Apple’s week of new device announcements started yesterday with the iMac. The company is already doing more as promised. The smallest Mac of all time has now been introduced. It even comes with the Pro version of the M4 chip. Apple
Apple had already communicated in advance that it would forego a large event for the presentation of the new devices with the M4 chip. Instead, a full week of launches with individual product presentations was announced. Yesterday the new iMac made its debut. Today it was the turn of the Mac Mini.
The smallest Mac in Apple’s lineup will of course receive the current M4 chip. As expected, the new hardware delivers significantly higher performance. As usual, the company compares the new device with its predecessors. Apple: Presentation of the new Mac Mini with M4 chip
The updated Mac Mini with M4 is said to run spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel up to 1.7 times faster than the version of the device with an M1 chip. The new Mac is also up to 4.9 times faster than its M1 colleague when merging panoramic photos in Adobe Lightroom Classic. The Mac Mini’s CPU and GPU each have 10 cores.
Like the iMac, Cupertino has given the new device a RAM upgrade to 16 GB in its basic configuration. If you need more, you can also upgrade to 24 GB or 32 GB. The storage space for the standard version is 256 GB. An upgrade is also possible here. If required, the Mac Mini is available with up to 2 TB of storage capacity. If you want, you can also upgrade the Ethernet.
Unlike the iMac, customers can also buy the new Mac Mini with an M4 chip in the Pro version. Depending on the equipment selected, the CPU then has 12 or 14 cores and the GPU has 16 or 20 cores. In both cases, the device also has a 16-core Neural Engine for running applications with AI. The RAM ranges from 24 GB to 64 GB and the storage space is also significantly larger at a maximum of 8 TB than on the Mac Mini with the usual M4.
Of course, the Pro version of the chip also significantly increases performance. As Apple announces, the corresponding Mac Mini renders animations in Motion into RAM up to twice as fast as the Mac Mini with an M2 Pro. 3D rendering is also performed up to 2.9 times faster.
A lot has also happened externally. The new Mac Mini is more compact than its predecessors. The device measures just 127 mm x 127 mm x 50 mm. This makes the case slightly higher, but significantly smaller overall. This reduces the overall size by over 40 percent. In addition, the Mac Mini only weighs 670 grams or 730 grams in the Pro version. On the front of the case there are now two USB-C ports and an audio port with support for high-impedance headphones.
Users will also find three Thunderbolt 4 ports on the back. The Pro model even has Thunderbolt 5 at this point. There is also Gigabit LAN and an HDMI port. Apple also attaches importance to the fact that the new Mac Mini is made from over 50 percent recycled materials. The device’s packaging is also now completely “fiber-based” and “brings Apple closer to its goal of eliminating plastics in its packaging by 2025.”
Customers can now purchase the new models via the Apple Store pre-order. Delivery will then begin on November 8th. The price of the Mac Mini starts at 699 euros. If you want the Pro version with ‘full equipment’, you pay 5444 euros.
Technical data for the Apple Mac Mini 2024 with M4 chip
| Model | Apple M4 | Apple M4 Pro |
| CPU | 10-core SoC with 4 performance and 6 efficiency cores, 10-core GPU, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, 16-core Neural Engine, 120 GB/s memory bandwidth | 12 core SoC with 8 performance and 4 efficiency cores, 16-core GPU, hardware accelerated ray tracing, 16-core Neural Engine, 273 GB/s memory bandwidth |
| R.A.M. | 16, 24 or 32 GB shared RAM | 24, 48 or 64 GB shared RAM |
| memory | 256GB to 2TB | 512GB to 8TB |
| output | Simultaneous support for up to three displays | |
| Audio | Integrated speaker, 3.5 mm headphone jack, HDMI with multichannel audio output | |
| Connections | WLAN AX, Bluetooth 5.3, 3x Thunderbolt4/USB4 ports, 2x USB-C, HDMI 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, DP | WLAN AX, Bluetooth 5.3, 3x Thunderbolt5/USB4 ports, 2x USB-C, HDMI 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, DP |
| Mass | 5 x 12.7 x 12.7 cm | |
| Weight | 670 grams | 730 grams |
| Price | from 699 euros | from 1649 euros |
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