My 2019 Intel MacBook Pro had served me well for five years, but I started shopping for something newer. I looked at the M4 MacBook Pro and immediately balked at the price—we’re talking several thousand dollars. Then something clicked: I’m at my home office desk pretty much every single day. Maybe 10 days a year, I’m working somewhere else. Did I really need to spend MacBook money on a computer that never leaves my desk?
That’s how I ended up with a Mac Mini M2 for my upstairs office, hooked up to a 55″ Samsung Frame TV. It worked so well that I added an M4 Mac Mini for the basement office with two Samsung 32″ M8 monitors. I kept my Intel MacBook Pro for rare coffee shop work sessions and days away from home. Here’s why switching to Mac Minis was the smartest tech decision I made this year.
It runs smoother and quieter than my MacBook ever did
Even a single large display pushed my MacBook too hard
I used to run my Intel MacBook Pro with four external displays, but the performance issues became unbearable. Before buying a Mac Mini, I simplified to a single 55″ Samsung Frame TV, using macOS window snapping to divide it into four 27″ quadrants.
Except it didn’t solve the problem. Even with just one display, my MacBook Pro struggled. The fan screamed constantly, video calls lagged, and too many applications would bog down the system. The thermal constraints of cramming power into a thin laptop meant the machine was always fighting itself.
The Mac Mini M2 changed everything. With the same TV and window arrangement, everything suddenly became smooth and silent. No fan noise, no throttling, and no lag. The Mac Mini’s better thermal design meant sustained performance without compromise. When I set up the M4 model in the basement with two Samsung M8 monitors, the experience was even better—more screen real estate, zero performance issues, complete silence.
Display arrangement actually stays put
No more confused cursor movement
The nightmare with my MacBook Pro wasn’t just windows being in the wrong place—it completely forgot where my monitors were physically located. I’d disconnect my laptop, and when I plugged it back in, the system would decide my left upper monitor was now in the bottom-right position and swap display locations illogically.
This made using the computer genuinely confusing. I’d move my cursor to the right, expecting it to go to my right-hand monitor, but it would jump to the left-hand display. Every reconnection required opening System Settings and manually dragging monitor icons back to their correct positions.
The Mac Mini eliminated this through the simplest solution: it never disconnects from the monitor. Both Mac Minis stay plugged into their displays 24/7. There’s no reconnection cycle, so macOS never gets confused. My cursor moves exactly where I expect it to, every time. Those few minutes of confusion happened multiple times a week with my MacBook. Now it simply never happens.
The price-to-performance ratio makes perfect sense
Thousands saved without sacrificing power
I started configuring an M4 MacBook Pro with the RAM and storage I needed, and wow—the price climbed past $3,000 fast. Here’s the thing, though: I bought two Mac Minis for less than one tricked-out MacBook Pro would’ve cost me. And they’re actually faster for desktop work.
The math became obvious once I assessed my work patterns. Look, I’m home basically all the time. There might be 10 days in a whole year when I’m working away from home. Sometimes I’ll take my laptop to the local coffee shop for a change of scenery, but we’re talking a few hours, not regular travel. And my 2019 Intel MacBook Pro still runs fine for “remote” working with my iPad as a second monitor.
By choosing Mac Minis for both home office spaces and keeping my existing MacBook for occasional portable use, I got desktop-class performance where I needed it while saving thousands. Plus, having dedicated machines in both spaces means I can seamlessly move between them without lugging equipment around my house. Not to mention making my office feel less cluttered.
It pairs perfectly with a big screen
A 55″ TV as my main display changed everything
The Mac Mini’s tiny footprint freed me to fully embrace the 55″ Samsung Frame TV as my sole display. I use macOS window snapping to divide the screen into four 27″ quadrants, giving me the organization of multiple displays with the seamlessness of one screen. No bezels between workspace sections, no cursor hunting—just one massive, continuous workspace.
The screen real estate transformed how I work. Reading documentation, reviewing code, or editing articles feels completely different with this much space. Video calls became more natural—seeing colleagues at near life-size creates a better presence than tiny laptop windows.
When I’m done working, the Frame TV just shows artwork instead of being a big black screen on my wall. The Mac Mini itself is small enough that I can hide it completely. My office looks like a normal room, not a tech command center or day-trader den. In the basement, the two Samsung M8 monitors provide a more traditional setup. Both configurations beat any docked MacBook setup I ever had.
Don’t pay for portability you don’t need
The revelation was simple: stop paying for portability I rarely use. A MacBook makes sense if you regularly work in different locations, but if you’re working from home most of the time, Mac Minis deliver better performance and value.
The Mac Minis solved every performance issue with my Intel MacBook Pro—fan noise, display management headaches, and thermal throttling. I still have portability when I need it with my existing MacBook. This combination gives me the best of both worlds, and having dedicated machines in both office spaces means I never have to haul equipment around my house.
Before dropping thousands on a new MacBook, honestly assess where you actually work. You might find a Mac Mini is exactly what you need.