp;q=85\" style=\"--custom-aspect-ratio:2.244668911335578;contain-intrinsic-size:2000px 891px\"\/><figcaption class=\"_figureCaptions_wioo3_158\">\n<p class=\"_imageCaption_wioo3_165\">The Mac mini is surprisingly small. Here it is next to an iPhone 18 Pro.<\/p>\n<p>Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"_base_1s8rd_1 _default_1s8rd_12\"><b><i>Note: <\/i><\/b><i>Unfortunately, the last Mac mini we tested came with an M4 Pro chip instead of the M4 chip. So to approximate its performance, we are including results from an M4 iMac. Geekbench 7 and Cinebench 2026 are also relatively new benchmarks we are using, therefore it\u2019s missing results from older Macs. Also, the M6 Mac mini I\u2019m testing has 32GB of memory and 2TB of storage.<\/i><\/p>\n<p class=\"_base_1s8rd_1 _default_1s8rd_12\">On the older Geekbench 6 benchmark, the M6 Mac mini delivered over <b>30% faster single-core performance and over 50% greater multi-core performance<\/b> than the M4 iMac. GPU scores nearly doubled. It was significantly faster than an M5 MacBook Pro too, recording over 10% faster single-core scores and 20% better multi-core scores. In fact, its results were more comparable to an M4 Pro Mac mini. On the newer Geekbench 7 benchmark, the M6 Mac mini managed single- and multi-core scores that were 9% and 20% better than an M5 MacBook Pro. And its GPU score was about 20% greater too.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"_base_1s8rd_1 _default_1s8rd_12\">In real-world benchmarks like our video transcode test, the M6 Mac mini took a little over 7 minutes to complete the task, which was nearly 5.5 minutes and over 40% faster than an M4 iMac. It was over 1.5 minutes or 20% faster than an M5 MacBook Pro. It was only 20 seconds slower than an M4 Pro Mac mini, which has 14 CPU cores and 20 GPU cores.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"_figure_wioo3_1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"_base_1sb7q_1\" alt=\"Mac mini M6 fan\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"auto\" width=\"2000\" height=\"995\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/f0fff0e045e0834b391613460250ef9cbb7bc0cae44b50fda47cda4b703eaafc?w=500&amp;q=85 500w,https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/f0fff0e045e0834b391613460250ef9cbb7bc0cae44b50fda47cda4b703eaafc?w=800&amp;q=85 800w,https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/f0fff0e045e0834b391613460250ef9cbb7bc0cae44b50fda47cda4b703eaafc?w=1000&amp;q=85 1000w,https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/f0fff0e045e0834b391613460250ef9cbb7bc0cae44b50fda47cda4b703eaafc?w=2000&amp;q=85 2000w\" src=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/f0fff0e045e0834b391613460250ef9cbb7bc0cae44b50fda47cda4b703eaafc?w=1000&amp;q=85\" style=\"--custom-aspect-ratio:2.0100502512562812;contain-intrinsic-size:2000px 995px\"\/><figcaption class=\"_figureCaptions_wioo3_158\">\n<p class=\"_imageCaption_wioo3_165\">The Mac mini has a fan at the bottom, but you won\u2019t know because you don\u2019t see it nor hear it. The Mac mini is mostly silent, even under heavy loads.<\/p>\n<p>Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"_base_1s8rd_1 _default_1s8rd_12\">In games, it comfortably managed playable frame rates on both Assassin\u2019s Creed Shadows and Cyberpunk 2077. On Assassin\u2019s Creed, it was 42% faster than a M5 MacBook Pro and just 5% slower than a M5 Pro MacBook Pro. On Cyberpunk 2077, it was around 30% faster than an M5 MacBook Pro.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"_base_1s8rd_1 _default_1s8rd_12\">In practice, while using it for web-browsing, emails, and editing photos, I found the new Mac mini to be extremely pleasant. Unsurprisingly, it\u2019s fast and responsive, but I can\u2019t say it\u2019s noticeably faster than an M5 MacBook Pro in most tasks.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"geekbench-6\" class=\"_subHeading2_1k87u_112 _base_1k87u_1\">Geekbench 6<\/h3>\n<div class=\"_tableOverflow_ag6jz_1\">\n<table class=\"_tableStyles_ag6jz_5\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"_tableHeadRow_ag6jz_18\">\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">Model<\/th>\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">Mac mini (M6)<\/th>\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">MacBook Pro (M5)<\/th>\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">Mac mini (M4 Pro)<\/th>\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">iMac (M4)<\/th>\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">MacBook Pro (M5 Pro)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"_tableBodyRow_ag6jz_22\">\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">Single-core<\/th>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">4682<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">4141<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">3839<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">3499<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">4301<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"_tableBodyRow_ag6jz_22\">\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">Multi-core<\/th>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">21272<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">17588<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">22467<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">13758<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">29286<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"_tableBodyRow_ag6jz_22\">\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">GPU<\/th>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">101835<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">76137<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">112088<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">54548<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">230885<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h3 id=\"geekbench-7\" class=\"_subHeading2_1k87u_112 _base_1k87u_1\">Geekbench 7<\/h3>\n<div class=\"_tableOverflow_ag6jz_1\">\n<table class=\"_tableStyles_ag6jz_5\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"_tableHeadRow_ag6jz_18\">\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">Model<\/th>\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">Mac mini (M6)<\/th>\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">MacBook Pro (M5)<\/th>\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">MacBook