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Although the just announced Mac minis don't seem to be out in the wild yet, the geekbench developers have written an interesting article estimating it's likely performance: http://www.primatelabs.com/blog/2014/10/estimating-mac-mini-performance/ Although single-core performance is slightly improved over the 2012 model, as many predicted multi-core performance takes a massive hit owing to the lack of a quad-core configuration in the new lineup. There's no discussion of what difference Intel Iris (in the mid and top level 2014 model) will have over the 2012 model's Intel HD 4000 though. So which matters more to video editors, multi-core, or better graphics performance? (or, something else, like super fast storage, a thunderbolt RAID 0 or something?) Anyone have any thoughts on how say, the mid-tier 2014 Mac mini with Intel Iris would compare to a second-hand or refurbed quad-core model from 2012 (which would only have Intel HD 4000), for running FCPX? I'm talking about short, single-cam personal projects in FCPX (ie no deadlines, I can make a cup of tea while it renders), 1080p AVCHD and Prores 422, occasional processor-intensive effects like Neat Video NR or Optical Flow, I'm not needing or expecting anything screaming fast.

Andrew's post about the Hackintosh for editing RAW files got me thinking about how to approach an editing system for the GH3 I'll be using (once it finally ships to the US).     I'm curious how much power and storage I would when shooting with a GH3. (Keep in mind I'm not thinking of a PC system, but open to the idea if someone feels they have great results).   Would a Mac Mini with quad core and 8gb RAM suffice? And has anyone done any DIY upgrades to a Mac Mini that works well?   I've been leaning towards a new Imac but can't stand the lack of adaptability and higher cost, which is why I was wondering if I could get away with a Mac Mini and getting my own monitor at a cheaper price. Tweeking a Mac Mini may be an exercise in stupidity I realize, but you can at least get into the guts and people seem to do various unauthorized upgrades, like putitng in an extra hard drive and such. But will this be worth it considering the cost?   I assume a laptop would not be enough power but maybe not?   Curious what others thought based on what you know about the GH3 and the file sizes and demands that will be required...     Cheers,   Dr. John