The BEST M4 Mac mini accessories! MY PERFECT SETUP!

[@MarkEllisReviews]

What am I missing from my M4 Mac mini setup?

[@benjaminpeternorris]

A built-in SD card slot?

[@peterwarren5412]

Missing? A lot of money now I guess :). As someone who has only really this year got into the apple ecosystem with an ipad mini (missed my old one from years ago) and recently bought the macbook air m3 (that is being used for this comment) the setup looks really good. The local Currys has a Mac mini setup for the first time plugged into the studio display. It really does look good.

[@JoeCursio]

You’re missing a dongle with a SD card reader. 😊. I realize you took it off for your video.

[@ShiningHourPop]

I’ve seen a 3D printed stand on Amazon UK to lift up the Mac mini so the on/off button is accessible.

[@AndresWalsh]

I'd like to see how all that stuff connects to the Mac.

[@ZoneProduction448]

I ordered the M4 Pro 14c CPU/20c GPU, 1TB SSD, and 24GB of memory. My last Mac was a 2012 27-inch iMac that stopped working 5 years ago. The current iMacs’ screen sizes are too small. I like the fact that I can choose my own screen size. The M4 Pro configuration I have chosen will be perfect for my needs. Yes, I know Apple overcharges for storage, but I don’t like having external storage constantly attached to the Mac mini. It’s just a personal choice.

[@cardbored_]

Same one I ordered! It’s a beast!

[@ZoneProduction448]

Thanks, good to know. My Mac mini arrives next week. Currently preparing to be shipped 😀

[@The_Cali_Dude_88]

My mini Pro I chose same as you but I maxxed out everything but, stopped at 2 terrabytes storage... cant wait it comes mid December... everything else is alreadto go... Apple everything from mouse to mini

[@xiangzhou8188]

The machine you chose can last for years. 🎉

[@ZoneProduction448]

@@xiangzhou8188 That was my thought process. 😀

[@scuddermead]

40's? Geez man... Here's hoping you're not falling apart already!!! 67 here... and you have no idea! 🙂 Nice video. Mine is supposed to arrive on Thursday and I can't wait.

[@maartenblokdijk]

M1 mba is and was their best product ever. Still my daily driver!

[@topgazza]

I have the M4 Mac Mini with 16GB and 1 TB to replace my M1 Mac Mini. A use a Samsung 4k 27" monitor and it's just perfect for my uses. More than powerful and so discreet. It's the perfect Mac computer.

[@TechnoBoomer]

The best Apple product of 2024 is the M4 pro Mac mini, I totally agree !

[@thomasrobinson5311]

Mark, I have the basic Mac mini pro and I liked the Studio display so much, I bought two. They're awesome.

[@RolexChan]

I ordered the M4 Pro 14c CPU/20c GPU, 512GB SSD, and 64GB of memory. My last MAC was 2021 MBP M1 Max 10c CPU/32c GPU, 1TB SSD, and 32GB of memory. In 2022, I bought double RTX4090 and 13900k and ASUS Z790 Extreme motherboard for my AI work.

[@entocartoons8777]

What is your AI work

[@RolexChan]

@@entocartoons8777 Coding and so on.

[@packgrog]

Regarding the vinyl: 1) be sure to properly clean your vinyl (this is a deep rabbit hole, but I'm happy to answer questions), and 2) invest in a microline stylus. I was wary of that turntable at first, but at least I'm a big fan of Audio Technica cartridges, especially given that the moving magnet models can get stylus swaps for microline models (typically with the "ML" suffix). They provide better stylus life, better high frequency response, and vasty superior tracking.

[@AlexanderFox]

The M4 Mac Mini may well be impressive but it’s still the child or grandchild of the Studio. To me this makes the Studio the best product and this a relevant offspring. The Mini is a baby studio and the Pro is a studio with some mostly irrelevant expansion slots. Roll on the M4 Ultra Studio.

[@IntiniOfficial]

Lovely music composition setup! I would love to see more of it as it evolves.

