Apple has finally unveiled its first major redesign for the Mac Mini in 14 years, shrinking the device’s classic 7-by-7-inch footprint and introducing significant changes to its internals and functionality. The updated Mac Mini doesn’t just look more refined it’s also a powerhouse, boasting Apple’s new M4 Pro chip, a massive upgrade over previous models. Here’s an in-depth look at everything Apple has packed into this miniature computer, from design changes to the next-gen M4 Pro chip.
An All-New Mac Mini Design: Smaller, But Packed with Features:
Right off the bat, Apple has impressed fans with the new Mac Mini’s look. This revamped design, while more compact, manages to introduce front-facing ports for the first time, a welcome update for users who often struggle with hard-to-reach connections. Up front, you’ll find two USB-C ports supporting USB 3 and a headphone jack designed to accommodate high-impedance headphones, making this model ideal for audio professionals. Around the back, the new Mini includes a power cord port, an upgradable gigabit Ethernet port (up to 10Gb), an HDMI output, and three Thunderbolt 4 ports.
Advanced Cooling Architecture Inspired by the Mac Studio:
Beyond aesthetics, the Mac Mini’s internal thermal design has received a major overhaul, adopting a system more similar to the Mac Studio’s advanced cooling mechanism. Where the old Mac Mini relied on a simple blower-style fan, the new model features an innovative setup with a fan at the bottom to draw in air, which then travels up through the device in a unique, stacked “sandwich” board arrangement. The lower board is the actual computer, while the board on top houses the power supply, indicated by visible cables running from the power socket.
But Apple didn’t stop at improved airflow. The new Mac Mini uses a metal heat pipe extending from the logic board to efficiently pull heat away and direct it toward the exhaust, ensuring the M4 Pro chip stays cool even under heavy workloads.
Meet the M4 Pro Chip: Apple’s Latest Powerhouse
Apple’s new M4 Pro chip offers some impressive specs that could make it a game-changer. Moving from an 18-core GPU to a 20-core GPU and from a 12-core CPU to a 14-core CPU, the M4 Pro’s core upgrades are deceptively modest on the surface. However, these changes include a significant shift in core configuration, with 10 performance cores and only 4 efficiency cores. This shift aims to tackle higher-end tasks with more power, making the Mac Mini a contender for professionals.
Apple also spotlighted several M4 Pro improvements at the chip level. One major enhancement is a new 10-wide instruction decoder, enabling the CPU to handle more instructions simultaneously, along with a 40% larger reorder buffer to manage these operations more effectively. This improvement means that the chip can decode and dispatch operations faster than previous models, allowing the Mac Mini to deliver peak performance across intensive applications.
Performance Estimates: How Fast is the M4 Pro?
While Apple remained somewhat vague about specific benchmarks, they did provide enough data for some initial comparisons. Apple claimed the M4 Pro is nearly twice as fast as the M1 Pro and 1.6 times faster than the M2 Pro, though they didn’t offer direct comparisons to the M3 Pro. They did compare the M4 Pro’s CPU to the Intel Core Ultra 7 used in the MSI Prestige 13, claiming a 2.1x speed advantage over that chip’s performance. Based on available benchmarks for the Core Ultra 7, the M4 Pro’s performance lands around 1,281 points in multi-core performance, which is roughly 1.4 times faster than the M3 Pro and potentially even faster than the M3 Max.
If we assume Apple was referencing Geekbench 6 benchmarks, the M4 Pro could reach scores around 22,000, a major improvement over the M3 Pro and another reason this chip is generating so much excitement among tech enthusiasts.
GPU Boost and Memory Upgrades:
The M4 Pro isn’t only about the CPU. Apple has also enhanced the GPU, adding two extra cores. The result is a 1.5x improvement over the M2 Pro GPU and nearly double the power of the M1 Pro GPU. In addition to these gains, Apple has increased the memory bandwidth by 75% compared to the M3 Pro, and the new Mac Mini includes support for Thunderbolt 5, making it ideal for users who work with high-speed external storage.
Despite these improvements, Apple did not increase the Mac Mini’s base price. Starting at $599, the entry model now includes a full 10-core M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage, making it one of the best value options for a powerful desktop computer.
Memory Configurations: More RAM Options, Still Pricey
Along with these powerful new specs, Apple has adjusted the Mac Mini’s memory upgrade options. While the M4 Pro standard configuration offers 24GB of unified memory (up from the M3 Pro’s 18GB), users can now upgrade to 48GB for $400 or 64GB for $600. While this is slightly more affordable than before, the memory upgrades still come at a premium. Most users will likely find the 24GB standard configuration to be plenty for typical tasks.
Pricing Out the Ultimate Mac Mini:
For those interested in maxing out their Mac Mini, here’s a look at what the top configuration will cost: with a 14-core M4 Pro, 64GB of RAM, 8TB of storage, and 10Gb Ethernet, the fully loaded Mac Mini will set you back around $4,700. While this is a steep price for such a compact machine, it’s likely to perform similarly to Apple’s high-end Mac Pro equipped with an M2 Ultra chip, making it a viable alternative for professionals looking for top performance in a smaller form factor.
Final Thoughts: An Impressive Update with More to Come
With this launch, Apple has reinvigorated the Mac Mini lineup. The new M4 Pro chip’s CPU and GPU upgrades, combined with better memory bandwidth and Thunderbolt 5 support, make it one of the most powerful mini desktop computers available. While some details are still under wraps, this model’s enhancements indicate that it will be a major player in Apple’s lineup and for creative professionals and power users alike.
Stay tuned for further updates and product reviews as we explore this groundbreaking release and the upcoming MacBook Pros. Let us know your thoughts on the new Mac Mini in the comments below,.
