The Apple Mac mini with the M4 SoC stands out because the star of Appleās 2024 lineup. Regardless of being solely barely bigger than an Apple TV streaming participant and beginning at $599, it outperforms many high-end computer systems in benchmark exams. Apple offered us with the M4 Professional mannequin, outfitted with a formidable 48 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD. Priced at $2,199, is it definitely worth the funding? Letās discover out!
Good
- Very excessive efficiency degree
- Small and compact
- Fashionable connections
- Low energy consumption
Dangerous
- Low price-to-performance ratio for the M4 Professional improve
- Tough to improve
- Energy button on the backside is annoying
- No energy provide through USB C/Thunderbolt
Apple Mac Mini M4: All offers
Design & construct
The Mac Mini in 2024 is roughly half the dimensions of its predecessor, with the aspect size of the sq. mini PC shrinking to only 12.7 cm. It is a document for computer systems working on MacOS, however taking a look on the Home windows vary brings us again right down to earth. It’s impractical for Apple to positionĀ the facility button on the underside of the case. The workmanship is extraordinarily prime quality, however sadly, the Mac Mini is nearly not possible to improve.
Because the title suggests, the Mac Mini is Apple’s smallest desktop PC. The mannequin with the M4 SoC shrank its footprint by roughly 50 p.c and is due to this fact a small sq. with sides measuring 12.7 cm apiece with a top of 5 cm. It is a new document within the Apple world, however mini PCs with Home windows working techniques have lengthy been accessible in equally small codecs. Curiously, the Mac Mini M4 appears similar to the Geekom A7 (overview), which I described in my overview as a miniature copy of the M2 Mac Mini (overview).
What Apple has executed this 12 months to draw much more consideration is the curious placeĀ of the facility button. It’s now not positioned behind the Mac Mini, however on the backside. Because the small fan tower beneath could be very flat, you must raise the Mac Mini to show it on. In on a regular basis life, that is neither humorous nor “quirky” ā it’s inconvenient and motivates folks much more to not shut down their Apple computer systems. Since no one does this anyway, it would not actually trouble them in on a regular basis life, proper?
Mac Mini connections in contrast
| Ā | Mac Mini M4 (2024) | Mac Mini M4 Professional | Mac Mini M3 (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entrance panel |
2 x USB Sort-C / USB 3 (max. 10 Gbit/s) 1 x 3.5 mm jack (In / Out mixed) |
2 x USB Sort-C / USB 3 (max. 10 Gbit/s) 1 x 3.5 mm jack (In / Out mixed) |
– |
| Rear panel |
3 x USB Sort-C / Thunderbolt 4 / USB 4 Ethernet (10 Gbit optionally available) HDMI |
3 x USB Sort-C / Thunderbolt 5 / USB 4 Ethernet (10 Gbit optionally available) HDMI |
2 x Thunderbolt 4 (M2 4 x Thunderbolt 4 (M2 Professional) 2 x USB sort A Ethernet (optionally available) HDMI |
| Wi-fi |
WLAN 6E Bluetooth 5.3 |
WLAN 6E Bluetooth 5.3 |
WLAN 6E Bluetooth 5.3 |
Apple made the number of connections a bit of extra handy to entry in 2024. That is primarily as a result of two USB-C ports and the headphone jack in entrance. If you wish to join exterior audio system to the Mac Mini and do not need to spoil the gorgeous entrance aesthetics, you may need to resort to an adapter. Or, within the Apple cosmos, depend on the gorgeous good audio system within the Apple Studio Show (overview).
In the event you do not thoughts paying a bit of additional for the M4 Professional, Thunderbolt 5 is out there in each the Mac Mini and the MacBook Professional, providingĀ a very highly effective commonplace for knowledge switch. At speeds of as much as 120 Gbit/s, the bandwidth for video transfers is 3 times increased than Thunderbolt 4. Thunderbolt can switch different knowledge at speeds of as much as 80 Gbit/s.
Preliminary on-line benchmarks present that storage media with Thunderbolt 5 might be sooner than the inner SSDāspectacular!Ā There are additional benefits if you wish to function the Mac Mini on 8K shows. Nevertheless, as we came upon later with the facility provide, Apple doesn’t understand the complete potential of Thunderbolt 5.
Theoretically, eGPUs may be linked to the small Mac through Thunderbolt 5 to additional improve the graphics efficiency. Sadly, that is principally the one sensible approach to improve the mini PC after buy. The RAM is completely soldered and, based on the restore guide, Apple depends on a proprietary NAND flash resolution for the SSD. It’s due to this fact potential in precept to improve the mass storageāhowever the required spare elements have to be bought instantly from Apple. There’ll more than likely be no value benefit.
To complete off the design and workmanship: Apple doesn’t provide safety in opposition to splash water and mud. What’s fascinating, nevertheless, is that the Mac Mini is the primary CO2-neutral Mac based on the producer. It’s constituted of 50% recycled supplies and 100% electrical energy from renewable power sources. Delivery can be mentioned to be 50% CO2-neutral, and the ensuing emissions are offset byĀ “high-quality CO2 discount initiatives“.
