Apple Mac mini (M4 Pro) review: a silver box of magic

The Mac mini has been nan neglected stepchild of nan Mac lineup for galore years. Though Apple’s kept it astir and up-to-date internally, it’s been good complete a decade since nan creation has been touched. In ray of nan modulation to Apple Silicon, I’ve been waiting for a due redesign of this iconic desktop PC that takes advantage of nan caller hardware.

That’s precisely what nan M4 Mac mini is, and it’s a glorious infinitesimal for this mini PC to shine. New looks aside, nan M4 Mac mini, particularly nan M4 Pro configuration I reviewed, is simply a remarkably powerful small computer, particularly fixed nan caller representation options.

Specs and configurations

The Mac mini’s $599 value constituent makes it nan astir affordable Mac successful nan full lineup. That remains true, moreover pinch nan redesign, M4 chip, and other memory. That’s correct — nan Mac mini has a minimum of 16GB of RAM now, contempt starting astatine conscionable $599. Compared to nan erstwhile model, nan M2 Pro Mac mini, you’re redeeming $200 correct disconnected nan bat. That’s a beautiful unthinkable value, nary matter really you portion it.

The $1,399 M4 Pro exemplary is nan opposite. It’s a mini value summation complete nan previous-gen M2 Pro Mac mini, which started astatine $1,299. The difference, however, is simply a mini bump successful memory, going from 16GB to nan caller 24GB starting configuration. The $1,399 M4 Pro Mac mini besides comes pinch 512GB of RAM, a 12-core CPU, and a 16-core GPU. That’s an costly computer, but remember, that’s still $600 little than nan M4 Pro MacBook Pro.

My reappraisal portion has nan 2 other CPU cores and 4 other GPU cores, arsenic good arsenic nan upgraded 48GB of RAM and 2TB of storage. At $2,600, it’s nary longer each that affordable, but you’re astir apt group for many, galore years pinch a configuration for illustration that.

Design

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The M4 Mac mini marks a caller era for Apple’s smallest and astir economical Mac.

In galore ways, nan caller Mac mini is conscionable a shrunken-down type of nan Mac Studio. The portion of achromatic by nan ports connected nan aged Mac mini is gone, arsenic is nan ample vent. It’s 2 inches smaller successful each guidance and is importantly lighter — but nan designs stock a batch successful common. And it makes a batch of sense. Apple’s not doing thing overly flashy here, it’s mostly  conscionable a small metallic box, meant to blend successful alternatively than guidelines out. But nan size really is impressive.

Cutting nan footprint is smart, because if you’re debased connected table space, you would astir apt happily waste and acquisition immoderate magnitude aliases width for height. The Mac mini fits awesome correct nether a show for larboard entree aliases tin moreover beryllium positioned backmost down it.

Don’t expect maine to retrieve which broadside nan hidden powerfulness fastener is on.

The elephant successful nan room, of course, is nan powerfulness button. Located connected nan bottommost of nan device, it requires you to assistance nan full point up to scope it. I don’t attraction really fewer times you usage that button, putting it connected nan bottommost is conscionable silly. It’s not that it’s dense aliases overly cumbersome to tilt up erstwhile reaching for nan powerfulness button, but you can’t expect maine to retrieve what broadside nan point is on.

I committedness that a boatload of group will person to consult nan manual conscionable to get this point powered up for nan first time. That’s not precisely a welcoming measurement to get to cognize your caller computer. Let’s not hide that, successful theory, nan Mac mini is galore people’s preamble to nan Mac ecosystem. I get why Apple didn’t emotion nan somewhat awkward placement of nan powerfulness fastener connected nan aged Mac mini, but this solution can’t person been nan champion option.

There’s a wholly caller soul creation arsenic well, but it doesn’t alteration nan truth that thing is easy accessible aliases removable. There are nary representation aliases retention upgrades successful nan early for nan Mac mini, truthful make judge to get what you request upfront.

Ports

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The erstwhile Mac mini had a batch of ports, but nan M4 exemplary makes them much convenient. There are 2 USB-C ports up beforehand for easy access, on pinch a headphone jack and a powerfulness indicator. That’s different characteristic borrowed from nan Mac Studio.

On nan back, you’ll find HDMI 2.1, a 10Gb Ethernet jack, powerfulness jack, and 3 USB-C ports. Those USB-C ports aren’t conscionable immoderate USB-C ports, though — they’re Thunderbolt 5. It’s only disposable connected nan M4 Pro model, while nan guidelines M4 still uses Thunderbolt 4. This is existent of nan divided betwixt nan M4 and M4 Pro connected nan MacBook Pro too. Thunderbolt 5 brings somewhat amended outer show support, now allowing for up to 3 6K 60Hz displays.

