Gaming On New Mac Mini 2018
Jan 07, 2019 Do you really need an eGPU with a 2018 Mac Mini? We combined a Vega 56 full-sized video card with a 2018 Mac mini using the OWC Mercury Helios FX Thunderbolt 3 enclosure. Jan 03, 2020 The new 2018 Mac mini can now be configured with a 6 Core 3.2Ghz Intel Core i7 8th Generation desktop class cpu for $1299. This is a high-end powerful desktop cpu that blows away the performance of the previous laptop class chips. Mac mini features the Apple T2 Security Chip — second-generation custom Mac silicon designed by Apple to make Mac mini even more secure. The T2 Security Chip consolidates several controllers into one, and includes a Secure Enclave coprocessor that provides the foundation for encrypted storage and secure boot capabilities. Nov 10, 2018 Read our Apple Mac Mini (2018) review to find out. Apple’s new Mac Mini doesn’t look much different from its predecessor, and it’s more expensive. Gaming is mainstream, but the Mac Mini.
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- Gaming On New Mac Mini 2018 Specs
Nov 10, 2018 The Mac mini is back for 2018, regaining its rightful place as the most versatile Mac in Apple’s entire computer lineup. The long-rumored update, which.
Gaming on macOS is still not much of a 'thing' as many enthusiasts would like. In fact, iOS is a far better gaming platform in terms of sheer number of games than is macOS. However, you can get your gaming on if you are so inclined. If there is a will there's a way! So, if you have a Mac mini setup for use as a media center or a file server, why not add some gaming to the mix to get the most out of your $799 investment? Here's how!
A gamer’s take on the new Mac mini. More powerful off-the-shelf PC gaming system that’s expandable with a cornucopia of PC-compatible graphics cards and much more upgradable than a Mac. Feb 27, 2019 The happier news is you can install up to 64GB of RAM in the 2018 Mac Mini, though as you only have two slots available, the only way to achieve this is with a pair of 32GB sticks. Those aren't exactly easy to find. For just over $200, however, you can get a Crucial 32GB SO-DIMM DDR4 RAM kit that will make a terrific upgrade to any 2018 Mac.
Some caveats
Although I'll be setting up my Mac mini in my living room as an entertainment hub that will offer movies, TV, and gaming, I'd be lying if I said that this was an all-in-one solution. Although many aspects of the Mac mini on its own could be used for gaming, I'll be recruiting the help of some extra hardware and non-Mac software to get us to the point where we can use the Mac mini as a proper gaming hub.
The hardware
2018 Mac mini
For our 'ultimate' gaming Mac mini, I'll be buying the lowest end 2018 Mac mini for $799 Apple. This comes with:
- 3.6GHz quad-core 8th-generation Intel Core i3 processor
- 8GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory
- Intel UHD Graphics 630
- 128GB PCIe-based SSD storage
I know what you're thinking. I can feel your look. Those specs aren't powerful enough to run the latest games. The GPU and CPU is way too weak, and the storage space is far too small. Well, you're correct for most modern games. Not only will we be adding some hardware to the mix, we'll also setup some gaming software that the Mac mini is able to play right out of the box. So sit tight.
We'll be connecting the Mac mini to a 5K display with a gigabit ethernet wired connection to my network. You'll get better performance out of this lowest end Mac mini if you limit your resolutions to 1080p but you can decide if higher resolutions are worth the performance hit.
External SSD (optional)
Extra disk space is completely optional depending on your needs. If you have an external NAS or are simply very good at managing your disk space (installing a single game and uninstalling it when no longer in use to save space), you can get away with not having to add external storage. In my case, I have both a Synology Diskstation, $370 on a gigabit ethernet connection and a Samsung 500GB thunderbolt 3 portable ssd, $299.
External GPU (optional)
If you want to play more modern macOS versions of 3D games, then you'll need a more powerful GPU. macOS Mojave has added excellent eGPU support for AMD Polaris and Vega GPUs right out of the box supported directly by Apple. You can also optionally add Nvidia GPUs but will be beholden to the company for driver updates and support.
