Getting a new Mac Desktop/Laptop - Where and What?

[DougieCooper95]

I made a similar post August last year. Now it's looking like in the next few months I'll buy a new Mac. This time I have a few more questions/more info.

So basically, my current Mac desktop (late 2014/early 2015) is old and not as fast as it once used to be (I still have over 100GB+ disk space and no anti-virus software), despite having its drive replaced with an SSD in 2022. It's 1TB 21.5 inch so something similar would be great.

This is what I'm looking for

- £2,000 or less budget for computer
- Ideally desktop, though maybe laptop if there are better options (not a fan of how small their screens are and the mouse)
- 1TB or more
- Memory great enough to handle edit softwares such as Adobe Premiere (so far, I'm stuck with just using the internet and Final Draft)

It doesn't have to be the newest Mac but something that's fast and doesn't give me as much of a headache as my current one.

I would also love to know where is the best place to get a new Mac. Is Apple the only one or are there places with better deals?

 

[Randy B. Singer]

So basically, my current Mac desktop (late 2014/early 2015) is old and not as fast as it once used to be ...

Have you tried the suggestions at:

Macintosh Slowdown Solutions
http://www.macattorney.com/sd.html

?

 

[Slydude]

First off you've got nothing to lose by trying the steps that Randy linked to. They may not make your machine run like a Ferrari but they may help it run a little bit longer at an acceptable speed.

I've been in the very position that you're in about a year ago. I moved from a late 2015 iMac to an M1 Mac Mini and the difference was quite noticeable.

I did a little poking around on the US Apple site and found that it's possible to get one of the M series Mac Mini's with 16 GB of memory and one TB of storage for about $1200 US. That leaves a bit of money left in the budget for a good monitor. Similar deals should be available on sites for other pars of the world.

I know you're leaning in the direction of a desktop but over the years I've also used a Mac laptop with an external monitor attached to give me a little more real estate space. I don't need that level of portability anymore but it's nice if you need it.

Might I also suggest the refurbished section of Apple's website. You can sometimes find some pretty good deals there and the warranty is the same as it would be if you had purchased a new Mac.

 

[DougieCooper95]

Thanks for the suggestions. Randy, I've checked out your link and will try your suggestions before I hastily go for a new computer.

And thanks, Slydude. If I were to get a new Mac, it would be from the UK. I might have to bite the bullet and get a Macbook as the options for a desktop don't seem too good. Will keep the external monitor idea in mind.

 

[Slydude]

And thanks, Slydude. If I were to get a new Mac, it would be from the UK. I might have to bite the bullet and get a Macbook as the options for a desktop don't seem too good. Will keep the external monitor idea in mind.

If you are thinking about the options available in the UK refurbished store, check back often to see what's available. If the US store is any indication, what's in stock changes almost constantly.. You might find a configuration you like one day and it's gone the next day.

There are other places online that sell refurbished equipment but I've avoid themSeveral of them seem to have older gear and the warranty is not usually as good as what Apple offers. Other members probably have more experience with that side of the market than I do.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

Thanks for the suggestions. Randy, I've checked out your link and will try your suggestions before I hastily go for a new computer.

I think that I already see why your Mac has slowed way down. You have a 1TB SSD, and 100GB free. In other words, your SSD is 90% full. Anything over about 70%, and an SSD is done. Even though 100GB is objectively a lot of free space, your SSD needs at least a buffer of about 30% to run well.

This can't be fixed by offloading and trashing data on your SSD, because that trashed data isn't erased immediately from your drive, it's just marked as available to be re-written over. Unfortunately, there are no utilities for the Macintosh that allow you to completely erase space that is available to be re-written. In fact, since you installed your own SSD, there is even a chance that Apple's implementation of TRIM isn't compatible with that SSD. You are either going to need a new SSD, or to consider a new Mac.

I should point out that if you get a new Mac, and it also has a 1TB internal SSD, and you migrate all of your data over to the new Mac, thus filling up the new SSD, your new Mac will run like a slug also. You either need a bigger internal SSD, or you will have to pare down what you migrate over to your new Mac. Possibly using an external drive to store and access all of the excess, non-critical data.

 

[Slydude]

I think that I already see why your Mac has slowed way down. You have a 1TB SSD, and 100GB free. In other words, your SSD is 90% full. Anything over about 70%, and an SSD is done. Even though 100GB is objectively a lot of free space, your SSD needs at least a buffer of about 30% to run well.

This can't be fixed by offloading and trashing data on your SSD, because that trashed data isn't erased immediately from your drive, it's just marked as available to be re-written over. Unfortunately, there are no utilities for the Macintosh that allow you to completely erase space that is available to be re-written. In fact, since you installed your own SSD, there is even a chance that Apple's implementation of TRIM isn't compatible with that SSD. You are either going to need a new SSD, or to consider a new Mac.

I should point out that if you get a new Mac, and it also has a 1TB internal SSD, and you migrate all of your data over to the new Mac, thus filling up the new SSD, your new Mac will run like a slug also. You either need a bigger internal SSD, or you will have to pare down what you migrate over to your new Mac. Possibly using an external drive to store and access all of the excess, non-critical data.

Good catch on both scores Randy. I did not think of either scenario.

 

[hughvane]

As the old saying goes ... been there, done that. I heartily recommend a Mac Mini, even the M4 would fit within your budget, but of course there's the extra cost of an external monitor, the sky's the limit in that respect.

Incidentally, I agree with Randy's suggestion of an external HD to store non-essential files. There are numerous options along that course of action.

