After the iMac M4, Apple presents its new Mac mini, available in two versions, with M4 and M4 Pro chips and also at least 16 GB of RAM. Significantly increased power, but in an even smaller format!
As expected, Apple continues its mini series of fall announcements in trickle mode, without a spectacular conference, but via bursts of press releases accompanied by presentation videos.
At the end of the presentation of the new iMac M4s unveiled on Monday October 28 (see our article), Apple’s hardware boss, John Ternus, gave us an appointment for the next day and other announcements concerning the Mac. And it is therefore the turn of the new Mac mini to be presented this Tuesday, October 29 in the same way, with its dedicated video.
With a first major new feature… the Mac mini becomes even smaller! We expected it a little since Mark Gurman, the famous Bloomberg journalist best informed on the Apple universe, has been talking about it for several months already.
In fact, although it was much more compact than traditional desktop PCs in tower format, the Mac mini had hardly changed in size since 2010 with its square case measuring around twenty centimeters on a side. And again, we could even go so far as to include the very first model from 2005 which inaugurated this format with rounded corners of 17 cm on each side but a little more than 5 cm thick to leave room for the CD/DVD reader .
This new Mac mini is also an opportunity for Apple to present for the first time the Pro version of its M4 processor. On the menu, more GPU computing cores (going from 10 on the M4 to 12 on the M4 Pro) and more GPU graphics cores (from 10 to 16). Apple had introduced a Mac mini Pro with the M2 generation of its processors and therefore continues here the line which allows the Apple firm to offer an office machine located between the entry-level Mac mini and the Mac Studio equipped with Max and Ultra versions of its chip, very powerful therefore, but also much more expensive. Please note, at the time of writing, the Mac Studio range is still based on the M2 chip generation.
Mac mini M4: a miniature Mac Studio
When the first Mac mini equipped with Apple’s in-house M1 chip was released, we were surprised by the emptiness reigning inside the case. The motherboard being identical to that of the MacBook Air, it seemed tiny in a Mac mini that suddenly became much too large. Especially since Apple processors consume little energy and generate little heat, the large fan still present in the Mac mini appears very unnecessary. The proof is that there is no fan in the MacBook Air. It was therefore time for Apple to review its copy to offer us a truly mini Mac. Especially since there are ultra-compact mini PCs, like the Geekom A8 (read our article) or the Beelink SER8 (see our article) which do not make any sacrifices on connectivity.
Apple has therefore finally revised its copy on the Mac mini to offer an even more compact and lighter model. The metal case of the new Mac mini M4 is therefore still square in shape with rounded corners but has increased to 12.7 cm side by 5 cm thick. All for a weight of 670 g for the Mac mini and 730 g for the Mac mini M4 Pro. Not bad !
The shrinking of dimensions is not the only change in this new Mac mini: its design also borrows some from the Mac Studio that we mentioned above by offering USB-C sockets, and even a mini-jack headphone socket on the front. In reality, rather than a Mac mini, it looks more like a mini Mac Studio! Like the previous Mac mini and like the Mac Studio, the cooling of the components goes through a suction system at the base of the case. We imagine that it is especially necessary for the M4 Pro, a larger and more powerful processor, which therefore generates a little more heat.
Mac mini M4: the power of the M4 and more memory
As with the previous range of Mac mini M2, the M4 range is also available in two versions M4 and M4 Pro. We therefore have the choice between the same processor as that of the iMac M4 or a more muscular version equipped with a greater number of CPU and GPU computing cores, but with the same number of so-called Neural Engine cores (there are 16 ) specifically designed for Apple Intelligence functions, in other words the Artificial Intelligence integrated into Apple’s new systems, also available since yesterday (macOS Sequoia 15.1, iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1).
Remember that Apple Intelligence tools are currently only available in the United States and England for iPhones and iPads, but it is possible to activate them on a Mac in France. But, be careful, they are not yet available in French, but only in English and you must also choose English for the macOS interface. Suffice to say that it is not yet intended for everyone. Apple has, however, officially announced that Apple Intelligence functions will be available in France and in French at least from April 2025.
As with the iMac M4, the new Mac mini finally have at least 16 GB of RAM, and even 24 GB for the Mac mini M4 Pro. When ordering, you can go up to 24 or 32 GB for the Mac mini M4, each level costing the usual 230 euros. For the Mac mini M4 Pro, it can be configured with 48 or 64 GB, each level then costing 460 euros.
Mac mini M4: richer USB-C connectivity
In addition to the new sockets available on the front, the Mac mini M4 offers rather complete connectivity at the back: 3 Thunderbolt 4 ports on the Mac mini (allowing transfers up to 40 Gbit/s) and, surprise, three ports to the brand new Thunderbolt 5 standard on the Mac mini M4 Pro which can go up to 120 Gbit/s! We therefore note the disappearance of the, admittedly aging, USB-A port. An adapter will therefore be necessary to connect your oldest peripherals.
Everything is completed by an HDMI socket and an Ethernet port. On the Mac mini M4, the basic network socket is satisfied with a speed of 1 Gbit/s with an option to increase to 10 Gbit/s at 115 euros. And it’s the same thing for the Mac mini M4 Pro, it’s a shame. Oh, and let’s not forget the power outlet because, despite its small size, the new Mac mini still has an internal power supply.
Mac mini M4: a very wide price range
It’s not easy to choose the Mac mini that suits you because there are so many possible configurations. That said, we appreciate that the entry-level has remained at the unchanged price of 699 euros, with 16 GB of RAM as standard instead of the 8 GB of its predecessor. It’s a shame, however, that the SSD of this version remained at 256 GB. That’s really little in 2024, especially when we know that competing and less expensive mini PCs come with 512 GB or even 1 TB…
As we have seen, adding 8 GB of RAM to the Mac mini M4 costs 230 euros, as does going from 256 GB to 512 GB of SSD. And we also note the same usual oddity: going from 512 GB of storage to 1 TB also costs 230 euros, or half as much per gigabyte. .
As for the Mac mini M4 Pro, its starting price is much higher at 1649 euros, but it is therefore equipped with a much faster processor and 24 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage as standard. And also Thunderbolt 5 ports on the back. A real racing car in ever-smaller dimensions. You can go up to 8 TB of storage for 2760 euros all the same. And the Pro version with 64 GB of Ram, a 4 TB SSD and a 10 Gbit/s Ethernet port costs 3,834 euros. Oops !
Regardless of the model, pre-orders are open now, and deliveries will begin on November 8.