With the introduction of the iMac Pro, Apple now has more Mac desktops in its lineup than ever before. Whether you're looking for a base-level headless Mac, a basic-to-midrange all-in-one, or some pro-level power, there are some solid options here.

• Mar 28, 2019 Bottom line: A Mac Mini coupled with an affordable eGPU enclosure and a Radeon RX 580 is both an excellent gaming machine and the best value for money you can have with a Mac computer. For the price of a base 27-inch iMac, you can get an upgradable setup that delivers more performance.
• 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.

Jun 19, 2013  No, macs are not good for gaming. They are adequate. But they won't play latest games at max settings/1080p with 60fps if that is what you are after. It is very unlikely that the Mac Pro will have.

Which should you buy for your needs? Here's our breakdown.

The Mac mini

The Mac mini is Apple's least expensive desktop computer and remained so even after a price hike with its latest refresh in 2018. Now a more capable competitor in the desktop landscape, the Mac mini is a great option for those that don't mind bringing their own monitor. It might just be the best Mac desktop for everyday users while remaining a great option for a variety of pros.

It’s a wonder that is even available on the Mac. Its setting comes off as standard fantasy fare, as you’re a human making your way out of an underworld where all the monsters were sealed away following a bitter war with the humans. Which games can be played on a mac on mac. Randomly spawning beasties seek to thwart your progress, and you’ll have to work you way past a series of puzzles.Beyond that, though, the unpredictable tale will introduce you to a dizzying array of fascinating characters over the course of six or so hours. Note: At the time of writing, Undertale isn't supported in macOS Catalina. And, should you choose, you can even chat your way out of trouble rather than slaying monsters.

Unlike the iMac, the Mac mini doesn't come with a monitor. In fact, it doesn't come with anything other than a power cord. Still as small as it's ever been, the Mac mini needs you to bring the monitor, keyboard, and mouse or trackpad into the equation. Part of the reason for this is cost: Apple doesn't include anything else to keep the base price as low as it is. But it's also about convenience and cutting down on waste. The Mac mini can be (and is built to be able to be) used as a server, connected to multiple Mac minis in a server farm. Where other Apple desktops come with a keyboard and mouse automatically, Apple knows that a lot of Mac minis are just going into a server setup, so it's best not to bother.

The Mac mini starts at $799 for the baseline low-end model with a quad-core 3.6GHz eighth-generation Intel processor. It can be configured with a six-core 3.2GHz eighth-generation Intel processor, 64GB of RAM, 2TB of storage, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet for $3,199.

Storage is all solid-state and very fast. While you can't upgrade the internal storage after you order, you can upgrade the memory on your own through a fairly simple process. Starting with 8GB of RAM, you can swap it out later for up to 64GB.

With an up to six-core processor, the Mac mini is more powerful and capable than ever for a wide variety of tasks. From music and video production to photo editing, it's a great little machine for amateurs, as well as professionals who don't need an incredibly powerful rig. Because it features four Thunderbolt 3 ports, you can expand the Mac mini to meet your needs, including adding an external GPU for faster graphics processing on those applications that take advantage of Apple's Metal graphics architecture. You can also take advantage of its Ethernet port, either 1Gbit or 10Gbit, for fast wired networking and data transfer, particularly when set up as part of a server farm. HDMI 2.0 can output at 4K at faster frame rates, perfect for anyone looking to use the Mac mini as a home theater PC.

While not as cheap as it used to be, the Mac mini is still a great low-cost investment for many people, especially those looking for an HTPC or just a general-purpose desktop computer. If you need something with more power, or you need a computer with a display and peripherals, you should instead take a look at the iMac, iMac Pro, or Mac Pro line.

Mini but mighty

Mac mini

Apple's most affordable Mac.

The tiny Mac mini was essentially reintroduced to the world in 2018. The Mac mini's powerful expansion options, from four Thunderbolt 3 ports to the option for up to 10Gbit Ethernet, mean that it's ready for almost anything you might throw at it, whether you're using it as your everyday desktop or stacking several together to build a server farm.

The iMac is Apple's all-in-one computer — literally. The iMac's processor, GPU, and other internals are hidden behind its display, giving it a remarkably thin (5mm at its edge) appearance for having so much tucked inside. It also comes with a Bluetooth-connected Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2 (though you can swap to the Magic Trackpad 2 if you choose) to let you start working right out of the box.

The iMac comes in two sizes and three models:

• the 21.5-inch with 1920 x 1080 sRGB display (primarily for education)
• the 21.5-inch with 4096 x 2304 Retina 4K P3 color display
• the 27-inch with 5120 x 2880 Retina 5K P3 display

All sizes and resolutions support millions of colors; additionally, the 5K Retina display supports an even billion colors, and both the 4K and 5K displays a 500-nit brightness rating.

