Mac mini vs. custom PC: which way to go? Thread poster: Bruna Mattos
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Bruna Mattos
Brazil
Local time: 00:24
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Good evening, fellow translators!
I've been dwelling on something for the past few months: what computer should I buy? I had some trouble with my current laptop, which made me realize I really need a more stable and reliable machine, preferably a desktop.
I thought about building a custom PC, this way I can choose all the features I want. Besides, it's much more easier and cheaper to repair if the parts ... See more Good evening, fellow translators!
I've been dwelling on something for the past few months: what computer should I buy? I had some trouble with my current laptop, which made me realize I really need a more stable and reliable machine, preferably a desktop.
I thought about building a custom PC, this way I can choose all the features I want. Besides, it's much more easier and cheaper to repair if the parts get damaged. On the other hand, Mac's reputation precedes it. People say it's the best investment I could make, specially due to Apple's devices durability. But if I need maintenance services, would I have issues? Since the parts are all welded together, I mean. Not to mention the costs. Another potential issue is that I use mainly memoQ and Trados for work, so I would have to rely big time on Parallels. Is it risky somehow?
Please share your experience! Do you use Parallels on Mac? How do memoQ and Trados perform on a virtual machine? There's a minimum amount of RAM for this arrangement to work fine? Or are you a PC-advocate?
Thanks a bunch! ▲ Collapse
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[Edited at 2022-11-07 19:23 GMT]
| | | | Samuel Murray 
Netherlands
Local time: 05:24
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Bruna Mattos wrote:
I really need a more stable and reliable machine, preferably a desktop. ... I thought about building a custom PC ... On the other hand, Mac's reputation precedes it.
What is your budget? You can get a custom PC powerful enough to run all modern CAT tools for as little as $500. Although the cheapest Mac Mini is about $1000, it doesn't have a lot of storage or RAM, and AFAIK you can't upgrade those features easily, so if you are going to buy a Mac Mini or an iMac, you have to buy one with as much RAM and storage as possible, which drives up the price to e.g. $1500. Also, don't underestimate how difficult it would be for you to learn an entirely new operating system.
Here's how Apple rips you off: the cheapest iMac or Mac Mini comes with 256 GB of storage. If you want to up that to 1 TB of storage, you have to pay $400 more. The difference between a 256 GB M.2 SSD and a 1 TB one for a custom PC is... $50. The cheapest iMac comes to 8 GB of RAM, but you can up that to 16 GB for $200. The difference between 8 GB and 16 GB for a custom PC is... $25. Don't buy an Apple desktop computer unless it is your religion.
[Edited at 2022-11-07 13:45 GMT]
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:24
Member (2008)
Italian to English
There's a big dichotomy here: the question should be not so much "Mac mini vs. custom PC" as "MacOS or Windows"?
Whether you use MacOS or Windows, there will be a wide range of computers that could run one of these two operating systems.
I used to be a DOS person before Microsoft, copying Apple, introduced Windows. But shortly after that I discovered the wonders of the macOS and have stayed with Macs ever since.
So needless to say, I would recommend the Mac... See more There's a big dichotomy here: the question should be not so much "Mac mini vs. custom PC" as "MacOS or Windows"?
Whether you use MacOS or Windows, there will be a wide range of computers that could run one of these two operating systems.
I used to be a DOS person before Microsoft, copying Apple, introduced Windows. But shortly after that I discovered the wonders of the macOS and have stayed with Macs ever since.
So needless to say, I would recommend the Mac mini. One big advantage is that you will never, ever, need a maintenance service. I bought my first Mac in 1995 and I've never had any problem that I wasn't able to work out by myself, or with the assistance of the very useful online Mac support discussion forums. But these days, there actually aren't any problems at all.
And that's only one reason.
