Apple's new Mac mini squeezes more power into an even smaller box

Hot on the heels of the new iMac announced on Monday, Apple's just added a new Mac mini. And this one is more than just an iterative update: it's the first change to the Mac mini design since the product's initial launch in 2010.

The new Mac minis seem to do the impossible: fitting more powerful components into an even smaller footprint. We think these mini minis are going to have big appeal for creatives, but also make sure you're following our Apple Black Friday deals roundup because I expect we'll start to see some good prices on previous models.

Introducing the all-new Mac mini | Apple - YouTube

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New Mac mini (M4 and M4 Pro): everything you need to know

We're already big fans of the Mac mini – we gave the 2023 M2 Pro model a 4.5-star review, noting how impressed we were the performance provided by such a compact computer. Less than two year's later, that generation is about to get superseded by M4 and M4 Pro Mac minis that take up even less desk space.

While the new Mac mini doesn't look massively different – it's still a shiny metallic box – it now measures just 5 x 5 inches compared to 7.75 x 7.75 inches. It is, however, a bit taller, and it now has a sloping base with air vents at the bottom.

There are also now two USB-C ports and a 3.5-mm headphone jack on the front, which seems like a much more convenient placement for easy access to them. There are more ports on the back: three Thunderbolt 4 on the M4 version and three Thunderbolt 5 for the M4 Pro Mac mini. There's also HDMI and Ethernet in both cases, but no USB-A.

Mac Mini M4 and M4 Pro specs

As for power, Apple says M4 chip's 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU delivers 1.8 times faster CPU performance and 2.2 times faster GPU performance than the M1 (but of course, the last mini's weren't M1 but M2 and M2 Pro). The neural engine is more than three times faster.

The M4 Pro chip means that for the first time the Mac mini can support accelerated ray tracing. That could be a deciding factor for creatives working in game development (or who simply want to play games on their Mac). Its 16-core neural engine could also potentially speed up graphically demanding tasks.

In terms of memory, 16GB is now the starting point for the entry-level configuration, while the M4 Pro Mac mini can be configured up to 64GB. Meanwhile, those ports I mentioned earlier mean that the M4 mini can support up to two 6K resolution external displays and the M4 Pro up to three 6K resolution displays at 60 Hz.

M4 Mac mini pricing and availability

The new Mac mini starts at $599 / £599 for the M4 configuration with 16GB memory and 256GB SSD. There's a leap in price to the M4 Pro configurations, which start at $1,399 / £1,399 for a 12-Core CPU, 16-Core GPU, 24GB memory and 512GB SSD.

Those using the M2 or M2 Pro Mac minis are unlikely to see any need to rush to upgrade, but more power in an even more compact form factor is likely to make the new Mac minis winners for creatives looking for their next desktop PC. Preorders are open now at Apple.com for release on 8 November, the same day as the new iMac.