You needn't add an eGPU if you plan on using the Mac mini for either emulated console and arcade games from yesteryear, or if you plan on streaming all of your games from a more powerful computer (we show you how shortly).
I do plan on running native macOS games directly from the Mac mini so I got Apple's own eGPU enclosure, $599. It comes with a mid-range AMD RX 580 GPU which is a good match for the Coffee Lake CPU's in our Mac mini. You plug it in to the TB 3 port on the back of the Mac mini, and Mojave just makes it work.
Gamepad
You can use a number of gamepads of your choosing. You can attach wireless bluetooth device such as the Steam Controller, a PS4 controller or even an Xbox One controller that supports Bluetooth. You can also use a regular USB wired gamepad that is Xbox compatible as well. If you plan on connecting via bluetooth, simply pair your controller to your Mac using the Bluetooth System Preference panel.
Windows Gaming PC (optional)
If you want to be able to play any game without limitations, you'll actually need a powerful Windows based PC somewhere on your network. We'll still be using the more aesthetically pleasing and living room friendlier Mac mini as our front-end, but the Windows PC will be our gateway to all things gaming. The PC I'll be using is running Windows 10 with a 6700k Intel Skylake CPU, 16 GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD and a Nvidia GTX 1080ti.
The software
macOS Mojave
In order to get the best possible performance and compatibility, we'll be using macOS Mojave. Mojave offers support for the eGPU connected RX 580 without any configuring or hacking.
Xbox controller support
Download and install the open source 360Controller driver to be able to run your non-macOS native gamepads like the Xbox 360 or Xbox One controller. This will install a new System Preference panel that allows you to configure your gamepads. I strongly suggest to checkmark the Spoofing Preferences option to Pretend to be an Xbox 360 Controller under the Advanced tab if you don't actually have a true Xbox controller for compatibility purposes.
OpenEmu
OpenEmu is a multiple console and arcade machine emulator. It has a slick and easy to use interface where you and just drag and drop your supported game ROMs into the OpenEmu application and things get installed automatically. If you need M.A.M.E. support make certain you download the 'Experimental' version of the software. Download it. Run it. Use the wizard and install all defaults. That's it.
Mac Mini 2018 Review
You can then configure your controllers per game or per emulated console. The lowest end Mac mini will likely run all of these types of games without the need of externally connected hardware like the eGPU or need copious amounts of disk space from an external SSD.
Configure your Gamepad settings as needed. Note that OpenEmu tries it's best to automatically bind the proper buttons to your selected gamepad.
Steam
For modern gaming, you'll likely want to install Valve's Steam platform. With Steam, you'll be able to buy and play a mountain of native macOS titles as well as a handful of pretty modern titles as well. If you opted to use a powerful Windows based PC on your network as well, you'll need to install Steam on both the PC and the Mac mini.
Simply download Steam and install it. Create an account and download your games. If using a networked PC to power your games, use the same account for both your Mac mini and your PC.
For a list of owned games that can run natively on macOS, Click Library > Mac. Once you install your macOS native game, make certain to set your eGPU (if you have one) as the preferred device for graphics. You'll need to find the installed game with Finder, Option-click the Application > Get Info and set the check box.
If you added an external SSD for more storage. Be certain to add your SSD as one of the default download directories for steam in Preferences > Downloads > Steam Library Folders.
Mar 03, 2020 Toke up, jam out, and now slide down with rapper Mac Miller in his new video game. Titled Blue Slide Park: The Game, after his recently released album, the colorful game’s premise is as simple and mildly entertaining as Miller’s lyrics. The goal is to travel down a blue slide. The Game of Life Lyrics: Yo, TreeJ just ate a Triple Baconator in 2 minutes / Jesus /: / Life a bitch that I wanted to date, but just led me on / Now I’m going for another one / Put me in the. Jan 30, 2011 Not sure what mixtape this is off, I think it's just a random single he put out, either way, MOST DOPE!.Everyone shut the fuck up about the sampl.
To Stream games, you'll need the game installed on the machine that you'll be streaming from and on the Mac mini Steam client, click Stream to play the game. The PC will provide the power, you Mac mini will be the interface.