Software program: Apple Intelligence-Prepared
The Mac Mini is delivered with MacOS 15.1 Sequoia proper out of the field. The working system as soon as once more provides a superb mixture of performance, user-friendliness, and a lovely system interface. Apple can be closely selling the Mac Mini with its new Apple Intelligence compatibility. As the corporate’s personal AI assistant continues to be a very long time in arriving, that is all that continues to be for now. Too dangerous!
Efficiency & configuration
Within the $599 baseĀ configuration, the Mac Mini provides the brand new M4 SoC with 10 cores every within the CPU and GPU, 16 GB shared reminiscence, and 256 GB of inside reminiscence. For this overview, nevertheless, Apple offered us with a extra highly effective model with the M4 Professional SoC, 48 GB shared reminiscence, 1 TB SSD storage, and extra processing cores within the graphics unit. As we have been additionally in a position to overview a MacBook Professional within the base configuration concurrently, the benchmark outcomes of a number of configurations might be discovered under.
Not like earlier years, Apple needed to make a bit of extra effort in 2024 when it got here to the efficiency of its SoCs. It is because Qualcomm confirmed how the Snapdragon X Elite may meet up with Cupertino by way of expertise final 12 months. If you wish to discover out extra in regards to the X-Elite SoCs, Rubens has already ready an outline for you. I’ve additionally included his benchmark outcomes from the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge 16 on this overview as effectively.
Again to the M4 and the M4 Professional. Apple makes use of a 10-core CPU with 4 efficiency cores and 6 effectivity cores in addition to a 10-core GPU as commonplace within the M4. Those that go for the Professional mannequin will obtain an improve to 12 cores within the CPU and 16 cores within the GPU. The M4 Professional works with eight efficiency cores and 4 effectivity cores. For an extra $200, you possibly can improve to a 14-core CPU and a 20-core GPU, and that is precisely what Apple offered us for this overview.
This implies we are able to discern from the benchmark outcomes how the Mac Mini performs within the approximateĀ most configuration. Sadly, the improve to the M4 Max is presently reserved for the MacBook Professional mannequin. Apple will most likely introduce a brand new Mac Studio quickly, which is able to then work with essentially the most highly effective processors.
The one factor that may very well be improved on the Mac Mini is the shared RAM.Ā We now have 48 GB configured right here and never 64 GB. Throughout the overview length, we additionally reviewed a MacBook Professional with M4 and 16 GB shared reminiscence. Primarily based on these outcomes, you possibly can roughly guess how a lot decrease the efficiency of the Mac Mini is in its commonplace configuration.
Benchmark desk
| take a look at | Mac Mini M4 Professional | MacBook Professional M4 | iMac M4 | Geekom A7 | Samsung Galaxy Ebook 4 Edge (SD X Elite) | MacBook Air M3 | MacBook Professional M3 Professional | MacBook Professional M3 Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 CPU (Single / Multi) | 3,963 / 22,578 | 3,829 / 14,936 | 3,845 / 14,551 | 2,664 / 13,658 | 2,630 / 13,314 | 3,153 / 12,033 | 3,130 / 14,243 | 3,092 / 19,315 |
| Geekbench 6 GPU | 69,643 | 38,134 | 35,697 | 33,099 | – | 30,457 | 43,050 | 76,507 |
| Cinebench R32 | 9,217 | 3,870 | 4,370 | – | – | 3,314 factors | 5,426 factors | 19,671 factors |
| 3D Mark Nomad Gentle | 7,492 | 3,946 | 3,549 | – | – | – | Ā | – |
| AS SSD Benchmark 2.0 studying | 5,211 Mb/s | 2,924 Mb/s | 2,990 Mb/s | 3,719 Mb/s | – | 3,050 Mb/s | 5,000 Mb/s | 5,600 Mb/s |
| AS SSD Benchmark 2.0 write | 6,366 Mb/s | 2,962 Mb/s | 3,268 Mb/s | 2,588 Mb/s | – | 3,400 Mb/s | 5,600 Mb/s | 7,500 Mb/s |
Within the Mac Mini, the M4 Professional as soon as once more provides a big leap in efficiency in comparison with final 12 months’s mannequin. Keep in mind Apple skipped a technology with the Mac Mini. Principally, it’s undoubtedly value upgrading from the M2 mannequin. For extraĀ demanding duties, the Mac Mini behaves extra like a smaller model of the Mac Studio albeit with fewer ports.
It’s notably spectacular how quiet the Mac Mini stays. For my overview, I performed the online game “Resident Evil: Village” on the very best graphics settings. It delivered a easy gaming efficiency in 4K decision, throughout which the small PC needed to flip the followers as much as full pace. It soundedĀ roughly like a pocket book fan, so if you happen to work in full silence, you’ll hear a low noise. Nevertheless, the noise is not at all annoying. I additionally did not discover any main warmth improvement. The Mac Mini merely obtained heat.
