If you're thinking about buying a Mac mini, consider using my affiliate link: amzn.to/3O30Sm8 and if you're reading this... subscribe or I'll uhm... idk I'll just get depressed I guess.
My base model M4 mini arrived yesterday and I'm using it now (setup was easy because I already had all of the necessary peripherals, including external storage). It more than meets my needs so I can only imagine how powerful the Pro model is. The power button is a non-issue, and the cooling fan is dead quiet. I'm super happy with it.
I really want one. But the 256 GB makes me worried, too. I looked at 512 GB, but that is another 200 dollars, which is a lot. Do Macs work well with external storage? My M1 Pro 14 has 1 TB, so losing the storage would be hard.
@@nikolavonfulton5195 works really great, espetially with latests macos that allows you to install apps on external ssd, you can even get faster disks than the built in storage
@@nikolavonfulton5195yes, I boot my Apple Silicon macs of external thunderbolt drives that contain the macOS, apps and all my data. However, I’ve now learned that Apple Intelligence won’t work on a Mac started from an external volume!
As a cat mom, I love that the power button is on the underside. With my current Mac Pro, the cat is constantly walking on the power button and turning it on/off at inopportune times.
My daughter’s cat is an attention seeker. When she sits in front of her iMac with her notes and keyboard to do her studies, her can sits in front of the screen, on her notes, and sometimes lies over the keyboard….cheeky thing…
THANK YOU! I've been in touch with apple and they've recommended this model for my usage, but having someone finally get hands on and review it, I'm glad to finally have it confirmed! Thank you Greg!
@@GregsGadgets It definitely was! I'm guessing the $1399 model is absolutely fine, without upgrading the unified memory or storage? Also, I know it depends on what editor/video codec/resolution you use, but considering the video is available in 4k, how was video editing on this machine?
Same. At first it was stuck at 60hz for me and the full resolution of that monitor wasn't available. I shut it down, powered it back on and it was working! Are you going HDMI to HDMI?
GPU rendering with Blender is a very demanding task and one that has been really optimized for Nvidia. The base M4 Pro is now faster than a Nvidia 3060 GPU which is insane. I built a desktop PC for about $1,500 with a 3060 and that tiny Mini for roughly the same cost is just as good. Granted I can never swap out the GPU like I can on the PC but to be honest I don’t have any desire to do that. The 3060 is pretty solid in performance for Blender and gaming. I have no need to upgrade just to enhance the visuals a tiny bit. The point is the M4 Pro is now at that same level. Outside of the desire to move from 1080p gaming to 4k or 60p to 120p it is at a level more than capable of running games or doing higher end work. Another interesting perspective is I currently use a M1 Pro MBP for a lot of different work. Mobile app development, 4k video editing, 3D graphics, raw photo editing and design work. Apple Silicon was already very can-be of doing most of what I need. With Blender the M4 Pro is now 5.3x faster than my M1 Pro GPU. That’s a difference very easy to feel. For every other task I do I already had zero issues but the M4 Pro will be that much more solid going into the future. It takes a very niche applications 5o really start needing more than what my M1 Pro can do.
Bought the Mac mini M4 Pro base model. 128-143 fps on all-ultra settings No Man’s Sky at 3440x1440 resolution. Everspace 2 averages about 52 fps. Factorio 60 fps. World of Warcraft at quality slider 8 hits 78 fps in Dornogol city. Plenty of games native to Apple Silicon that have in-game frame rate indicators or use the Steam overlay to show it. FYI.
Judging by Blender benchmarks, the M4 Pro has close to the horsepower of a 3060, while the base M4 model has half the performance (putting them below the level of a 2060 card). In Windows, the gaming experience on a 3060 feels very similar to a PS5 regarding framerate and visuals (the card is 30% faster, but games in console benefit from extra optimizations). This means the M4 Pro Mac Mini should provide a PS5 level of experience, if games are ported and optimized for it.
It's a great entry level computer for sure. $499 with an ed discount is a bargain. However, try to double the RAM and SSD and it is literally cheaper to buy two base model Mac Minis than it is to just get double the RAM and double SSD. That is so broken.
Can’t wait for mine to arrive M4 Pro based model with 48Gb RAM & 512gb storage. I actually visit the store to see for myself. Can’t believe how tiny it is and insanely lightweight so don’t know what the big fuss about power button. I previously owned MBP M3 Max as my on to go daily editing. Superb review!
Mine finally arrived today - after UPS held it hostage for 4 days! - but I LOVE it! Set up was quick and easy and it's just a dynamite computer! I hope to have this one around for a very long time.
Please make a separate video that goes more into the fan noise. I really want you to capture the fan noise from the position your ears are at when sitting in front of the monitor and the mac mini placed beside/under the monitor. it will help us understand how load it really is (you’ll have to adjust the mic gain to be at the same level as your ears capture the fan noise levels though haha) Thx in advance 🙏🏻
Thanks for the video, new subscriber here, I am glad you chose this model vs. higher spec'd Pro. good to know that it would be better spent on additional storage vs. 2 cores. Thanks!
