Apple has unveiled an all-new Mac Mini for 2024. Mac Mini has finally entered the Apple Silicon Age. This is the first redesign of the Mac Mini since 2010. The new Mac Mini is 40% smaller than the previous version. Apple finally showcase the advance state of Apple Silicon with this new Mac Mini.
Old vs New
Here are some of the improvements Apple did with the new Mac Mini
- First carbon-neutral Mac: With Apple’s 2023 goals to be a fully carbon-neutral company, the Mac Mini is the first Mac that Apple makes that is completely carbon-neutral. The aluminum for the chassis is completely recycled, as do the gold plating in its circuit board, and the magnets.
- Smaller volume: As mentioned before, the new Mac Mini is 40% smaller than the previous version
- No more USB-A ports: All versions of the Mac Mini have USB-C ports, 2 in front and 3 in the back.
- Thunderbolt 5 for M4 Pro: Apple introduced the new Thunderbolt 5 standard on the M4 Pro Mac Mini. It has a transfer rate of 120GB/s, three times the bandwidth of the M4, and can support DisplayPort 2.1, which enables 8K display.
- Supports up to 3 displays: You can connect up to three 6K60 displays or one 6K60 display together with one 8K60 display or 4k240 display.
- Repositioned power button: The power button has been repositioned to be at the bottom of the unit instead of at the side. Since you rarely turn on or off the Mac Mini, it’s not a big deal.
- 16GB starting memory: Because of the requirements of Apple Intelligence, all new Macs now have 16GB starting memory. This is a big deal since one of the major complaints is the 8GB is too small for 2024. Next is 512GB storage, but one battle at a time.
| Features | 2022 Mac Mini | 2024 Mac Mini |
|---|---|---|
 |  | |
| Physical Dimensions | 36mm x 197mm x 197mm | 50mm x 127mm x 127mm |
| Weight | 1.3kg | 0.67kg |
| CPU | Apple M2/M2 Pro | Apple M4/M4 Pro |
| Memory | 8GB, 16GB or 24GB / 16GB or 24GB | 16GB or 32GB / 24GB, 48GB or 64GB |
| Storage | 256GB expandable to 2TB / 512GB expandable to 8TB | |
| Ports | 2x USB-A, 2x USB-C (4x USB-C for M2 Pro), headphones, Gigabit Ethernet (10G optional), power | 2x USB-C, 3x Thunderbolt 4 (3x Thunderbolt 5 for M4 Pro), headphones, Gigabit Ethernet (10G optional), power |
| Networking | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, Gigabit Ethernet (10G optional) | |
Design
Design-wise, the Mac Mini looks like a miniature version of the Mac Studio. It bodes well for Apple’s design language. The USB-C port and headphones jack is arranged in a way that the Mac Mini now has a friendly “face”. Kudos for putting this detail which was first conviece by Steve Jobs when designing the original Mac.
On paper, the new Mac Mini is 35% smaller on the side than the old Mac Mini, but visual trickery makes the new Mac Mini look like half the size of the old one. There’s a lot of thought in the design details for this simple device.
USB-A is dropped in favor of USB-C ports. Since USB-C has been with us for over 10 years and the penetration rate is quite high thanks to smartphones, you don’t have to visit Dongle Town for the last few wired mice.
The biggest “controversy” of the Mac Mini is the placement of the power button. Instead of each reaching side of the older Mac Mini, Apple elected to put it at the base of the Mac Mini. So to turn it on, or reset the Mac Mini, you have to physically lift the Mac Mini and press the button. As a long-time macOS power user, I can say that I rarely use the power button, even on desktop Macs. Even when my apps are misbehaving, macOS is stable enough that you can reset the app using Activity Monitor.
Internals
The real engineering marvel is how Apple redesigned the internal components so that it can fit both the logic board and the power supply in a small compact package without an external power adapter.
Just like the Mac Studio, Apple made a circuit club sandwich, in which there are two separate boards. The bottom is the power board which converts AC power to DC power to be used with all the ports; not to mention the processor. The power board has to give a continuous 155W DC power because Thunderbolt 5 must give at least 100W of power.
The other layer is the logic layer where the processor, storage, and memory reside. Because Apple Silicon is an all-in-one SOC, most of the function is already integrated into the M4 / M4 Pro processor.
And everything needs to be cooled, especially the processor. Since there’s no vent port at the side like the Mac Studio; cool air, and hot air come at the bottom of the Mac Mini, but on the opposite side.
Storage now has a removable board instead of being solder on directly on the main board. This means that it is possible to upgrade the Mac Mini’s internal storage in the future but Apple does not provide any procedure to do so. Knowing Apple tactics of registering every component to a specific Mac, do not expect the storage will be a user upgradable options anytime soon.
Which One? And Conclusion
Get the base Mac Mini.
If you want to find out which one gives the most bang for your buck, get the base $599 Mac Mini. It’s not only the best value in the Mac Mini lineup, it is the best value in the computing period. At $599, you will be hard-pressed to find anything from consoles to PC, smartphones, or anything that has that much processing power, that much memory, or storage.
Sure, you might find a new PC on Amazon that has more memory, but the processor is 2-3 generations old and it doesn’t have good graphics. Sure, there might be more storage, but it’s not blazing fast like the one in the Mac Mini.
If you are looking for an upgrade option, get more memory. With USB-C 4 and Thunderbolt 4, you can get away with using external SSDs.
If you are looking for something punchier, the M4 Pro option is a must. With a starting memory of 24GB (up from the previous 16GB), this $1,399 Mac Mini is good enough to compile, build, and run your projects.
Some pundits argue that the Mac Mini is Apple’s attempt to expand their gaming business. I argue that Apple’s problem is not for lack of power in their devices, but accessibility and the motivation for developers to bring games to the Mac.
In conclusion, the Mac Mini remains the best value that Apple can give to you. You will be hard press to find this kind of usability, versatility, and power in a package this tiny and the price this cheap.
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| Base | Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| iPhones | iPhone 16 / iPhone 16 Plus - (Amazon) | iPhone 16 Pro / iPhone 16 Pro Max - (Amazon) |
| Watch | Apple Watch SE (Amazon) / Apple Watch Series 10 | Apple Watch Ultra 2 (Amazon) |
| AirPods | AirPods 4 (Amazon) | AirPods Pro 2 (Amazon) / AirPods Max (Amazon) |
| iPad | iPad 10 (Amazon) / iPad Mini (Amazon) | iPad Air M2 (Amazon) / iPad Pro M4 (Amazon) |
| Laptops | MacBook Air M3 (Amazon) | MacBook Pro M3 (Amazon) / MacBook Pro M3 Pro/Max (Amazon) |
| Desktop | Mac Mini (Amazon) / iMac (Amazon) | Mac Studio / Mac Pro |
| Displays | Studio Display (Amazon) | Pro Display XDR (Amazon) |
Other Ecosystem Items