Apple Introduces the Mac Mini M4 as Its Smallest-Ever Desktop Computer

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Key Takeaways

  • Apple has launched a redesigned Mac mini M4.
  • It's nearly as small as an Apple TV, but offers performance that outperforms many of Apple's larger computers.
  • It's available November 8th starting at $599.

Apple has launched the Mac mini M4, its first major redesign of the computer since 2010 — and it’s the company’s smallest desktop to date.

The new system isn’t too much larger than the Apple TV 4K at 5in by 5in, but it’s a fully functional desktop that should be much faster than the outgoing M2 model and thus primed for Apple Intelligence. Apple says it offers up to 1.8 times the CPU performance and 2.2 times the GPU performance versus the M1 version.

The M4 Pro ramps things up with as many as 14 cores (10 performance, four efficiency) and a maximum 20-core GPU that’s up to twice as quick as that in the base M4.  The Neural Engine is about three times faster than that in the M1.

You also get faster (120Gbps) Thunderbolt 5 connectivity on the M4 Pro, along with a maximum 64GB of RAM. This can be a full-fledged workstation if the Mac Studio or Mac Pro isn’t practical. Accordingly, Apple estimates the M4 Pro model can handle Blender 3D renders up to 2.9 times faster than the M2 Pro, motion graphics (in RAM) in Motion up to two times faster, and can handle 1.8 times more Logic Pro audio effect plugins.

The Mac mini M4 even manages to offer more connectivity despite the tinier profile. While you’ll no longer find USB-A ports it has has two front USB-C ports in addition to three rear Thunderbolt ports, Ethernet, HDMI, and a headphone jack.  The base model ‘settles’ for Thunderbolt 4 on the back. Either way, you can attach a larger selection of storage and other add-ons without resorting to a hub.

Mac mini M4 Pro running three displays
Mac mini M4 Pro running three displays. | Source: Apple

The base M4 can up to two 6K displays and one 5K screen, while the M4 Pro can go with 6K for all three panels.

This is also billed as Apple’s first carbon neutral Mac. It’s made with over 50% recycled material, including a completely recycled aluminum enclosure and rare earth magnets. All electricity used to make the Mac mini comes from renewable sources, and the packaging is entirely fiber-based. The overall carbon footprint of the system is about 80% lower, Apple claims, and the remaining emissions are indirectly offset through carbon credits.

The Mac mini M4 is available for pre-order now and releases November 8th at a starting price of $599, although that doesn’t include input. You’ll also need to factor in a monitor if you don’t already have one. The M4 Pro version begins at $1,399. You can buy the USB-C version of the Magic Keyboard for $99, the Magic Mouse for $79, and the Magic Trackpad for $129, although those aren’t strictly required.

The Mac mini was introduced in 2005 as Apple’s answer to calls for an affordable “headless” desktop Mac. It was originally pitched as an ideal machine for Windows PC switchers who could bring over their existing keyboard, monitor, and mouse.

Over time, though, the target audience and relevance changed. The 2010 redesign made it more of a home theater system thanks in part to native HDMI, and a slight 2018 refresh made it better-suited to servers and some moderately demanding creatives.

The Apple Silicon launch helped revive the Mac mini as a general-purpose machine. The M1 version in 2020 often outperformed some users’ higher-end Intel Macs, and the M2 version from 2023 made it genuinely viable for more creative pros thanks to an M2 Pro variant with brisk performance and more expansion.

The Mac mini M4 won’t shift a market that still tends to favor laptops. However, it could widen the audience not just to more creators (it’s likely to be faster than some Mac Studio configurations), but to home users who want a modular Mac that can serve as a home theater PC or a near-invisible office computer. That, in turn, could rival compact desktops like the Dell OptiPlex Micro, HP Elite Mini, and much of Beelink’s lineup.