I’ve been gifted an old model Mac mini. I think it’s an Intel one.
I will be using it for photo editing and Zwift.
Currently I use an iPad mini for Zwift, my old pc was good 5 years ago but now needs upgrading or scrapping.
My old pc monitor isn’t compatible with the Mac so I need to buy a new one.
My question is- is it worth spending a little more to get a monitor that has a slightly higher frame rate (75-100) and active sync? Or will that really make no difference on Zwift because of the limitations of the Mac? Would I be better off just buying the best monitor I can afford for photo editing and maybe saving up for a pc for Zwift with a cheap gaming monitor at a later date?
Thanks
The Mac Mini probably will not achieve frame rates high enough to benefit from a monitor with high refresh rates. The CPU will be the main limiter of frame rates in Zwift.
Your old monitor can probably be used with the mac with a cable or an adapter. If it’s otherwise acceptable I would explore those possibilities, especially if you are thinking of getting a PC later - better to defer as much of the spending as possible since everything will be cheaper later. What are the connector options on the monitor and which Mac Mini is it?
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Thanks Paul, the model is A1993, apparently Intel i5. It has HDMI and “thunderbolt” connections. The monitor has VGA and DVI inputs and I guess it’s around 10 years old?
We’ve tried an HDMI to DVI cable and a VGA cable with a USBc adaptor but no joy getting the monitor to work with either at all. My partner thinks the next thing to try is either an expensive (active?) apple adaptor or a newer monitor.
Anyway, you’ve answered my question. I should just consider what I want to spend on photo editing. If I prefer the bigger screen with the Mac to my little iPad when running Zwift, that’s a bonus, but I won’t expect too much.
That’s a late 2018 model. Pretty decent machine and definitely worth using for something since it has solid state storage. I’m surprised the DVI connection did not work out for you. I’ve used cheap HDMI to DVI adapters with macs of similar vintage. I wouldn’t bother with VGA.
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Oh yes, a very generous gift. I think it’s the age or my particular monitor that’s the issue. I probably will buy a newer one, it will be a really nice set up for photos and artwork.
You could just connect it via HDMI to a 4K tv screen and control the machine with wireless Magic Keyboard and a wireless mouse.
The 4K TVs are usually cheap and some of them have nice colour quality. You’ll get sound through HDMI as well.
A big TV screen will also give a great Zwift experience.
You can upgrade the ram in the A1993 if needed too - 2x16gb might be helpful for photo editing. 
The SSD cannot be replaced however. 
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Using a TV for photo editing is not a good idea - or are there any TVs which can be calibrated?
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Thanks Chris, I think for Zwift a TV would be great, but probably not so much for photo editing.
It depends on what kind of photo edits and how serious.
If it is just general sort and crop/level the photos, and upload them fine. But if it’s more detailed then sure you need a proper monitor and or a calibration device (some monitors have them built in).
But they are expensive. I used to have 30” Apple A1083s here, then changed to LG 5K.
I might have a bit of knowledge in the photography field.
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