First of all, you’re my best friend, even if you don’t know me. Second of all, I love making you money when it doesn’t cost me any, even though time is money, I was doing nothing but watching your video. Third of all, the power button is perfect, just the way it is and if you turn the computer upside down, then the power button is on the top. You can even have it on the side …or the other side!
I hope part of what is driving growth on your channel is that you’ve kept a more positive outlook on things. Other channels have gone almost exclusively negative and critical. I have been trying to support channels that take an honest but positive perspective. Thanks!
Thank you for this information👍 I picked up a Mini M4 with 512/24gb yesterday for my home office and it's amazing. It works very fast with my external 2 TB ssd disk as well working with 4K material. I was planning to get a Mac Studio for my office but now I'm really thinking of getting a Mini M4 pro. It will definitely be more than enough for a much less cost. I am a still and video photographer and do almost all work in Adobe. Thanks for a great review😄
@@jordanhurd1988Mine arrived on launch day. The feel I have with DaVinci resolve is the same as a rtx3080 10gb but exporting with Final Cut is ridiculously fast
Hi, I've had the M4 Pro since day one and so far very pleased with it? I'm not a content creator but got it for the long haul. My intention is to keep the Pro for a very long time as just a very powerful desk top computer for everyday tasks. Best Buy gave me $575 for my M2Pro which made it economically feasible to get the Pro.
I intend it to be just a desktop computer vice content creation. So, it should be more than capable for any job I need to do. I want to say that the internal speaker is more than adequate for music listening at the desk. It’s certainly much better than my M2 Pro or Intel MM. Will it make external speakers extinct? No, but Apple has finally produced a MM that has a decent speaker. After trying several types of music, I found it is very good. Good enough for an audiophile? No, but good enough for enjoying music as you browse or work at the desk. I'm not feeling the need to clutter my desk with external speakers. The internal doesn’t get enough respect, Apple did a very good job this time. Greg, good review, I agree the M4 Pro (base model)is the one to get for all but the most demanding jobs. At that point the Studio would be a better option. I also like how the M4 MM looks like a shrunken Studio. I found the best hub for the M4/Pro from RayCue. In addition to ports and Card readers on the front, it also has a USB-A, C and an audio jack as well on the rear plus an NVMe space.
I want to go for this model but the reports of fans spinning up are putting me off a bit. I am contemplating getting the regular model with more ram and storage instead in the hope it will run cooler / quieter.
The $599 version is much better value for money for the vast majority of users. Most people won't need the extra power or memory of the Pro, and if you need more storage, you can pick up a USB 4 NVME enclosure for under $80 and put a 1TB or 2TB NVME drive in it for hundreds of dollars less, without sacrificing much speed.
Same single thread performance, 33% better multi threading, 80-90% faster GPU. If you need the better GPU for video editing or gaming (to the extend it exists on mac), it may be worth it. I ordered the base model though, since my main machine is Windows based. But for $600, the base model is kind of difficult to pass for low power/small home pc. I'm also tempted to see how much of my work can do on mac, since they finally give you 16GB. Of course, using external SSD is a must. I wouldn't use 256GB for anything but the OS/documents
It’s smart to NOT have an SD card slot. The connector for that has a higher probability of failure than for any other of the ports. Dongle better for that.
In such a small form factor where every engineering consideration has to be given to thermals, Apple likely realized this in the process. ASUS sure didn’t with the ROG Ally…
@@shadow1psc they'd put so much engineering consideration to thermals they decided to build a tight sandwich with exhaust and intake being in the same spot and the power supply being covered by the mainboard with very little airflow... Bigbraintingz.
I buy and build my Macs for longevity as my 2017 27" loaded iMac is still running great. Plans are for a M4 Mac Studio better suits my wish list with an aftermarket monitor.
Hello and thanks for the review, I was strangle to find a Mini M4 Pro base model review. One note, at 04:18, Geekbench GPU score for M4 Pro 16cores is around 99800, not 110556. That's the 20cores score. Also, did you notice any throttling while you ran your test/benchmarks/programs? Thanks in advance!
welp, that's what I was wondering.... if that fan noise will interrupt with music production (Logic or Studio One -- whatever you have). Can you do us a solid and test it with a bunch of tracks with plugins etc. see how many we can get and if/when the fan kicks in.... it's uber important.
2:24 awkward with all ports in use or if placed with the power button even more distanced from your access. And, if you got a power hit or software attack, maybe quicker reach is helpful.
Hey @gregsGadgets this was a very helpful comparison, but I have a question about one of the benchmarks. At 4:13 you said the M4 Pro (16 Core) Metal GPU benchmark was 110556, but then at 5:13 you said the M4 Pro (20 Core) Metal GPU benchmark was 110556. Which is it?
The base version is plenty for my home theater use and will replace an old AppleTV that I was going to upgrade to the latest 4K version. It provides the same capabilities, plus is a normal computer able to run apps I usually do on my MacBook. Yes, it is more than the AppleTV 4K, but has so many more abilities and much less than the pro version. A perfect fit for home AVR and theater use at a very reasonable cost IMHO.