If you have an eGPU and you want to stream from a PC, you can enable more advanced streaming options in Steam Preferences > In home Streaming > Advanced Client Options. Here you can enable hardware decoding for better visual performance capabilities. (Note that at the time of this writing the ethernet cable was faulty. Wireless streaming was used so the performance through streaming was worse than expected).
Your Controllers should also be automatically configured in Steam.
You can enable Steam's Big Picture Mode to get a controller-centric interface where you can sit on your couch and use your controller input to navigate Steam.
Final comments
Above is a near no compromise gaming option for using your Mac mini as a gaming hub in your den or living room. It's ideal since it's sleek, very quiet, and is able to do things beyond gaming such as serving as a media player. Adding the ability to run emulators is an extra benefit as well as simply having a full blown OS at your disposal. The ability to stream via Steam and connect a controller via bluetooth makes this setup very unobtrusive. A more integrated option could have been to use my AppleTV but unfortunately, at this time, Apple has put the kibosh on the Steam Link App from Valve to be able to stream games through my AppleTV. Let's hope that Apple gets with the program on this and makes that happen. Let us know your comments or thoughts in the comments section!
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Best answer: It's not the easiest process to complete, but you can definitely replace and upgrade the RAM in the 2018 Mac Mini.
- Amazon: 2018 Mac Mini (From $749)
- Amazon: Crucial 32GB RAM kit ($213)
Upgradeable like the old days
Changing out the RAM in the Mac Mini used to be a really simple process. It used to be a matter of unscrewing the bottom and swapping the RAM sticks, a process that took a matter of minutes. However, after the late 2012 Mac Mini, Apple changed the internals, so you couldn't do it yourself anymore.
Gaming On New Mac Mini 2018 Review Youtube
The 2018 Mac Mini arrived as a long-awaited follow up to Apple's tiny desktop computer and it came bearing good news: You could once again take out the RAM and upgrade it yourself.
Apple still charges more for RAM
Despite the move back to DIY, if you want more RAM you're shouldn't be stuck paying what Apple wants to charge you for it. That's never been close to as cheap as it is to make the same upgrade yourself.
When buying a new Mac Mini, increasing the RAM to 16GB costs $200, 32GB costs $600, and 64GB an eye-watering $1,400. You could upgrade to 32GB yourself and save about $400 in the process.
Not for the faint of heart
While the RAM is a standard sized SO-DIMM module and replaceable by anyone who buys a 2018 Mac Mini, it's far from as simple to accomplish, at least compared to what it used to be back in 2012.
The RAM isn't easily accessible and requires a little know-how and a lot of patience to get at. The rewards will be worthwhile, but you'll basically be disassembling your Mac Mini in order to do a RAM upgrade. Luckily, this guide from iFixit+Replacement/115309) will walk you through every step of the process.
Up to 64GB of RAM if you wish
The happier news is you can install up to 64GB of RAM in the 2018 Mac Mini, though as you only have two slots available, the only way to achieve this is with a pair of 32GB sticks. Those aren't exactly easy to find.
For just over $200, however, you can get a Crucial 32GB SO-DIMM DDR4 RAM kit that will make a terrific upgrade to any 2018 Mac Mini. If you don't need this much, simply grab a 16GB kit made up of a pair of 8GB RAM sticks.
It's always best to use matching pairs when installing RAM for best performance.
Gaming On New Mac Mini 2018 Manual
Upgrade friendly
2018 Apple Mac Mini
A return to the upgradeable RAM Hunting game mac free.
With up to six-core processors and user upgradeable RAM, the new Mac Mini is a truly tiny powerhouse.
Moar RAM
Crucial 32GB RAM kit
Give your Mac Mini a serious upgrade
It'll take some time and a lot of patience to install, but if you're a demanding Mac user, this RAM kit will serve you well.
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All around protectionProtect your Mac mini in transit with these cases
Gaming On New Mac Mini 2018 Specs
The Mac mini is easy to carry around. When you do, however, be sure your Apple computer is being protected by a case or sleeve. Here are our favorite solutions.