The Mac Mini M1 is a tiny desktop computer for video editing. The first Mac Mini with Apple’s M1 chip replaces Intel CPUs. The M1 chip’s performance, efficiency, and compatibility are unprecedented. Video editing on the Mac Mini M1? Should you upgrade from an older Mac Mini or PC? We’ll evaluate the Mac Mini M1 video editing pros and cons in this review.

Design & Ports

The silver aluminum Mac Mini M1 weighs 2.6 pounds and dimensions 7.7 x 7.7 x 1.4 inches. It’s one of the tiniest and lightest desktop PCs, perfect for tiny places or travel.

The Mac Mini M1 features a fair number of ports, albeit less than prior Intel versions. On the back:

2x USB-A (5Gbps)
2x Thunderbolt3/USB 4 (up to 40 Gbps)
Gigabit Ethernet port (10Gb capable)
HDMI 2.0
3.5mm headset jack

Thunderbolt 3/USB 4 ports enable two 6K monitors, external storage, docks, and adapters. If you require extra ports or more than two screens, you’ll need a Thunderbolt dock or USB-C dongle converter.

Software and Performance

The Apple M1 processor powers the Mac Mini M1 with an 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine. The CPU’s four performance and four efficiency cores work together to give quick, smooth performance while using less power. For graphics-intensive operations like video editing, the GPU is eight times quicker than earlier Intel versions. The Neural Engine can recognise faces, track objects, and reduce noise 15 times quicker than prior Intel versions.

The Mac Mini M1 has 8GB or 16GB of shared CPU/GPU memory. This improves data throughput and latency but prevents memory upgrades. The Mac Mini M1 has 256GB or 512GB of SSD storage, configurable up to 2TB. Fast and dependable SSD storage is soldered to the motherboard and cannot be upgraded.

The M1 chip-optimized macOS Big Sur powers the Mac Mini M1. The M1 chip runs native and non-native programs flawlessly. Final Cut Pro X, Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and Wondershare Filmora3 are M1-native programs. The Mac Mini M1 performs these programs better than any other Mac or PC.

Adobe Photoshop, After Effects, Audition, and Media Encoder are non-native Intel programs. Rosetta 2, which instantly converts Intel code to M1 code, runs these programs on the Mac Mini M1. Rosetta 2 performs nicely and is compatible. On the Mac Mini M12, non-native applications may have minor issues or missing functionalities. The Mac Mini M1 does not support several Adobe Photoshop plugins or extensions.

Also read: Best Video Editing Laptops Under 50000

Mac mini M1 Video Editing Review

Video editing with native software like Final Cut Pro X or Adobe Premiere Pro works best on the Mac Mini M1. The Mac Mini M1 can edit 4K video with smooth timeline playing, rapid rendering, and no overheating or fan noise1. Multi-stream video, complicated effects, color grading, audio editing, and exporting are no problem with the Mac Mini M1.

The Mac Mini M1 includes unique video editing tools. On suitable monitors, the Mac Mini M1 supports HDR video playback, which enhances image detail and color. Dolby Atmos audio playing on compatible speakers or headphones makes the Mac Mini M1 sound more lifelike.

The Mac Mini M1 is compatible with cameras, microphones, displays, keyboards, and mice. New Mac Mini M1 offers fast, dependable Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0. The Mac Mini M1 features a built-in speaker for casual listening but not video editing. External speakers or headphones improve sound quality and accuracy.

Price and Value

The Mac Mini M1 costs 59,990 Rs, 10,000 less than Intel counterparts. It’s one of the most cheap Macs with amazing performance and features. For typical video editing jobs, the basic model has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. If you work with huge or complicated files, you may wish to upgrade to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for $999.

The Mac Mini M1 is cheaper than most video editing PCs. The Dell XPS Desktop (8940) with an Intel Core i7-10700 CPU, 16GB of memory, 512GB SSD storage, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti graphics card costs $1,199. The $949 HP Envy Desktop (TE01-1022) has an Intel Core i7-10700 CPU, 16GB of RAM, 256GB SSD storage, 1TB HDD storage, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card. Both PCs offer more ports and upgrade possibilities than the Mac Mini M1, but they are slower, bigger, and noisier.

Conclusive

Video editing is reasonable on the Mac Mini M1. It is tiny, efficient, and compatible. New Mac Mini M1 edits 4K video with smooth timeline playing, rapid rendering, and no overheating or fan noise. It also plays HDR video, Dolby Atmos audio, and native and non-native applications seamlessly.

The Mac Mini M1 has restricted ports, no memory or storage upgrades, and minor compatibility difficulties with non-native software. The M1 chip’s advantages outweigh these small drawbacks. The Mac Mini M1 is a superb desktop machine for video editing that’s affordable and compact.