2018 MacMini experiment on ProTools HDX

[Darryl Ramm]

I was not [trying to be] being conceding to you, sorry if it came off that way, I was trying to help you. Especially understand how to use DUC to best effect as a new DUC user. You asked a very confusing initial question that two of us had to ask you to reexplain. And you did spam a likely unrelated question onto another users thread, which is not considered great form here (which I realize you know...).

[JFreak]

Welcome to the community

[ProtoolsLover]

Originally Posted by Will Russell

Hi,

Also considering moving from my hot rodded 4,1->5,1 12 core cheese grater running HDX to a new Mac Mini.

I was going to buy the fastest 6 core i7 Mac Mini, 2TB SSD and put 64G of OWC RAM in it. I’d get an OWC USBC dock from OWC and a Sonnet Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box 650 for the HDX card. Sound like a solid plan from your experience?

Anyone doing primarily music work try running off the native graphics, ie no external GPU? is it useable?

What's driving the need to move? The only reason I could see for moving from a 5.1 Cheesegrater 12 core to a MacMini, is if you require thunderbolt. Otherwise, the 12 core is still more powerful than the MacMini maxed out.

What am I missing?

[Loudnoize Ent.]

Originally Posted by Will Russell

Reasons:
1. Don't really need/use much CPU power. Mostly AAX-DSP.
2. Current CPU will not be supported with Catalina forward.
3. Desire to hopefully benefit from a newer computer architecture. Thunderbolt will become a need soon.
4. I'll need/want to move forward sometime, and the new MacPro is overkill for my work.
5. iMac won't work for me because my CPU/IO are in a closet in the back of my control room.
6. Geekbench scores for Single Core Score MacMini=5667, my machine=2768 Multi Core Score MacMini=24323, my machine=24991,

So based on Geekbench scores the MacMini dusts my 12core in single core and nearly equals in multicore.

My main question was about the onboard graphics.

Hi Will,

I went from a Mac Pro 12 core to a mini i7 6 core 6 months ago and couldn’t be happier. I was getting tired of the workarounds and patches, just to install the latest OS, not to mention the lack of Thunderbolt. With Catalina soon to be released, who knows how that will work. I’m running rather large VI sessions & libraries, the MM performs amazingly.

That said, all of your reasons and more, is why I purchased the mini. The onboard 630 card will work just fine with Pro Tools or any DAW. Where I believe an external GPU comes in handy is when working with film editing, rendering, etc. With Pro Tools, I’ve not had a single issue where I though investing in a eGPU would be better.

If you do purchase an 8 GB model, replacing the ram is a breeze. I took my time so I figure around 45 minutes. There's plenty of "how to" video's.

[ProtoolsLover]

Originally Posted by Will Russell

Reasons:
1. Don't really need/use much CPU power. Mostly AAX-DSP.
2. Current CPU will not be supported with Catalina forward.
3. Desire to hopefully benefit from a newer computer architecture. Thunderbolt will become a need soon.
4. I'll need/want to move forward sometime, and the new MacPro is overkill for my work.
5. iMac won't work for me because my CPU/IO are in a closet in the back of my control room.
6. Geekbench scores for Single Core Score MacMini=5667, my machine=2768 Multi Core Score MacMini=24323, my machine=24991,

So based on Geekbench scores the MacMini dusts my 12core in single core and nearly equals in multicore.

My main question was about the onboard graphics.

Which CPU model number did you use? My 12 Core MP Cheese-grater GB Scores are over 31k and I’ve got an all in investment of less than $750.

[ProtoolsLover]

Originally Posted by Will Russell

I ran Geekbench on my actual CPU.

I understood that, but it didn’t answer the question. I’m just curious which CPU’s you put in your since your actual GB and my actual GB scores vary a lot.

If you don’t need Thunderbolt, maybe swapping out your CPU’s to faster ones, you’d get a 30% or more increase in power, for less than $200.

[Will Russell]

Originally Posted by ProtoolsLover

I understood that, but it didn’t answer the question. I’m just curious which CPU’s you put in your since your actual GB and my actual GB scores vary a lot.

If you don’t need Thunderbolt, maybe swapping out your CPU’s to faster ones, you’d get a 30% or more increase in power, for less than $200.

Ok, last volley with you. 3.06Ghz x5675 chips.

I'm happy your CPU is smoking fast. My goal is not more power. I have plenty. I am considering a Mac Mini for the 6 reasons I listed. If you don't believe that a MacMini might be a viable replacement for our current CPUs, check out this link:
https://browser.geekbench.com/mac-benchmarks/

For me, it's worth considering.

[ProtoolsLover]

I hope you realize that I truly am not trying to argue, just playing Devil's Advocate as I too have thought about upgrading my computer when in the end, I had zero real reasons to upgrade.

Think about my points in Red, if they do not apply, no problem. Just food for thought.

Originally Posted by Will Russell

Reasons:
1. Don't really need/use much CPU power. Mostly AAX-DSP.

So if you don't need more power, your current computer gets the job done.

2. Current CPU will not be supported with Catalina forward.

Why not wait and see, I've had zero issues staying up to all Mac OSXs with my 5.1, we've all been through it many times, "Not Supported", almost never means "Won't Work Properly".

3. Desire to hopefully benefit from a newer computer architecture. Thunderbolt will become a need soon.


Everything I've read is that you'll see no benefit tuning Protools between your existing and a new Mac mini, in other words, there is nothing Protools specific to be gained by upgrading. If anything a step back in power.

4. I'll need/want to move forward sometime, and the new MacPro is overkill for my work.

Need/want, my guess is this is really what this is all about. Based on your own points about your needs, I just can't see how you gain anthing by going to a Mac Mini.


5. iMac won't work for me because my CPU/IO are in a closet in the back of my control room.

Not relevant to changing out your existing to a Mac mini.


6. Geekbench scores for Single Core Score MacMini=5667, my machine=2768 Multi Core Score MacMini=24323, my machine=24991,

You don't really get any advantage of the Single Score gains, as Protools works with Multi Core very well. So the multi core is the only one truly relevant.

[ProtoolsLover]

Originally Posted by Will Russell

FWIW-playing devils advocate is in fact arguing (look it up) and I sure would like it if you would stop. Please. I understand that you disagree with my perspective. Enough, ok?

Dude, why all the hostility? Really man, why? I went out of my way to let you know I’m not trying to pick a fight and you pick one?

Internet, palm face down.....

This is a forum, where we all discuss our opinions. I gave some of mine, and for the record, my mindset is always whenever I’m replying to a particular subject matter, I’m putting as much thought into answering the particular question at hand, as well as giving perspective for other readers who may come along later, even years from now.

So hopefully that should put some more perspective into why the “Devil’s Advocate”. You’re right Devil’s Advocate is arguing for the sake of arguing, but the difference is, “to bring clarity and proper perspective”.

[Markk]

Fully loaded Mac Mini with PT 2019 and this machine gets so hot with audiosuite that everything slows down due to kernel activity. Restart required and not appreciated. Any suggestions from the group here?