M4 Mac Mini buying guide: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW!

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Which Mac mini are you buying - and what are you going to do with it?

[@geraldtir]

@@MarkEllisReviews actually, I don’t know yet, however because of your video being informed will help going forward. I’m registered as blind so I tend to use a lot of iPads. The reason being is because the ecosystem on the eye devices are really good for people with impaired site.. one thing I would use it for is music production.

[@zachwarner7164]

I bought the base m4 and the base m4 pro, unsure yet. Skeptical about the full spec m4 pro thermal envelope

[@conrad8248]

Mac mini With the following configuration: Apple M4 Pro chip with 14‑core CPU, 20‑core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine 64GB unified memory 1TB SSD storage 10 Gigabit Ethernet Three Thunderbolt 5 ports, HDMI port, two USB‑C ports, headphone jack Accessory Kit

[@zachwarner7164]

@@conrad8248 I should’ve also included that I have a 7800x3d/strix 4090 for gaming/heavy gpu compute tasks. I am also not a content creator/video editor. Does that hold?

[@MusicInMotion1000]

I am writing music and I went for the M4, 24GB RAM and 1TB SSD. I was thinking to go for the M4 Pro but to me it makes more sense if I was working on video rather than sound.

[@TechwithTonyUK]

If you want to buy a Mac mini, watch all 9 of Mark's Mac mini video's and then buy a Mac mini hahaha! Great video mate, looking forward to getting mine on Saturday.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

It's people like you who restore my faith in the world of KZbin Comments 😉 Thank you!

[@TechwithTonyUK]

@ Anytime! :)

[@JonBridgeman]

Ordered the base M4 Mini and I’m beyond excited. I’m a teacher so I got the £100 education discount making it ludicrous value at £499. It’s more power than I need, even for my DTP side hustle but I’ll have headroom to spare. Also have no storage concerns as I’ve already got a Samsung plug in SSD. Love my old M1 MacBook Air (which still runs like a dream) but can’t wait to try my first Apple desktop machine 🙌🏼

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Enjoy!

[@andrewcrossley2448]

Yes similar thoughts here. I teach engineering at a uni and the base model will suffice but I may go for 512 gb as sometimes I need to edit 4K, HDR films taken mainly on my iPhone 15 pro max or pro cameras. I don’t think I can justify go up to the M4 pro max as it’s a huge jump in price. I can get an iPad mini with the difference in price. My 2021 MBP13 from work is still going strong (16/512) but heavy to drag in and out of work on the bus every day. Hence I got an Apple refurbished M1 16/256 set up at home driving 2 monitors, including the studio display nano. The studio display was a massive investment during U.K. lockdown but it’s paid for itself many times over. Amazing quality and very stylish. Sound quality is fantastic too.

[@mojojojo1529]

Finally a video with actual good advice, not generic bullshit! This is a first among all Mac Mini M4 videos I've seen so far. Congrats! Hope your viewers listen to you.

[@MaykılNaytJR]

This guy is wonderful. Every video he makes is a gem. What makes me sad about him, is he is also capable of being a Hollywood Star or a BBC Series actor both with his tone and appearance ! World has been a strange place and nothing works the old way nowadays! We miss cinematic faces on movies but we see them on KZbin etc. This is not the world we have grown up. Anyways we are happy with his talent and genius with telling complex things simple to all people. Loves from Turkiye Bro u r the man 👍❤

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Yikes - thank you!

[@cristianionita9949]

I purchased my first mac ever - base M4 Mac mini 512 ssd + Apple studio display. I am exited to receive the order so I can try the new setup. I hope I did a good purchase.

[@Jona-gs7ye]

Why the studio display😭😭😭

[@cristianionita9949]

@ because is the best 😊

[@cristianionita9949]

@ if you know something better than the studio display please let me know.

