Apple Mac Mini 2020 M1 Ram Upgrade: A Surprisingly Smooth Performance

When the mini is at idle, it draws just 3 watts. This level of efficiency is impressive, especially considering its ability to handle daily tasks without any noticeable slowdowns or response hesitations. To investigate further, I used Activity Monitor to check on RAM usage and noticed some swap had been used (about 2.5 GB) and compressed RAM was also being utilized.

As a result, I decided to put the mini through various daily tasks over a day and a bit more. During this time, I connected it to my 10G LAN using a Promise SANLink 3 adapter via Thunderbolt cable and used an ancient Sony Bravia 26' TV as a starting display (I'll soon connect it to a TB LG wide screen once I retrieve it from the office).

To monitor electrical draw in watts, I plugged the mini into my KILL A WATT device. Setting it up was quick and effortless, with no fuss whatsoever.

My recent purchase of a Mac mini (M1, 2020) has left me impressed by its performance. The base/stock model comes with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD, which I initially felt was underwhelming. However, after reading various reviews that mostly praised Apple's transition from Intel to SoC and the benefits seen on M1 Macs, I started to agree with their claims.

After listening to Apple's event introducing the M1 models, I must admit I was skeptical about their claims. But my experience with the Mac mini (M1, 2020) has been a pleasant surprise. The mini's performance is surprisingly smooth, and its energy efficiency is impressive. Despite having only 8GB RAM, it handled daily tasks effortlessly, making me agree with Apple's claims.

Apple mac mini 2020 m1 ram upgrade