GREAT REVIEW!!! THANK YOU FOR THE BENCHMARKS!!! PLEASE GO CRAZY WITH THIS 12CORE M4PRO CHIP FOR ANOTHER WEEK AND THEN DO ANOTHER REVIEW ON IT!!! THIRD VIDEO ON THE M4 PRO MAC MINI (12 CORE) Thank you! !!
It's so infuriating to me cause I want to be able to go with 64gigs of ram on a m4 pro laptop but you can only do that with the mac mini... This is the main reason why I'm still debating whether I should go for the mac mini or the macbook. I want the convenience of the laptop but I also want the 64 gigs without upgrading to the maxed out m4 max. Damn you apple.
I still don't understand why there's no 64GB option for the MacBook Pro it's so dumb. With that being said, you might be fine with 48GB if your really want to go with the MacBook, what do you plan on using it for?
@@GregsGadgets todays video showed footage with the 24Gb ram model I assume. Would 48Gb have helped with gaming frame rates or the is the non binned cpu a better assistant to frame rates? Thanks either way!
I understand what you are saying about flipping it upside down if the power button location bothers you, but I would be interested in knowing if that would reduce cooling capability a little bit. I imagine that the Apple engineers relied at least a little bit on convection to move the air around within the enclosure ? Can anyone confirm whether there are any limitations on mounting location or orientation for these M4 mini's?
I doubt the orientation matters since the fan forces the air circulation. The only problem with keeping it upside down is it's vulnerable to liquids being spilled into it.
Right now I have a 2017 iMac. I was wondering if its possible to use the Mac mini with my old iMac as the monitor. I was also wondering if I could hook up a new 4k OLED tv as a monitor. something big like a 50 inch ?
great video bro! lot of explanations..i have a question: can I use an Android tablet as unique monitor for Mac Mini?, which additional device i need? I have a LENOVO P12 tablet and I'm wondering if I can use it a portable monitor....thansk!
When the 10% difference is a negative he makes it seem like 10% is nothing (I tend to agree), but when his preferred model comes out ahead by percentages like 30% he acts like that difference is mindblowing. For most of us, unless the difference is like 200% its really not a thing. I wish these videos wouldn't super hype incremental and boring gains.
This time it is pretty fair to act this way because it is a smaller form factor and lower tier chip that is outperforming many of those just "20 month old top end chips'
I really want it but with the absurd costs of storage and ram upgrades i’m better off waiting for the mac studio refresh, better cpu for basically same price. Just not as small but you get more ports.
What would I be missing out on if I went with the base model mini vs pro model as a heavy Logic Pro user? I often completely overheat and crash Logic on my 2019 base model MacBook Pro 16inch. Thanks Greg!
Could you test some games on the Mac Mini with M4 Pro? Like Diablo 4, Hogwarts Legacy, Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2? I would like to understand how many fps can be obtained with a resolution in Full HD.
For basic video editing and multi tasking, would it be better to get the base Mac Mini m4 with upgraded 512g hard drive for $769 or the M2 Pro 10 core 16 core gpu, 16gb memory and 512gb storage for $899 on sale. These are the options through Costco.
what's crazy is best buy is still selling m2 pro mini for $50 less then m4 pro mini. who's going buy that. but then when I got my ultra 2 they still had series 6 watches for same prices as series 9.
Chips faster than M4 standard (Geekbench 6 multi-core): M1: Ultra M2: Ultra M3: Max (they made no Ultra) M4: Pro, Max and possible more editions M3 Pro (non-binned) is faster than M4 but with a very small margin. The standard chip is capped at 16/24/32 GB RAM depending on M1-M4. Reasons for Pro/Max: + better display support + better ports/selection + more RAM + faster SSDs + larger SSDs (std chip is limited to 2 TB internal SSD, while the other can have 8 TB with some exception of 4 TB) So just the fact that M4 is ~80% faster than M1 (GB6 multicore) doesn't mean that Mac Mini M4 is the best buy. I'm curios about this now: Mac Mini M4 599 dollar (plus a PS5 controller for xx dollar) vs PS5 Slim/Pro! Both got HDMI ports :) Also curious about Mac Mini M4 vs Mac Studio M4 in March-June 2025. Thermals and fan noise especially during heavy load...
Hey Greg, can you shed some light on if this M4 Pro chip sucks through more power than the M2 Pro chip or why is it getting its fans up while under full power? Is it just pushing more power? Since everyone insists how efficient the Apple Silicon is...? Other than that: thank you very much for your video. You're the first to show off the running fans.
I'm having a hard time deciding if I get the base M4Pro right now or wait and save up to get it with 48GB of RAM and the upgraded 14-core. I’m upgrading from a M2 base MacBook Pro that's giving me hard times with DaVinci Resolve because of the 8GB of RAM. Also, I want to learn Blender, but I don't know if 24GB of RAM is enough for both DaVinci and Blender.