I emotion really convenient nan front-facing ports are.

Interestingly, nan erstwhile M2 Pro Mac mini had 4 Thunderbolt 4 ports and 2 USB-A ports. The USB-A ports are gone, but truthful is 1 of nan Thunderbolt ports. In speech for 1 Thunderbolt port, you get 2 basal USB-C ports upfront. I would astir apt still for illustration to support USB-A astir for nan occasional peripheral that I request to connect, but I’ll happily waste and acquisition it for nan convenience of nan forward-facing ports.

Lastly, I get why nan M4 exemplary whitethorn not person needed an SD paper slot, but it’s noticeably missing connected nan M4 Pro model. I emotion really convenient nan SD paper slot is connected nan Mac Studio, and it would person been a cleanable summation to nan M4 Pro, particularly fixed really powerful it is.

You get Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E for wireless connectivity.

Audio

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The Mac mini has ever included a built-in speaker, but extracurricular of nan strategy sounds, they astir apt aren’t utilized excessively often. But you cognize what? I gave it a shot, funny to spot if Apple had upgraded them, and it’s not half bad. It’s obscurity adjacent a MacBook Pro aliases Studio Display, but they’re nary worse than what you get connected Windows laptops aliases emblematic soul show speakers.

I’m not saying you’re going to want to perceive to euphony if you person headphones aliases outer speakers around, but there’s a astonishing magnitude of extent to nan sound. It’s not a immense deal, but it’s 1 of nan mini touches — thing Apple could person easy near retired aliases phoned in.

Performance

The M2 Pro Mac mini was a large deal. It was nan first clip nan “Pro” spot was ever made disposable extracurricular of nan MacBook Pro, and nan truth that it was squeezed into specified a compact PC felt impossible. Skip up a twelvemonth and a half, and Apple skipped nan M3 procreation connected nan Mac mini entirely, and now I tin spot why.

The M4 Pro that I reviewed has 2 other CPU cores and 4 other GPU cores, which costs an other $200. I can’t show you if it’s worthy nan other money, but I tin opportunity that nan portion I tested was thoroughly impressive. There are immense gains successful single-core performance, coagulated improvements to multi-core performance, and moreover a jump successful GPU performance.

I mean, conscionable look astatine that betterment successful single-core capacity successful Cinebench R24. That’s a 28% summation complete nan M2 Ultra and 16% complete nan M3 Max. Apple has been dominating successful single-core capacity ever since nan M1, but it’s unthinkable to spot really it continues to clasp that lead complete nan competition. Because Cinebench tests sustained workloads, you’ll spot that nan Mac Studio still thumps nan Mac mini successful multi-core performance. No astonishment there.

But complete connected Geekbench 6, which tests faster, much bursty tasks, nan M4 Pro successful nan Mac mini has a clear and decisive triumph complete some nan M2 Ultra Mac Studio and M3 Max MacBook Pro. Those are $4,000 computers being hit by a $1,400 one. The M4 Pro Mac mini shows record-breaking single-core capacity successful some Cinebench R24 and Geekbench 6. Just to beryllium clear, this is moreover faster than flagship desktop chips for illustration nan Core i9-14900K.

I tested nan M4 Pro successful 2 devices this week, actually, some nan Mac mini and nan 16-inch MacBook Pro. The 2 chips performed likewise successful some devices, though nan Mac mini did get considerably louder. The chassis of nan Mac mini besides sewage rather lukewarm to nan touch during testing.

Chris Hagan / Digital Trends

I should statement that immoderate Pro aliases Max chips travel pinch different power modes: Low Power, Automatic, and High Power, which tin beryllium group successful System Settings. Historically, Apple has ever tuned nan Low Power mode down rather a bit, leaving a ample disparity successful capacity to execute a cooler, quieter, and longer-lasting acquisition — particularly erstwhile connected battery. This is different from really Windows powerfulness settings work, arsenic they are much subtle.

But pinch nan M4 Pro, there’s moreover a bigger spread than successful nan past. In my testing successful Low Power mode, nan Mac mini drops capacity significantly. Again, successful Cinebench, High Power mode delivered 55% faster multi-core performance. On nan M3 Max MacBook Pro I’ve tested, that summation successful capacity is only 33% by comparison.

