Friday, April 23rd 2021
Apple Updates M1 Mac Mini with 10 GbE Upgrade Option
Apple has quietly added a new M1 Mac Mini configuration option to their website with an optional upgrade from the internal 1 Gbps Ethernet to 10 Gbps Ethernet at the time of purchase for 100 USD. The upgrade is only available as a factory option and cannot be added after purchase so those who require 10 GbE will want to purchase the upgrade at the time of purchase. For existing M1 Mac Mini owners it is possible to get 10 GbE with a USB 4 / Thunderbolt 3 dongle such as the OWC Thunderbolt 3 10G which retails for 149 USD. Why Apple has only just now decided to include this 10 GbE upgrade as an option and not with the original launch is unknown.
Source:
Apple
35 Comments on Apple Updates M1 Mac Mini with 10 GbE Upgrade Option
Personally I see both existing, but pc gaming remaining dominant. They are overinvested in the idea right now.
I think you are misjudging the consumer.
Even a 5gbps connection can just barely pump full low latency (as in full chroma quality / uncompressed) 1080p. Don't dream higher. That's the enthusiast market. Thus both will remain.
My only claim I'm willing to really bet on is that enthusiast gaming will survive. I see absolutely no reason cloud gaming will survive beyond niche use cases because it loses so many of PC gamings benefits, but fully admit that part is just conjecture really.
Thunderbolt has minor latency issues and cost more for the need of thunderbolt controller chip on both the motherboard and TB device, whereas m2 uses PCIE lanes from CPU itself and the dongles of same (signal) quality is much cheaper, with minor performance(overhead) benefit vs TB. But as a novelty market this does not matter.