[@Jona-gs7ye]

@@cristianionita9949 How much do you pay for it? In my opinion, almost every monitor (especially 4k oleds) are better

[@aryanpareek770]

​@@cristianionita9949 It's horribly overpriced is what it is! You want the best, go for pro display xdr. The studio display is a terrible value for money. Other 5k monitors are available for half the price.

[@rockstar6790]

I'm excited for the new Mac Mini, especially the 16GB memory available on the Mac Mini base model, which is perfect to be my permanent Mac desktop The only problem is that the Magic Keyboard has Touch ID, something that 3rd party keyboard doesn't have.

[@jchoe95]

I pre-ordered a Mac Mini M4 with 32GB Unified Memory. I plan to use this for my hobby (arranging music) and general use, possibly as a family computer. The reason I bought the 32GB instead of the 16GB or the 24GB one is a plug-in I use that recommends 32GB (in addition to future-proofing). For the monitor, I plan to buy a 24" LG monitor for ~$80, as I'm limited by budget and plan to move several times over the next few years. (On a side note, the latter is the main reason why I went with the Mac mini instead of a desktop like the Asus S501MER.)

[@FREZINO]

What’s the plugin called?

[@jchoe95]

@@FREZINO The plug-in's called NotePerformer Playback Engines, and it tends to use a lot of memory. I plan to use BBC SO with it.

[@duncanboard9452]

Just bought the M4 1tb and 24gb memory. Excited to move on from my 2015 Intel Mac mini

[@MarkEllisReviews]

That's a huge upgrade!

[@emilsecker7881]

Looking very forward to getting the M4 chip, with 32 gigs of RAM, 2TB of storage and 10 gigabit Ethernet next year. I’ll be coming from a 2019 16 inch MacBook Pro (I don’t need a portable Mac enough to to want to pay the premium, I also don’t need the M4 Pro chip for what I need). I’m in the minority that likes the Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse. I’ll be buying the USB C ones when they become available

[@Karvol123]

I've got the M1 Mac Mini, and I have had it since it first came out. IT was top spec at the time (which wasn't much!) but it's been a wonderful machine for me. It's now 4 or so years old and no complaints, although I can sense it slowing down on some apps. I use it predominantly for office and browsing, with the occasional Photoshop and Premiere. I'll probably upgrade in a year or so to whatever the top spec Mac Mini is at the time. I'm an all in member of the Apple club with the whole family having iPads, Macbook Airs, Pros and iPhones. I moved from a Mac Pro (the awesome tower circa 2012ish) which was great but it had usb 2.0! Get a Mac Mini and it won't let you down.

[@Studio_4to1]

We need more infos on the high perf mode and the fan noise.

[@Xisacion]

I'm in the process of getting the Mac Mini at the moment. Thank you for the clarity. I just needed for planning and school stuffs.

[@Essemess2812]

I’m still rocking a 2018 i5/32gb/256 for work Still going strong and supported after all these years! Teams and office apps with the odd bit of VS code and lunch time surfing. Works perfectly and still feels quick. I’ll upgrade when it’s no longer supported.

[@the7percentsolution]

It's times like these I'm glad I have infinite patience with buying new tech. I'm still using my 2018 Mac Mini and while I'm interested in the new M4 Mac Mini I know the best plan is to just wait it out til the M4 is obsolete and they're at like the M8 or higher. We all know how this goes. The new thing is so amazing until one day it isn't and you're referring to the M4 like you did the M1.

[@DaytonPruet]

I just enjoy watching your videos. I am one of the 12.7% that are subscribed. If I buy a M4 Mac Mini, it will be in 2025.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Love this - thanks!

