I bought the basic one (M4/16GB/256SSD) and after 72h I am amazed. Performance is amazing, it can run games, it is small and I dought it 60EUR off which made the value 10/10 - for the price this is the best computer money can buy.
@@RedaAlkhatib-hj5li only reason it's not good is because a lot of game companies don't support macos, but there are workaround like crossover which makes the game thing it's playing on mac, which does affect performance a bit, but most games are very playable on medium or even high graphics. and games that do support mac run almost as well as on PC
Only get the base model and let your RAM requirements dictate your choice of SKU. 16GB enough, get the base Mini. You need 32GB, get the Studio. You need 64GB, get the Studio Ultra. If you need more than 64GB, you can afford to upgrade the Studio Ultra lol.
Agreed in everything except for buying the Studio right now. Someone who really needs all that GPU performance really should wait for the Studio M4 Ultra or as an alternative should buy the new MBP M4 Max.
For Machine Learning and large corporation programming in general, the M4 Pro Mac Mini is great! For extreme video editing (8k or 4k with tons of effects), it is still excellent even if it isn't on M2 Studio Ultra level. The regular M4 Mac Mini is excellent for programming, photography with a dongle or adaptor, and general web browsing. Just get an external SSD for additional storage needs. Even better if someone takes advantage of the $100 student discount.
Thanks for the detailed review as always Andrew, always get this done so quickly with awesome cinematography 👌 I’m really impressed with the compact size of the new Mac, yet the performance isn’t compromised at all. And i love how you’ve included your own desk setup as well, a very useful guide for people to decide whether they should be getting it (and they should!) 💻🖥️
Great video, Andrew - thanks! With Microsoft discontinuing support for Windows 10 in Oct 2025, there will be a whole lot of users ripe for Apple to bring across and the Mac Mini M4 is perfectly positioned for this as a general user machine.
@@mobiusbelts3607 Agree. Windows 11 already accounts for 35% of the entire Windows user base (approximately 350 million users). That's nearly 3X the size of the entire Mac user base.
You pointed out that the power button is on the bottom of the unit. That really seems awkward. Would there be a problem if the unit was placed permanently in an upside down position on the desk?
As a professional creative working with mac for years and hardware enthusiast, it will be amazing to do all the same comparing against an high end pc (13900ks, 4900, 192gb ddr5, 2x4to raid nvme, ethernet 10gb…)- likely in a small case (fractal terra ?) with noctua fans to try to replicate the form-factor and silence.
Been wondering what would replace my 2020 27" iMac setup that cost around £2K. Looks like the base M4 Mini with a Studio Display will do it. (Can re-use my existing peripherals).
I think you called the M4 chip a desktop chip, which isn’t technically wrong, but the M4 chip is really designed for laptops so in this form factor it makes sense the cooling and performance is great.
Apple since M1 introduction and onwards has destroyed the competition. In particular the macbooks and mac mini are worth every single dollar on their base configurations.
Mac gaming doesn't need to chase the dragon with graphics performance. Base mac mini is around PS4 (non pro) level for optimized games. If the base can handle modern gaming at 1080P and resolution scales upwards based on GPU count then it's fine. PC gaming will be held back due to Steamdeck and AMD IGP performance, so now is the time to strike. Build the game library, then it can release it's handheld. It's time for Apple to buy a gaming studio and put out AAA mac titles concurrently with other platforms. Ubisoft or CD project red or both.
I put together a modest gaming PC about 5 years ago for about 1,100 dollars. To think that an Apple computer is 600 dollars and can outperform it despite being a tenth of its size and power consumption is just unreal.
I have both for a Mac Studio M2 Max and they work perfectly. Also the ability to switch each of them between three different devices means you can associate them with your iPad, Apple TV etc.
The argument I hear a lot is it’s ok the new Mini doesn’t come with WiFi7 since very few are running a WiFi7 network. Is there some giant list of Thunderbolt 5 peripherals out there some of us don’t know about? Max out the config on a Mini and even MaxBook and look at the price. You’re still not getting the current WiFi7 spec.