Amigo pasar de M2 a M4 Pro ya es un gran cambio y pasar de 8GB de Ram a 24 ya es un gran cambio también. Ahora si tienes la paciencia y el dinero espera un mes y obten la de 48, con seguridad eso no se va a quedar obsoleto en muuchos años
I'm watching this on my very own M4 mini, a basic CPU model. I am emulating a 450 MHz Pentium II Xeon via 86boxon this little thing AT FULL SPEED! That actually blows me away, because I have not gotten a similar AMD CPU to do that, and that's obviously the same basic architecture while Apple is using Arm's RISC architecture. 86box is really demanding because it emulates PC hardware very accurately. This little thing is an absolute beast.
The downside for Apple making the Mac mini is, they lost a sale with me… I bought mine instead of the new iMac M4 I would have bought as it was £1,000 less for me to spend… I can now get a high quality monitor now and still have spent less. 🏴
If you're thinking about buying a Mac mini, consider using my affiliate link: amzn.to/3O30Sm8 and if you're reading this... subscribe or I'll uhm... idk I'll just get depressed I guess.
Subbed to you since... uhh I forgot
Great content as always!
My base model M4 mini arrived yesterday and I'm using it now (setup was easy because I already had all of the necessary peripherals, including external storage). It more than meets my needs so I can only imagine how powerful the Pro model is. The power button is a non-issue, and the cooling fan is dead quiet. I'm super happy with it.
I really want one. But the 256 GB makes me worried, too. I looked at 512 GB, but that is another 200 dollars, which is a lot. Do Macs work well with external storage? My M1 Pro 14 has 1 TB, so losing the storage would be hard.
@@nikolavonfulton5195 works really great, espetially with latests macos that allows you to install apps on external ssd, you can even get faster disks than the built in storage
@@nikolavonfulton5195Mac works good with external storage. It’s non issue if you don’t move around a lot.
@@nikolavonfulton5195yes, I boot my Apple Silicon macs of external thunderbolt drives that contain the macOS, apps and all my data. However, I’ve now learned that Apple Intelligence won’t work on a Mac started from an external volume!
@@mashy712 Ditto for me, external storage works great and is much more affordable.
As a cat mom, I love that the power button is on the underside. With my current Mac Pro, the cat is constantly walking on the power button and turning it on/off at inopportune times.
it should be reachable by extended claw for a sufficiently motivated cat. that's how you know if your cat is working hard enough!
@@StrangerNoises 😂
My daughter’s cat is an attention seeker. When she sits in front of her iMac with her notes and keyboard to do her studies, her can sits in front of the screen, on her notes, and sometimes lies over the keyboard….cheeky thing…
THANK YOU! I've been in touch with apple and they've recommended this model for my usage, but having someone finally get hands on and review it, I'm glad to finally have it confirmed! Thank you Greg!
Glad the video was helpful, it's a great machine!
@@GregsGadgets It definitely was! I'm guessing the $1399 model is absolutely fine, without upgrading the unified memory or storage? Also, I know it depends on what editor/video codec/resolution you use, but considering the video is available in 4k, how was video editing on this machine?
I was super happy to find out it works with my Samsung odyssey g9 57” at 120hz
Same. At first it was stuck at 60hz for me and the full resolution of that monitor wasn't available. I shut it down, powered it back on and it was working!
Are you going HDMI to HDMI?
@@JDubsPub I also got mine yesterday and I’m using two monitors. 1440p@144Hz over HDMI and 4K@60Hz over USB-C
@@JDubsPub yes I just used an 8k hdmi, but you can use hdmi to usb c or display to usb c
@@Max-h2j That's great. You also bought the M4 Pro?
@@JDubsPub I bought the base configuration, I will be using it for music production so I don’t need that much graphic power
GPU rendering with Blender is a very demanding task and one that has been really optimized for Nvidia. The base M4 Pro is now faster than a Nvidia 3060 GPU which is insane. I built a desktop PC for about $1,500 with a 3060 and that tiny Mini for roughly the same cost is just as good.
Granted I can never swap out the GPU like I can on the PC but to be honest I don’t have any desire to do that. The 3060 is pretty solid in performance for Blender and gaming. I have no need to upgrade just to enhance the visuals a tiny bit.
The point is the M4 Pro is now at that same level. Outside of the desire to move from 1080p gaming to 4k or 60p to 120p it is at a level more than capable of running games or doing higher end work.
Another interesting perspective is I currently use a M1 Pro MBP for a lot of different work. Mobile app development, 4k video editing, 3D graphics, raw photo editing and design work. Apple Silicon was already very can-be of doing most of what I need. With Blender the M4 Pro is now 5.3x faster than my M1 Pro GPU. That’s a difference very easy to feel. For every other task I do I already had zero issues but the M4 Pro will be that much more solid going into the future. It takes a very niche applications 5o really start needing more than what my M1 Pro can do.
Mac mini is finally mini!
Mini and powerful
LOL, and it's thermally compromised. Well done brainiac.
