Apple Introduces New MacBook Air and Mac Mini

[trs96]

Run macOS Mojave on your new iPad ?
​

Looks like this is possible with a new Mac mini and an iPad Pro used in combination with Luna Display. Amazing !
https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/how-to-use-a-touchscreen-display-with-your-mac-mini.265129/

 

[trs96]

Testing the new i7-8700 Mac mini

This testing by Max Yuryev will help you determine whether it's for you or not.

Spoiler: Read this for the quick answer

If you edit 4K video or photos professionally, it's probably not your best choice.
If you want small, quiet Pro audio production machine it may work well for you.

 

[AnAppleADay]

When I built my first hack, the reason I sold my Mac mini was it couldn’t handle quad displays. Today, I’m using quad 4k. Even now, Mac mini with an eGPU isn’t as appealing as a hackintosh because TB3 bottlenecks the GPU and the CPU (understandably) isn’t top tier.

I suppose I might grab a 2019 Mac Pro, but the price I’m assuming will be hard to justify for my needs.

Aside from needing to ditch Nvidia, hackintosh hasn’t really been a support challenge at all thanks to native hardware such as bcm94360cd, aquantia 10 gbe, RX 580, this web site, and recent builds of clover.

Maybe the T2 will be some incentive. I have real Macs too for laptops, but for desktop work I still really prefer a hackintosh.

OK - I take some of this back. I ordered a loaded Mac mini, a Vega 64, and a Razer Core X. We'll see how that goes...

Edit: For the Mac mini - so far, so good. Since the iGPU isn't connected to a monitor, the boot loader boots to black. Which means you can't really enable FileVault because the password prompt is invisible. So I guess real Macs have their problems too! My quad 4k monitors wake better (fewer post-wake mode adjusts) and remember which screen each application was using better than my Hack. All in all though, my Hack worked about as well. I guess the upside is not having to solve problems as macOS changes.

Edit 2: I'm finding that when my Mac mini sleeps, the GPU and eGPU don't really turn off, or if they turn off, they wake up again before I wake the Mac mini. Maybe a bug. Maybe the eGPU needs to stay awake in case the thunderbolt 3 connection wants to charge (although not for Mac mini). I'm not really sure. So far its annoying, and I perform a full shutdown each day overnight. Different eGPU and different GPU have the same effect.

 

[ed_co]

With the new titan ridge tb3 chipset of the gigabyte AIC card, people are able to connect and make it work in non certified TB3 motherboards (even AMD), even in 2012 mac pro...
Maybe the H370M-ITX/ac, is a good combination as it provides CPU connection (instead PCH) via PCI-E 16X, and 4x connection (not like any other itx tb3 motherboards outthere) so like a real TB3 connection like apple one.
I prefer to spend €100 in a H370 ITX board and €90 in a GIGABYTE-GC-TITAN-RIDGE AIC card, rather than €200 in an ITX TB3 motherbaord with 2 lanes in PCH, if I wanted to have TB3 in my mobo, of course.
Just my 2 cents...

 

[eliashere]

OK - I take some of this back. I ordered a loaded Mac mini, a Vega 64, and a Razer Core X. We'll see how that goes...

Edit: For the Mac mini - so far, so good. Since the iGPU isn't connected to a monitor, the boot loader boots to black. Which means you can't really enable FileVault because the password prompt is invisible. So I guess real Macs have their problems too! My quad 4k monitors wake better (fewer post-wake mode adjusts) and remember which screen each application was using better than my Hack. All in all though, my Hack worked about as well. I guess the upside is not having to solve problems as macOS changes.

At the same time I'm still on high sierra in my hackintosh just because apple don't feel like allowing nvidia drivers for mojave and who knows, the true is that I prefer NVIDIA but apple don't. I have the same setup you have + 32gb of ram 10gbe -Egpu as I'm still undecided in witch egpu box buy, However I though that the Vega 64 Graphics card were to power hungry for the 650w psu that comes in the razer core x. care to show the model you pick up? or did you upgraded the psu?

 

[AnAppleADay]

At the same time I'm still on high sierra in my hackintosh just because apple don't feel like allowing nvidia drivers for mojave and who knows, the true is that I prefer NVIDIA but apple don't. I have the same setup you have + 32gb of ram 10gbe -Egpu as I'm still undecided in witch egpu box buy, However I though that the Vega 64 Graphics card were to power hungry for the 650w psu that comes in the razer core x. care to show the model you pick up? or did you upgraded the psu?

Yes I miss Nvidia very much. But I won't be using Nvidia GPUs again except in the kids gaming computer.