Pricing starts at just $1,099 for the base model, though costs can exceed $4,800 if you go for a fully-loaded 27-inch 5K model. Each model of iMac differs slightly in processor power, memory, and speed:

• The standard resolution iMac sports a 2.3GHz dual-core i5 processor, with 8GB (upgradeable to 16) of memory and a 1TB hard drive (upgradeable to a 1TB Fusion Drive or 256SSD).
• The 21.5-inch 4K model starts at a 3.6Ghz quad-core i3 (upgradeable to a 3.2Ghz six-core i7), with 8GB (upgradeable to 32GB) of memory and a 1TB hard drive (upgradeable to a 1TB Fusion Drive or 256GB-1TB SSD).
• The 27-inch 5K model starts at a 3.0Ghz six-core i5 (upgradeable to a 3.6Ghz eight-core i9), with 8GB (up to 64GB) of memory and a 1TB Fusion Drive (upgradeable to a 2 or 3TB Fusion drive, or up to a 2TB SSD).

Additionally, their graphics cards differ:

• The base model ships with an integrated Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 card.
• The 21.5-inch 4K model ships with either a Radeon Pro 555X card with 2GB video memory, or a Radeon Pro 560X with 4GB video memory at a $200.
• The 27-inch 5K model ships with a Radeon Pro 570X card with 4GB video memory standard; additionally, you can upgrade to a Radeon Pro 575X with 4GB video memory or Radeon Pro 580X with 8GB video memory for $200 and $500, respectively. The top-end iMac can also be equippd with a Radeon Pro Vega 48 GPU with 8GB of video memory for an additional $450.

The iMac is truly Apple's Swiss army knife of computers: With an all-in-one shell, it can fit in almost any environment where users don't already have external peripherals.

The base model is great for educators and household tasks, while the 4K model provides an excellent mid-size screen and horsepower for basic video editing, day-to-day work, and gaming. If your needs exceed these tasks, the 5K iMac provides a huge jump up in parallel processing power and graphics, offering VR-ready performance and room to process video, photography, and basic software development.

But even the 5K model may not be enough for you: If you work in an industry that requires heavy-duty rendering power and simultaneous processing, you may want to set your sights on the iMac Pro or Mac Pro.

All-in-on powerhouse

iMac

All-in-one for everyone.

Apple's all-in-one desktop is available in a number of different options that'll make it the perfect desktop computer for your needs. Do you need a lot of storage? What about memeory, or graphics? You can configure an iMac to be just the machine you need it to, all with a big, beautiful 21.5- or 27-inch display.

Source: iMore

If the iMac is a Swiss army knife, the iMac Pro is a high-end chef's instrument. It serves one primary purpose: To utterly destroy any and all multithreaded tasks and rendering thrown its way.

The iMac Pro is not a computer for your average user. Though its space gray sheen may attract those who otherwise don't need the machine, its $4999 starting price tag should ward off most idle interest.

That price is out of the ordinary for an iMac, and for good reason: This iMac is packed full of hardware to make video editing, photography, VFX, software development, gaming, and base VR development, as easy as possible.

Depending on your needs (and budget), the iMac Pro offers several processor configurations:

• A 3.2Ghz (Turbo Boost up to 4.2Ghz) 8-core Intel Xeon W (the base model)
• A 3.0Ghz (Turbo Boost up to 4.5Ghz) 10-core Intel Xeon W (the optimal middle ground for both single and multithreaded processes)
• A 2.5Ghz (Turbo Boost up to 4.3Ghz) 14-core Intel Xeon W (super-charged version of the 10-core)
• A 2.3Ghz (Turbo Boost up to 4.3Ghz) 18-core Intel Xeon W (the best machine for multithreaded processes)

There are also two distinct graphics platforms built into the machine:

• The Radeon Pro Vega 56 with 8GB of HBM2 memory (great for software development)
• The Radeon Pro Vega 64 with 16GB of HBM2 memory (great for VR and VR development, and other graphics-intensive processes)
• The Radeon Pro Vega 64X with 16GB of HBM2 memory

It's also worth noting that you'll be able to hook up multiple external GPUs to the iMac Pro if you so choose, which means doubling (or tripling) your graphics processing power.

You can also get a truly ridiculous amount of on-board memory and solid-state storage: Memory ranges from 32GB to 128GB, and you can pay an additional $1,000 to upgrade your 1TB hard drive to 4TB. These configurations are installed when you purchase the machine, and can only be changed by Apple itself or its authorized service providers.

