Today is Day Two of Apple’s “exciting week of announcements,” and we’ve got the next generation of Apple’s portable desktop computer — the Mac mini. As anticipated, the Cupertino giant skipped the M3 chip and jumped straight from M2 to the flagship M4 chipset.
With a fresh and ultraportable design, the 2024 Mac mini marks the first-ever major redesign of Apple’s most compact desktop computer in the last 14 years. With the M4 and M4 Pro chips, the new mini becomes more powerful, capable, and efficient than its predecessor.
M4 Mac Mini: Specifications & Features
This time, Apple has delivered the first-ever design refresh to the Mac mini since the Steve Jobs era. The 2024 Mac Mini features an ultra-portable and space-saving design. Measuring 5 x 5 inches, the new model is smaller than the previous M2 Mac Mini model (7.5 x 7.5 inches), which aligns it more with the size of the Apple TV.
This makes the new M4 Mac Mini Apple’s smallest-ever desktop computer. Of course, support for Apple Intelligence makes the machine modern and future-proof.
Despite the reduced size, the M4 Mac mini is an insanely capable machine with improved thermal performance. The upgraded Mac mini comes in M4 and M4 Pro chip options, with up to a 14-core CPU and up to a 20-core GPU. Moreover, it can be configured with up to 64GB of RAM, double the 32GB unified memory in the previous M2 models. Talking about the storage capacity, the M4 Mini also tops out at 8TB, just like its predecessors.
The Mac mini with M4 delivers up to 1.8x faster CPU performance and 2.2x faster GPU performance over the M1 model. With the M4 Pro configuration, the Mac mini can handle demanding workloads without any issues.
Talking about the connectivity, you’ll find a headphone jack and two front-facing USB-C ports with USB 3. On the back, you’ll find three Thunderbolt 4 ports, whereas the high-end M4 Pro Mac mini boasts three Thunderbolt 5 ports. Compared to the M2 Mac Mini with 4 USB-C ports, the new M4 Mini is equipped with 5 USB-C ports. Also, you’ll find a Gigabit Ethernet and an HDMI port.
Thanks to Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, you can enjoy faster 120Gbps data transfer speeds. As rumored, Apple has removed the USB-A port to make way for the fifth USB-C port.
The M4 and M4 Pro Mac mini can support dual 6K displays and up to one 5K display. Whereas the M4 pro version supports up to three 6K displays at 60Hz for a total of over 60 million pixels. This makes the smaller Mac Mini a top choice for professionals who work with high-end accessories and multiple displays.
M4 Mac Mini: Price & Availability
The new M4 Mac Mini starts at $599, with an upgraded 16GB of RAM and 256GB base storage. The Mac Mini with M4 Pro configuration and 24GB RAM starts at $1399.
Like the older M2 model, the M4 Mini is only available in the Silver finish. The 2024 Mac Mini is up for pre-order starting today, with shipping kicking off Friday, November 8, 2024.
