Is the Mac Mini good for SketchUp and rendering?

SketchUp Computer Advice
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Hello everyone,

I’m planning to buy a new computer and I’d like some advice.
I mainly use SketchUp, AutoCAD, LightDesign and Rhino, and I also do rendering work.

I’m considering purchasing the Mac Mini, and I’d like to know if this could be a good choice for my workflow.
Do you think the Mac Mini is powerful enough for these applications, or would you recommend another system (Windows or Mac) that could handle 3D modeling and rendering more efficiently?

Thank you in advance for your suggestions!

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I think for the Mini price they are hard to beat.

Be sure that everything you need is actually Mac compatible however,the choice is more restricted on Mac normally.

On the rendering side you’ll have limited choices

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Thank you for your feedback, much appreciated!

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Yes, it is. I had a m1, now m4, good machines.
(As to the tools available, what Adam said)

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Do you use AutoCAD on a mac currently? If not and you use it on a PC there is a big difference. On the mac side you will lose access to ALL of the vertical toolsets (AutoCAD Arch, MEP, Mech, Elec, Map 3D and so on). Not saying one is better just that they are different.

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I wish I could offer some advice on this thread but company policy prevents us from offering an endorsement of any particular brands of hardware. I have access to a pretty great Windows 11 PC and a awesome MacBook. I like them both for SketchUp work but I rarely have time to dig into rendering on either one.

As stated by other users, if you are moving to a new OS make sure that your software will run on it before you buy any hardware. I made that mistake once and am extra cautious now.

Also, keep in mind that 3D modeling software is isolated to a single core so CPU speed is more important than core count for actual modeling. Rendering on the other hand can usually make use of more cores and even the GPU. If you do all your modeling on one computer and your rendering on another, you will be able to aim for different components for each system to squeeze more performance per dollar out of each one but if you are looking for a single device to do it all, you may end up paying more.

I’ll end my post by with my usual link to the SketchUp hardware requirements so that you can access them from this thread as needed. Hopefully you can find a great computer for your workflow!

https://help.sketchup.com/en/sketchup/system-requirements

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I used AutoCAD on Windows a while ago, but now I need to get a new computer for a specialization course where I’ll be using it. I’m looking at the Mac mini because at that price it’s hard to find anything better, just not sure about the differences compared to the Windows version.

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There is nothing wrong with a Mac Mini for your needs all I am saying is that if you are used to AutoCAD on PC you might be disappointed with it on a Mac. They are 2 different animals. If you are a beginner user with AutoCAD it might not be that big of a deal to you.

https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Compare-Features-AutoCAD-for-Windows-vs-AutoCAD-for-Mac.html

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