The M4 Professional Mac mini is presumably the most effective deal in computing in late 2024, boasting a powerful quantity of energy for professionals that rivals the Mac Studio and Mac Professional in a tiny package deal.
In the case of desktop Mac fashions, the Mac mini is at all times thought-about the entry-level and low cost choice, whereas the Mac Studio and Mac Professional are efficiency beasts. With the introduction of the M4 Professional Mac mini, Apple has flipped the script — at the very least for now.
We have already regarded on the entry-level M4 Mac mini. The M4 Professional Mac mini is a fairly priced improve for individuals who want nice efficiency, all in a tiny package deal.
The Mac Studio and Mac Professional are nonetheless caught on M2. Upgrades to each aren’t anticipated till midway by 2025, so the New Mac mini with M4 Professional could possibly be the interim improve for a Professional that wants energy now and might’t await M4 Extremely.
M4 Professional Mac mini overview – Design and dimensions
A part of Apple’s overhaul of the Mac mini design, the M4 Professional model has the identical exterior look as its M4 counterpart. The 7.75-inch rounded flat sq. has reworked right into a 5-inch rounded sq., shrinking its desk presence.
Apple TV [top], new Mac mini [middle], outdated Mac mini [bottom]
At 2 inches, it is also a bit taller than the 1.41-inch earlier Mac mini design. It is nonetheless product of aluminum, although, and has a spherical base part that handles air flow.
The recomposition of the Mac mini has additionally compelled a couple of fascinating modifications.
The rear ports of the brand new Mac mini
For a begin, Apple could not match all the ports on the again of the Mac mini just because there wasn’t sufficient room. As a compromise, some USB-C connections have been delivered to the entrance alongside the headphone jack.
It is a compromise and an enormous departure from the same old Mac mini design philosophy.
The entrance ports of the brand new Mac mini
The peak improve and width lower additionally make it resemble a Mac Studio however in miniature. One bigger compromise is with energy, in that the ability button is now positioned beneath the Mac mini.
The M4 Professional Mac mini’s energy button is now beneath a nook
This appears like a foul design thought, as it’s a must to elevate it as much as entry the button. Besides, most customers will probably be placing the Mac mini to sleep, hardly ever needing the bodily energy button in any respect.
How a lot this issues actually depends upon how typically you shut down your machine. It is aggravated considerably by needing to make use of the Terminal to set startup and wakeup occasions, however it’s not likely a serious disaster.
M4 Mac mini overview – Specs, versus M2 Mac mini
SpecificationsM4 Mac mini (2024)M4 Professional Mac mini (2024)M2 Mac mini (2023)M2 Professional Mac mini (2023)Launch beginning worth$599Best M4 Mac mini costs$1,399Check M4 Professional Mac mini costs$599Best M2 Mac mini costs$1,299Best M2 Professional Mac mini pricesDimensions (inches)5.0 x 5.0 x 2.05.0 x 5.0 x 2.01.41 x 7.75 x 7.751.41 x 7.75 x 7.75Weight (kilos)1.51.62.62.8 ProcessorApple M4 10-core CPUApple M4 Professional 12-core CPU,Apple M4 Professional 14-core CPUApple M2 8-core CPUApple M2 Professional 10-core CPU,Apple M2 Professional 12-core CPUGraphics10-core GPU16-core GPU,20-core GPU10-core GPU16-core GPU,19-core GPURAM16GB, 24GB, 32GB24GB, 48GB, 64GB8GB, 16GB, 24GB16GB, 32GBNetworking802.11ax Wi-Fi 6E wi-fi networkingIEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac suitable,Bluetooth 5.3,Gigabit Ethernet, 10Gig upgradable802.11ax Wi-Fi 6E wi-fi networkingIEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac suitable,Bluetooth 5.3,Gigabit Ethernet, 10Gig upgradable802.11ax Wi-Fi 6E wi-fi networkingIEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac suitable,Bluetooth 5.3,Gigabit Ethernet, 10Gig upgradable802.11ax Wi-Fi 6E wi-fi networkingIEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac suitable,Bluetooth 5.3,Gigabit Ethernet, 10Gig upgradableStorage256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB512GB,1TB,2TB,4TB,8TB256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TBDisplay SupportMaximum of three:Two 6K 60Hz over Thunderboltand one 5K 60Hz over HDMI,or one 5K 60Hz over Thunderboltand one 8K 60Hz or 4K 240Hz over HDMIMaximum of three:Three 6K 60Hz over Thunderbolt or HDMI, or one 6K 60Hz over Thunderboltand one 8K 60Hz or 4K 240Hz over Thunderbolt or HDMIMaximum of two:One 6K 60Hz over Thunderboltand one 5K 60Hz over Thunderboltor 4K 60Hz over HDMIMaximum of three:Two 6K 60Hz over Thunderboltand one 4K over HDMI.As much as 8K decision or 240Hz potential over HDMIPortsHDMI, Three Thunderbolt 4,Two USB 3 Kind-C (entrance)Gigabit Ethernet,3.5mm headphone (entrance)HDMI, Three Thunderbolt 5,Two USB 3 Kind-C (entrance)Gigabit Ethernet,3.5mm headphone (entrance)HDMI,Two Thunderbolt 4,Two USB-A,Gigabit Ethernet,3.5mm headphoneHDMI,4 Thunderbolt 4,Two USB-A,Gigabit Ethernet,3.5mm headphone
M4 Professional Mac mini overview – Connectivity and Thunderbolt 5
As for the wi-fi facet, there’s Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. These are pretty normal, but additionally connections that you’ll solely actually profit from when you’ve got the infrastructure or supporting peripherals that use it.