[@dalroth10]

Another great video Mark - thank you! I'm about to retire my late 2014 iMac and have decided to go for the new Mac Mini M4 (16GB memory & 1TB SSD storage), paired with the Studio display. My needs are similar to yours, i.e. day to day stuff, music recording and also photography. Based on your very positive reviews I think this set up will suit my needs perfectly I had considered keeping my old magic keyboard & mouse but will certainly now look at the Logitech MX Master 3X. The standing desk seems very good value for money, so will be taking a close look at this too!

[@ThatMarkGilroy]

Great video as always Mr Ellis! Quick thought on the front facing SD. I always try where possible to transfer my video/image files by connecting directly to the camera. A long time ago a pro photographer I know told me that every time you remove an SD card and plug it into a new port, it reduces its life span as it increases the likelihood of the connections getting scratched/damaged. If you have a big enough card that it can stay in your camera for as long as possible, it’ll last WAY longer. So….a USB-C connection from the front of the Mini to your camera might be the best option!

[@MarkEllisReviews]

That's a fair point, and I've been doing exactly that myself since I got the new Mac mini, funnily enough!

[@Applecompuser]

I would also run stress tests with all the ports in use. Not only are all my iMac ports in use, but I am swapping ports often.

[@lindsaybruce1396]

There are so many M4 Mac minis being deployed online that I'm starting to worry that they'll band together, form a super-intelligence, and Skynet will be born. Seriously, I'm getting mine after Christmas when the bank has stopped shouting at me.

[@johnanderson1245]

I just ordered a RayCue docking hub ($100US) for mine. It hasn’t arrived yet but I’ll see how it works.

[@musiciankellett]

I've got the m4 pro and the 3225. Love the combination and try as I might I couldn't justify £500 extra for a smaller glossy screen, no height adjustment, uninspiring webcam...yet I was still mightily tempted because of its looks. I had an M1 iMac and I thought it was gorgeous when I took it out of the box and when I packed it up to ship to its new owner. In between those times it sat with its back to the wall and its looks went unnoticed.

[@martinhouston3864]

Trust me, if you have a standing desk then you don’t need the height adjustable Studio Display. Take it from a guy who has that very setup with only the Tilt Studio Display with a standing glass desk and desk shelf to set the monitor on. There’s your height adjustment right there and it makes zero difference, so save your money in terms of paying Apple an extra $300 just to get a monitor that raises!😎

[@musiciankellett]

@@martinhouston3864 Er.......okay. I don't have a standing glass desk. If it was just an issue of height, it wouldn't be a deal breaker.

[@dough.9241]

I don’t know why all these KZbinrs haven’t figured out that when you want to turn the machine OFF, you use Shutdown from the OS level. You don’t use power button to turn it off. Duh. Only exception would be in the unlikely event the Mac is completely frozen and fails to complete an organized shutdown (in which case you’d push and hold the power button until machine turns off - or even in that case there are keyboard shortcuts that might work). Duh.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Us KZbinrs, eh! When did I say I use the power button to turn off the Mac mini?

[@SadfoxGuyver]

@@MarkEllisReviewsan generalization since you brought it up. But not about you specifically.

[@dough.9241]

@ 3:34 “Only time I turn it off is when….” Turn it off is not same as shutdown.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

When I say "turn it off" in that scenario, I shut it down, mate. I never touch the power button. Why would I?!

[@FlyingArtz.]

They need to make the studio display 32 inches. It’s been years

[@geraldtir]

That’s a nice set up, looking forward to see you using logic and making music. i’ve got logic still getting into it so it’s always interesting and helpful to see people using that DAW.

[@zachwarner7164]

I will love you long time if you add chapters.

[@Nulheim]

Great video as always, Mark. The only reason why I will not buy a Mac Mini is because the MacOS is sooo limited. If I could install a Windows natively it will be my next desktop computer

[@RuinThatDay]

Logic pro user here with an old MBP 2016 intel 16go ram, I ordered the mac mini m4 pro 24go ram / 1to. I think that's enough for my needs (limited tracks / plugins and banks)

[@RandyRydberg]

I can't go back to staggered keyboards... ortholinear is the best. I have the ZSA Moonlander split, tented, programmable ortholinear keyboard. But I understand the appeal of the Apple boards.

