A Tiny Can Be Powerful: My Hands-on Experience with Apple’s M4 New Mac Mini and the Amazing Performance
Apple recently lent me two machines from its newest line for two weeks: a MacBook Pro 14 and a Mac Mini Pro.
Two speculations about this technology
The M4 series might seem like just an update, but I found a plethora of interesting improvements worth discussing.
And, even in the base versions, the Mac Mini (pretty much) defied expectations, becoming surprisingly convenient for beginners to use. Strikingly, theMacBook with the 24-hour battery life, even, incredibly, offering an optional nanotexture for the display.
Let’s dive into the Mac Mini Pro
The M4
At the outset I noticed that choosing your Mac requires careful consideration. Thinking it’s as simple as selecting your CPU, RAM and storage is inaccurate.
Not quite. Depending on choice of processor, your options will vary, with highest configurations only reachable with M4 Pro (there are
two versions – 12-core and 14-core!). Also, Thunderbolt 4 comes standard, while M4 Pro and Max employ Thunderbolt 5.
The Mac Mini — a daringly small powerhouse
The Mac Mini mesmerized me with its size and potential. It’s tiny! Measuring 12.7 x 12.7 x 5 cm, smaller than many PC power supplies! The built-in power supply doesn’t even require a separate power brick.
My Settings
The pro version I tried boasted a 14-core M4 Pro, 48 GB of RAM, and 1 TB SSD storage. In Cinebench R23, it scored an astounding 23,000 points in the multi-core test. To put this into perspective, it outperformed even the 16-core AMD Threadripper 1950X and came close to the 24-core Intel Xeon W3265M. Single core performance was equally impressive. it hit 2235 points, beating everything else in its class.
The Mac Mini is incredibly small and adorable. I can’t imagine how they managed to fit in both powerful hardware, cooling and a power supply
Surprising Power in a Minimal Footprint
Still, what surprised best
the Mac Mini was how quiet it remained. It only activated its cooling system under heavy, sustained use.
Even during moderate use, the heat dissipated entirely through the aluminum body, making it completely silent. Only
under truly substantial loads could you hear it, and even then, the cooling system was impressively efficient.
At the bottom we find the cooling inputs and outputs as well as the main switch.
Features and Connectivity
The M4
Mac Mini
boasted an impressive array of ports, although slightly less than older
Modelos
.
Here’s what you get: Three Thunderbolt 4 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port (up to 10 gigabits!), and a full-size HDMI port.
Its front panel offered two USB-C ports, a headphone jack that supports high-impedance headphones.
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What are the reviewer’s thoughts on the new M4 chip in the Mac mini?
## Interview with a Tech Reviewer about the New Mac Mini
**Host:** Welcome back to the show! Today we’re diving into the world of Apple’s latest desktops with a special Alex Reed, [Alex Reed Name], who recently got their hands on the new Mac mini. [Alex Reed Name], thanks for joining us!
**Alex Reed:** Thanks for having me!
**Host:** So, you had a chance to test out both the new Mac mini and the MacBook Pro 14. Let’s focus on the Mac mini for now. What were your first impressions when you saw it?
**Alex Reed:** Well, the first thing you notice is how incredibly small it is. It’s genuinely tiny, smaller than many PC power supplies! [[1](https://www.apple.com/mac-mini/)].
**Host:** (Laughs) That’s quite a feat for a computer that packs such a powerful punch, isn’t it?
**Alex Reed:** Absolutely! It’s amazing how much they’ve managed to cram into such a small space. Apple’s design team deserves a lot of credit for that.
**Host:** You mentioned the power. Can you tell us more about the performance you experienced with the new M4 chip?
**Alex Reed:** This M4 series is really impressive. Even the base model impressed me with its speed and capability. It’s surprisingly convenient, even for beginners. [[1](https://www.apple.com/mac-mini/)].
**Host:** Were there any other standout features that you particularly liked?
**Alex Reed:** One thing I noticed is that the choices you make for your configuration really matter. You have to think carefully about whether you need the M4 Pro, as it opens up higher configurations with 12-core or even 14-core options!
**Host:** That’s something potential buyers will have to consider. Anything else our viewers should know?
**Alex Reed:** Yes, it comes standard with Thunderbolt 4 , which is very fast, but if you opt for the M4 Pro, you get the even faster Thunderbolt 5 .
**Host:** Fascinating! This Mac mini sounds like a powerful contender in the desktop market. Thanks so much for sharing your insights with us, [Alex Reed Name]!
**Alex Reed:** My pleasure!
