Apple Mac Mini M4 evaluate: a tiny marvel

Why wouldn’t you need the brand new Mac Mini? During the last a number of days of testing Apple’s redesigned desktop Mac, I’ve been impressed by all the ability and potential crammed into this very compact machine. For a beginning value of $599 and with 16GB of RAM now customary, the M4 Mac Mini has instantly turn out to be the very best worth in Apple’s complete Mac lineup. It’s greater than succesful for many computing duties in the present day, and if my M1 MacBook Air is something to go by, the Mini gained’t really feel gradual (or something near it) for not less than the subsequent 4 or 5 years.

Apple supplied me with two very totally different Mac Mini models. This primary evaluate is targeted on the usual M4 mannequin, which features a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and the default 16GB of reminiscence. My machine has 512GB of storage, which bumps its value to $799, however on a regular basis efficiency must be similar to that of the bottom 256GB configuration. I’ve additionally bought a kitted-out M4 Professional mannequin, which raises the worth to a stratospheric $2,199. For that cash, I’d rattling properly anticipate the M4 Professional Mini to be a powerhouse.

However most individuals gained’t have to spend anyplace close to that quantity. The common M4 version provides quite a bit in its personal proper and could be my suggestion for anybody who needs a reliable desktop Mac — particularly if you happen to’ve already settled on a monitor and / or keyboard that you simply love.

As all the time with the Mac Mini, Apple offers the pc; you deliver your personal show, keyboard, and mouse. Apple is very happy to promote you its personal Studio Show and peripherals, however with the Mini now capable of run as much as three shows without delay (up from two on the M2 mannequin), you’ve bought a ton of runway for artistic, versatile desk setups. In case you’ve perfected your work-from-home workplace, you possibly can simply add the Mini to no matter’s already there with out having to rearrange every thing. 

And the machine itself will barely take up any of that area. Measuring 5 inches broad, 5 inches deep, and a couple of inches tall, the 2024 Mac Mini’s footprint is lower than half that of the earlier enclosure, which was designed across the Intel platform. (Simply have a look at how a lot unused area there was after the Apple Silicon transition.) It’s not fairly as tiny as an Apple TV 4K, however to me, it’s probably the most putting instance but of what Apple can obtain with {hardware} that’s purpose-built for its M-series chips. One other welcome change is that the brand new Mini places some ports proper on the entrance, whereas its predecessors made me blindly plug every thing into the again — or flip the entire thing round so I may really see what I used to be doing. 

Now you’ve bought a pair of 10Gbps USB-C ports (USB 3) and a headphone jack up entrance. Round again are three Thunderbolt 4 (USB 4) ports, HDMI, and a gigabit ethernet jack that’s upgradable to 10-gigabit speeds. I do miss the SD card slot you’d discover on a Mac Studio or MacBook Professional, however I haven’t as soon as felt disenchanted in regards to the lack of USB-A. Everybody has a special accent scenario, so its absence may sting extra for you, nevertheless it’s straightforward to only plug in a dongle if needed. The M4 Professional Mac Mini has even quicker, brand-new Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, with theoretical knowledge switch speeds of as much as 120Gb/s (thrice quicker than Thunderbolt 4). However that’s principally focused at artistic professionals and intensive video work. Regardless of its dramatically diminished dimensions, the Mini nonetheless retains an inside energy provide, so there’s no cumbersome brick to fret about.

Discover that I haven’t talked about an influence button but. That’s as a result of Apple made the curious determination to maneuver it to the underside of the machine close to the rear left nook. Do I want the button had been someplace else? Certain. Urgent it requires reaching over the Mini and lifting the unit up barely. It’s foolish however hasn’t negatively affected my expertise in any materials manner. In case you’ve bought an Apple Magic Keyboard with Contact ID, you’ll be reminded of its awkward location proper throughout setup, once you’ve bought to double-press the ability button to make a safe hyperlink between the fingerprint sensor and Mac. The Mini is utilized in a large mixture of environments together with dwelling theater methods and reside occasion manufacturing. I may see the button’s place turning into a trouble in a few of these situations, however if you happen to’re utilizing it on a desk, it’s extra of an odd quirk than an annoyance. And there are all the time workarounds.

Apple’s revamped thermal system for the Mini retains the M4 mannequin operating quietly. Even after I’m deep in a Lightroom photograph enhancing session, I don’t hear the fan. I’m sure the M4 Professional’s further GPU cores would make these RAW edits even quicker, however the common M4 is as much as the duty for many photograph work. Elsewhere, the machine has hardly ever missed a step, it doesn’t matter what I throw at it. I’m no videographer, so I can’t converse as to whether critical enhancing work would expose the M4’s limits. If there’s one use case that warrants stepping as much as the M4 Professional, it’s probably that.

In all places else, the M4 Mini simply hums alongside. As you possibly can see in our benchmarks, it’s proper in step with the M4 iMac and MacBook Professional. I’ve barely sampled any of the Apple Intelligence options in macOS Sequoia — I don’t discover them significantly compelling — however I’m already an enormous fan of iPhone Mirroring and the built-in window tiling that has allowed me to lastly bid farewell to Moom. MacOS feels prefer it’s in a fantastic place as of late.

With the Mini now being so charmingly small, it’s straightforward to dream up all types of {hardware} and software program prospects. Why not give individuals a alternative of colours just like the iMac? As for software program, this factor appears to be like extra like an Apple TV than ever earlier than, so what if it generally behaved like one too? Think about a TV-optimized leisure interface — sure, like a contemporary Entrance Row — that will kick in every time a TV display screen is related over HDMI. The M4 is greater than succesful sufficient to juggle each macOS and a tvOS-like expertise.

As I mentioned earlier, the $599 Mini is the very best worth round if you happen to haven’t but joined the Mac facet of Apple’s ecosystem. Even the $799 configuration I examined, with 16GB of reminiscence and a 512GB SSD, appears cheap. However when you transcend that in RAM or storage, Apple’s pricing smacks of greed and padding the corporate’s backside line. That’s true throughout the road, nevertheless it’s felt extra acutely on a machine that begins at solely $599. Stepping as much as 1TB of storage and 32GB of RAM brings the worth to $1,399. Yikes.

For many, the Mini will probably be a stationary pc, and the presence of three Thunderbolt ports means you possibly can connect a speedy exterior SSD with out caving to Apple’s farcical charges. On condition that, the opposite $799 config, with 24GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, may very well be extra worthwhile. Neither may be upgraded later, so it’s necessary to get the specs proper when shopping for.

Each time I look over on the new Mac Mini on my desk, it feels just like the Mini’s best type. The redesigned enclosure makes probably the most of Apple Silicon’s small footprint, and with Apple’s M4 chip and an ample choice of ports, the 2024 Mini ought to stay a zippy, dependable pc for years to return. It’s by no means been extra mighty. Effectively, apart from the a lot pricier M4 Professional model. Keep tuned for extra on that quickly.

Pictures by Chris Welch / The VergeShot with the Nikon Z6 III and 70-200mm f/2.8 lens.