Im sorry but mac mini m4 base model is in fact more than good enough and in my opinion i cannot justify paying more than double the price for the pro version . Why more than double the price? So...the final conclusion is that im more than happy with the base model and hope to keep it for many years to come unless the soft and OS no longer gets any upgrades/updates and apple do not purpously slow down the older machines via software as they are good at using this trick to push you buy more often the newer models. Bad evil practice that is !!!!
the funny thing about great apple products is that is shows the amount of flawed products they have. The iPad with no Mac OS is 2024, the iMac with no pro 27 inch variant come to mind for me and this mini pc destroys the need for the former two
The M4 Mac Mini doesn't have a slippery bottom. It's your desk that's the issue. I have a real oak desk that weighs about 175lbs and the M4 mini doesn't slip on the wood varnish.
complaining at the 10gb network card not being default on the cheapest mac product really bud.... it's not horiented thoward the pro but the normal consumer
it sucks. My keyboard unresponsive. Type few words and it thinks. I called apple support they said they dont support non apple keyboard and mouse.. Most youtube viewers are LIARS
I'm actually getting this device as a massive PC user. This is truly one of apple's best priced products ever
This is the first time I’ve really seriously considered buying Mac. I’m going to try the switch and see how it goes
This is the Mac, this is the one to get!
I bought the basic one (M4/16GB/256SSD) and after 72h I am amazed. Performance is amazing, it can run games, it is small and I dought it 60EUR off which made the value 10/10 - for the price this is the best computer money can buy.
What kinds of games are you talking about if I may ask? I usually heard that Mac's aren't great for gaming
@@RedaAlkhatib-hj5li search on youtube, theres already tests with many AAA games
@@RedaAlkhatib-hj5li only reason it's not good is because a lot of game companies don't support macos, but there are workaround like crossover which makes the game thing it's playing on mac, which does affect performance a bit, but most games are very playable on medium or even high graphics. and games that do support mac run almost as well as on PC
How is the storage looking?
I got a M1/16/512 Mac mini, and it still runs great.
Stick to it then man. No need to upgrade. 😊
Only get the base model and let your RAM requirements dictate your choice of SKU. 16GB enough, get the base Mini. You need 32GB, get the Studio. You need 64GB, get the Studio Ultra. If you need more than 64GB, you can afford to upgrade the Studio Ultra lol.
THIS! Exactly.
Agreed in everything except for buying the Studio right now. Someone who really needs all that GPU performance really should wait for the Studio M4 Ultra or as an alternative should buy the new MBP M4 Max.
Been pondering at the M4 Pro base
what about for people who need 24 gb?
@@Angel-tq5vkHonestly 24gb is great. I think just the base M4 Pro mini at $1400 is a great buy
The M4 Mac Mini seems like a powerhouse in such a tiny package! Thanks for this video, as always spot on!
For Machine Learning and large corporation programming in general, the M4 Pro Mac Mini is great! For extreme video editing (8k or 4k with tons of effects), it is still excellent even if it isn't on M2 Studio Ultra level.
The regular M4 Mac Mini is excellent for programming, photography with a dongle or adaptor, and general web browsing. Just get an external SSD for additional storage needs. Even better if someone takes advantage of the $100 student discount.
Thanks for the detailed review as always Andrew, always get this done so quickly with awesome cinematography 👌 I’m really impressed with the compact size of the new Mac, yet the performance isn’t compromised at all. And i love how you’ve included your own desk setup as well, a very useful guide for people to decide whether they should be getting it (and they should!) 💻🖥️
Great video, Andrew - thanks! With Microsoft discontinuing support for Windows 10 in Oct 2025, there will be a whole lot of users ripe for Apple to bring across and the Mac Mini M4 is perfectly positioned for this as a general user machine.
I doubt it’ll be a whole lot of users compared to the ones that’ll just upgrade to windows 11.
@@mobiusbelts3607 Agree. Windows 11 already accounts for 35% of the entire Windows user base (approximately 350 million users). That's nearly 3X the size of the entire Mac user base.
You pointed out that the power button is on the bottom of the unit. That really seems awkward. Would there be a problem if the unit was placed permanently in an upside down position on the desk?