The AMD web site states that typical Vega 64 board power is 295 W. eGPU.io lists several enclosures that provide GPU max power of 300-500W. See links below.

However I'm finding that when my Mac mini sleeps, the GPU and eGPU don't really turn off, or if they turn off, they wake up again before I wake the Mac mini. Maybe a bug. Maybe the eGPU needs to stay awake in case the thunderbolt 3 connection wants to charge (although not for Mac mini). I'm not really sure. So far its annoying, and I perform a full shutdown each day overnight. Different eGPU and different GPU have the same effect.

See also:
https://www.amd.com/en/products/graphics/radeon-rx-vega-64
https://egpu.io/external-gpu-buyers-guide-2018/

Edit: Anandtech shows 460 W from Vega 64. https://www.anandtech.com/show/11717/the-amd-radeon-rx-vega-64-and-56-review/19

 

[trs96]

From a report by Quinn of Snazzy labs: Even the i3-8100 version of the new Mac Mini thermal throttles, (100C temps) within a minute of stressing the CPU. He removed the existing thermal paste and replaced it with Arctic brand MX2 and then the temps only reached a max of 90C. That is still excessively high for an i3 but you can't do much about the limited airflow in that enclosure. See the video on Snazzy Labs Youtube channel. Note that if you use something like Thermal Grizzly instead, you will definitely void your Mac Minis warranty. I doubt that Apple would be able to tell the difference between average thermal paste you can buy like MX2 and what they use.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO2x-p9gg9TLKneXlibGR7w

 

[eliashere]

Yes I miss Nvidia very much. But I won't be using Nvidia GPUs again except in the kids gaming computer.

The AMD web site states that typical Vega 64 board power is 295 W. eGPU.io lists several enclosures that provide GPU max power of 300-500W. See links below.

However I'm finding that when my Mac mini sleeps, the GPU and eGPU don't really turn off, or if they turn off, they wake up again before I wake the Mac mini. Maybe a bug. Maybe the eGPU needs to stay awake in case the thunderbolt 3 connection wants to charge (although not for Mac mini). I'm not really sure. So far its annoying, and I perform a full shutdown each day overnight. Different eGPU and different GPU have the same effect.

See also:
https://www.amd.com/en/products/graphics/radeon-rx-vega-64
https://egpu.io/external-gpu-buyers-guide-2018/

Thank you I went with this eGPU enclosure instead of the razer core that was my 1st choice but this one support a sata sad inside the enclosure, also have gigabyte ethernet and can charge the new MacBook Pro for only $50 more than the razer and it comes in space gray as the Mac mini.

also I mention NVIDIA not only because they are my preference but because I actually have 1 1080ti that I only use for 2 month before I pull it out of my gaming pc, it would have been great been able to use that. But that's A sacrifice to be able to run MacOs as primary OS.

 

[eliashere]

From a report by Quinn of Snazzy labs: Even the i3-8100 version of the new Mac Mini thermal throttles, (100C temps) within a minute of stressing the CPU. He removed the existing thermal paste and replaced it with Arctic brand MX2 and then the temps only reached a max of 90C. That is still excessively high for an i3 but you can't do much about the limited airflow in that enclosure. See the video on Snazzy Labs Youtube channel. Note that if you use something like Thermal Grizzly instead, you will definitely void your Mac Minis warranty. I doubt that Apple would be able to tell the difference between average thermal paste you can buy like MX2 and what they use.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO2x-p9gg9TLKneXlibGR7w

I do follow him and watched his videos about the Macmini including the one form today. I Have the memory and some thermal grizzly (no the liquid metal kind) ready for when I get my tool to open the mini I'll swap the memory and will change the thermal paste. But I don't think that we will be putting our chips to that level of stress those are synthetic bench marks witch I think sometime are overkill for real time usage, let see what happened I'll report any problem I encounter with my.

 

[AnAppleADay]

Thank you I went with this eGPU enclosure instead of the razer core that was my 1st choice but this one support a sata sad inside the enclosure, also have gigabyte ethernet and can charge the new MacBook Pro for only $50 more than the razer and it comes in space gray as the Mac mini.

also I mention NVIDIA not only because they are my preference but because I actually have 1 1080ti that I only use for 2 month before I pull it out of my gaming pc, it would have been great been able to use that. But that's A sacrifice to be able to run MacOs as primary OS.

Yes good choice. I have the Razer Core X and the Mantiz as well - both are very nice.

I found an anandtech review that shows 460 W consumption for Vega 64 for e.g. Battlefield 1, so I don't know that AMD's number of 295 W that I quoted before is accurate (sorry about that). https://www.anandtech.com/show/11717/the-amd-radeon-rx-vega-64-and-56-review/19