[@c.garison3770]

Great Video Mark. The 16GB M1 MacMini is still my most used computer of my lot and the part that I find humorous, I picked up this computer in early 2021 as a curiosity and never really intended to use at as a daily driver. Boy, was I wrong. The little MacMini smoked my massive Intel Core i7 desktop. A little more than 3 years later and I am really trying to come up with an excuse to spend the money for the new M4 Mac Mini and honestly, I have no logical reason to upgrade as this machine handles every task that I can throw at it without any issues. Maybe if I were editing video, I would be screaming for more power, but using this to manipulate data is perfect and it does so much more than much healthier spec'd PC. For 90% of computer users, the base M4 Mac Mini will be all you will need for many years. In fact, I bet it will go out of Apple support before most users would consider a need to upgrade. The MacMini is the best computer Apple makes.

[@gap9992]

My 27" iMac is 10 years old and whilst it still works perfectly, I think it's time to change. I put it in the trade in section and was told it's time to recycle it !! lol I was thinking I should get the basic M4 Mini but even I need more than 256 storage. I could get an external drive for a lot less than the Apple upgrades but then I have the complexity of the external storage. Would it back up to iCloud? Would it sync to my other Apple devices? (although it's only photos and videos that I want it to sync). It's still something else for me to do ! Then there is the display. The Apple studio is stupidly expensive but will cheaper 4k displays work seamlessly with the M4 Mini? There is Dell one on sale for £280!! I am now thinking I might as well just get another IMac, put up with the smaller display and get ripped off on the storage upgrade! I think I am the sort of customer Apple really likes !!

[@ABAC6969]

I’m about to hit the buy button on the Mac mini

[@chriscoetzer]

Cheers Mark, you are my favourite news source re Apple products. Based on this, I am ordering the new mini. PS - I know might be interested to know I also ordered a Huawei Matepad 11.5S, also based on your recent review of that.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Ah, that means a lot - thank you!

[@richpate9436]

Being so small, I would like to see some thermal testing while running photo and video editing software -- a major concern for creatives who hate thermal throttling and fan noise. Small may not be better in this case.

[@MTobin1000]

I've got a mid-2011 Intel Mac Mini (the year after they removed the front facing superdrive) still going strong and a 2012 27" Apple Cinema Display. So I'm in year 12 of my devices....for email, web surfing, texting, KZbin watching....it's perfect. When I do upgrade....at some point. An M4 Mac Mini and a new Apple Studio display are on my radar.

[@LarsPallesen]

I'm watching this on a mid-2011 Intel iMac. It has held up better than I had anticipated.

[@Mandleaf]

The best option is to get 256GB mem + 24GB Ram M4 for like 700S and buy external 2TB drive for 200S. Additionally you can invest in build-in 1TB memory if you don't want to play with external drives etc. But that's your choice.

[@juanD23]

😮awesome. Been on fence waiting for m4, but like u said just buy me pro for me

[@petepaxton5109]

I bought the ace magician 3x3 inch mini pc with 12 gigs of ram and a 256 drive. I immediately put linux mint 22 on it and its fast and runs like a dream. Not meant for gaming though it does support steam and I've been playing some of my non intensive games. Paid $125 after coupon.

[@Jamie71q]

Im going to retire my M1 Mac mini, its still a beast but Im so excited for the M4, Especially 16gb and the New cpu.

[@TransplantHelper]

Mine will be here Friday. I have the M1 mini that runs great even with 4k editing every day. But this will be great

[@weekendhomeprojects]

I have a 2016 Macbook Pro. Thinking of upgrading to the M4 Pro Mini and jacking up on the ram. My question is, what storage is everyone getting on the minis? 256, 512 or 1tb?

[@pimeye]

It makes a refreshing change to find the title of a KZbin video to be 100% accurate. P.S. Can you do fingerprint recognition with the Keychron K3?

[@MarkEllisReviews]

That's the first time I've received a comment along those lines about my titles 🤣 As for your question: nope.

[@DjXCENTRiC]

I just bought it fully spec out m4 pro 64gb ram 14 core. Coming from the 2020 i9 128gb ram imac... still waiting on it to come in the mail....