[@robfel68]

YES YES, Mac mini M4 + Music Production = 🤍❤💙💚❤💛❤💚💙

[@duringthemeanwhilst]

I think with more and more pro photographers and videographers moving over to the much faster CF Express standard, an SD card slot will soon be redundant on many machines.

[@kurtkatie1830]

I was thinking the same thing. I bought a nice camera to video my daughter's wedding and I went with a CF Express card. I haven't found a dock that has that plus USB ports.

[@colinstock325]

Most photographers are hobbyists and sd cards are still all that’s needed by non-professionals. As usual “professionals” think the world revolves around them. Do try to understand that “professionals” are mostly irrelevant.

[@duringthemeanwhilst]

@@colinstock325 good point colin, but a couple of things - Apple seems to aim their devices with SD cards to pro's (by calling them just that and pricing them accordingly). Also, I should have been more general I guess in that more and more pro-sumer level cameras now have the faster CF Express card slots as more and more people (not just pro's) want faster frame rates and higher resolution video

[@MarkEllisReviews]

We use SD cards exclusively and I can't see that changing for the foreseeable future. And I'm pretty sure we're 'professional' 😉

[@m.hreels9822]

Great video thx! Tremendously helpful!

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Glad to hear it!

[@rogermuggleton8127]

If you really want to use it for photography or video, I guess both a SD UHS-II slot and a CFexpress Type B slot would be helpful? Especially as some cameras use only the latter.

[@Keziapurrs]

I still use my M1 Mac mini for music production in Logic. It still runs quite well. I’m not a pro producer. Like you, I do it for personal creation outlets. Do you create primarily through a MIDI controller or do you play other instruments as well? I play pretty much everything. Master of none.

[@josef.hernandez9781]

I’m just saying not criticizing or complaining Classic KZbinr: “This is ALL you need, I don’t even use this amount of power” Also Classic KZbinr: proceeds to get a version of that same product that is far more expensive than 95% of people would be willing to spend on it. 😂

[@elmarcentral]

Yes, every time...

[@jedlomax100]

What are the absolute best noise cancellers on the market? Noisy neighbour issue here, help required from a subscriber from the days when you did your videos in your box room! Cheers.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Haha - a proper OG! It's hard not to recommend the Sony XM5 or Bose QuietComfort in that regard 👍

[@jedlomax100]

@@MarkEllisReviews Thanks Mark, that could save a lot of banging on walls. Have a good Xmas.

[@johnwade7430]

Hi Mark: I got exactly the same rMac mini as you save for mine has only 1TB of SSD Storage. I was gonna wait for the M4 Studio but heard such good things about the MM Pro. My Magic Keyboard has the number-keyboard also as I use those for short cuts on Sibelius - that's a score-writing Program. I plan to start a new MA course on 'Music Post Production' in January so want most of this up and running by then. I got an 88-Key Master Keyboard - I will be using it for Orchestral Samples; mini keyboards do tend to annoy you with the octave switching to be honest. Looking forward to seeing how the external Hardrives with Thunderbolt 5 connection speeds pan out so pls keep us all in the loop on that one - thanks.

[@videobyredjade]

Thank you

[@SignorSprezzatura]

Hi Mark, very interesting and useful video as always! You're into music production on the Mac - I just wondered what you think about AI and music production and whether it will have a place in your creative workflow in the future?

[@ScottHuddlestonReviews]

Hi Mark, long time no hear, but where in heck did you get the Plaud Note Pin? Best regards, Scott

[@bernardsmith2125]

Headphone jack should not be on the front.. spoils the smooth lines for desktop speakers that are connected permanently.

[@steveblanchard7293]

iMac 16/512 m4 for me - coming Sunday.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Enjoy!

