MAC MINI with i7 quad or dual core?

[ottomc]

I am tempted to buy one of the new Mac Minis, but I am not sure which CPU will be preferable for use with Notion 3 -- 2.7 GHz dual core (i7-2620M) or 2.0 GHz quad core (i7-2635QM). I combine Notion instruments with selected patches from VSL SE plus, EWQL SO or Miroslav. Occasionally I will be using Logic. I intend to choose the 256 GB SSD + 750 GB HD @7200 RPM option and load the sweet little thing with 8GB RAM. Sorry if my question is off topic in this forum.

Best,
Otto

[bogdan1]

Hi Otto,
I recently purchased an Imac and I did some research on this matter. I would certainly go with the quad core since offeres better performance under stress.You have to keep in my mind that you're going to use some aditional FX plug in( reverb convolution etc.) which also take memory and processing power. I took the Imac 21.7 (i7 version) since by adding some goodies to the server version, I reached the Imac price ( and better off, I have a nice beautiful screen and a desktop processor versus a mobile one).
Think about it , but keep in mind that mac mini are using mobile processors --if you stil go with this option I would definetly recommend the i7 quad core as the best option for future software upgrades.
Best
B

[bogdan1]

Oh..and for memory I would go with these guys :
http://www.macsales.com/

[brennanjohnsonmusic]

I went with an iMac as well, i7 processor, 27" screen, because at the time that was the only one that could upgrade to 16GB of memory. I just went with 12GB. I LOVE the screen. It's amazing working in Notion and being able to see so much of your score and scrolling sideways on the screen with the magic mouse! I've had ZERO problems with it.

[ottomc]

Thanks a lot for responding to my request, Bogdan and Brennan! I considered buying an iMac myself a while a go, but I decided to stick with my multi-platform setup, with several computers (both Mac and Windows) sharing the same monitor (HP LP2475w, with 2 x DVI, HDMI and Display Port). I might be heading towards a complete Windows-->Mac conversion, but I am still hesitating

My intention is to integrate one of the most potent of the new Mac Minis into my multi-platform setup, where I can use it for music making together with my self built computer running Win 7 64-bit (i7-2600k, 16GB ram, 2 x SSD), thus getting the best of two worlds without making my small home studio/office too crowded. And if I go for the Mini, I will definitely order the quad core model, as you advice me to do, Bogdan. I already have a Mac Book Pro for mobile use, so it i highly probable that the aquisition of a Mini now will make me a complete Mac convert in a couple of years time

All the best,
Otto