[@dendennis3053]

I am a hobbyist but wanting to know if the base model M4 Mac Mini would be enough for music production/composition (at least 24 tracks including some virtual instruments), video production (basic music clips, professional real-estate videos etc) and photo editing. Would the base model have enough CPU power for all of these programs, and would 16GB of Ram be enough, or would I need 24GB. I have a few external thunderbolt 4 SSDs, so the internal 256GB would mainly be used for hosting operating software and programs like Apple logic, Apple Final Cut and Affinity Photo etc (I'm coming from an intel Mac)

[@greccoox]

Same questions about music here. M4 base just has 4p cores and 6e. But the chip can be fresh and doesn't matter the numbers, lets see...

[@Jackjhumphries7]

I’ve ordered my Mac mini after having a iMac 2013 so looking forward to the end of next week when it arrives .hopefully you will have a hands on video before then .

[@51249ca]

and here I am still using my Mac Mini late 2012 with 16/512. Never missed a beat. Getting a bit slow (recently) though. Don't use that much storage or have extraneous computing needs, so wavering between the base and a 24/512 option. will get someone to get it for me with the Education discount

[@Cary_mac]

For display try the new Asus 27” 5k. $799 vs $1599. I do hope satechi or whatever creates a base for this new version of the Mac mini with a nvme ssd spot available. Regardless, I am excited to see the performance of the m4 because for $600 it’s a steal and would be great for every day tasks on my desktop aside my MacBook Pro. I say aside my MacBook Pro because I do NOT enjoy plugging it into a hub as much as I thought I would.

[@DeepFactsfy11]

Hi, loved the video, I want to buy the m4, but the studio display WAY too expensive! What monitor should I get 1. to match the usb c and 2. I want to also plug my music interface, which is USB A, so what should I do?

[@cameronleehorace]

Hey I have a macbook air M1 16GB that is still kicking ass for my needs. Other than one usb c port that has broken, left to one as too tight to get it repaired it is amazing still. But this I can't help but be interested in. I already have two 1440P Ben Q monitors from before when I had a desktop PC that died. I can get the base model for £499 with education staff discount. Not sure if to wait until my current macbook fully dies before getting a new macbook air (hopefully a long time yet), or get this mac mini and use my macbook air as well, thoughts?

[@geraldtir]

Really really informative, thank you very much for doing this video seriously appreciated!

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@paul_smith66]

This may sound silly but thanks for the monitor tip. I'll be going from an iMac 27inch and the Mac Mini is a no brainer...... but I'm used to that lovely iMac 5k screen and really don't have the budget for the Apple 27inch. When you think you could get a decent 27inch iMac with 5k screen for abround £1800 I don't consider anything with the Apple display as a replacement as the Apple monitor is so expensive. Checked out the BenQ and I think the 27inch version of yours would be perfect for me. Thank you Mark.

[@ralphlumbres]

I don’t know, depends on how cheap it would be, I feel like the M1 is still a good buy today. I think the recommendation is M1 if you want to get a cheaper device and then M4 if you have the money, and just skip the M2. I had the Mac mini M1 in 2020 but upgraded to 16Gb RAM, I replaced it around a year later to M1 MacBook pro 14” just because i need the form factor, but I don’t think its way faster than the M1 Mac mini. And today my MBP M1 is still fast for 4k video editing with a bit of color grading which is already very demanding. I think my old Mac mini would be only slightly slower so it would still hold up today. I heared the M2 is not a very significant jump from the M1.

[@PrestoMoto02]

I have the Samsung 57” G9 ultrawide 4k, do you think it will play nice with the  Mac mini❓

[@henrikjensen608]

I feel I also need to know the idle power draw given the power button being on the bottom and how insanely expensive electricity has gotten. Will there be a part 2?

[@MarkEllisReviews]

There's going to be LOTS of content.