[Edited at 2022-11-07 14:05 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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| My experience | Nov 7, 2022 |
Bruna Mattos wrote: Good evening, fellow translators! I've been dwelling on something for the past few months: what computer should I buy? I had some trouble with my current laptop, which made me realize I really need a more stable and reliable machine, preferably a desktop. I thought about building a custom PC, this way I can choose all the features I want. Besides, it's much more easier and cheaper to repair if the parts get damaged. On the other hand, Mac's reputation precedes it. People say it's the best investment I could make, specially due to Apple's devices durability. But if I need maintenance services, would I have issues? Since the parts are all welded together, I mean. Not to mention the costs. Another potential issue is that I use mainly memoQ and Trados for work, so I would have to rely big time on Parallels. Is it risky somehow? Please share your experience! Do you use Parallels on Mac? How do memoQ and Trados perform on a virtual machine? There's a minimum amount of RAM for this arrangement to work fine? Or are you a PC-advocate? Thanks a bunch!
Hi Bruna
I'm on Macs since the 80s of the last century, then in the 90s I had to go the PC way because of CAT tools coming up and they were for PC only. As soon as Parallels appeared I happily got my first iMac and I had a bunch of Macs since.
Parallels is not a problem at all, IMHO applications run smoother in a virtualized environment than on PC Windows, but that's a statement that engages me and me only.
Most of Mac users here rely on either Parallels or VMFusion, they both are optimized for Windows 11 and M1 Macs.
Anyway, I run Studio and MemoQ and DVX on Parallels, Cafetran and Wordfast on the Mac side.
I would never trade in a Mac for a PC, but then again, as I do audio recordings in my office, I have to have a perfectly silent computer and PCs are silent in the beginning and tend to become noisy with age.
The fact that parts are welded on a Mac is not an issue for me, you just have to choose the right amount of RAM (16 GB, 32 is better). Which other components would you want to change on a Mac that you use for translations?
I use the internal Mac SSD for the system and related internet activities, Windows 11 hosts my CAT tools, most of my files lay on external SSDs (and older HD for backups) and in iCloud/iCloud NAS.
And, yes, the cost is definitely an issue.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:24
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Wolfgang wrote:
And, yes, the cost is definitely an issue.
Not really; if you do the full calculation to include the cost of having to have a computer technician come out and fix things for you, and the time you waste doing this; and if you also factor in all the extra things you will need to buy to add on to your basic PC configuration, I think you'll find that the cost is about the same.
The big cost difference, which PC users often admit to me, is in the pirated software they use. Macs will not run pirated software.
[Edited at 2022-11-07 14:56 GMT]
| | | | | I agree, Tom, | Nov 7, 2022 |
Tom in London wrote: Wolfgang wrote:
And, yes, the cost is definitely an issue. Not really; if you do the full calculation to include the cost of having to have a computer technician come out and fix things for you, and the time you waste doing this; and if you also factor in all the extra things you will need to buy to add on to your basic PC configuration, I think you'll find that the cost is about the same. The big cost difference, which PC users often admit to me, is in the the pirated software they use. Macs will not run pirated software.
but I was talking about the initial investment, over 3000 € for an iMac is quite a heavy investment, but then you can easily pay by installments with Apple.
| | | | Rolf Keller
Germany
Local time: 05:24
English to German
| Reliability? The motherboard matters. | Nov 7, 2022 |
Bruna Mattos wrote:
I really need a more stable and reliable machine, preferably a desktop.
I thought about building a custom PC, this way I can choose all the features I want. Besides, it's much more easier and cheaper to repair if the parts get damaged.
Ack. And don't buy a laptop as long as you can work comfortably with a desktop i. e. if you have no need to work outside your home office.
Apple does'nt manufacture RAM & SSD, and modern Intel or AMD CPUs are as reliable as Apple CPUs. Certain Macbooks use Intel CPUs anyway. For translating you don't need any graphics card: the onboard GPU is suffient.
So, from a quality point of view the motherboard is the most important component. Especially also because there is no help at all if the motherboard fails and the pc is dark and silent.
