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Apple unveils redesigned Mac mini with M4 and M4 Pro, Thunderbolt 5, more By Apple M4
Today marks the release of the entirely revamped Mac mini, continuing Apple's thrilling week of Mac announcements. The M4 and M4 Pro CPUs power the new Mac mini, which has a much more compact chassis. It is also the first Mac to offer communication via Thunderbolt 5.
The new Mac mini, which has 16GB of memory and starts at $599, can be pre-ordered now and will be available on November 8.
According to Apple:
Today, Apple revealed the all-new Mac mini, which is redesigned around Apple silicon and packed with an amazing level of horsepower into a much smaller form factor of only 5 by 5 inches. It is powered by the M4 and new M4 Pro CPUs. Compared to the M1 model, the M4 Mac mini offers up to 1.8x faster CPU and 2.2x faster GPU performance. The sophisticated technologies in M4 are scaled up with M4 Pro to handle even more taxing tasks.
It has front and back ports for easier connectivity, and the M4 Pro variant is the first to use Thunderbolt 5 for faster data transfer speeds. Additionally, Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that revolutionizes user work, communication, and self-expression while safeguarding privacy, is incorporated into the new Mac mini. With an almost 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions throughout its materials, production, transportation, and consumer use, the Mac mini is Apple's first carbon neutral Mac, marking a significant environmental milestone.
The new design of the Mac mini
Significantly smaller than its predecessor, the new Mac mini boasts a striking new look. Apple claims that the new device, which is only 5 by 5 inches in size, is half as large as the previous iteration.
The implementation of a "innovative new thermal architecture" is one significant modification that makes the lower footprint possible. According to Apple, all ventilation is done through the foot, and this architecture directs air to various system levels.
Along with a headphone jack, the new Mac mini has two USB-C connections on the front. Three Thunderbolt connections (more on that below), an HDMI port, and a gigabit Ethernet port are located on the back. With this Mac mini, Apple has eschewed USB-A connectivity.
Performance
Both the M4 and M4 Pro chips are available for the new Mac mini. After the M4 was added to the iPad Pro and 24-inch iMac, this is the first machine with the M4 Pro option. Starting with 16GB of RAM, the new Mac mini is available in both the M4 and M4 Pro models.
The M4 Pro CPU has compatibility for up to 64GB of RAM, as explained in our comprehensive overview of the chip. Ten performance cores and four high-efficiency cores make up its 14-core CPU. This is combined with a 20-core GPU, which Apple claims is up to twice as fast as the M4 chip's GPU.
Here are some statistics that show how the Mac mini with M4 is different from the Mac mini with M1:
In a Logic Pro project, up to 2.8 times as many audio effect plugins are applied.
provides up to 13.3 times faster World of Warcraft: The War Within gameplay.
improves images by upscaling them in Photomator up to 33 times faster.
Additionally, the following statistics emphasize the differences between the M4 Pro Mac mini and the M2 Pro version:
In a Logic Pro project, up to 1.8 times as many audio effect plugins can be used.
Motion can render motion graphics to RAM up to two times more quickly.
speeds up Blender 3D render completion by up to 2.9 times.
Additionally, the M4 Pro's neural engine is more than three times faster.
Thunderbolt 5 connectivity is another feature of the Mac mini with the M4 Pro processor. According to Apple, Thunderbolt 5 capability more than doubles the throughput of Thunderbolt 4 and allows for data transfer speeds of up to 120 Gb/s on Mac mini.
Cost and accessibility
The starting price of the Mac mini, which comes with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, stays at $599. Up to 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage can be added to the M4 variant. An optional 10 gigabit Ethernet upgrade is also available.
Starting at $1,399, the M4 Pro Mac mini has a 12-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 24GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. It can be set up with up to 64GB of memory, up to 8TB of storage, with a 14-core CPU and 20-core GPU.
