Our Verdict
Whether the Mac miniskirt or MacBook Air is the good value Mac depends principally on what you need it for . The Mac mini was always our winner in terms of how much bang you get for your vaulting horse , but now that the MacBook Air has an M2 bit it ’s certainly look like a good deal , if you do n’t mind pass more .
Best Prices Today: Apple Mac mini (2020) M1
The Mac mini and MacBook Air are price downcast than any other Mac in Apple ’s lineage - up , and yet they are herculean Macs that will suit the absolute majority of Mac users .
If you are looking for a bargain – the cheapest Mac money can buy – you may be judge to decide between these two Macs and wondering which one offers the best economic value for money . If that voice like you you ’ve come to the right place . In this article we ’ll be seem at whether an Apple fan on a budget should grease one’s palms the MacBook Air or the Mac mini ? scan on for our detailed psychoanalysis and buying advice .
In November 2020 Apple update the MacBook Air and the Mac mini with the M1 Chips – beginning Apple ’s changeover of its whole range from Intel to its own C.P.U. . Then in June 2022 Apple update the MacBook Air again , introducing two M2 models while hold back the entry - level M1 MacBook Air . The Mac mini did n’t gain an M2 Saratoga chip at the same prison term . As a event we now have a MacBook Air with M2 chip , joining two Mac mini and a MacBook Air with M1 chips .
We also have a fullreview of the M1 MacBook Airand aMac mini M1 review .
MacBook Air and Mac mini compared
At the first appearance grade the specs of the Mac miniskirt and MacBook Air are like . Both propose an M1 chip , but the Mac miniskirt has more graphics sum than the M1 MacBook Air . The MacBook Air , on the other manus , now has an M2 choice .
Here ’s how the spectacles liken :
That ’s a very broad overview , but it should give you an idea of what is the same and what is dissimilar . Note that there are multiple options for the Mac mini thanks to that remaining Intel model .
Below we will look in more detail at each of the components inside these similar but very different machines .
Processor/CPU
As you could see , the Mac mini and the MacBook Air both feature the M1 chip with 8 - core CPU . There ’s also a M2 option for the MacBook Air which also has an 8 - core CPU . You might think that this think of all three CPUs are the same , but the newer multiplication M2 CPU is more energy efficient and more muscular thanks to more transistors , better memory bandwidth , and a expectant stash .
There is also the Mac miniskirt with 3.0GHz 6 - center Intel i5 eighth - gen C.P.U. . Even the M1 Mac mini can give these Intel chips , which date from 2017 , a run for their money .
Graphics/GPU
The most noted difference is that the M1 version of the MacBook Air only offers a 7 - centre GPU , while the Mac mini models have an 8 - core GPU and the M2 MacBook Air extend an 8 - core or 10 - centre GPU . The Intel 3.0GHz Mac mini model has an integrated graphics posting – Intel UHD Graphics .
There are benefits from Apple ’s art when liken to Intel ’s integrated solutions , so both the M1 and M2 model are better here . However , only the Intel Mac miniskirt can indorse an external graphics card , which could mean you could use a more powerful eGPU than M2 whirl ( we have a freestanding article if you want to knowhow to use an eGPU with a Mac ) . But if you need powerful nontextual matter you might want to consider aMac Studioinstead , which will convey a number of other power user - focalize benefits . See our round up of thebest Mac Studio deal , and ourMac Studio review .
The other deviation is that the Mac miniskirt include a buff , so that when the mini is pushed by intensive military operation the fan will kick in and it will be capable to stay coolheaded , the M1 and M2 MacBook Air lack a fan , so it ’s potential that if you were to really push a MacBook Air it would slow down down so as not to exaggerate it .
RAM
All the models we are discourse here ship with 8 GB RAM . However all RAM is not the same . Apple lecture about how the RAM in the M1 and M2 Macs is a incorporate storage architecture , or UMA , and is therefore approachable to both the processor and the GPU with performance benefits . This offers benefits that mean 8 GB of unified memory is not the same as 8 GB of stock RAM .
The difference between the M1 and M2 is that the M1 can only support 16 GB memory , while the M2 can support up to 24 GB storage . However , only the Intel - powered Mac mini model can be maxed out with 64 GB RAM . If you need more read/write memory this might be the best framework for you – but again , if you need that kind of RAM you might desire to deliberate the Mac Studio .