 

[nickyr]

I will jump on the pro Mac Mini train
I had an M1 a while ago but ended more ports (even with a hub) and went for the M2 Pro version. I really couldn't be happier. It does everything I need and probably loads more that I don't!

I have a CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 hub connected to it giving me a total of 6 TB4 ports and 6 USBA ports. All the ports Ineed to connect a variety of SSDs and HDDs.

I would imagine getting one now would involve the Apple refurbished route or second hand.

Good luck in your quest

 

[DougieCooper95]

I think that I already see why your Mac has slowed way down. You have a 1TB SSD, and 100GB free. In other words, your SSD is 90% full. Anything over about 70%, and an SSD is done. Even though 100GB is objectively a lot of free space, your SSD needs at least a buffer of about 30% to run well.

This can't be fixed by offloading and trashing data on your SSD, because that trashed data isn't erased immediately from your drive, it's just marked as available to be re-written over. Unfortunately, there are no utilities for the Macintosh that allow you to completely erase space that is available to be re-written. In fact, since you installed your own SSD, there is even a chance that Apple's implementation of TRIM isn't compatible with that SSD. You are either going to need a new SSD, or to consider a new Mac.

I should point out that if you get a new Mac, and it also has a 1TB internal SSD, and you migrate all of your data over to the new Mac, thus filling up the new SSD, your new Mac will run like a slug also. You either need a bigger internal SSD, or you will have to pare down what you migrate over to your new Mac. Possibly using an external drive to store and access all of the excess, non-critical data.

Oh, fair enough! So okay, if I were to delete old files from this computer/SSD and transfer everything to a new computer/SSD, it would still be slow due to my free space not being immediately erased? Because I can easily delete quite a lot of stuff on my drive and get about 60% full.

I'm also experiencing a lot of random freezing and power shutdowns randomly on this mac which I'm not sure what the cause is. Seems like another sign I need to get something new...

 

[MacInWin]

Oh, fair enough! So okay, if I were to delete old files from this computer/SSD and transfer everything to a new computer/SSD, it would still be slow due to my free space not being immediately erased? Because I can easily delete quite a lot of stuff on my drive and get about 60% full.

I'm also experiencing a lot of random freezing and power shutdowns randomly on this mac which I'm not sure what the cause is. Seems like another sign I need to get something new...

Things you delete are not migrated to a new system. Nor are those deleted files/folders transferred by Finder in a mass move. The Trash is not transferred, either, although you should empty the trash to free up the space from the files in the Trash.

Random freezing is most likely do to the full drive, but power shutdowns are not. That Mac is dying and trying to tell you it is.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

... if I were to delete old files from this computer/SSD and transfer everything to a new computer/SSD, it would still be slow due to my free space not being immediately erased? ...

Correct. You cannot just offload data from your SSD, delete it, and fix the problem. Your SSD is toast.

While I understand that there is software that will erase (not just over-write) the free space on an SSD for Windows, there is none that I've found for the Macintosh.

How to restore your SSD to peak performance

SSDs slow down with use, but a secure-erase utility could work wonders for it.

www.pcworld.com

(Note that the Unix "secure erase" command does not erase free space. It over-writes it. This will not improve performance.)

 

[MacInWin]

You cannot just offload data from your SSD, delete it, and fix the problem. Your SSD is toast.

Really? Are you saying that SSDs are one time use only? From what I know of the technology, if you format the drive at low level the entire drive directory structure is reset and all pages/blocks made available for use. Techncally, what is there is not overwritten, but the space is made available. And when one deletes a file/folder, the blocks that hold the data for those files/folders are made available for reuse. Yes, there are some inefficiencies in the system when multiple files are written into the same blocks on different pages and SSDs need to do garbage collection, but a general erase/format of the SSD releases all of the pages and blocks.

So, if your SSD is 90% full and you reduce the files/folders to free up 30% leaving 60% used and 40% free, the next garbage collection will recover most of that space from deleted files/folders for reuse.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

Really? Are you saying that SSDs are one time use only?

No, I am not saying that at all.

Feel free to read the articles that I've cited. (We've covered this many times previously here on M-F.)

There is no way to force TRIM to run. (Assuming that you even have an SSD that is compatible with Apple's implementation of TRIM.) At least on a Macintosh. It runs when it wants to.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

"The rule of thumb to keep SSDs at top speeds is to never completely fill them up. To avoid performance issues, you should never use more than 70% of its total capacity.
...
"When you’re getting close to the 70% threshold, you should consider upgrading your computer’s SSD with a larger drive."
Why Solid-State Drive (SSD) Performance Slows Down As It Becomes Full
https://pureinfotech.com/why-solid-state-drive-ssd-performance-slows-down/


"SSDs may suffer performance issues, especially in writing speed, when the drive reaches full capacity. It is easier for the drive to write to an empty cell when there is free space available. When the drive is full, the SSD needs to find out which blocks are partially filled, move that information into a cache and then write it back to the drive. It is best to have 10-15% of your drive set aside for free space, to keep a good balance between performance and space utilization."
https://www.slrlounge.com/tips-to-get-the-most-from-your-ssds/

 

[MacBiter]

No, I am not saying that at all.

Feel free to read the articles that I've cited. (We've covered this many times previously here on M-F.)

There is no way to force TRIM to run. (Assuming that you even have an SSD that is compatible with Apple's implementation of TRIM.) At least on a Macintosh. It runs when it wants to.

My version of TRIM is 3rd party (Sensei?) and seems to run ok.