Of course, nan Automatic mode is connected by default, which is what astir group will use, but it’s absorbing to spot Apple tweak really highly these modes throttle performance.

Graphics

There’s been a batch of talk astir nan gaming imaginable of nan M4 Pro Mac mini. We’ll get into whether that is simply a bully measurement to deliberation astir this Mac mini, but nan M4 Pro surely gets a bump up successful position of graphics. It’s a large leap complete nan M2 Pro Mac mini, of course, and nestles successful correct nether nan capacity of nan M3 Max, according to my testing.

Like successful nan CPU tests, nan M4 Pro handily thumps nan M2 Ultra successful GPU performance. That is hugely awesome because nan Mac Studio has a 60-core GPU. That goes to show conscionable really large of a leap guardant successful GPU capacity that location has been successful nan M3 and M4 generations. I will note, again, that my reappraisal portion had 4 other GPU cores, truthful your mileage whitethorn alteration connected nan 16-core model.

For starters, let’s look astatine nan Cinebench R24 GPU test. The M4 Pro thumps galore of nan creator-based RTX 4070 laptops retired there, specified arsenic nan Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra and Acer Swift X 14, and falls conscionable down nan Dell XPS 16.

One of nan fewer Mac games that person a built-in benchmark, Shadow of nan Tomb Raider, shows nan M4 Pro falling conscionable down nan M3 Max, but still capable to mean 81 frames per 2nd (fps) successful 1200p astatine nan Highest graphics preset.

I besides installed Baldur’s Gate 3, 1 of nan biggest flagship titles to person travel to nan Mac recently. As it was connected nan M3 Max, nan M4 Pro handles it beautifully. To effort retired nan ray tracing capabilities, which person been billed arsenic doubly arsenic accelerated successful nan M4, I installed Myst. And while you tin surely move ray tracing connected and get decent framework rates utilizing MetalFX upscaling, I didn’t find nan it worthy nan sacrifice successful performance.

So no, it’s a spot of a agelong to outright telephone this a due gaming PC. There’s nary one-to-one comparison available, but nan M4 Pro’s GPU comes successful conscionable nether nan capacity of nan desktop RTX 4060. Now, you tin bargain a gaming PC pinch an RTX 4060 for acold little than $1,399, of course, but it’ll beryllium astir 3 aliases 4 times arsenic large.

One of nan only coagulated alternatives is nan Asus ROG NUC, which conscionable happens to besides commencement astatine $1,399 pinch an RTX 4060, though pinch not arsenic overmuch RAM. It’s besides a spot larger than nan Mac mini.

But really, possibly comparing it to nan PC acquisition is simply a spot unfair. It’s beautiful adjacent to connected par pinch nan existent procreation of consoles, contempt nan diminutive size by comparison. This doesn’t consciousness for illustration nan climax of Apple’s expansive gaming strategy — acold from it. But it’s different measurement forward.

Is it worthy it?

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The use of going pinch a Mac mini aliases an iMac aliases MacBook Pro is twofold. First, it’s nan price. You’re getting each nan capacity arsenic you would connected those devices (or moreover much successful immoderate cases) without nan other expense. Look astatine nan $599 guidelines model, for example. That pricing intends that it’ll proceed to beryllium nan astir entry-level Mac, moreover nether nan MacBook Air. The 2nd advantage is versatility. If you person already person a show you for illustration and want to prevention nan other cash, aliases possibly person a definite different show successful mind that you like, specified arsenic a ultrawide monitor, nan Mac mini is simply a awesome choice.

You tin surely conscionable bargain a MacBook and dock it while astatine location (or successful nan office), but if you aren’t walking for activity and person thing for illustration an iPad instead, nan Mac mini is cleaner, much cost-effective solution.

With that retired of nan way, I tin opportunity without a uncertainty that nan M4 Pro Mac mini is simply a awesome small computer. If you tin get complete nan powerfulness button’s placement, you’ll find tons to emotion astir nan redesigned chassis and immense capacity nether nan hood. It’s not a “proper gaming PC” arsenic immoderate person suggested, but it’s sewage a batch much GPU capacity than you mightiness assume.

And nan guidelines exemplary is simply a must-buy. I don’t request to person tested nan nonstop configuration to cognize that nan M4 Mac mini is absolute bargain astatine $599, and dissimilar thing other you tin find astatine that price. Just beware that adding retention gets expensive, arsenic is emblematic for Apple.