To have a reliable desktop PC, I have used so-called "Extended Life Cycle" motherboards (Dxxx type, Google is your friend) for the past 15+ years and probably will buy one again in 2023. All the other components are easily replaceable.
There's a minimum amount of RAM
Right now, RAM prices are in a crash, so just buy 32 GB. In 2025 most PCs will have at least 16 GB.
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Metin Demirel
Türkiye
Local time: 06:24
Member (2018)
Italian to Turkish
+ ...
| I beg to differ | Nov 7, 2022 |
Rolf Keller wrote:
Ack. And don't buy a laptop as long as you can work comfortably with a desktop i. e. if you have no need to work outside your home office.
When I bought a MacBook, battery life wasn't a priority for me. But then it changed my life. I have a 13" MacBook so I was thinking of using it attached to a large display. Yet one day I decided to just work on the laptop on my sofa for a day and then it became a habit. Let alone the external display, I don't even use my desk anymore. I never work outside home either. In addition to all the performance advantages MacBook offers, this one really changed my daily routines. I don't want to go back to my old life. I don't miss the desk or the large display.
| | | | Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:24
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
Bruna Mattos wrote:
Or are you a PC-advocate?
I advocate sticking with what you know. If you're already an Apple user, continue to use their kit. If you're used to PCs, keep going as you are. In neither case are the advantages of a completely new platform likely to compensate for the friction and disruption associated with the switch. If you've accumulated decades of experience with Apple machinery, and you're a power user, you're going to spend weeks on a PC trying to find, install and configure equivalents to all your favourite tools and apps, and vice versa if moving to a Mac from Windows.
I would therefore recommend that you stay with a PC. In your case it should be an even easier decision, as the PC is far better served by vertical market applications (like CAT tools) than macOS devices.
As for how much power you need, I have been using a cheap second-hand PC for over two years. I bought it as a stopgap for a couple of hundred quid, thinking that it wouldn't be capable enough, but to my genuine surprise it's been absolutely fine. It has an Intel i3 6100 CPU (a chip launched more than 5 years ago), onboard HD530 graphics (modest!) and 16Gb of memory.
I run Trados on this machine for hours every day, at 3840x2160, and many other apps and tools at the same time, including Dragon Naturally Speaking and MS Office. The internet works fine, and I can stream video from Amazon Prime without a problem. The only thing it doesn't do well is games. For a work machine, that's not a major issue and besides I personally no longer really have the time for such pursuits.
Before this humble PC I had a beautiful Microsoft Surface Pro. Performance of this desktop PC seems similar. I miss the portability of the Surface, but I don't miss the lack of repairability I discovered when something went wrong with the hardware.
If building your own PC, I'd imagine that you'd want something a bit juicier than an old Skylake i3 CPU, but you may not need more than an i5 in a recent generation (11th or preferably 12th gen). You'd also want a motherboard with integrated graphics, because prices for graphics cards are still expensive relative to historical levels and may take some time to come down. You can add a card later if you want.
Finally, I think building a custom device (my favoured approach for the past twenty-odd years) is going to be significantly more expensive than buying a high-volume nearly new model from Dell or HP. The advantage is that you get exactly what you want. As Rolf says, budget for a motherboard from a reliable brand (I tend to like Asus myself) with top-quality capacitors and other components. The last system I built was a Micro ATX configuration, and that works well and is very compact.
Regards,
Dan
| | | | | Best of two worlds | Nov 8, 2022 |
Dan Lucas wrote:
I advocate sticking with what you know. If you're already an Apple user, continue to use their kit. If you're used to PCs, keep going as you are. In neither case are the advantages of a completely new platform likely to compensate for the friction and disruption associated with the switch.
I agree with what you say, Dan. Nevertheless:
Many Mac users can also use Windows programs via a virtual machine. So they can use the best of two worlds.