There is no Wi-Fi 7 right here as there’s within the iPhone. We’re undecided why this was determined, particularly on the higher-end Mac mini, however it’s not an enormous disaster in the mean time.
Thunderbolt 5 will probably be actually helpful for individuals who want high-bandwidth connections
The place of ports is not the one change to the connectivity within the M4 Professional Mac mini. The choice has additionally modified to match the brand new design.
The again of the M4 Mac mini has an HDMI connection, a trio of Thunderbolt ports, and Gigabit Ethernet, which you’ll be able to pay to improve to a 10-gig model.
Across the entrance are a pair of USB-C ports, providing USB 3 help and 10Gb/s speeds. There’s additionally the headphone jack, which helps high-impedance headphones, a now-standard function change.
The M4 Professional Mac mini’s entrance ports are sparse however reachable.
The pair of USB-A ports from the outdated Mac mini have been consigned to the trash can of historical past. If you really want them, your greatest guess is to benefit from a Thunderbolt dock.
Thunderbolt 5 would be the star of the present — ultimately
Talking of Thunderbolt, the M4 Professional mannequin improves right here over the M4 Mac mini. Slightly than Thunderbolt 4, the trio of ports within the M4 Professional Mac mini use Thunderbolt 5.
There are a number of benefits to utilizing Thunderbolt 5 over Thunderbolt 4, with the chief one being bandwidth. Whereas Thunderbolt 4 maxes out at 40Gb/s, Thunderbolt 5 doubles it to 80Gb/s for bi-directional connections.
For asynchronous makes use of, it goes even greater, to 120Gb/s.
Then, there are the expanded video capabilities of the expertise. Thunderbolt 4 manages one 8K display screen or two 4K 60Hz shows, which is respectable in its personal proper.
The M4 Professional Mac mini and its field
However Thunderbolt 5 can deal with a number of 8K screens or three 4K screens at as much as 144Hz. If it is one 4K display screen, the Thunderbolt 5 normal permits it to go as much as 540Hz.
Thunderbolt 5 may also deal with greater energy limits. Thunderbolt 4 permits as much as 100W of energy supply, whereas Thunderbolt 5 can do as much as 240W, with 140W obligatory help.
That is nice future-proofing, however it’s extraordinarily arduous to check. We’ll be this extra sooner or later, as Thunderbolt 5 enclosures, docks, and different equipment are extra accessible.
M4 Professional Mac mini overview – M4 and different internals
The large attraction right here is the M4 Professional chip, marking a two-generation chip improve from the M2 Professional within the earlier mannequin.
This time, the M4 Professional packs extra cores than the M2 Professional in each variants. Add in Apple’s declare that it makes use of the “world’s fastest CPU core,” and issues begin to get spicy.
The M4 Professional base model is a 12-core CPU with eight efficiency cores and 4 effectivity cores. That is paired with a 16-core GPU and the 16-core Neural Engine primed for Apple Intelligence and the Media Engine for video encoding and decoding.
The upper-tier model has a 14-core CPU, with ten efficiency cores and 4 effectivity cores. The GPU is equally bumped up, equipped with 20 cores.
Reminiscence can also be improved in a number of methods. There’s the capability of unified reminiscence for starters, with the bottom being 24GB, rising to 48GB and 64GB, double the final mannequin’s most.
Reminiscence bandwidth can also be up, from 200GB/s within the M2 Professional to 273GB/s within the M4 Professional. Even this improve helps push the M4 Professional additional by way of efficiency.
M4 Professional Mac mini overview – Efficiency
Apple trumpeted the velocity of the M4 throughout its announcement. They gave obscure guarantees of two occasions that, thrice this, however they by no means actually benchmark issues.
M4 Professional Mac mini vs older Mac minis in Geekbench single-core benchmarks
When in comparison with the earlier fashions of Mac mini in Geekbench, it is clear that the M4 Professional is significantly extra highly effective. With a single-core rating of three,509 in testing, virtually 900 factors away from the M2 Professional model.
Geekbench multi-core benchmarks for M4 Professional Mac mini and older fashions
For multicore, there’s nonetheless an observable distinction in efficiency for the M4 Professional fashions. That is partly as a result of elevated core counts, however even the 12-core M4 Professional at 20,195 dwarfs the 12-core M2 Professional model at 14,483.