Pro (M5 Pro)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"_tableBodyRow_ag6jz_22\">\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">Single-core<\/th>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">3992<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">3642<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">3747<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"_tableBodyRow_ag6jz_22\">\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">Multi-core<\/th>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">22251<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">18406<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">34375<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"_tableBodyRow_ag6jz_22\">\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">GPU<\/th>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">91768<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">75310<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">139084<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h3 id=\"cinebench-2026\" class=\"_subHeading2_1k87u_112 _base_1k87u_1\">Cinebench 2026<\/h3>\n<div class=\"_tableOverflow_ag6jz_1\">\n<table class=\"_tableStyles_ag6jz_5\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"_tableHeadRow_ag6jz_18\">\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">Model<\/th>\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">Mac mini (M6)<\/th>\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">MacBook Pro (M5)<\/th>\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">MacBook Pro (M5 Pro)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"_tableBodyRow_ag6jz_22\">\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">Single-core<\/th>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">810<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">728<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">733<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"_tableBodyRow_ag6jz_22\">\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">Multi-core<\/th>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">5522<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">4395<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">7433<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h3 id=\"video-transcode-time-taken-to-transcode-a-1gb-1080p-video-\" class=\"_subHeading2_1k87u_112 _base_1k87u_1\">Video Transcode (time taken to transcode a 1GB, 1080p video)<\/h3>\n<div class=\"_tableOverflow_ag6jz_1\">\n<table class=\"_tableStyles_ag6jz_5\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"_tableHeadRow_ag6jz_18\">\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">Mac mini (M6)<\/th>\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">MacBook Pro (M5)<\/th>\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">Mac mini (M4 Pro)<\/th>\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">iMac (M4)<\/th>\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">MacBook Pro (M5 Pro)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"_tableBodyRow_ag6jz_22\">\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">438<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">547<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">418<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">762<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">341<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h3 id=\"assassin-s-creed-shadows-1080p-low-graphics-settings-\" class=\"_subHeading2_1k87u_112 _base_1k87u_1\">Assassin\u2019s Creed Shadows (1080p, low graphics settings)<\/h3>\n<div class=\"_tableOverflow_ag6jz_1\">\n<table class=\"_tableStyles_ag6jz_5\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"_tableHeadRow_ag6jz_18\">\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">Mac mini (M6)<\/th>\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">MacBook Pro (M5)<\/th>\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">MacBook Pro (M5 Pro)<\/th>\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">MacBook Pro (M5 Max)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"_tableBodyRow_ag6jz_22\">\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">54<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">38<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">57<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">77<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h3 id=\"cyberpunk-2077-1080p-ray-tracing-low-\" class=\"_subHeading2_1k87u_112 _base_1k87u_1\">Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, ray-tracing: low)<\/h3>\n<div class=\"_tableOverflow_ag6jz_1\">\n<table class=\"_tableStyles_ag6jz_5\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"_tableHeadRow_ag6jz_18\">\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">Mac mini (M6)<\/th>\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">MacBook Pro (M5)<\/th>\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">MacBook Pro (M5 Pro)<\/th>\n<th class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9 _fontBold_ag6jz_14\">MacBook Pro (M5 Max)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"_tableBodyRow_ag6jz_22\">\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">44.5<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">33.8<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">61.1<\/td>\n<td class=\"_cellStyles_ag6jz_9\">87.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"final-thoughts-and-buying-advice\" class=\"_subHeading1_1k87u_111 _base_1k87u_1\">Final thoughts and buying advice<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"_figure_wioo3_1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"_base_1sb7q_1\" alt=\"Apple Mac mini M6\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"auto\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1100\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/3bafee718bd5a18e32818536722716627f029ccd9b84d209928bb8589aa8a327?w=500&amp;q=85 500w,https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/3bafee718bd5a18e32818536722716627f029ccd9b84d209928bb8589aa8a327?w=800&amp;q=85 800w,https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/3bafee718bd5a18e32818536722716627f029ccd9b84d209928bb8589aa8a327?w=1000&amp;q=85 1000w,https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/3bafee718bd5a18e32818536722716627f029ccd9b84d209928bb8589aa8a327?w=2000&amp;q=85 2000w\" src=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/3bafee718bd5a18e32818536722716627f029ccd9b84d209928bb8589aa8a327?w=1000&amp;q=85\" style=\"--custom-aspect-ratio:1.8181818181818181;contain-intrinsic-size:2000px 1100px\"\/><figcaption class=\"_figureCaptions_wioo3_158\">\n<p class=\"_imageCaption_wioo3_165\">The Mac mini remains great value, but stay light on the options.