[@SpaceShrimp]

Should I get a 24 Gb or a 48 Gb mac mini pro for future proofing ? 3d, photoshop, IA (stable diffusion) etc. and some games... 24 should be enough but... well. ... :P

[@sampayne1985]

Hey Mark! I’m a professional artist who currently has a MBP M1 w/16gb Ram and 1TB storage. I often work with large PS docs with hundreds of large layers. I also have a Studio display and a 4K pen display. I’m wondering whether to get an M4 Mac mini Base model with 32gb ram and 512gb (with external storage) or the base model Mac Pro with the pro chip and just the 24gbs of ram. Thoughts based on your experience?

[@cristianionita9949]

Can you play the new Delta Force on M4 via crossover?

[@Vybescube]

M4 Mac mini is awesome. The iPhone 16 is a regurgitated phone.

[@techtipsuk]

How warm does yours get Mark when sleeping?

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Not at all.

[@stephenvalente3296]

The lack of the SD card slot when so many KZbinrs are extolling the virtues of a Thunderbolt 4 dock, with a fair number of them having SD readers from what I’ve seen, the lack of the slot is a gripe I’m not concerned about. As to the Mac Studio M4 Max, we’re all expecting it in Spring 2025, and no doubt there’ll be a load of videos regretting buying the Mac Mini M4 Pro when that comes out. Apple are the worse company out there playing on buyers fears of what the future holds. It pees off buyers who may just keep waiting and harms sales to a degree because of that sale group not buying machines in the meantime.

[@_NeXus6_]

Mark, are you from the days of Amiga trackers, or Atari (cough cough) I am a little bit older 50s not 40s - I lived the dream on soundtracker, protracker, noisetracker octamed, to name but a few Id love to get back into the music stuff too funds and time allowing, interested in what your upto... cheers

[@asan1050]

Thanks for posting this video...

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Pleasure!

[@cristianionita9949]

Mine is still în pre-order status with 4-6 weeks delivery date 😑 I do not think that I will receive it this year.

[@Talyessin63]

@MarkEllisReviews, your BenQ link takes you generically to BenQ. You probably want to highlight the fact that you recommend the 3225U not the 3220U as you did a video about the new version. Thanks for your video, I am gonna go with the M4 24GB RAM and 512GB SSD version with a Satechi mount for a 2TB SSD (and SD card slot) plus USB-A and C. Cheers for the videos. Peter, from Melbourne, Oz.

[@77dris]

So would you say the Pro is silent even when doing heavy PS and video editing?

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Depends entirely on what your definition of 'heavy' is, but in my experience - yes, it's silent.

[@JarradShaw]

Which Ben Q monitor do you recommend again? Sorry to bother you

[@kevinpoinsett]

iPod hands down

[@ShiningHourPop]

I can’t update to a Mac mini m4 pro until music software houses, who make music plugins, update them for Sequoia. Otherwise my projects in Logic won’t work properly yet. Maybe in 6 months.

[@annemarieleone6394]

I can’t believe how many YT people whine so much about it missing SD card reader.. I thought this was a Segway to the link you put in description for a Sagetechi Mac mini hub (spelling) on side bar so I got excited maybe that maybe they gave you one to try as they are slated to release a M4 Mac Mini hub next month… but sadly I watched this video and nothing (BUT a very long sponsored ad). Wish I clicked link first vs watching to see if you were trying it out. Lesson learned about you… I then decide to click link and it’s not even a M4 accessory, nor anything you mention in the video.

[@davidligon6088]

If it had a Max chip I would agree with you.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

If it had a Max chip, it'd be a Mac Studio 😉

[@davidligon6088]

@ Only because of Apple’s roadmap decisions. No reason it couldn’t be a Mini. I can’t fit a Studio under my monitor shelf. I can fit a mini.

[@archie7012]

I love your lighting. What are you using?

[@akin242002]

The SD card reader is not an issue. You can just get a cheap $20-$50 dongle that includes 2 SD card readers, Full and micro. A) BaseUS 7-1 dongle for $20 B) Anker 555 USB-C Hub 8-1 dongle for $50. Faster SD card reader data transfer speeds.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Not an issue for some, but an issue for others. That's life, mate - and it's ok.

[@kenstephens2955]

more screen real estate?

