Smaller, more Pro: Mac mini 2024 also with M4 Pro and Thunderbolt 5

The iMac M4 is followed by the Mac mini M4 – in a new housing. After well over 10 years, Apple has completely revised the design: The Mac mini 2024 is still square, but its footprint has shrunk significantly to 12.7 x 12.7 centimeters from the previous 19.7 x 19.7 centimeters. At the same time, the new mini generation is slightly higher than its predecessor (5 instead of 3.6 centimeters) and is visually oriented towards its larger brother, the Mac Studio. This also means that for the first time the Mac mini has ports on the front.

Mac mini with M4 or M4 Pro

The Mac mini skips Apple's M3 chip generation and switches directly from the M2 and M2 Pro to the M4 chip. It is also available in a significantly more expensive version with Apple's M4 Pro, which is also making its debut here.

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Mac mini mit M4-Chip (8 Bilder)

Apple offers the Mac mini as an M4 base configuration with 10 cores and 10 shader cores (GPU). Here too, the entry-level model now has 16 GB of unified memory on board instead of just 8 GB. With a 256 GB SSD, Apple's entry-level price remains at 700 euros.

The end customer has not been able to upgrade the Mac mini for some time now. As usual, Apple charges steep surcharges for memory upgrades, and you have to decide for or against them at the time of purchase or order. If you want 24 GB RAM instead of 16 GB, you will pay 230 euros more for this alone, doubling it to 32 GB costs an additional 460 euros.

The M4 Pro adds a few more cores and comes – with 12 or 14 processor cores and 16 or 20 shader cores, depending on the Mac mini configuration –. The Mac mini M4 Pro is listed from 1650 euros (24 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD). In the maximum configuration, 64 GB RAM can also be configured, at an additional cost of almost 700 euros.

Connectors on the front of the Mac mini for the first time

For the first time, the Mac mini 2024 boasts two USB-C ports on the front, albeit only USB 3. The headphone connection (3.5 mm jack) can now also be found there. On the back, there are three more USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 and – on the Mac mini with M4 Pro – also Thunderbolt 5 for the first time. This makes it both the first Mac and the first mini PC to support Thunderbolt 5.

Gigabit Ethernet and HDMI are still available, 10 Gigabit Ethernet costs 115 euros extra. The two USB-A ports, which were integrated up to the predecessor model, have been removed in the redesign of the housing. Apple has moved the power button to the underside. Whether this can still be reached without lifting the Mac mini remains to be seen.

The entry-level model with M4 now also supports the operation of up to three monitors, including two 6K monitors (60 Hz) and one 5K monitor (or 4K at 60 Hz via HDMI) via Thunderbolt. The M4 Pro version with Thunderbolt 5 supports DisplayPort 2.1, which is also a first.

The new Mac mini should work just as economically as its M2 predecessor. Apple states a power consumption of 0.51 watts in idle mode and a good 4 watts in idle mode (with Ethernet connection). The manufacturer markets the product as the first CO₂-neutral Mac. However, compensation projects are also used here. According to Apple, the Mac mini is made from 50 percent recycled materials. The scope of delivery still only includes the Mac itself and a 1.8-metre-long power cable. The Mac mini 2024 can be pre-ordered from Tuesday and goes on sale on November 8.

The price comparison still shows offers for the predecessor with M2 chip.

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(lbe)