[@bernios3446]

I find recommendations a bit questionable before anybody has put a lot of (longer) workload on such a Mini. It is important how good the little cube will cope with high load for a longer time. Like Video editing etc. Does it throttle, overheat? Will the fans be noisy? Very important. If it takes it well, it can be a nice solution - if not, Mac studio would be the answer. But noone has tested so far.

[@dotapark]

I’m seriously when I’m saying this, but it feels like I hesitate to get a mac mini because I can’t find fitting display. I can’t give up this MacBook - iPad - iPhone experience of the same display quality, and with Mac mini I feel like I have to. If this matter is solved, I will grab mac mini.

[@gatiskandislive9284]

Can I use my old iPad Pro as the only monitor for Mac mini m4?

[@BlaqViper]

What hub should I get for me M4 Pro Min to run three 4K monitors off one of the TB5 ports? I don’t want the monitors that have only one USB-C port each to take up all three ports.

[@3DCharacterArt]

Not quite everything I need to know, missing is whether the new M4 mini can be upgraded after purchase...Apple has soldered memory on minis before and guessing unified memory no exception, but what about internal SSD how many and can it (or they as in 2 internal SSDs on my 2014 mini) be upgraded, or is the M4 forever locked in it's purchase configuration? I guess I'm waiting for a teardown video that shows how to upgrade, or why the M4 can't be upgraded if that's the case...

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Nothing can be upgraded after purchase with any Mac these days I'm afraid.

[@joshuakarp2586]

So, I have a Mac Studio M1 Ultra with 64GB RAM. The most I do is occasionally edit RAW photos from my Sony A7R5. Would a MAXED OUT M4Pro Mac mini be an upgrade?

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Nope!

[@wgm247]

Don't do it. Just use that money on a holiday.

[@thatampguy]

Wait until you can no longer update!

[@alancarmody8848]

I seriously doubt that the incremental upgrades the pro version offers is worth it given that it’s almost three times the price. Just buy the base model and upgrade again when M5 comes out. This would be the case for most users, especially most music producers.

[@shawn2571]

Would be nice for studio recording if it had a usb port to hook your interface to

[@ChrisDarby80]

A usb-c to USB-A adapter is only a couple of bucks

[@shawn2571]

@ChrisDarby80 yeah $8 a piece at walmart. It's a nice machine, but apple always likes to complicate things, they could have fit 2 full size ports on there.

[@127bradfordroad]

Hi Mark, I just need to know whether a specced-out M4 Mac Mini Pro will run Adobe Premiere/After Effects, as I was going to buy a Mac Studio but think this will be enough to replace my current iMacs - the oldest of which still runs reasonably well with 4K footage. Does anyone out there run Adobe programs simultaneously on a new M4 Mac Mini?

[@cinepost]

For Mac Mini Pro 4 users, will there be TB5 Nvme drive options?

[@zero_earth]

What’s the best Mac mini for a graphic designer that uses all Adobe apps together at the same time. Working with large files.

[@AugustineNaing]

what should i choose betwween 16/512 Mac Mini M2pro or 16/512 Mac Mini M4 for music production? i have limit budget .I found that both are same price in the market .

[@scratchanitch]

The *only* reason I'd still consider an M2 mini is if it's a really good deal (and 16/512 minimum). I wonder how long the used market will take to adjust, because used mini prices were just silly. Kind of hoping the M4 will knock the wind out of them a bit.

[@2012starman]

Hello Mark; I will probably go for the M4 pro chip but am undecided about unified memory (an apple adviser recommended 48GB); uses are mainly Adobe Photoshop work; many layers and some images reaching 2GB + after using Filterforge and other plug-in applications; I also want the Mac mini to be able to keep up with future Adobe Photoshop updates (especially with the introduction of Generative Ai functions now and future) over the next 5 years minimum; I may also dabble with Ai platforms such as Midjourney/Stable Diffusion in the near future. is the 48Gb Unified memory recommendation enough or overkill; will 24 or 32 Gb unified memory do the job sufficiently; many thanks...