Storage
The MacBook Air and Mac mini have very similar storage allocations : 256 GB and 512 GB . If you need more quad both the Mac mini and the MacBook Air crack 2 TB as a build - to - lodge alternative .
If you need the space but want to keep the price down we commend eithersubscribing to iCloudor getting an outside hard drive might be a better idea – here ’s our troll - up of thebest hard private road for Mac .
Display
The M2 MacBook Air benefit from a redesign than enabled Apple to increase the filmdom size , but that ’s not all it did . Apple also improved the display , which is now a Liquid Retina , luminousness also increased from 400nits to 500nits .
The Mac miniskirt has no display . With that in mind you might be thinking that the Air would be the obvious choice , but a 13 in display may not be vainglorious enough and you may well end up plug your laptop into a 2nd display . At which point you might as well have gotten the Mac mini ( although at least you ’d have two screens to work on ) . Find out about thebest displays for Mac hereandhow to use a 2d presentation with your Mac .
Speaking of concealment the M1 and M2 MacBook Air can hold one up to 6 chiliad show , while the M1 Mac mini can support two displays , one up to 6 green and one 4K. On the other hand the older Intel Mac miniskirt can bear up to three display , so it trumps the newer models in that respect . There is a workaround if you need toplug two showing into a M1 MacBook ) .
Ports
If you need ports – and specifically if you need HDMI and one or more of the old - style USB port then the Mac miniskirt is your best stake as it has all of those and more .
The M1 MacBook Air only offers two Thunderbolt / USB 4 port . The M2 MacBook Air does go a stair further with the additional of a MagSafe port wine for charge the Mac . But the mini has two Thunderbolt / USB 4 port , two USB - A larboard , an HDMI 2.0 port and Gigabit Ethernet .
Price
So , with all the above in mind , what offers the best time value for money ? The MacBook Air or the Mac mini ?
The Mac miniskirt already has a low price than the MacBook Air , start at £ 699/$699 compare to £ 999/$999 , but the extra £ 300/$300 you could pass to get a MacBook Air could be money well spent since it will also get you a 13 in Retina showing and the power to crop from anywhere . If you require more power than the entering - level MacBook Air wreak then you’re able to pay $ 200/£250 more to get the M2 flake .
The M2 MacBook Air will outdo the Mac mini in term of power , but whether that makes it a better option for you count on whether you really ask that superpower . The MacBook Air with M2 chip costs $ 500 more than the Mac miniskirt , which is a pretty prominent leap if you do n’t really require the M2 .
At the end of the day the decision will be based on price or portability . If you ask a Mac you may carry around – with a build - in display – the MacBook Air is the means to go .
But if you are look for bluff note value for money , we mean the Mac miniskirt win thanks to its modest cost .
You do n’t have to pay full monetary value though . A number of resellers will discount even the later models . Check the deals below to see what ’s on offering :
MacBook Air
2020 M1 MacBook Air mess , $ 999/$999
2022 M2 MacBook Pro heap , $ 1,199/£1,249
2022 M2 MacBook Pro spate , $ 1,499/£1,549
Mac mini
M1 Chip , 256 gilbert : $ 699/£699
See top of clause
M1 Chip , 512 GB SSD : £ 899/$899
3.0GHz 6 - core i5 8th - gen , 512 GB SSD : £ 1,099/$1,099
Verdict
When it make out to people who are just looking to buy a Mac to employ for worldwide Clarence Day - to - 24-hour interval activities , like spreadsheets , document , a bit of photo editing , and some connection browsing , the entry - level Mac mini and M1 MacBook Air are surprisingly corresponding .
If you just want a estimator for use at home plate , and you have a monitor already , the Mac mini would be a great choice .
If you desire a computer that you may use anywhere then the MacBook Air is the one .
So which one would we choose ? As much as we love the Mac miniskirt we believe that the 24-hour interval of the screen background are numbered and people are much more probable to select a laptop – and there are plenty of very good reasons why they do that , all of which will go for to the aura , making it our low - cost Apple Mac of alternative .
Still not sure ? We also calculate athow the MacBook Air compare to the iMacand how theMac miniskirt compares to the iMac . Also see ourMacBook Buying Guide .
