After months of searching for a compact desktop that wouldn’t clutter my desk, I’ve settled on the 2024 Mac mini. While I considered many small form factor PCs, here’s why Apple’s upgraded Mac mini checks all the right boxes for me.
1 It Finally Starts With 16GB of Unified Memory
Since you can’t upgrade the unified memory on an Apple silicon Mac down the line, it’s crucial to decide up front how much you’ll need. Previous baseline Macs have come with only 8GB of unified memory, and Apple charged an extra $200 to upgrade to 16GB—a significant hit to the value these Macs offer. In 2024, 8GB could feel limiting for most tasks, making the decision even more important.
Thankfully, the 2024 Mac mini starts with 16GB of unified memory without any price increase, addressing the biggest issue I’ve had with recent Macs. This bump in memory will better support all the Apple Intelligence features, which can demand a significant amount of memory. With this upgrade, however, you should also see a noticeable improvement in performance and overall responsiveness, particularly when running multiple apps simultaneously.
2 The M4 Chip
You can now buy the Mac mini with either the M4 or higher-end M4 Pro chip—both of which seem far from minor upgrades. With more cores and higher single-core performance, Apple claims the M4 delivers up to 1.8 times the CPU speed of the M1 and 2.2 times the GPU performance. The Neural Engine also seems to be vastly improved, and along with the increased memory, on-device Apple Intelligence tasks should be pretty snappy.
The M4 chip isn’t just about performance, though; there are substantial I/O upgrades too. The M4 Mac mini includes an additional Thunderbolt 4 port, bringing the total to three. And for the first time on a Mac, the M4 Pro version features three Thunderbolt 5 ports. This, combined with its higher memory bandwidth, lets you connect two 6K monitors and a 5K monitor on the M4 model or up to three 6K monitors on the M4 Pro model.
I’ve been searching for a small form factor computer for quite some time, and the main reason I’ll be choosing the base M4 model is that, while most Windows mini PCs offer decent CPU performance, their integrated graphics tend to fall short for tasks like video editing or CAD work. Apple’s offering, by contrast, provides much stronger graphics performance in the same compact form factor, making it a better fit for my needs.
3 The New Design
With a complete redesign for the first time in 14 years, the new Mac mini is now even more compact, measuring just 5 inches by 5 inches. Its look resembles a smaller Mac Studio, which is perfect if you prefer a minimalist desk setup and don’t want a larger PC taking up space. Cooling should also be worry-free, thanks to a new thermal design with vents positioned at the foot to dissipate heat more effectively.
One of my biggest frustrations with the previous Mac mini was the lack of any front I/O, especially for a device intended to sit on a desk. It seemed like a major oversight, especially with the headphone jack inconveniently placed on the back, which often led to cable clutter and made connecting devices awkward.
With this new design, though, Apple has addressed this issue by adding two USB-C ports and a headphone jack on the front side, making it far easier to access without needing to fumble around and guess the port locations on the back.
4 It’s Great Value for Money
As mentioned earlier, even with all these upgrades, the Mac mini still starts at just $599, a price point that most small form-factor Windows PCs can’t compete with in terms of value. While it still starts at 256GB of storage, it’s hard to argue against the Mac mini now being the best desktop computer for most people. And it’s not just for basic tasks; it’s more than capable of handling moderately heavy workloads without breaking a sweat.
On top of this, you can also use Apple’s Education Store for an additional discount, allowing you to pick up the M4 Mac mini for just $499. At that price, it’s almost impossible to choose anything else, as the value it offers is truly unmatched.
The Mac mini is available for pre-order today on Apple Store Online, with deliveries and in-store pickups starting from November 8.
