The week dedicated by Apple the launch of the new computers continues with the official presentation of the new one Mac Mini which, after 14 years, has a complete restyling. In addition to the introduction of the new M4 ed M4 Prothe “small” Apple becomes truly tiny: only 12.7 centimeters per side, half the size of the previous model. The lucky desktop will now have ports on both the front and back, as already seen in its bigger brother Mac Studio, but also ports compatible with Thunderbolt 5with transfer speeds at record levels. The basic model will also be equipped with 16 gigabytes of unified memory and is already available for reservations at just 729 euros. Let’s see the characteristics of the cheapest MacOs system, eagerly awaited by many loyal fans of the Cupertino company.
Minimalist design, top performance
Those who are familiar with Apple products know well that the old Mac Mini it was largely empty to facilitate air circulation inside the chassis. The efficiency of the new Apple Silicon chips and a completely new thermal architecture make it possible to concentrate very respectable performance in very small dimensions. The engineers of Apple they say they are sure that there will be no problems thermal throttlingthat is, a reduction in computing power when temperatures become too high, but you will obviously need to verify everything in person. One thing is certain: the new Mini is super compact, so much so that it takes up less than half the space on our often too crowded desks. Apple boasts that the Mini is 6 times faster and 20 times more compact than the best-selling desktop PC at the same price but users will be much more interested in seeing how the M4 chip, which will have 10 CPU cores, fares and 10 GPU cores, with 16 gigabytes of unified memory.
From the press release it is clear that Apple is interested in convincing owners of Mac Mini with Intel processors but also the historic M1 to buy the new model, which explains why there are several benchmarks that promise such a significant leap in performance as to justify the expense. More demanding users will be more interested in the version with the chip M4 Prowhich Apple defines “The world’s fastest CPU core with lightning-fast single-thread performance”. The version available on the new Mini will have 14 cores, of which 10 are dedicated to performance and 4 to increase efficiency: the leap on the GPU side is even more important, given that by reaching 20 cores, it promises up to twice more performance faster than that on the regular M4. The greater attention to gaming can be understood from the fact that, for the first time, Apple has integrated ray tracing with hardware acceleration but it remains to be seen how many game developers will be enticed by this new market.
Thunderbolt 5 and up to 3 monitors
Since they are dedicated to a more advanced user, the version M4 Pro it can mount up to 64 gigabytes of unified memory, which operates at a bandwidth of as much as 273 GB per second, particularly important for artificial intelligence applications. Since professional users sometimes move large files, the introduction of the technology Thunderbolt 5which promises double data transfer compared to the previous version, up to 120 Gbps, will be particularly welcome. If ports on laptops are becoming an increasingly rare commodity, the new Mac Mini has decided to exaggerate, despite the reduction in chassis size. The ports in the front section include two USB-C 3 and an audio jack for headphones but the surprises come at the back: the three rear ports of the Mac Mini M4 Pro supports Thunderbolt 5 while those who choose the basic version will have to settle for 4 while the Ethernet port can be configured up to 10Gb to maximize the speed of your fiber optics. In addition to the always useful HDMI port, which avoids the use of annoying dongles, Apple pays particular attention to external monitors: the Mac Mini M4 supports up to two 6K and one 5K monitors while the Pro version can handle three 6K monitors at 60Hz, promising a truly immense shared desktop, over 60 million pixels.
Some insider neighbors of the Cupertino house say they are certain that this attention hides the intention of Apple to present a new 6K monitor in the coming months but, at the moment, these are only rumors. However, the intention to use is very clear Apple Intelligence as a key to convince users to switch to the new models. Even if, technically, computers with the old M1 can already use Apple’s AI, the greater power of the new Neural Engines will make all the difference in using advanced functions. Nothing new compared to what was announced yesterday on the release calendar of the new ones features of Apple Intelligence while great attention was paid to environmental issues. Mac Mini it is the first Mac with a neutral environmental impact, given that it is made with more than 50% recycled materials: Apple ensures that the electricity used in the production of the new desktop comes from 100% renewable sources, as well as confirming the move to low-carbon shipping. An in-depth study would be needed to verify that “over 80% reduction in environmental impact” of which he boasts Apple but the most environmentally conscious users will certainly be pleased.
The prices of the Mini and peripherals
The new Mac Mini with M4 and M4 Pro is available for reservation from Tuesday 29 October on the official Apple website but deliveries will begin on Friday 8 November, when the small Apple device will also be available in Apple Stores and authorized physical or online stores. The price of the basic version starts from 729 euros, which goes to 609 for those who can take advantage of the discount for the education sector, while the price of the Pro version is much more important: starting from 1,679 €, 1,559 for students and professors.
For the first time Apple also communicates the price of the new accessories presented on Monday with the new iMac and equipped with a USB-C port: the Magic Keyboard will cost €119 (169 for the version with Touch ID, 199 for the one with numeric keypad), the Magic Trackpad will cost €139 €, the Magic Mouse will cost €85 while the cable Thunderbolt 5 Pro, as per terrible Apple tradition,
it will cost a fortune: 79 euros. The most awaited news of this “Mac Week” has finally arrived: in a few weeks we will understand if the powerful little Apple company will be able to convince users to welcome it onto their desks.