Mac mini: New M4 Chips, Should You Buy?

Should You Buy the Mac mini?

Refreshed in October 2024, the Mac mini is brand new and now is the best time to buy. Priced starting at $599, the Mac mini is Apple's affordable desktop option, and with an M4 chip and 16GB memory at a minimum, it is an excellent deal.

The Mac mini models have current-generation M4 and M4 Pro chips inside, along with Thunderbolt 4 or 5 ports, up to 64GB unified memory, SSD storage up to 8TB, and a small and compact size. Note that the Mac mini does not come with a display or peripherals, so you will need to supply your own.

The Mac mini is Apple's smallest desktop machine, but Apple also offers the Mac Studio and the Mac Pro for more intensive tasks that require more power. If you're trying to decide if you should upgrade to the new Mac mini, or need help choosing between the Mac mini and Mac Studio, we have helpful buyer's guides, plus an up-to-date guide on where to get the best Mac mini deals.

M4 Mac Mini Features

Should You Buy the Mac mini?
M4 Mac Mini Features
How to Buy
Reviews
Design

Ports

Display Support

M4 and M4 Pro Apple Silicon Chips

Media Engine

Memory and Storage

Other Features

Speakers

Available Models

Base Models

Build-to-Order Options

Mac mini Timeline

Apple updated the Mac mini in October 2024, introducing an overhauled design and much faster M4 and M4 Pro Apple silicon chips. This is the biggest update the Mac mini has seen since 2020, when Apple silicon chips were first introduced, and the first redesign since 2010.

The updated Mac mini is notably smaller than the prior version, and it takes up less space on a desktop or in a server rack. It measures in at 5 inches by 5 inches, which makes it 2.75 inches smaller on each side than the previous model. It is two inches tall, however, so it is about 40 percent taller than the prior version. The Mac mini weighs just 1.5 pounds.

M4 and M4 Pro Apple silicon chips in the Mac mini integrate the GPU, CPU, RAM, and other components. The M4 chip has a 10-core CPU with four performance cores and six efficiency cores, and a 10-core GPU that supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh sharing for improved gaming and GPU-intensive tasks.

The M4 Pro chip has up to a 14-core CPU with 10 performance cores and four efficiency cores, and up to a 20-core GPU. Both chips come with a faster 16-core Neural Engine for Apple Intelligence and machine learning tasks, and a dedicated Media Engine for hardware-accelerated video decoding and encoding.

While the M4 Mac mini supports up to 32GB unified memory and offers 120GB/s memory bandwidth, the M4 Pro models support up to 64GB unified memory and 273GB/s memory bandwidth. According to Apple, the M4 Mac mini models are up to 2x faster than the prior-generation M2 Mac mini models.

Apple overhauled the design of the Mac mini, but while it is significantly smaller, it has the same square-shaped silver aluminum enclosure. Apple added a new thermal architecture to accommodate the M4 chips in the smaller body, with a vented foot that pulls in air from the surrounding environment to cool the machine. Air is able to circulate throughout the system before being vented back out. With the thermal design, the Mac mini remains cool and quiet during operation.

Standard M4 Mac mini models come with a 256GB or 512GB SSD that is configurable up to 2TB, but the M4 Pro can be purchased with up to an 8TB SSD.

The M4 Mac mini supports up to three displays, with two displays at 6K 60Hz and one display at 5K 60Hz. It can run an 8K display with 60Hz or a 4K display with a 240Hz refresh rate along with one display at 5K resolution at 60Hz. The M4 Pro Mac mini also supports up to three displays, but it can run three that have a 6K resolution at 60Hz. Alternatively, it can handle one 6K display at 60Hz and one 8K display with 60Hz or a 4K display at 240Hz.

All Mac mini models have two USB-C ports that support transfer speeds up to 10Gb/s on the front, along with an additional three USB-C/Thunderbolt ports at the back. The M4 Mac mini has Thunderbolt 4 ports that support transfer speeds up to 40Gb/s, while the M4 Pro Mac mini has three Thunderbolt 5 ports that support transfer speeds up to 120Gb/s.

There are built-in speakers in the Mac mini, along with a 3.5mm headphone jack that supports high-impedance headphones. An HDMI port supports multichannel audio output, and there is a Gigabit Ethernet port configurable to 10Gb Ethernet. The back of the Mac mini also includes a connector for power. At the bottom of the Mac mini, there is a power button for turning it on and off.

Other M4 Mac mini features include Wi-Fi 6E support for use with routers that support the 6GHz network, and Bluetooth 5.3.

The Mac mini models do not come with displays or included peripherals, which is why pricing is lower. You need to supply your own display, keyboard, and mouse with these desktop machines.

Pricing on the M4 Mac mini starts at $599 for 16GB RAM and a 256GB SSD. A model with a 512GB SSD is available for $799, and a version with 24GB RAM and a 512GB SSD is available for $999. The higher-end M4 Pro version with 24GB RAM and 512GB SSD is priced at $1,399, and there are multiple build-to-order upgrade options available.

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How to Buy

The M4 Mac mini models are available now from the online Apple Store, Apple retail stores, and other retailers with prices starting at $599.

Reviews

Mac mini reviews were positive overall, with reviewers praising the new, smaller size and the powerful M4 and M4 Pro chip options.

The Verge highlighted the two extra USB-C ports that were added this year, and said that the new Mac mini enclosure makes the most of its small footprint.

WIRED liked the ports that are on the front of the device, and the Thunderbolt 5 support on the M4 Pro model. The front ports make it easier to plug in peripherals, while Thunderbolt 5 allows for faster transfer speeds. WIRED also pointed out the lack of USB-A, which you'll miss if you have USB-A accessories.

