I got the M1 Mac mini soon after its launch in late 2020. Since then, I have used it almost daily for video editing, writing, and other work. But four years later, I am finally ready to upgrade to the M4 Mac mini. Here’s why.
1 My M1 Mac mini Is Struggling to Keep Up With My Workload Now
When I first got it, the M1 Mac mini was a huge upgrade over my Intel Mac mini. The machine still amazes me with its performance, but it is starting to show its age.
Admittedly, this is because my workflow has changed and become much more demanding. For regular tasks, the M1 Mac mini works just fine, and I can’t find fault in its performance.
I typically have multiple Chrome windows open with around 40–60 tabs and several apps running in the background. The M1 Mac mini can manage this load fine.
However, if I fire up Final Cut Pro, Pixelmator, or other professional apps and start heavy editing work, it starts to show signs of stress. After all this, I don’t even have enough room to run an LLM in the background for work purposes.
2 I Need the Additional Bandwidth and Ports
The M1 Mac mini features two Thunderbolt 3 ports, two USB-A ports, and an HDMI port. I use all these ports alongside a Thunderbolt 3 dock to expand connectivity further.
I have several accessories connected to my Mac mini, including multiple external drives, dual monitors, and several USB-powered accessories. While the M1 chip is fast, I have realized it struggles to handle so many accessories simultaneously.
I cannot directly transfer data between two external SSDs, as it will cause the Mac to freeze and hang. This is likely due to the machine running out of bandwidth to handle the data transfer. Instead, I must transfer the file to the internal storage and then move it to another drive.
This won’t be an issue with the M4 Mac mini, as it has five USB-C ports. Two of them are even located on the front for easy access. Plus, on the M4 Pro model, the three ports on the rear support Thunderbolt 5.
That’s plenty of bandwidth and ports to handle my current external accessories and for future expansion.
3 Provides Room to Add Another Monitor to My Dual Screen Setup
My M1 Mac mini currently drives a dual-monitor setup. I want to add another screen for work purposes, but that’s not possible as the M1 Mac mini can only drive two monitors simultaneously.
There’s a workaround for using two or more external monitors on an M1 or M2 Mac. However, this involves using a DisplayLink adapter. Since I’m already pushing my M1 Mac mini to its limits, adding a third monitor will only worsen things.
4 Selling My M1 Mac mini Now Will Get Me the Most Value
The best time to sell my M1 Mac mini is now, as it will help me get the most value. With the release of the M4 Mac mini, the M1 Mac mini’s price has depreciated a fair bit in the second-hand market. Waiting longer will only increase that depreciation rate.
There are several websites I can use to sell my Mac. However, as time passes, demand for the M1 Mac will only go down, making it difficult for me to sell.
Selling now means I can get more for my M1 Mac mini, which I can use towards buying the M4 Pro Mac mini with 24GB of unified memory for even better performance and future-proofing.
5 M4 Mac’s Faster Neural Engine Will Help With Future Apple Intelligence Features
Besides its new design, the new Mac mini stands out for its M4 chip. The CPU and GPU both bring notable performance leaps, which should help speed up my workflow.
More importantly, Apple claims the Neural engine on the M4 Mac mini is 3x faster than the M1 Mac mini. This should help speed up Apple Intelligence’s AI-powered tasks.
The additional horsepower will also help in the future, as Apple keeps adding new features to Apple Intelligence. The best part is that the performance increase comes despite the M4 Mac mini’s smaller size.
The performance leap is one of the key reasons why I am getting the new Mac mini.
6 Next Mac mini Upgrade Might Be Too Far Away
Apple upgrades its MacBook Air and Pro lineup once every year. But that’s not the case with the Mac mini, as it operates on a longer upgrade cycle.
Apple typically releases a Mac mini refresh every 22-24 months. The M1 Mac mini debuted in November 2020. The M2 refresh arrived 26 months later, in January 2023. The M4 upgrade landed 22 months later, in October 2024.
If Apple sticks to the same upgrade timeframe, the next Mac mini refresh might not arrive until October 2026. That’s too far away, and I am not sure if the M1 Mac mini will be able to keep up with my workload until then.
Plus, there’s always a chance the company will bump the Mac mini’s price due to increased component costs.
7 M4 Mac mini Provides Incredible Value for Money
The M1 Mac mini launched for $699 — $100 cheaper than its Intel-based predecessor. With the M2 variant, Apple dropped the price by another $100 to $599. The M4 Mac mini retains the same starting price despite featuring a new design and significantly faster internals.
Plus, if I purchase the device through the education store, I can save another $100.
The price makes upgrading to the M4 Mac mini much more tempting. You don’t usually associate value for money with Apple products. However, the M4 Mac mini is an exception, especially when comparing the price-to-performance ratio.
Since I started using the M1 Mac mini in mid-2021, I have enjoyed its performance and never felt any reason to upgrade. But 4 years later, the machine is finally showing its age, and the M4 Mac mini’s incredible performance jump makes it an attractive upgrade.