Geekbench Metallic benchmark outcomes for the M4 Professional and former Mac mini releases
This continues on with the Metallic benchmark, because the top-spec model of the M4 Professional lastly breaks the 100,000 rating barrier.
Geekbench single-core outcomes for the M1 Mac Studio and M4 Professional Mac mini
Within the single-core check, the M4 Professional once more blasts previous the M1 Mac Studio fashions at 3,500 versus 2,400. That may be a appreciable step up within the velocity of on a regular basis duties.
For the non-Professional, single core continues to be the metric that issues.
Geekbench multi-core figures evaluating the M4 Professional Mac mini towards the M1 Mac Studio
Multicore testing is way nearer, partly as a result of the M1 Extremely has a 20-core CPU versus the 14-core and 12-core M4 Professional. Nevertheless, regardless of the sheer variety of cores, the M1 Extremely nonetheless cannot sustain with the M4 Professional, even the 12-core model.
Geekbench Metallic outcomes for M4 Professional Mac mini vs M1 Mac Studio
In the case of Metallic, the GPUs within the M4 Professional and M1 Max fashions are comparable. The outlier is the M1 Extremely, just because it has so many cores at its disposal. It is arduous to maintain up on GPU enhancements alone towards a chip that provides that sheer amount of GPU cores.
So, possibly, dangle on to that M1 Extremely Mac Studio for a short while longer, when you want the CPU grunt.
M4 Professional Mac mini overview – SSD speeds
Our overview M4 Professional unit has a 512GB SSD. As promised, it has a sooner SSD than the M4 mini has.
Our BlackMagic Disk velocity check for learn checked out information at about 6.3 gigabytes per second. It constantly wrote at 5.2 gigabytes per second.
That is in distinction to our M4 Mac mini overview, the place we noticed symmetrical learn and write speeds about 3 gigabytes per second.
As I nearly at all times have, I like to recommend exterior native storage, or community hooked up storage as a substitute of paying Apple’s exorbitant SSD costs. Exterior storage is sort of at all times a greater and massively more cost effective choice for desktops. On the M4 Professional Mac mini, although, it isn’t equal velocity throughout Thunderbolt 4 enclosures.
Use your improve cash for additional RAM, possibly. Apple’s RAM costs are steep too. In a desktop kind issue, that is cash higher spent than inner storage.
Road costs for 1TB exterior high-speed Thunderbolt or USB4 SSDs are about $160, when you store proper, or construct your individual. Or, 2TB drives will be had for about $250. These will ship about 2.7 gigabytes per second learn and write, which is greater than sufficient velocity for almost any job.
We’ll be Thunderbolt 5 enclosures after they’re extra broadly accessible.
M4 Professional Mac mini overview – The tiny machine to beat in December 2024
Time marches on, and so does computing energy. Whereas Moore’s regulation is fairly useless, annual increments in Apple Silicon have introduced pretty spectacular outcomes to even the low-end, just like the Mac mini.
The M4 Professional Mac mini is a good compact block of computing efficiency
Whenever you’re wanting on the Mac mini M4, it is value contemplating what your jobs seem like. Should you’re doing largely enterprise informal work, like Workplace, then there will not be an enormous distinction in efficiency from the M4 to M4 Professional fashions.
Nevertheless, renders, video modifying, and the like, will probably be enhanced by the enhance in multicore and GPU speeds from the $599 mannequin to the $1200+ model.
The M4 Professional Mac mini, with a HomePod mini for scale
I’ve appreciated the Mac mini from the beginning. There’s been at the very least one in the home for the reason that G4 model shipped, and as I depend proper in the mean time, there are 5. One is a beefed-up G4 mannequin for after I get nostalgic for OS9, and the opposite is the core of my residence community, serving content material and Time Machine backups for a number of machines. Now, there’s this one.
Now that this overview has concluded, the cascading upgrades start. The M4 will probably be overkill for the house server, that M2 mini will exchange a M1 mini in use as a common computing equipment, and the M1 mini will get handed all the way down to a member of the family for common use.
What it will not do is exchange my M1 Extremely Mac Studio — at present. It in all probability should not for the few that personal one. The following one in all probability will, although, and because it stands at present, nearly every part else in Apple’s lineup is slower than the M4 Professional Mac mini.
As we stated within the M4 mini overview, if you’re nonetheless on Intel Mac {hardware}, it is in all probability time emigrate, no matter your energy wants.
M4 Professional Mac mini overview – Execs
About M2 Mac Studio Energy, for half the worth
Extra USB-C and extra USB total than the earlier design
Thunderbolt 5 will probably be amazingly quick, however…
M4 Professional Mac mini overview – Cons
Thunderbolt 5 equipment aren’t actually delivery but, and can take effectively into 2025 to proliferate
Exorbitant SSD and RAM improve pricing
Ranking: 5 out of 5
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