[@alexalexis7899]

What sort of flawless video editing would NOT be handled smoothly by the Mini M4 16GB? Because that seems like it is more than capable of handling large projects of 4k raw footage without breaking a sweat... Or am I mistaken? Do you need an M4Pro chip for that?

[@markockwell]

2 days to go - ordered my Mac Mini M4 Pro from Currys promised to deliver on release Day / was hoping to get it before Friday but 48 hrs and away we go ....... Now looking for thunderbolt 5 external ssd to go with it, LOL

[@thatampguy]

I wish I had a sophisticated and mysterious accent. My channel would blow up. Damnit, mom!

[@MarkEllisReviews]

I'm from Northampton, mate.

[@ShawnMeunier]

I ordered the M4 with the 24GB Unified Memory ($1,299 CAD)... should I drop down to the 16GB one and save the $250?

[@BikerBloke600]

What do you reccomend for photo editing, M4 Base or M4 Pro base?

[@collinsal1433]

This is what I am looking to know as well. I have the old M2 Mac mini with 8 GB of RAM and it’s slowing down my photo editing 😣

[@barbancourt69]

I ordered the Mac Mini Pro with 24GB/512GB. Hope I'll get it on Friday. That means two more nights to be patient. I'm curious to see how I can do a fresh install with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. Will they be recognised by that little box or not? Greetings from Belgium.

[@alainnn.2459]

Futureproof is a bit relative when we have new Mac Mini coming every two years now.

[@whiskeyblood7258]

My wireless mouse uses a usb connection for the receiver. Is there a usb-c to usb adapter I can use for the new Mac mini?

[@liamwilson847]

Really need some guidance, my workflow is literally microsoft word/excel/powerpoint - most of my work systems are web based. I am not a creator or editor and I have a gaming PC for gaming. Will the base M4 mini suffice?

[@timbukstu]

m2 pro 16gb 1tb can be bought for around 500 on the second hand market. I find very few users who get 800 dollars more value out of the m4 pro. You can buy an oled monitor for your m2 pro and 4tb external drive. All in, you are still less than a m4 pro Mac mini.

[@HemNetOrange]

I just ordered an M4 Pro version, prefer to be future proof. Before watching this video. And btw sorry, but my Sandisk failed on me.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Enjoy. And sorry to hear about your SSD!

[@radaget3459]

Great video. I wasn't sure on what you're saying about unified memory. Are you saying that if I don't know how much I need to just get 16GB and that if I do need more I can add to this with external drives? I didn't think this was possible with RAM. I will use it for home studio use and I have bought loads of sample libraries over the years. I don't want to be limited or have issues with this in future but have no idea how much RAM is enough.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Put your budget towards the memory (not storage - that can't be used as unified memory). 16GB will probably be enough, but if you're unsure or feel you'll be doing lots of stuff with sample libraries, spend more ;)

[@andyreichert499]

The base mac mini is such a fantastic value that I ordered one. I really like to overspec and over spend. And if I could get an m4 Pro with 32/512 for even 2x a base mini, I would have done it. But the mini will do 90% of what I want, and I have other machines for the remaining 10%. And spending an extra $800 doesn't get me there, so I'm not going to spend it.

[@TJDawgs72]

I have the M1 with 16 GB RAM and I think your downplaying it a bit…really isn’t much of a jump from the M1 to the M2. The M4 is definitely a big jump from the M1, especially if you get the M4 Pro. Eventually I’ll upgrade, but not until I actually can’t fulfill my needs with the M1. I got a nice Logitech keyboard and mouse along with a ViewSonic 2k monitor…about $250 all together. More than happy with the setup…as always, thanks for the videos.

[@shawn2571]

Also will the software from intel macs still run on these M series chips?