Who should get the iMac Pro? Those who truly need it: Graphics pros, video editors, VR gamers who want a higher-end Mac than the highest-end iMac without having to pay for an external GPU, software developers, and the like.

You shouldn't get an iMac Pro if you're just coveting the space gray color or the prospect of that raw power — chances are, unless you work in an industry that requires its processing power, you won't nearly put it through its paces.

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You also shouldn't get an iMac Pro if you're coveting a non-all-in-one solution. While the iMac Pro can hook up to multiple external displays, RAID systems, and eGPUs, it ultimately relies on external accessories to augment its performance; if you want a computer that you can upgrade yourself, you might want to consider the upcoming Mac Pro instead.

The pro all-in-one

iMac Pro

An all-in-one for demanding professionals.

Powered by Intel Xeon W processors with up to 18 cores, up to 4TB or storage, and 256GB of DDR4 ECC memory, the iMac Pro truly is a pro-focused, all-in-one monster or a machine, ready for any task you'd care to throw at it. Radeon Pro graphics make Metal operations faster than ever, while its unique dual-vent cooling system keeps temperatures down to allow the iMac Pro to handle a much higher load than is possible in the standard iMac.

Source: iMore

Let's start here: The current Mac Pro line is not for everyone, and it never has been.

Apple introduced a new Mac Pro in 2019, and it's really a niche machine aimed at professional video editing, graphic design, music, 3D animation, and virtual reality development. This is not a Mac for people looking to edit photos or enthusiests trying to get the most power out of the Mac that they can. This is purpose-built for high-end, professional production.

Replacing the previous Mac Pro's cylindrical 'trash can' is an aluminum box. An evolution of what was affectionately called the 'cheese grater' design of older Mac Pros, this new casing comes in two parts. The metal frame that stands on your desk and holds the internals of the Mac Pro itself, as well as the aluminum outer shell. The shell, which is held in place by a locking handle mechanism, can be quickly removed so that you can inspect, modify, and clean your Mac Pro with ease.

Inside the Mac Pro, Apple is once again using Intel's Xeon processors. Starting with the 8-core Intel Xeon W, you can configure your Mac Pro with your choice of a 12-, 16-, 24-, or 28-core CPU depending on your needs. The computer supports up to 1.5TB (yes, terabytes) of DDR4 error-correcting code (ECC) memory spread out over 12 user-accessible slots. It features eight PCIe expansion slots, some of which can also serve to hold Apple's new, custom Mac Pro Expansion (MPX) modules. You can use any of the slots to hold conventional graphics cards as well. The MPX bays feature an x16 gen 3 PCIe slot for graphics bandwidth, as well as an x8 gen 3 slot for Thunderbolt.

The MPX modules are custom Apple graphics modules meant for high-end video, 3D animation, and VR production. Built with AMD graphics processors, an MPX module can hold up to two of them at a time for maximum performance. Currently, MPX modules come in three flavors: AMD Radeon Pro 580X, Radeon Pro Vega II, or Radeon Pro Vega II Duo, which comes with two Vega II GPUs. The Mac Pro is designed to hold up to two of these MPX modules at once. Apple has also created the Afterburner card, an accelerator card specifically designed to dramatically increase the performance of the ProRes and ProRes RAW codecs in Final Cut, QuickTime Player, and supported third-party apps.

When it comes to storage the Mac Pro will only be available with solid state drives. You can get it with up to 8TB of storage on board, though it was originally annoucnced with 4TB. You can, of course, also expand it externally through its Thunderbolt 3 ports.

If the iMac Pro doesn't appeal to you and you absolutely need a new pro-level Mac, you might want to consider this Mac Pro.

Unlimited power

Mac Pro (2019)

Redefining the professional workstation.

At long last, Apple has introduced a new Mac Pro. Expensive, expansive, and powerful, the new Mac Pro is able to take on any task you decide to put it to. Meant for high-end music, video, and animation production, the Mac Pro can feature a processor with up to 28 cores and up to 1.5TB of memory. The custom MPX graphics modules, with dual AMD graphics processors, can handle high-bandwidth video loads for the most demanding productions.

Still thinking about it?

If you're still not sure which Mac desktop is right for you, get some advice from the iMore community in the Mac desktop forums. Our readers can be fantastic sound boards for your thought process and offer suggestions to help tip you in the right direction.

Updated December 2019: Updated to reflect the details and specs of Apple's current Mac desktop line.

Serenity Caldwell contributed to an earlier version of this article.

iMac Pro

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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!

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.

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.

Pc Vs Mac For Gaming

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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Eve updates app to add new customization and better iCloud syncing

Eve has updated its Eve for HomeKit app, and version 4.2 has a host of new features!