I ordered the mini m4 pro with the upgraded cores and 64gb, future proven for years to come, that thing is a little tank, I can’t wait to get it!
sounds good! I want one with the 48gb and 12c. Will be a great upgrade from 2018 one
6:03 yo wtf raytracing on a mac mini and it actually looks incredible.. 🤯
what resolution are you running on?
it's on the screen dawg, 2560x1440
It runs quiet and does everything I need.❤
Thank you for the beautiful review! Maybe the best $500 brand new mac for college students working from a desk?
Using 2015 iMac 8gb of ram and I'm going to change to the m4 Mac mini soon insh'Allah, can't wait for this massive upgrade as a graphic designer
As a professional creative working with mac for years and hardware enthusiast, it will be amazing to do all the same comparing against an high end pc (13900ks, 4900, 192gb ddr5, 2x4to raid nvme, ethernet 10gb…)- likely in a small case (fractal terra ?) with noctua fans to try to replicate the form-factor and silence.
Even if you manage to replicate the same form factor, the power draw difference would be night and day.😂
You really covered it all including raytracing!
That's how good the M1, yes, the M1, is!!
Been wondering what would replace my 2020 27" iMac setup that cost around £2K. Looks like the base M4 Mini with a Studio Display will do it. (Can re-use my existing peripherals).
I am buying it soon.
Good call outs on the gigabit speed and m4 pro weight differences
Excellent review! How about an upcoming review with Parallel’s and AutoCAD for us PC users ready to switch? Cheers!
Curious, why are you replacing your Mac Studio? Isn’t that one more powerful, even after a few years?
Which external SSD do you use ?
Is it good for graphic designing ( Blender , Photoshop ) ?
I plan to use it for Final Cut Pro and making UA-cam videos 4k 60fps do you think the M4 base processor is good enough for that based on your testing?
I think you called the M4 chip a desktop chip, which isn’t technically wrong, but the M4 chip is really designed for laptops so in this form factor it makes sense the cooling and performance is great.
That's why it is called MINI. A smaller version of something that exist, it is MINI MAC STUDIO.
Just order the Mini M4 pro with upgraded cores and 48gb Ram….. arrives Monday!! 🎉
How much did it cost overall, including misc. expenses?
€2,387! 👀 That’s including a 10% education discount! 😬😬
Apple since M1 introduction and onwards has destroyed the competition. In particular the macbooks and mac mini are worth every single dollar on their base configurations.
Hey guys. Could you please suggest mouse for mac mini. p.s I couldn’t compel myself to like logitech and apple mouse(
One other thing that almost no other UA-camrs has menioned is that the M4 Mini Pro's SSD runs faster, like twice as fast as the base unit.
Loving my base model, super fast
Mac gaming doesn't need to chase the dragon with graphics performance. Base mac mini is around PS4 (non pro) level for optimized games. If the base can handle modern gaming at 1080P and resolution scales upwards based on GPU count then it's fine. PC gaming will be held back due to Steamdeck and AMD IGP performance, so now is the time to strike. Build the game library, then it can release it's handheld. It's time for Apple to buy a gaming studio and put out AAA mac titles concurrently with other platforms. Ubisoft or CD project red or both.
where did you buy that light bar? what is it called?
I put together a modest gaming PC about 5 years ago for about 1,100 dollars. To think that an Apple computer is 600 dollars and can outperform it despite being a tenth of its size and power consumption is just unreal.
Surely it doesn't outperform a 1100 dollar gaming pc when it comes to actually running games?
Any issues with MX Master or Mx Keys? I have them and wondering will they work properly on Mac?
I have both for a Mac Studio M2 Max and they work perfectly. Also the ability to switch each of them between three different devices means you can associate them with your iPad, Apple TV etc.
Using both now on new Mac mini m4 pro and working great
Got the base spec, why else not. Resale always best this way
Does Microsoft Cloud Gaming (Game Pass) work well on Mac mini? Is it well implemented on Apple products?