[@SatyaS_Pradhan]

Logitech MX seriies keyboards are great too

[@Hoju3942]

Maybe you can help me with this, Mark. I've been using iMacs for over a decade, my most recent being a 2019 mid-range 27" iMac. I don't want the smaller screen or I'd already be set on an M4 iMac. Someone in my home who uses their computer for a lot less than I do has an M1 iMac and it's stupifyingly fast next to my 2019 Intel. I have lots of storage devices hooked up to it, it's got a fusion drive, etc. It's painfully slow and I mostly use it for multitasking the built-in apps of Mac OS. Lots of Safari, Music, Podcasts, the occasional game or photo editing. But it's mostly a media consumption and communication machine. If I get an M4 Mac Mini (or any M-series Mac Mini) am I going to find it stuttering through heavy usage if I treat it like my current Intel iMac? Whenever I end up having to restart, it takes a full half hour from pressing the power button to being able to use the thing (cache rebuilding, background apps turning on, Safari taking nearly ten minutes to load all the websites I had open, etc.). The M1 iMac in the house? It takes 45 seconds. I just want to make sure if I bite the bullet and upgrade, that it's not going to be a sluggish mess in 6 months after I start using it how I normally would.

[@jcjr6435]

Just waiting on a compatable docking station so i can add my ssd card

[@shantanusahaindia4566]

I just ordered M4 Mac Mini with 32 GB RAM and 256 storage as i already using a 2TB external SSD.

[@brucekennedy5274]

Haha I want one bad, it's so damn cute! However my sensible head, my trusty old M1Max Mac studio (base model, 32gb, 2tb), but mostly my wallet, says no. M1Max to M4Pro... minimal gains for many pounds? Thoughts people?

[@PierreDybman]

Nice keyboard, but without numeric keys it doesn’t cut it. You should advise on one with them keys

[@paulharrison8379]

I would buy a 256 Gb M1 Mac Mini in preference to a 256 Gb M2 Mac Mini. This is because The SSD in the 256 Gb M1 Mac Mini consists of two 128 Gb flash modules, whereas the SSD in the M2 Mac Mini consists of only one 256 Gb Gb flash module which is half as fast as two modules. This leads to the most important question about the 256 Gb M4 Mac Mini. Does the 256 Gb M4 Mac Mini have two 128 Gb flash modules or only one 256 Gb Flash module? If the £599 M4 model has two modules then it is a very good buy. Otherwise the 512 Gb £799 M4 model is the only sensible choice.

[@M_E_T_R_O__9]

The M3 chip was rushed out to be the first commercial 3nm chip ever.... but had some design flaws and components that were obsolete so Apple decided to abandon its design and jump straight to M4, full redesign, more efficient..

[@olegb.3032]

Will you compare M4 Pro with 12CPU 16GPU vs 14CPU 20GPU cores?

[@leifegnell]

But what if I dont know how much ram I need? Ok. I have decided to buy a Mac Mini M4 but not as an upgrade from another Mac so I am not familiar with what macs need for hassle free and smooth videoediting. I am not a professional video editor and have no deadlines and will not recoup the cost so I want the cost to be as low as it can be. I am aiming for the base 24/512 but can stretch to the pro 24/512 if I really need to but not go over that price. What I want: smooth editing and at least 1:1 export time using highest quality export settings for youtube. 4k media from action cameras and prosumer cameras using highest image quality and log and colorgrading/ image quality enhancing if needed. Some effect work like green screen, animated titles. I have watched a lot of videos and read a lot on redit and I am still afraid to make a mistake (for me 24/512 is a lot of money and pro A LOT) because there is two camps, one is "base 16gb is enough" and the other one is " m4 pro but with ram upgrades". Sorry for the long text (english is also not my native tounge)

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Put as much budget into the unified memory as you can afford (don't spend it on anything else like storage!).

[@davebunn5287]

What i really want to know is whether the 256gb hard drive is okay or if its worth upgrading to the 512. I’m far from a power user but worried about longevity with multiple software updates of running out of storage

[@MarkEllisReviews]

If you're worried, upgrade. Nothing worse than buyer's remorse.

