Anyone working on a M2 Mac Mini with 16gb RAM? (mostly 2k and 4k cleanup and roto work)

[blunderbot]

I keep a mac in my in-laws' garage for quick fixes, cleanup and roto work, but it's rather decrepit at this point. I'm thinking of upgrading on the cheap to a M2 Mac Mini with 16gb RAM. 

Has anyone been working in 4k with only 16gb RAM? The jump up to M2 Pro/32gb doesn't feel worth it unless the simpler M2 machine really can't cut it.

[Rick Gerard]

You have to ask, how much is your time worth? Mini with max RAM is about $700 less than the Mini Pro with max RAM. If you get the extended Apple Care for three years (highly recommended) and consider upgrading your computer after two years, it will cost you about $350 per year for the more powerful, faster rendering and more compatible machine.  If you work 500 hours per year (full time is 2000 + two weeks vacation), then the more powerful computer will cost you about 70¢ per hour worked over the next two years. Now, the question you have to ask yourself is how much more productive can I be with a computer that is less likely to have rendering problems, previews a little faster, and has a greater likelihood of not meeting the minimum system requirements for software that is updated every few months? 

For me, it's a no-brainer. I work about seven hundred hours a year on my computer. I'm full-time and charge slightly above industry standard rates for the LA area. I work mostly on the MacBookPro, so my machine is a fully loaded, top-of-the-line MacBookPro replaced about every two years (because the trade-in value is still great at two years and falls to next to nothing at three). The reliability and speed of the most powerful machine I can buy is such a small percentage of my annual billable jobs that the choice is obvious. I do not know anyone who gets to bill by the hour for most work. We have to bid on the job. If I do pick up a rare by-the-hour job, I need to knock them out as fast as I can so my clients will call me again, and I can get back to the higher-paying by-the-job projects.

If you are a hobbyist or don't really have a solid business plan designed to make you a profitable and sustainable business, then the decision may be easier. How much money do you want to spend?

[blunderbot]

Thanks for the reply. Since this isn't my main machine I'm trying to do that thing where I spend as little money as possible while still able to do simple shot cleanup and roto. Has anyone done 4k shot cleanup and roto on a M2 mini/16gb and was it adequate or frustrating?

To be clear, this is an occasional machine that spends most of its time streaming music. I occasionally (like 4 times a year) need to do a quick shot to help an editor working out a sequence while I wait for picture lock, or do a quick production equipment removal that no one noticed until the DI.

I don't always carry my laptop and remoting into my workstations has been rather dicey as of late (I blame Spectrum). My main workstations are a Threadripper 3990 and a Mac Studio M2 Ultra/128gb so I'm a slightly spoiled and don't know how well AE functions down near the minimum ram specifications. I suppose I could take my full day rate plus a bit and spend it on an Mini M2 Pro/32gb but I'd prefer to put my money elsewhere.

[Rick Gerard]

If you are just fiddling and helping someone out, don't spend any extra money. If you are trying to make a living, do the math. Both will do the job today, but the render times and just working around the timeline won't be as fast. There is no guarantee that the next release of AE will not recommend more ram.