<\/p>\n<p>Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"_base_1s8rd_1 _default_1s8rd_12\">Even though the Mac mini\u2019s starting price has gone up considerably, it\u2019s still one of the best ways to get into a Mac. Starting at <b>S$1,299<\/b>, it\u2019s considerably cheaper than a MacBook Air (S$1,899). That price difference is enough to comfortably get you a display, keyboard, and mouse. What\u2019s more, you\u2019ll be buying into the latest Apple Silicon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"_base_1s8rd_1 _default_1s8rd_12\">But the Mac mini isn\u2019t the cheapest Mac you can buy now; there\u2019s also the MacBook Neo. Launched earlier this year, the Neo must be one of the most significant Macs in Apple\u2019s history. Though its starting price has gone up slightly, it still costs less than a Mac mini and is a full-fledged system on its own. However, there\u2019s no getting around the fact that it\u2019s powered by an iPhone chip and has its limitations. While it\u2019s very capable for its price, it will struggle if you are attempting to do anything beyond light video editing. The Mac mini, then, is a happy middle ground. For most people, it will have more than enough performance while leaving some headroom to explore further.<\/p>\n<p class=\"_base_1s8rd_1 _default_1s8rd_12\">If you already have an Apple Silicon Mac, there\u2019s probably no need to upgrade unless you are running into the limits of what your current system can handle. And even then, you should ask yourself what it is that you are running that your current system can\u2019t cope with. Chances are, if all you are doing is answering emails, working on spreadsheets, and editing the odd photo and videos, your current Apple Silicon Mac is going to be still up to the task. However, if you are dabbling in more serious stuff like coding and running LLMs, you might actually want to step up to an M5 Pro instead \u2013 it may be based on an older architecture, but it\u2019s a much more powerful chip than the M6.<\/p>\n<p class=\"_base_1s8rd_1 _default_1s8rd_12\"><b>My only complaint is that upgrades, as is always the case with Apple, are pricey<\/b>. The M6 Mac mini may start at S$1,299, but bumping it up to 24GB of memory is going to cost you an extra S$300. The base storage is just 256GB, but going up to 512GB is an extra S$300, while opting for 1TB is S$750 extra. Once you start upgrading, things get pricey quick.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"_figure_wioo3_1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"_base_1sb7q_1\" alt=\"Apple M6 Mac mini vs iPhone 18 Pro\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"auto\" width=\"2000\" height=\"961\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/0fe0854a0d7e2b3f4a81c1359f15147c083677bfcd8d4aeb798b56f564758abe?w=500&amp;q=85 500w,https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/0fe0854a0d7e2b3f4a81c1359f15147c083677bfcd8d4aeb798b56f564758abe?w=800&amp;q=85 800w,https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/0fe0854a0d7e2b3f4a81c1359f15147c083677bfcd8d4aeb798b56f564758abe?w=1000&amp;q=85 1000w,https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/0fe0854a0d7e2b3f4a81c1359f15147c083677bfcd8d4aeb798b56f564758abe?w=2000&amp;q=85 2000w\" src=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/hardwarezone\/0fe0854a0d7e2b3f4a81c1359f15147c083677bfcd8d4aeb798b56f564758abe?w=1000&amp;q=85\" style=\"--custom-aspect-ratio:2.0811654526534857;contain-intrinsic-size:2000px 961px\"\/><figcaption class=\"_figureCaptions_wioo3_158\">\n<p class=\"_imageCaption_wioo3_165\">It\u2019s remarkable that a desktop this small can be so capable and powerful.<\/p>\n<p>Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"_base_1s8rd_1 _default_1s8rd_12\">As an example, my review unit has 32GB of memory and 2TB of storage, and it costs <b>S$3,399<\/b>. At that price, I\u2019ll be looking at a base Mac Studio instead. Personally, I think most people can get by with 16GB of memory, but having just 256GB of storage is going to be dicey, particularly if you plan on gaming. An installation of Assassin\u2019s Creed Shadows alone is nearly 190GB.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"_base_1s8rd_1 _default_1s8rd_12\">If it were me, <b>I would spec my Mac mini with 24GB and 512GB of storage<\/b>. Though this would bring the price up to S$1,899, I think it\u2019s still great value for money. If you go beyond that, then its value proposition starts to diminish.\u00a0Overall, the Mac mini remains an impressive system, and a great gateway for anyone who is curious about getting a Mac or experiencing Apple Silicon. Just remember to stay light on the options.<\/p>\n<p class=\"_base_1s8rd_1 _default_1s8rd_12\"><b><i>Note: <\/i><\/b><i>The new Mac mini is available to pre-order now and it goes on sale tomorrow. You can find it on <\/i><i>Lazada<\/i><i>, <\/i><i>Shopee<\/i><i>, and the <\/i><i>Apple Online Store<\/i><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<center><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hardwarezone.com.sg\/pc\/apple-mac-mini-m6-review-singapore-specs-buy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article At Source <\/a><br \/>\n<center\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Apple redesigned the Mac mini back in 2024, it created one of the most important Macs in the company\u2019s history. It\u2019s unbelievably compact, and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":86793,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[156,1832,4147,2842,28],"class_list":["post-86792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech-gadgets-reviews","tag-apple","tag-great","tag-mac","tag-mini","tag-review","wpcat-32-id"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86792","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=86792"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86792\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/86793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=86792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=86792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=86792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}