If there were concerns that Apple overstepped by shrinking the 2024 Mac mini while also dropping in a super-fast processor, lay them to rest. Early M4 Mac mini reviews praise the redesign and rave about the performance boost that comes from Apple’s latest processors.
Here’s a roundup of comments on the tiny new macOS desktop.
M4 Mac mini is oh so tiny
Believe it or not, the mac mini has been in Apple’s product lineup for twenty years but has only been redesigned twice. The latest redesign launches Friday.
“Measuring 5 inches wide, 5 inches deep, and 2 inches tall, the 2024 Mac Mini’s footprint is less than half that of the previous enclosure,” said The Verge. “It’s not quite as tiny as an Apple TV 4K, but to me, it’s the most striking example yet of what Apple can achieve with hardware that’s purpose-built for its M-series chips.”
And the CNN reviewer wrote, “It’s easy to forget that Apple’s new desktop is even there at all — and more than ever, that’s the entire point.”
Apple's new Mac mini, sandwiched in between a Mac Studio and Apple TV. pic.twitter.com/1o3Urosdiy
— Michael The Geek (@MichaelTheGeek) November 7, 2024
The ports added to the front of the inexpensive desktop also drew compliments.
“It also features front connectivity for the first time — two USB-C ports and a headphone jack — something that previously required upgrading to the $1,999 Mac Studio,” noted Engadget.
And there are more ports on the back. In total, the M4 Mac mini offers Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, five USB-C ports and a headphone jack.
Outsized performance
The 2024 Mac mini can be configured with either the “base” Apple M4 processor or the more powerful M4 Pro.
In testing with the Geekbench 6 cross-platform benchmarking app, Apple’s tiny desktop with the M4 scored 14756 on the multi-core CPU test, according to The Verge. For comparison, its predecessor with an Apple M2 scored 9801 on the same test — chalk up a 50% increase for the new model.
Engadget was given the M4 Pro version of the Mac mini to test, and it earned a whopping 22,850 on the Geekbench 6 multi-core test. The best performing version of the previous M2 Pro Mac mini scored 14,480 on that test — that’s a 58% performance increase from the latest one.
There is a fan
The Apple M4 debuted in the 2024 iPad Pro last spring, and of course that tablet doesn’t include a fan. The same can’t be said of Apple’s miniature desktop.
“As I threw benchmarks, games and encoding jobs at the Mac mini, I was constantly impressed by how much it could tackle without making any discernible fan noise,” said Engadget’s reviewer. “However, when I started running Cinebench’s multithreaded benchmark, the fan kicked into high gear. It’s not an unpleasant sound — it’s more like a calming white noise machine than the obnoxiously loud Mac fans of yore — but it’s certainly noticeable.”
Cheap but can’t be upgraded
At $599, the base model Mac mini is very affordable, but there’s no way to upgrade the 16GB of RAM or 32GB of built-in storage after purchase. Instead, the only way to get more is to configure the computer with additional RAM or storage at purchase.
“I’d love to live in a world where I can pop my Mac Mini open and add some more memory when the need arises,” said CNN.
Video review
M4 mac mini reviews: Final thoughts
“The new $599 M4 Mac mini is easily the fastest and most capable Mac that Apple has sold for this price,” said the Ars Technica review.
“I haven’t come across anything that it doesn’t do better than any other Mac I’ve ever used, which is wild for a computer that starts at $599,” said Inc.
Order today
The new Mac mini can be preordered. The entry-level M4 version starts at the same $599 price as the previous model. The more-powerful M4 Pro version starts at $1,399. Apple says orders will arrive, and the Mac mini will become available in stores, on November 8.
Order from: Apple
