I have a Mac Mini 2014 that I use as my primary computer. I’ve been looking to update it for development but could not find an affordable option in Apple’s current line up. What I’m looking for is:

• 32GB of RAM
• 2+ TB of Storage
• i7 or i9 processor
• Decent GPU to handle games (Windows Bootcamp)

I looked at the MacBook Pro line but the 16″ is the only option and once configured, it was over $5000! I looked at the iMac and it didn’t have enough of a GPU. I looked at the iMac Pro and like the MacBook it was over $5000. I even looked at the new MacPro but once again, starting at over $5000.

So I decided to look at the Mac Mini. It’s a great little machine that you can upgrade. If you upgrade it to the i7 processor, 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD it will run you $2700. But even at that you don’t have a GPU worth anything. So I decided to see what it would cost if I took the base machine and upgraded it on my own.

• Mac Mini – i7 processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD – $1300
• OWC 32GB Memory (2 DIMMs) – $150
• LaCie 8TB – 2Big Thunderbolt 3 RAID – $600
• Sonnet 650W eGPU Thunderbolt Case – $300
• AMD Radeon XT 5700 X – $425

That adds up to $2775. That’s only $75 more than the Apple Upgraded machine and you have a machine with 8TB of storage and a real GPU. This machine can handle boot camp with no issues and play what ever games you want.