The argument I hear a lot is it’s ok the new Mini doesn’t come with WiFi7 since very few are running a WiFi7 network. Is there some giant list of Thunderbolt 5 peripherals out there some of us don’t know about? Max out the config on a Mini and even MaxBook and look at the price. You’re still not getting the current WiFi7 spec.
Love your reviews :)
M4 mini base unit is amazing for $500, a game changer.
$600.... 500 is the edu special.
699 in germany
Im sorry but mac mini m4 base model is in fact more than good enough and in my opinion i cannot justify paying more than double the price for the pro version . Why more than double the price? So...the final conclusion is that im more than happy with the base model and hope to keep it for many years to come unless the soft and OS no longer gets any upgrades/updates and apple do not purpously slow down the older machines via software as they are good at using this trick to push you buy more often the newer models. Bad evil practice that is !!!!
Can the base model run autocad 2024 lt?
What games does it struggle with?
mac mini > macbooks
About moving the mini around: you guys thinks it’s as portable as a MacBook ? Or maybe more prone to being damaged by tossing it in a backpack
$499 with an education discount. Maybe the best value Mac ever. Just buy a big external SSD and you're set.
I upped the RAM to 24gb on the base model. Just a personal preference.
Peace of mind 😇
I didn’t. This is replacing an 2020 M1 MBA with 8GB/512GB that I rarely unplugged. And Apple gave me $400 trade in. Win-win.
How would music production and recording softwares would work on it?
Incredible.
needs more views!
Can you run xcode and android studio on it?
Of course
is there any news of an upcoming m4 mac studio?
While not officially confirmed by Apple yet, industry analysts say to expect it from end Q3 2025
I am a wedding video editor, how about the 4k video editing workflow in m4 mini?
Well done
Please test the monster hunter
WARNING… do not buy the base model with 256 gb of storage… I did … big mistake. 1 Tb of storage in a realistic minimum
the funny thing about great apple products is that is shows the amount of flawed products they have. The iPad with no Mac OS is 2024, the iMac with no pro 27 inch variant come to mind for me and this mini pc destroys the need for the former two
GET COLLEGE REBATE $499.00!!! OR-wait until M5 comes out the M4 will drop to $499.00
buy link for magsafe charging stand
Where is the iMac Pro!! guess next year?!..will Apple ever bring that back?!
Lol.. a is there another Mac mini Apple put out we dont know about? Before this one was M2 so.. hmm M4?
I will probably buy the base with 512 ssd . 899…
The M4 Mac Mini doesn't have a slippery bottom. It's your desk that's the issue. I have a real oak desk that weighs about 175lbs and the M4 mini doesn't slip on the wood varnish.
6:34 lmao
complaining at the 10gb network card not being default on the cheapest mac product really bud.... it's not horiented thoward the pro but the normal consumer
How noisy is it?
Can't hear anything from my M4 Mini. However I am on normal office usage.
@mytubeview are you in a silent environment? And do you have the pro or base?
@@AnonYmous-yu6hv silent env, base model.
I am WFH, no fan, no car, no traffic noise near the place I live. Average noise level around 30db.
As usual, no reviewers wants to talk about fan speed or thermal but choose to talk about stupid things like the power button
@AnonYmous-yu6hv I am WFH, noise level in my room is around 30db. Can't hear anything from it during my work.
M1 Air is the best mac, this one is a distant 2nd
It depends on what you're doing with the machines and your budget.
What's all the fuss about the power button being on the bottom?! How many times are you turning off your mac? It's a nothing burger.
it sucks. My keyboard unresponsive. Type few words and it thinks. I called apple support they said they dont support non apple keyboard and mouse.. Most youtube viewers are LIARS
Come on! 256 GB SSD!? 👎
And 1 Gbps ethernet! 👎
A decent basic Mac Mini would have 1TB and 2.5Gbps.
Apple : Looks cheap? Give me more money for more RAM and SSD. 😊
Wait for macmini m5 with wifi 7 and tb5. Don't buy this one
Wait again 10 years when you will get 32 go RAM, 1 To storage, wifi 9. You will wait a lot if you wait for the perfect config.
Wait a century and get a 100tb and 100gb memory in the size of a matchbox box.