With the arrival of a new year, Apple is updating its products. This January 2023, Apple modified the Mac mini and MacBook Pro models and added the long-awaited M2 Pro and M2 Max chips.
If you want to upgrade to a Mac with an M2 Pro chip but don’t know which one to pick and which one is better, don’t worry. We are here to help you. Below, we’ll do a comparison between the Mac mini and the 14-inch MacBook Pro. It is worth mentioning here that both have the same M2 Pro chips.
After all, which Mac M2 Pro should you buy? Keep reading to find out.
Mac Mini vs 14-inch MacBook Pro
Below, check out the main comparisons:
1. Design and Portability
A glimpse of both devices is enough to tell that there is a huge design difference between them. However, this is because they belong to two different product categories and serve different purposes.
Before we get to the comparison, let’s take a look at the color options:
- The MacBook Pro is available in space gray and silver;
- The Mac mini only has a silver option.
Starting with the MacBook Pro, the screen size is 14.2 inches while the device weighs 1.5 kg. The Mac mini, on the other hand, doesn’t have a screen (but can support up to three external ones) and weighs around 1.2 kg.
The lack of a screen combined with a lighter weight and smaller footprint points to the fact that the Mac mini is easy to carry around. You can put it in a travel bag and take it with you wherever you want. In this sense, the Macbook Pro can be a little more difficult to transport.
But does that mean it’s more portable than a MacBook Pro? Do not. That being said, the MacBook Pro is a functional computer. On the other hand, the Mac Mini is more compact, however, it still needs a screen, keyboard, and mouse to function: that is, you will need more space in your suitcase. Unless you already have these items in the place where you’re going to go, and all you need is the CPU (Mac Mini).
2. Performance
As the models rely on the M2 Pro chips, there is not much to discuss here. You get a 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU and 512GB SSD storage for the base variants of the models with the M2 Pro chips. If you want the full chip with a 12-core CPU and 19-core GPU in either of these devices, you’ll need to shell out more cash.
If you already own a MacBook Pro, and want to know if it’s worth upgrading to the new MacBook Pro with the M2 Pro chip, then we can help you: Like most thin notebooks, MacBooks are prone to overheating. Therefore, this results in a small loss of performance, a phenomenon known as “thermal throttling”.
On the face of it, despite having the same M2 Pro chip, there is a small chance that the MacBook Pro could fall short of its full performance potential due to thermal constraints.
3. Connectivity and Ports
The MacBook Pro has:
- 3 Thunderbolt 4 compatible USB-C ports;
- 1 HDMI port;
- 1 slot for SDXC cards.
On the other hand, Mac mini has:
- 4 Thunderbolt 4 ports;
- 1 HDMI port;
- 2 additional USB-A ports;
- 1 Ethernet port.
However, it does not have an SDXC card slot. So there’s a bit of a difference. Despite the lack of an SDXC card slot, Mac mini has a slight advantage in terms of port selection, thanks to its Ethernet port. You can even customize your Mac mini with a 10 Gigabit Ethernet port for high-speed Internet connections.
After all, which is the best?
The best option for you will depend on what you consider the most interesting for your type of use. Despite this, we hope that the content above has helped you decide.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro is more expensive and can be prone to overheating and accelerated performance in the long run. And while the Mac mini doesn’t have these issues, remember that you’re getting a fully functional out-of-the-box computer for the price you pay for the MacBook.
When you add the peripherals to the Mac mini, the costs add up, sometimes exceeding the price of the 14-inch MacBook Pro. So depending on your budget, use case, and the peripherals you already have, one of these Macs might be a better choice than the other.