@ the mac mini has a new advanced thermal system, look into it
What about the M4 Pro throttle/fan noise under various loads? Would be great if you could document it with FCP and LP!
Bought the Mac mini M4 Pro base model. 128-143 fps on all-ultra settings No Man’s Sky at 3440x1440 resolution. Everspace 2 averages about 52 fps. Factorio 60 fps. World of Warcraft at quality slider 8 hits 78 fps in Dornogol city. Plenty of games native to Apple Silicon that have in-game frame rate indicators or use the Steam overlay to show it. FYI.
Factorio will always be 60fps
Judging by Blender benchmarks, the M4 Pro has close to the horsepower of a 3060, while the base M4 model has half the performance (putting them below the level of a 2060 card). In Windows, the gaming experience on a 3060 feels very similar to a PS5 regarding framerate and visuals (the card is 30% faster, but games in console benefit from extra optimizations). This means the M4 Pro Mac Mini should provide a PS5 level of experience, if games are ported and optimized for it.
It's a great entry level computer for sure. $499 with an ed discount is a bargain. However, try to double the RAM and SSD and it is literally cheaper to buy two base model Mac Minis than it is to just get double the RAM and double SSD. That is so broken.
Absolutely. RAM and SSD prices are off. And the SSD isn't even fast.
Yep, I bought the $499 mac mini, came yesterday, and it's faster than my $3600 MBP with the m1 max... It's bonkers...
You do a great job with this TH-cam & your voice is made for this.
Can’t wait for mine to arrive M4 Pro based model with 48Gb RAM & 512gb storage. I actually visit the store to see for myself. Can’t believe how tiny it is and insanely lightweight so don’t know what the big fuss about power button. I previously owned MBP M3 Max as my on to go daily editing. Superb review!
Mine finally arrived today - after UPS held it hostage for 4 days! - but I LOVE it! Set up was quick and easy and it's just a dynamite computer! I hope to have this one around for a very long time.
Got this spec but upgraded the SSD to 1TB.
Superb Video as usual Greg !!! How is the fan noise compared to the Mac Studio ?
I don’t hear the fans on my Mac studio ever, I don’t hear them on the base m4 mini, but I did hear them on the M4 Pro version
Please make a separate video that goes more into the fan noise. I really want you to capture the fan noise from the position your ears are at when sitting in front of the monitor and the mac mini placed beside/under the monitor. it will help us understand how load it really is (you’ll have to adjust the mic gain to be at the same level as your ears capture the fan noise levels though haha)
Thx in advance 🙏🏻
Just going of the fact of how tightly packed this things is you can forget about silent mini anymore.
@NirHanson He is not your personal assistant. Go to the Mac Store and do it You damn self
@ keyboard hero
Thanks for the video, new subscriber here, I am glad you chose this model vs. higher spec'd Pro. good to know that it would be better spent on additional storage vs. 2 cores. Thanks!
Thank you 🙏 glad it was helpful
First of all, you’re my best friend, even if you don’t know me. Second of all, I love making you money when it doesn’t cost me any, even though time is money, I was doing nothing but watching your video. Third of all, the power button is perfect, just the way it is and if you turn the computer upside down, then the power button is on the top. You can even have it on the side …or the other side!
I hope part of what is driving growth on your channel is that you’ve kept a more positive outlook on things. Other channels have gone almost exclusively negative and critical. I have been trying to support channels that take an honest but positive perspective. Thanks!
Thank you for this information👍 I picked up a Mini M4 with 512/24gb yesterday for my home office and it's amazing. It works very fast with my external 2 TB ssd disk as well working with 4K material. I was planning to get a Mac Studio for my office but now I'm really thinking of getting a Mini M4 pro. It will definitely be more than enough for a much less cost. I am a still and video photographer and do almost all work in Adobe. Thanks for a great review😄
How about rendering speed in 4k? 24 GB enough or better pick 48?)
And which m1pro did you choose?
@@rus_proscrtv No that would be Studio with M2 Max but I still think it will better with an Mini M4 pro, in this case I will go for at least 48!
why is it always either 1080p or 4k with you. ever heard of 1440p?
That's the one I bought. It's a monster, I love it, it's ridiculously fast and small
Same here. Mine doesn’t arrive for another two weeks (at least).
@@jordanhurd1988Mine arrived on launch day. The feel I have with DaVinci resolve is the same as a rtx3080 10gb but exporting with Final Cut is ridiculously fast
Thanks Greg for reviewing the binned model!
M4 Pro (14 cores) is good choice👍🏻
Only if you need the extra performance (which most people won't). Otherwise it's a waste of money.
i think this is the one for me , thank you for the video
Hi, I've had the M4 Pro since day one and so far very pleased with it? I'm not a content creator but got it for the long haul. My intention is to keep the Pro for a very long time as just a very powerful desk top computer for everyday tasks. Best Buy gave me $575 for my M2Pro which made it economically feasible to get the Pro.