A common scenario is:
- Do everything that is internet related at the Mac side.
- Use Trados at the Windows side, e.g. to quickly download a GroupShare project assigned to you.
- Translate at the Mac side, with all its benefits (e.g. 64-bit executables).
Besides that, there is this big advantage (only possible with the Pro version of Windows too: Hyper V), to freeze a stable Windows version in a VM. You can use a VM also for that old CAT tool that only runs under Windows 7, etc.
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 05:24
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Dan Lucas wrote:
You'd also want a motherboard with integrated graphics, because prices for graphics cards are still expensive relative to historical levels and may take some time to come down.
Motherboards with integrated graphics are expensive these days. It's cheaper to use a normal motherboard, and get a CPU that has integrated graphics.
I think building a custom device ... is going to be significantly more expensive than buying a high-volume nearly new model from Dell or HP.
I think the opposite is true.
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Mr. Satan (X)
English to Indonesian
| I beg to differ, too | Nov 8, 2022 |
Rolf Keller wrote:
So, from a quality point of view the motherboard is the most important component.
I'm sorry, Rolf. But I disagree with you on this. Our family PC's mobo got fried because we used a crappy PSU. And since the available models at the time didn't support our CPU anymore, we had to upgrade that too. The entire ordeal ended up being very expensive to fix. If the budget only allows you to get one quality component, it has to be the PSU.
| | | | Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:24
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
Samuel Murray wrote:
Motherboards with integrated graphics are expensive these days. It's cheaper to use a normal motherboard, and get a CPU that has integrated graphics.
Yes, I'm sorry Samuel, that was confusing on my part. I was not thinking of a discrete solution on the motherboard but of a solution integrated into the chipset. But these days (as you correctly point out) they are part of the CPU itself rather than the chipset, with the HD530 being a good example of this approach. My underlying point stands: even a relatively low-end Nvidia card is going to cost you well into three figures, so get a CPU (not a mobo) with integrated graphics to tide you over.
Samuel Murray wrote: I think building a custom device ... is going to be significantly more expensive than buying a high-volume nearly new model from Dell or HP. I think the opposite is true.
It's going to be very tough to build a PC out of low-end components that are reliable (as opposed to just cheap) and that can compete with the big names, because the retail market for components caters to enthusiasts rather than penny-pinchers. Case, PSU, motherboard, CPU, cooling solution, memory, SSD, cables - it all mounts up. Meanwhile I can spec a refurbed i5 with Windows, 16GB of memory and a 512GB SSD for £300 here.
Of course, a custom machine built with high-performance components would blow the HP Prodesk 400 G3 Mini I just linked to out of the water, but I was making a point about the low cost of a minimal acceptable configuration. However, I must admit I've never approached a custom build from the perspective of lowering cost, so maybe I am indeed wrong about this.
EDIT: Out of casual interest, I priced up a custom system on Amazon UK, using basic components from known brands. These were an Intel i3 CPU (£115 - there are cheaper parts, but they don't have integrated graphics), Gigabyte ATX mobo (£65), 16GB of Corsair memory (£53), a WD 500GB SSD (£43), no-name 700W PSU (£35), generic ATX case (£32), and £10 for cables and what have you. I think that would be a decent system, with the only question mark being the PSU, given that I bought a similar part a couple of years ago and it lasted 3 months before failing. But a more expensive PSU would only add £30 or so to the bill.
Speaking of the cost, it comes to £353 in total for the hardware, then you need a genuine copy of Windows 10 or 11. That’s £120 from the Microsoft UK site. The HP ProDesk 400 system I linked to above does include a genuine copy of Windows. So I'd say you're looking at a bit under £500 for the custom system hardware and software. For that you should be getting a significantly faster machine than the refurbished HP ProDesk, but you're paying close on £200 more. Used is cheaper, but slower.
Regards,
Dan
[Edited at 2022-11-09 10:53 GMT]
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