Apple has unveiled a completely redesigned Mac mini, now equipped with M4 and M4 Pro chips. This update brings a significantly smaller casing, measuring just five by five inches, along with two front-facing USB-C ports and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity—marking the first redesign of the Mac mini in over a decade. The new thermal architecture allows air to flow through the device more effectively, optimizing performance. Customers can choose between the M4 and M4 Pro chips for their Mac mini.
The M4 Pro version boasts a robust configuration, featuring a 14-core CPU, a 20-core GPU, and support for up to 64GB of memory. In comparison, the M4 chip includes a 10-core CPU and GPU, with a base of 16GB of unified memory. Notably, the M4 Pro has 273GB/s memory bandwidth, offering substantial improvements in speed and efficiency. Apple claims that the M4 Mac mini outperforms the M1 model from 2020 by up to 1.8 times in CPU performance and 2.2 times in GPU performance.
The M4 Pro’s GPU, equipped with up to 20 cores, is reported to be twice as powerful as the standard M4’s GPU. This new generation also introduces hardware-accelerated ray tracing and a more powerful Neural Engine. In terms of connectivity, the M4 Pro model features two USB-C ports on the front and three Thunderbolt 5 ports on the back, enabling data transfer speeds of up to 120 Gb/s. This advancement more than doubles the speed capabilities of Thunderbolt 4 found in the M4 model.
Furthermore, this iteration of the Mac mini is Apple’s first carbon-neutral desktop. The new Mac mini models are available for pre-order starting at $599, with an official launch set for November 8.
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