[@cswrighty]

What camera is best, as will need one for Teams calls, and don't want to use my phone camera?

[@MJHiteshew]

There is no real decision between a base M4 and either an M1 or M2 - the cost savings will be fairly small, and the higher specs will be worth it - just get the newest tech and be done with it. The real decision is between the M2 Pro and M4 Pro as you will probably be able to get a fairly good discount on the M2 Pro.

[@Shabazz0047]

I’m debating getting base M4 but upgrading to max out the memory at 32gb for +400. I might not need it right now but I figure if I want to use this machine 7-10 years might make sense to max out the ram. Any thoughts on that ?

[@ryakkan]

Mark, I would be curious, and I would assume they would if the Thunderbolt 4 or 5 ports would work for USB-C monitors. I currently have an M1 MacBook Pro and connect it to a 4K display via USB-C. Considering getting the M4 Mac Mini for home and an iPad Air for when I travel, which is rare.

[@giorgiodelamora3126]

Your voice is Jony Ive !!!!!!

[@redcomn]

I’m more concern of the noise it generate then performance. If mac mini M4 pro noise is just like M2 pro I will just get the base model tbh Either that or stright to mac studio

[@timbukstu]

How is the M4 so much better? Sounds like you are telling them to buy a Lamborghini but we never take it out of 2nd gear. Assuming you have found in beta testing that your M2 pro Mac mini can’t handle Apple Intelligence? If you haven’t, then what data says it won’t work well on a M1 or M2 don’t simulate real world? 18.2 works great on my 8gb M1 iPad and IPhone 15 Pro with 8GB?

[@MarkEllisReviews]

At what point in this video did I say the M2 Pro Mac mini "can't handle Apple Intelligence"?

[@luke_1234]

M2 Pro Mac Mini VS M4 Base Mac Mini is the real question

[@colinstock325]

So my M1 Mac Mini “toy” is still perfectly adequate for my needs, even though it’s mostly used for Lightroom and Photoshop image processing. Shame you were so dismissive of the M1.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

I take it you didn't see what I said about it at the end of this video? The M1 Mac mini remains one of the most impressive Macs they've made. But time has moved on.

[@alessandromanuel728]

I need a machine for Figma, Spline & Xcode. Which configuration should I get? Just xcode needs a lot of space.

[@JonBushell]

Quick question Mark. I have a 9 month old base Mac mini. The only slight bottle neck seems to be external ssd speed. Will the new one have faster ssd usb?

[@zachwarner7164]

why is the 14 core m4 pro delayed a month?

[@Ryan152103]

If I do 4k editing with some After Effects work like roto scoping, will a spec'd up M4 Pro Mac Mini do the job?

[@mikesbruv]

I use Davinci Resolve and especially the Fusion page in my work, also I do quite a bit of 2d animation work. I'm thinking I will go for the M4 pro but how much unified memory would I need to be comfortable with this sort of work?

[@parvezryt]

Really want to try a mechanical keyboard and mx master mouse but can’t give up touch id and smooth scrolling on my Magic Keyboard and Mouse

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Doesn't take you long to forget about that stuff - trust me 😉

[@zachwarner7164]

Flip the keyboard around and stick it on a desk shelf, then add the reverse finger print. Mx master has smooth scroll with the wheel “unhinged” for a lack of better word. I would still have a track pad/something to gesture with

[@parkerbond9400]

Calling it now, M8 Mac mini will be the next refresh.

[@JohnSmith-zl8rz]

I prefer wait for the Studio M4 to compare and buy.

[@nikhilpradhan1318]

If I have already have MacMini M2 pro chip with 16 gb ram, would it make sense to upgrade to mini m4 pro chip with 24gb or 48gb ram

[@tomknight3899]

Hi Mark, thanks for the video. I have a question I have mac 27” 2109 intel. If I buy a mini Mac can I use my 27” Mac for the screen?