I used to be notably shocked by the video modifying efficiency within the overview. Utilizing Davinci Resolve Studio, I used to be in a position to edit 4K video materials in 10-bit coloration depth at full timeline decision with out creating proxy recordsdata. Not like on my MacBook Professional with M3 Professional and 24 GB RAM, there have been no stutters when enjoying again the preview or throughout different steps within the video modifying course of. Rendering the roughly 8-minute video took 3.5 minutes. The MacBook Professional wanted simply over 4 minutes for a equally lengthy video. In distinction to gaming, the sound of followers have been absent right here.
By the way, Apple nonetheless depends on an NPU with 16 cores for the execution of ML and AI processes. As Apple’s personal AI has not but been launched exterior the US, so these residing in different areas are unable to determine its efficiency when working AI functions.
Energy provide and energy consumption
What’s spectacular contemplating the dimensions of the housing: The Mac Mini has an built-in energy provide unit inĀ the case and is due to this fact linked to the facility provide with an IEC plug. It’s annoying that Apple doesn’t allow energy provide through Thunderbolt. Energy consumption is extraordinarily low often because of the environment friendly SoC.
In my mini PC critiques, I all the time level out the low-power consumption in comparison with standard desktop computer systems. In fact, this purpose to purchase additionally applies to the Mac Mini, which must be notably economical because of the environment friendly M4 SoC. Apple specifiedĀ a most steady energy consumption of 155 W. In our overview utilizing an influence meter, it by no means exceeded 65 W on the highest potential load. In desktop mode, nevertheless, it was solely 8 W, whereasĀ energy consumption in idle mode was now not measurable.
iMac 2024 energy consumption
| Activity / State of affairs | iMac M4 2024 | Mac Mini M4 Professional with Studio Show |
|---|---|---|
| Sleep mode | 0 W / not measurable | 0 W / not measurable |
| Minimal brightness idle | 13.6 W | 17.4 W + 8 W = 25.4 W |
| Most idle brightness | 45 W | 58 W + 8 W = 66 W |
| Minimal brightness full load | 41.5 W | 17.4 W + 63 W = 80.4 W |
| Most brightness full load | 70 W | 58 W + 63 W = 121 W |
I additionally examined the brand new iMac with M4 throughout the overview length and have due to this fact populated all energy consumption in a desk for you. Immediately above this paragraph is the place the iMac with M4 SoC and the Mac Mini are noticed along with the Studio Show.
One level of criticism that I storedĀ noticing, even with mini PCs working on Home windows, is how USB-C can present the required energy provide, however there’s nonetheless no energy supply through that route. This might let you arrange an excellent ācleanerā desktop configuration and unlock an influence socket alongside the best way.
Technical specs
| Ā | Technical specs |
|---|---|
| Gadget | Apple Mac Mini 2024 |
| Picture | |
| SoC |
|
| Shared reminiscence | |
| Dimensions & weight |
|
| Connectors |
|
| Wi-fi | |
| RRP |
Ought to You Purchase the Apple Mac mini?
With the brand new Mac mini, Apple including one other feather to its crown, trending from the previous few years of its gross sales technique. With an asking value of $599, the Mac mini with M4 is an extremely compelling deal. That is primarily as a result of efficiency of the brand new Silicon SoC, the low-power consumption, and fashionable connectivity choices.
There are hardly any PCs or notebooks that provide extra efficiency at this value level. Nevertheless, each 16 GB RAM and 256 GB inside reminiscence will now not be ample in 2024, to not point out when Apple Intelligence is out there at extra geographical areas in time to return.
Principally, the Mac mini with M4 Professional, 48 GB RAM, and 1 TB SSD that Apple despatched us for this overview proved spectacular in on a regular basis use. It masteredĀ demanding duties effortlessly and consumedĀ barely greater than 60 W of energy even underneath a full load. It’s enticing to have a look at, can theoretically be taken wherever, and may even be described as future-proof, as Apple put in two Thunderbolt 5 slots behind.
With a $2,199 price ticket, the configuration we reviewed is not at all a superb deal. Home windows-powered computer systems with considerably extra efficiency can be found at this value, which may also be upgraded as they grow old.
Whereas Apple’s MacBooks, which may simply attain related value ranges with upgrades, provide the benefit of with the ability to edit movies or do 3D rendering on the go, however this isn’t the case with the Mac mini. Identical to a high-quality show, even a mouse and keyboard need to be bought individually for the Mac mini.
I can due to this fact hardly advocate the āupgradedā Mac mini for high-performance customers, however in case you are on the lookout for an reasonably priced desktop pc, the $599 mannequin may very well be a viable choice.
The place to Purchase the Apple Mac mini
The Mac Mini impressed us with its power effectivity, compact design, and ample connectivity choices.
Nevertheless, with its strongest chipset, 48 GB of RAM, and 1 TB of SSD storage, this price-to-performance marvel rapidly turns right into a pricey funding. For many customers, the bottom mannequin is a greater worth and is out there on Amazon or via the Apple Retailer beginning at $1,399.