I intend it to be just a desktop computer vice content creation. So, it should be more than capable for any job I need to do. I want to say that the internal speaker is more than adequate for music listening at the desk. It’s certainly much better than my M2 Pro or Intel MM. Will it make external speakers extinct? No, but Apple has finally produced a MM that has a decent speaker. After trying several types of music, I found it is very good. Good enough for an audiophile? No, but good enough for enjoying music as you browse or work at the desk. I'm not feeling the need to clutter my desk with external speakers. The internal doesn’t get enough respect, Apple did a very good job this time.
Greg, good review, I agree the M4 Pro (base model)is the one to get for all but the most demanding jobs. At that point the Studio would be a better option. I also like how the M4 MM looks like a shrunken Studio. I found the best hub for the M4/Pro from RayCue. In addition to ports and Card readers on the front, it also has a USB-A, C and an audio jack as well on the rear plus an NVMe space.
Wow that "loud" fan noise from the new mac mini is extremely quiet compared to my current desktop pc where the fans are allows going loud!
Video answered my question, thanks.
I want to go for this model but the reports of fans spinning up are putting me off a bit. I am contemplating getting the regular model with more ram and storage instead in the hope it will run cooler / quieter.
I ordered my base model M4 mac Mini today. Will be utlizing Icloud more and picking up another drive for storage.
What about this vs base $599 M4 Mac Mini?
The $599 version is much better value for money for the vast majority of users. Most people won't need the extra power or memory of the Pro, and if you need more storage, you can pick up a USB 4 NVME enclosure for under $80 and put a 1TB or 2TB NVME drive in it for hundreds of dollars less, without sacrificing much speed.
@@EnglishMike Curious in the future with Thunderbolt 5 external storage.
Same single thread performance, 33% better multi threading, 80-90% faster GPU. If you need the better GPU for video editing or gaming (to the extend it exists on mac), it may be worth it.
I ordered the base model though, since my main machine is Windows based. But for $600, the base model is kind of difficult to pass for low power/small home pc. I'm also tempted to see how much of my work can do on mac, since they finally give you 16GB. Of course, using external SSD is a must. I wouldn't use 256GB for anything but the OS/documents
I literally laughed out loud when you flipped it over for users who complain about the power button location. Simple, yet genius solution! 😂
😂
Thanks for the videos greg
Thanks for watching
It’s smart to NOT have an SD card slot. The connector for that has a higher probability of failure than for any other of the ports. Dongle better for that.
In such a small form factor where every engineering consideration has to be given to thermals, Apple likely realized this in the process. ASUS sure didn’t with the ROG Ally…
@@shadow1psc they'd put so much engineering consideration to thermals they decided to build a tight sandwich with exhaust and intake being in the same spot and the power supply being covered by the mainboard with very little airflow... Bigbraintingz.
Keep in mind that the speed of the memory of the normal Mac Mini is half of the Mac Mini Pro. I saw the test in another video yesterday.
Greg,
Given the power and size of the Mini, might someone purchase this versus a laptop? And travel with this and portable screens versus a laptop?
I mean it’s doable, but sounds more inconvenient than a laptop
I buy and build my Macs for longevity as my 2017 27" loaded iMac is still running great. Plans are for a M4 Mac Studio better suits my wish list with an aftermarket monitor.
With a Batou t-shirt, a character interested in technology and philosophy. So now I'm wondering ... Could that computer control a Tachikoma?
Definitely 😂
Hello and thanks for the review, I was strangle to find a Mini M4 Pro base model review. One note, at 04:18, Geekbench GPU score for M4 Pro 16cores is around 99800, not 110556. That's the 20cores score. Also, did you notice any throttling while you ran your test/benchmarks/programs? Thanks in advance!
Suscribed buddy. You've been very helpful lately.
Appreciate it! and glad the videos are helpful
since when did tucker carlson become a tech journalist?
So buy this instead of M4 Pro laptop?
If you want a desktop get this, if you want a laptop get the MacBook Pro lol.
@@GregsGadgets Ahhhhhh.........
Get both
@@TokyoNeko8 Or neither.....
If you are working from home 🏡 and have extreme CPU needs, get the M4 Pro Mac Mini.
Does a M4 (Pro) feels noticeable faster than a M1 while browsing the web and using Office, iWork and Affinity?
Not really for basic tasks - yes for some stuff in affinity photo
If you're editing photos/rendering videos would you recommend getting the $200 upgrade?
Would love to hear some price predictions for Black Friday - Cyber Monday.
If you're looking for deals, keep an eye on the M2 and M3 versions instead.
But the question he didn't answer is does it really replace the studio models?
At 4:18 it seems you are showing scores for the M4 Pro with the 20-core GPU. The M4 Pro with 16-core CPU scores at around 100 000 flat.
welp, that's what I was wondering.... if that fan noise will interrupt with music production (Logic or Studio One -- whatever you have). Can you do us a solid and test it with a bunch of tracks with plugins etc. see how many we can get and if/when the fan kicks in.... it's uber important.
I'm mainly a video editor. Do you think I should upgrade the ram to 48gb over the 24gb base option?