The relocation of the power button to the bottom of the Mac mini wasn't a popular change, with reviewers calling it unintuitive and silly. The Mac mini has to be picked up to turn it off or on, which may be annoying to some.

As for the M4 chip's performance, reviewers were impressed. It can play modern games, and it is quick at transcribing audio and editing video. The Mac mini is quiet, and Engadget said that there was no fan noise when editing RAW photos.

For more opinions on the Mac mini, make sure to check out our Mac mini review roundup.

Design

The 2024 Mac mini update significantly changes the design of the machine for the first time since it was introduced in 2010, so this is the first major overhaul it has received in 14 years.

Apple shaved down the size of the Mac mini, and it has a much smaller footprint than before. It measures in at 5 inches by 5 inches square, down from the previous 7.75 x 7.75 inch size. Apple says that the Mac mini's footprint is less than half of the size of the previous design, so it takes up less space on a desk or in a server rack.

The Mac mini is still larger than the Apple TV, which measures in at 3.66 inches square. Apple increased the thickness of the Mac mini to account for the slimmed down size, and it is now two inches thick. At 1.5 pounds for the M4 version and 1.6 pounds for the M4 Pro version, it is much lighter and easier to transport if you need to take it from place to place.

Unlike the iMac, the Mac mini does not ship with a display, keyboard, or mouse, so it is ideal for those who want to supply their own accessories.

An upgraded thermal architecture sucks air in through the foot of the device, circulates it throughout each level of the machine, and then vents it back out. Apple continues to sell the Mac mini only in silver.

Both the front and rear of the 2024 Mac mini include ports, with Apple increasing the total number of ports available. There is an LED light at the front that lets you know when the Mac mini is turned on, and there's an Apple logo at the top of the device.

Ports

The Mac mini has five total USB-C ports, with Apple adding ports at the front for increased flexibility. The two at the front are USB-C ports that support USB 3 transfer speeds of up to 10Gb/s, but the rear ports are Thunderbolt.

In the M4 Mac mini, there are three Thunderbolt 4 ports that support transfer speeds up to 40Gb/s, but in the M4 Pro Mac mini, Apple included Thunderbolt 5 ports that support transfer speeds of up to 120Gb/s. Both the Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 5 ports support USB 4 and DisplayPort connectivity.

The prior M2 and M2 Pro versions of the Mac mini offered two and four Thunderbolt 4 ports, respectively.

Both Mac mini models include an HDMI 2.1 port, a Gigabit Ethernet port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a spot for the power cord to plug in.

Display Support

The M4 Mac mini supports the following display combinations:

Three displays: Two displays at up to 6K resolution at 60Hz, and one display with up to 5K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt or 4K resolution 60Hz over HDMI.
Two displays: One display with up to 5K resolution at 60Hz and one display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or 4K resolution at 240Hz.

The M4 Pro Mac mini supports the following display combinations:

Three displays: Three displays at up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt or HDMI.
Two displays: One display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz and one display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or 4K resolution at 240Hz.

With the M4 Pro chip, the ‌Mac mini‌ can power three of the Pro Display XDR or three of the Studio Display. With the M4 chip, the ‌Mac mini‌ can drive two Pro Display XDRs or three Studio Displays.

M4 and M4 Pro Apple Silicon Chips

The 2024 Mac mini models are equipped with M4 and M4 Pro chips, which replace the M2 and M2 Pro chips used in the prior-generation machines. The M4 chips are built on TSMC's next-generation N3E node, providing speed and efficiency improvements.

The M4 chip that Apple is using for the Mac mini features a 10-core CPU with four efficiency cores and six performance cores, along with a 10-core GPU.

The M4 Pro chip features up to a 14-core CPU with four performance cores and ten efficiency cores, along with up to a 20-core GPU. According to Apple, the M4 Pro chip has the "world's fastest CPU core" with "lightning-fast single-threaded performance." The M4 Pro's GPU is up to twice as fast as the standard M4 chip.

There's an upgraded 16-core Neural Engine that supports Apple Intelligence and machine learning chips.

In Geekbench benchmarks, the 14-core M4 Pro chip earned single-core scores of roughly 3800, and multi-core scores of 22,000. That means the M4 Pro with the 14-core CPU is faster than the 24-core M2 Ultra chip that's in the Mac Studio. It is up to 45 percent faster than the highest-end M3 Pro chip.

As for the Metal benchmarks, the M4 Pro with 20-core GPU earned a score of 110,556, which means it is approximately 40 percent faster than the M3 Pro in terms of GPU speeds.

Media Engine

Apple added a media engine to the two Apple silicon chips to speed up video processing while preserving battery life. The M4 supports dedicated acceleration for the ProRes video codec, along with video encode/decode engines and hardware accelerated support for AV1, H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW.

Memory and Storage

The M4 Mac mini supports up to 32GB unified memory and up to 2TB of SSD storage. The base model ships with 16GB memory and 256GB storage, offering 120GB/s memory bandwidth.

The M4 Pro Mac mini supports up to 64GB unified memory and up to 8TB of SSD storage. The starting model ships with 24GB memory and a 512GB SSD, plus if offers 273GB/s memory bandwidth. Storage is modular, so it can in theory be upgraded after purchase, but it does require disassembling the Mac mini and soldering new pieces in place.

Other Features

The M4 Mac mini supports 802.11ax WiFi, or Wi-Fi 6E, which is able to connect to routers and modems that use the 6GHz band for improved performance and lower latency. It also includes Bluetooth 5.3.

Bluetooth 5.3 offers less interference, lower power consumption, improved encryption, a better experience for those who use Bluetooth for connecting things like hearing aids, and improved throughput.