As soon as Apple presented the Mac mini M4, I didn’t hesitate for a single minute: I bought it. I’ve been waiting for this renewal for a long time, and now more than ever, it’s the perfect device. Small, powerful… you can take it anywhere. But I was expecting something that ultimately didn’t happen.
Why hasn’t Apple released a Mac mini that runs exclusively on USB-C power? If I can do it with my MacBook Pro, what is the reason for having to use two cables When does my USB-C display already provide enough power?
You dream of a Mac mini powered by USB-C
The idea is tempting: a Mac mini connected to our monitor with a single USB-C cable that provides both the video signal and power. A clean officewithout additional power cables. Sounds perfect, right? I currently have it with my MacBook Pro, and when I upgraded to Mac mini, I will have to add an additional cable.
Plus, the Mac mini M4 is so small that I’m considering putting it in my backpack so I can work between home and the office. With a USB-C cable, you can have two different chargers in each location. I even use the multiport charger I use for my iPhonesince it has a power of 100 W. But no, I have to take the Mac mini and also the charging cable, which will be under the table, grouped among many other cables.
Maybe I’m asking too much. I’m trying to convert a laptop into something that isn’t. I know. But if to a MacBook Pro can be configured with an M4 Max128GB of RAM and power a display with over 1,000 nits of brightness…
Technical obstacles even in this latest generation
Charging power
However, the reality is more complex. The Mac mini consumes, at its highest setting, 100 W. The MacBook Pro has similar consumptionsince the power adapter provided in the box is 96 W. In concrete terms, it’s the same.
The Apple Studio Display, with its powerful Thunderbolt port offering up to 96W charging, It would be a little short to power a Mac mini. Apple clearly specifies that this loading capacity is designed for “notebooks”, not for desktop computers.
Switch the Mac mini to DC power (like USB-C) would require completely rethinking the internal power supply. They could have done it with the redesign of the Mac mini M4. In fact, all the internal components have been modified to miniaturize it, but there is another very important factor: the battery.
Loss of files
And, even if we disconnect the charger from the MacBook Pro, at no time will we lose information or our Mac will turn off if we add a cable as easy to remove and insert as USB-C, Any movement or small shake would disconnect and turn off our Mac. Even, because of a little confusion, if we have two or three products connected. It would be too easy to make this mistake.
The danger of letting yourself choose a charger
And finally we come to the section where “we just pay for sinners.” Since the Mac mini does not have a battery, it does not have stable and always available power to support the Mac.
Even if we put a 30W charger on the Mac, the battery will support it with the rest of the energy.
In the case of a desktop computer, needs stable, controlled power. We would therefore have to use exactly the current adapter that Apple offers us, whether for example the 96 W charger. In this case, we would be in the same situation. You would need to charge with the power adapter and a USB-C cable compatible with this charging level.
For these three main reasons,The idea of powering a Mac mini via USB-C is ruined. Technically this would be possible with a specific charger and cable, but since it doesn’t have a battery, it lacks the MacBook support to be able to use them with a generic USB-C charger and cable. So, to our great regret, I will have to put the Mac mini and the cable provided in the box in my backpack.
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