Not entirely necessary, but probably a nice upgrade if you work with long projects in 4K and use other professional apps at the same time.
2:24 awkward with all ports in use or if placed with the power button even more distanced from your access. And, if you got a power hit or software attack, maybe quicker reach is helpful.
Hi well you be testing programing and video editing with DaVinci 19? well you test networking?
Hey @gregsGadgets this was a very helpful comparison, but I have a question about one of the benchmarks. At 4:13 you said the M4 Pro (16 Core) Metal GPU benchmark was 110556, but then at 5:13 you said the M4 Pro (20 Core) Metal GPU benchmark was 110556. Which is it?
Ugh sorry this was a mistake on my end the correct score is: 99853 for the 16 core model.
The base version is plenty for my home theater use and will replace an old AppleTV that I was going to upgrade to the latest 4K version. It provides the same capabilities, plus is a normal computer able to run apps I usually do on my MacBook. Yes, it is more than the AppleTV 4K, but has so many more abilities and much less than the pro version. A perfect fit for home AVR and theater use at a very reasonable cost IMHO.
Do you think the multi core difference being so low is due to thermal performance? I would think the two performance core difference would be larger.
GREAT REVIEW!!! THANK YOU FOR THE BENCHMARKS!!! PLEASE GO CRAZY WITH THIS 12CORE M4PRO CHIP FOR ANOTHER WEEK AND THEN DO ANOTHER REVIEW ON IT!!! THIRD VIDEO ON THE M4 PRO MAC MINI (12 CORE)
Thank you! !!
Gave you not tried to turn it on using the Touch ID button on the keyboard?
How much ram in your mac mini M4 Pro? Is 24 gig enough?
It's so infuriating to me cause I want to be able to go with 64gigs of ram on a m4 pro laptop but you can only do that with the mac mini... This is the main reason why I'm still debating whether I should go for the mac mini or the macbook. I want the convenience of the laptop but I also want the 64 gigs without upgrading to the maxed out m4 max. Damn you apple.
I still don't understand why there's no 64GB option for the MacBook Pro it's so dumb. With that being said, you might be fine with 48GB if your really want to go with the MacBook, what do you plan on using it for?
@@GregsGadgets todays video showed footage with the 24Gb ram model I assume. Would 48Gb have helped with gaming frame rates or the is the non binned cpu a better assistant to frame rates?
Thanks either way!
wonder how the Mac mini pro compases to the M2 Studio
Maybe it's just me but I like your honesty about loving money coming from the viewerships 😂
What is its performance with the War Of Warcraft game?
Can you do a video on the best alternative monitors ( to Apple Studio Display) to to use with Mac mini m4 pro.
Lg thunderbolt all the way
I understand what you are saying about flipping it upside down if the power button location bothers you, but I would be interested in knowing if that would reduce cooling capability a little bit. I imagine that the Apple engineers relied at least a little bit on convection to move the air around within the enclosure ? Can anyone confirm whether there are any limitations on mounting location or orientation for these M4 mini's?
I doubt the orientation matters since the fan forces the air circulation. The only problem with keeping it upside down is it's vulnerable to liquids being spilled into it.
Right now I have a 2017 iMac. I was wondering if its possible to use the Mac mini with my old iMac as the monitor. I was also wondering if I could hook up a new 4k OLED tv as a monitor. something big like a 50 inch ?
great video bro! lot of explanations..i have a question: can I use an Android tablet as unique monitor for Mac Mini?, which additional device i need? I have a LENOVO P12 tablet and I'm wondering if I can use it a portable monitor....thansk!
When the 10% difference is a negative he makes it seem like 10% is nothing (I tend to agree), but when his preferred model comes out ahead by percentages like 30% he acts like that difference is mindblowing. For most of us, unless the difference is like 200% its really not a thing. I wish these videos wouldn't super hype incremental and boring gains.
A 30% increase with a $500 savings seems pretty mind blowing to me.
Exactly!
Lmaoo in PC land they are talking about 10-15% gains
30% is 300% more than 10%...
This time it is pretty fair to act this way because it is a smaller form factor and lower tier chip that is outperforming many of those just "20 month old top end chips'
Ok so…my needs are occasional PSD/ illustrator and Prem Pro/Ae would this model be ok.
I’m jumping from a PC so my lack of knowledge
Subbed simply for the Doc Ock reference
I really want it but with the absurd costs of storage and ram upgrades i’m better off waiting for the mac studio refresh, better cpu for basically same price. Just not as small but you get more ports.
Thank You!
I would be interested if the 64GB version is enough to run 70B LLMs with Ollama and if yes, how well it does it.
my recording devices are, 4k dslr n iphn 15 pro max
please suggest is base model 16gb is enough for my 4 years need ?
do you know if this can handle OBS screen recordings from a Ps5 pro attached ?
What would I be missing out on if I went with the base model mini vs pro model as a heavy Logic Pro user? I often completely overheat and crash Logic on my 2019 base model MacBook Pro 16inch. Thanks Greg!
