Apple on Tuesday announced a major update to the Mac mini, the company’s smallest desktop Mac. The new computer is even smaller than before, features the M4 or M4 Pro chip, and starts with 16GB of unified memory. It still starts at $599 but Apple has doubled the RAM.
Here are four standard Mac mini configurations offered by Apple:
- $599/£599: M4 with 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB unified memory and 256GB SSD
- $799/£799: M4 with 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB unified memory and 512GB SSD
- $999/£999: M4 with 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 24GB unified memory and 256GB SSD
- $1,399/£1,399: M4 Pro with 12-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 24GB unified memory and 256GB SSD
M4 Mac mini: new design and new ports
Apple has reduced the size of the Mac mini; it now measures 5 x 5 x 2 inches (12.7 x 12.7 x 5 centimeters), down from the previous 7.75 x 7.75 x 1.41 inches (19.7 x 19.7 x 3 .6 centimeters), but not as small as the Apple TV, which measures 3.6 inches. . The Mac mini is only available in silver, which looks like a smaller version of the Mac Studio, is only available in silver.
The Mac mini sports two USB-C ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the front. On the back are three Thunderbolt ports: the M4 Mac mini uses Thunderbolt 4, while the M4 Pro Mac mini comes with Thunderbolt 5, the first Mac to support the technology. The back of all Mac minis also has an HDMI port and a Gigabit Ethernet port that can be upgraded to 10GB Ethernet for $100/£100. No USB-A ports are available, which means you’ll need USB-C adapters for your older devices.
The M4 Mac mini uses Thunderbolt 4 for its rear ports, while the M4 Pro model has Thunderbolt 5.
Apple
M4 and M4 Pro
Compared to the Intel Core i7 Mac mini (released in 2018), Apple claims the M4 delivers 13.3x faster gaming performance in World of Warcraft: The War Within33x faster image scaling performance in Photomator and “applies up to 2.8x more audio effects plugins in a Logic Pro project.” Compared to the M1 Mac mini (released in 2020), Apple says the M4 is 4.9x faster when merging panoramic images in Adobe Lightroom Classic, 1.7x faster with spreadsheet calculations in Microsoft Excel and 2x faster when transcribing with the device. AI speech-to-text synthesis in MacWhisper.
The M4 Pro debuts with the Mac mini; The standard configuration includes a 12-core CPU and 10-core GPU, but it can be upgraded to a 14-core CPU and 20-core GPU for $200/£200. Compared to the M2 Pro Mac mini (released in 2023) that it replaces, Apple says the M4 Pro “performs 3D renders up to 2.9 times faster in Blender.”
External display support
The Mac mini can support up to three displays, but the types of displays you can use differ between the two chips:
- M4:
- Three displays: two displays with up to 6K resolution at 60 Hz over Thunderbolt and one display with up to 5K resolution at 60 Hz over Thunderbolt or 4K resolution at 60 Hz over HDMI
- Dual displays: one display with up to 5K resolution at 60 Hz over Thunderbolt and one display with up to 8K resolution at 60 Hz or 4K resolution at 240 Hz over Thunderbolt or HDMI
- M4 Pro:
- Three displays: Three displays with up to 6K resolution at 60 Hz via Thunderbolt or HDMI
- Dual displays: one display with up to 6K resolution at 60 Hz over Thunderbolt and one display with up to 8K resolution at 60 Hz or 4K resolution at 240 Hz over Thunderbolt or HDMI
The Mac mini is available for pre-order and shipping will begin on November 8. On Monday, Apple also announced the new M4 iMac.
