Mac mini (2024) review: the M4 Pro is incredibly fast, 16GB+ of RAM, front USB-C, smaller design, and Thunderbolt 5 with M4 Pro, but overpriced spec upgrades

It's a tiny mighty Mac. — “That's a computer?!” My daughter just couldn't believe her eyes when I pulled the new Mac mini out of its box.

Engadget 2024-11-07 Devindra Hardawar

Context & Ripple Effects

Apple’s October update positioned the new Mac mini around a much smaller enclosure, M4/M4 Pro options and front-facing USB-C; this review tests whether that hardware shift translates into a compelling higher-end configuration. The new front ports also address a practical omission highlighted in the prior M2 Pro model’s port setup.

The product’s arc has been consistent: Apple has repeatedly raised Mac mini performance since the M1-era refresh, while preserving a compact desktop format. This review adds that faster silicon and newer I/O do not eliminate the value trade-off created by expensive configuration upgrades.

First-order effects

Buyers selecting the M4 Pro get a notably faster compact Mac with at least 16GB of RAM, front USB-C and Thunderbolt 5 support.
The value proposition weakens as buyers add memory or other specifications, making the advertised entry price less representative of a fully configured system.

Second-order effects

Configuration choice becomes the key purchase decision: customers who need more memory or high-end connectivity must weigh the M4 Pro’s performance gains against the rising upgrade cost.
The smaller chassis and front USB-C improve the Mac mini’s day-to-day usability relative to the prior model, reducing a hardware-accessibility complaint without changing Apple’s premium configuration pricing.

Third-order effects

If this pattern persists, compact desktops will increasingly differentiate on integrated silicon and I/O tiers rather than enclosure size, with memory and storage configurations serving as the principal value boundary.
Apple’s desktop lineup may continue to make high-end performance available in smaller machines while preserving price segmentation through upgrades; this review shows that accessibility and affordability need not move together.

The trend: The Mac mini is part of a broader shift toward smaller, highly integrated desktops whose performance advances are paired with increasingly consequential configuration choices.

Discussion

@imdavidpierce David Pierce on threads
FINE UGH TWIST MY ARM I'LL BUY A MAC MINI https://www.theverge.com/...
@benbajarin Ben Bajarin on x
This is a super interesting look at GB AI running across cores on Apple M4 Max. Again, emphasizing the orchestration layer of these workloads is critical since it is a heterogeneous core workload. NPU is the most efficient place to run the right workload but its bursty not [image…
@mkbhd Marques Brownlee on x
PSA: The new $599 M4 Mac Mini is a pretty excellent deal NEW VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/... [image]
@supersaf Safwan AhmedMia on x
The M4 Mac mini is tiny but MIGHTY! (featuring SmallSaf 😎) [video]
@tomwarren Tom Warren on x
Apple Mac Mini M4 review: a tiny wonder. @chriswelch has been using Apple's latest Mac over the past few days and he's impressed with the results https://www.theverge.com/...
@benbajarin Ben Bajarin on x
Will publish thoughts on M4 Max early next week. We are working on a much more AI workload-centric approach. But a few thoughts! Apple's E-core shouldn't be called E-core anymore they are more hybrid cores as they are the most performant E-core Apple has designed yet (most
@benbajarin Ben Bajarin on x
Also, my last M3 Macbook Pro did not have a nano-etched display. This one does, and I can never use another laptop without it again.
@tomwarren Tom Warren on x
impressive performance for Apple's M4 chips in the new MacBook Pro. @SuperAntonio64 checks out the latest M4 MacBook Pro and feels like it's “less of a parts-bin compromise and more of an actual Pro machine” https://www.theverge.com/...
@ijustine @ijustine on x
It's M4 Pink iMac appreciation day 🩷 [video]
@maxwinebach Max Weinbach on x
I'm disappointed not a single MacBook Pro review of M4 Max I've seen tries AI (transformers, MLX, llama.cpp, CoreML, Diffusers) performance Reviewers, rightfully, are too focused on their workflows but not what I think is the biggest and most useful one for the M4 Max chip!

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