Could you test some games on the Mac Mini with M4 Pro? Like Diablo 4, Hogwarts Legacy, Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2? I would like to understand how many fps can be obtained with a resolution in Full HD.
Thanks so much for this, I think 12 core is good for me. Is it true that 1TB m4 pro is 6000MB/s and 512 is 4000?
When is the studio getting the 4 chip?
Middle of next year according to rumours on the net.
@ that thing is going to be a killer.
@@michaelstewart9366 in price, YES
For basic video editing and multi tasking, would it be better to get the base Mac Mini m4 with upgraded 512g hard drive for $769 or the M2 Pro 10 core 16 core gpu, 16gb memory and 512gb storage for $899 on sale. These are the options through Costco.
I'm thinking of upgrading my m1 MBA to this. I'm just looking for a buyer
Sure
How about the memory bandwidth tho?
Idea for your channel. Test the new m4 mini the right way up and upside down and see which way runs the hottest under heavy load.
Not comparing Apples to Apples, but the final Intel Mac mini from 2018 often does get fan noisy just with a thousand Safari tabs …
Turn it over! You can't just do that. All the electrickery will fall out.
And under load the fan gets really, really loud with more than 4 Sone.
And who's surprised by that?
14コアにする必要がないと言い切ってくれたことがありがたいです。これで無駄な投資をする必要がない。素晴らしい！！
what's crazy is best buy is still selling m2 pro mini for $50 less then m4 pro mini. who's going buy that. but then when I got my ultra 2 they still had series 6 watches for same prices as series 9.
hey man can you test old school runescape using runelite client with hd plugin?
Chips faster than M4 standard (Geekbench 6 multi-core):
M1: Ultra
M2: Ultra
M3: Max (they made no Ultra)
M4: Pro, Max and possible more editions
M3 Pro (non-binned) is faster than M4 but with a very small margin.
The standard chip is capped at 16/24/32 GB RAM depending on M1-M4.
Reasons for Pro/Max:
+ better display support
+ better ports/selection
+ more RAM
+ faster SSDs
+ larger SSDs (std chip is limited to 2 TB internal SSD, while the other can have 8 TB with some exception of 4 TB)
So just the fact that M4 is ~80% faster than M1 (GB6 multicore) doesn't mean that Mac Mini M4 is the best buy.
I'm curios about this now:
Mac Mini M4 599 dollar (plus a PS5 controller for xx dollar) vs PS5 Slim/Pro! Both got HDMI ports :)
Also curious about Mac Mini M4 vs Mac Studio M4 in March-June 2025. Thermals and fan noise especially during heavy load...
nice but I'll wait to see the studio.
Hey Greg, can you shed some light on if this M4 Pro chip sucks through more power than the M2 Pro chip or why is it getting its fans up while under full power? Is it just pushing more power? Since everyone insists how efficient the Apple Silicon is...? Other than that: thank you very much for your video. You're the first to show off the running fans.
M4 Max seems to push 25% more performance and use 25% power (vs M3 Max) at full tilt. This sht ain't magical anymore.
I'm having a hard time deciding if I get the base M4Pro right now or wait and save up to get it with 48GB of RAM and the upgraded 14-core. I’m upgrading from a M2 base MacBook Pro that's giving me hard times with DaVinci Resolve because of the 8GB of RAM. Also, I want to learn Blender, but I don't know if 24GB of RAM is enough for both DaVinci and Blender.
Amigo pasar de M2 a M4 Pro ya es un gran cambio y pasar de 8GB de Ram a 24 ya es un gran cambio también. Ahora si tienes la paciencia y el dinero espera un mes y obten la de 48, con seguridad eso no se va a quedar obsoleto en muuchos años
Thanks for this review. I’d like to see some interesting insights about Apple’s artificial intelligence in another video.
I'm so excited to be able to just throw this in my backpack and bring it anywhere with a bluetooth keeb, trackpad, and portable monitor :)
Yo are those table candies from the “Umbrella Corporation”?
heres the question I have for all the reviewers is how does the Top spec m4 pro on the mini compare to the top spec m4 ultra on the macbook pro
You can center your MacMini on to a DECK OF CARDS, (unopened) and most peple will be able to use the ON button.
The base model is the right one to buy, all others are too expensive.
I'm watching this on my very own M4 mini, a basic CPU model. I am emulating a 450 MHz Pentium II Xeon via 86boxon this little thing AT FULL SPEED! That actually blows me away, because I have not gotten a similar AMD CPU to do that, and that's obviously the same basic architecture while Apple is using Arm's RISC architecture. 86box is really demanding because it emulates PC hardware very accurately. This little thing is an absolute beast.
The downside for Apple making the Mac mini is, they lost a sale with me… I bought mine instead of the new iMac M4 I would have bought as it was £1,000 less for me to spend… I can now get a high quality monitor now and still have spent less. 🏴
+Monitor
+Keyboard
+Mouse/Touchpad
+Speakers
You ain't that smart, fella