[@Historyisnotwas]

I’m stuck on how much RAM to get? I use music notation /composing programs like Dorico and MuseScore. Is the 16gb M4 enough to run music notation writing programs and basic sound libraries?

[@RolexChan]

If you choose the M4, go with 16GB. If you opt for the M4 Pro, consider 48GB or 64GB. The M4 has a memory bandwidth of only 120GB/s, whereas the M4 Pro offers 273GB/s, making the extra cost for the M4 Pro worthwhile.

[@umanoid1523]

Your complaint is about no SD card reader? 😂 add a hub and you can have more ports too.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Hence me referring to it as a "silly gripe" in the video. But it _is_ a point worth making, given the intended audience for this product.

[@franciscodiaz5778]

"The BEST M4 Mac mini (US$ 599) accessories!" and begins with the US$ 1500 Studio Display and later ditch the M4 of the title and get the M4 Pro with a lot of "extra$" Well, it's not bad living on a cloud. By the way, you didn't specify the Benq monitor.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

You enjoyed this video, didn't you.

[@zachwarner7164]

the only issue with the 3s is its truly a brick, but the horizontal scroll wheel is too good

[@john_hind]

It is an easy decision to buy a M4 Mac mini. The hard decision is which if any of the gougy tick boxes to check. I've narrowed it to the Pro with no tick boxes or the base model juiced to 32GB/512GB and a $200 saving. Letting Apple gouge me for more RAM or SSD than this just seems morally wrong, like paying a ransom just encourages more hostage-taking! So is the extra 8GB of RAM going to serve me $200 better than the extra CPU and GPU cores?

[@MW-mn1el]

I will remember the years Apple finally ditch 8GB ram as standard.

[@colinstock325]

If they’ve ditched 8gb ram as a minimum then it’s almost guaranteed that 16/24gb of ram will be inadequate in a year or so.

[@ractsninjas]

I want to get one, but everyone is saying you need to upgrade to the $800 model. Rather not spend $800 for a small memory.

[@MrVuvu]

I don't get why Apple fans don't want to admit the power button underneath the device is bad design. Reminds me of "you're holding it wrong" years ago.

[@zachwarner7164]

lets goooo

[@JonnMcLoed-vo3fe]

I agree that the mini is a wonderful little machine but let's address a couple of major issues it's got before someone spends a huge chunk of change on the maxed out pro.......don't. No 1 reason is playing games natively on an Apple isn't getting anywhere near as good as was promised. I hear a lot of promises but few if any are delivered. The 2nd is it's biggest achilles heal so far is that after extended use regardless of fans the M4 throttles to protect itself. As far as straight testing not stress testing has highlighted is it goes down to 80% whenever it thinks it's viable and nothing apart from closing the app will bring that number up. It's in the internal drive as it was first launched in the ipad pro and that needs the head room. Maybe an update or 2 down the line will address these issues but please stick to the base model as its wonderful out the box and leave the pro stuff to.....well work it out for your own pocket......JM

[@HenryDqly]

hi

[@elmarcentral]

8:49 so why didn't you buy external storage? I just don't understand that. How can you tell your viewers not to spend money on Apple's upgrades then?

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Because it's a "do as I say, not as I do" kinda thing. And I've got plenty of external storage, thank you.

[@ChristoRispo]

I just bought a $200 iPad Somebody talk me into buying this. Do I really need it

[@wernergamper6200]

You like your voice much? It feels a bit compressed.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Of course it's compressed.

[@scogginsscoggins]

The huge demand for the M4 Mac Mini has pushed down dramatically the price of the used M2 Mac Mini.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Which is indeed very good news.

[@SaveMeAzathoth]

5:08 Calling the old Mac Mini chassis massive is straight up gaslighting. The "normal" point of reference size of a desktop computer is a PC tower that utterly dwarfs it.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

The most ludicrous use of the term 'gaslighting' I've ever seen. Please grow up - we're discussing a computer, here.

[@darthyautja3442]

How did you spend £2,899 on the maxed out M4 pro, comes in at £2,398.98 maxed out including the two programs logic pro and final cut, literally no other options of upgrading?

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Because if you spec up the exact machine I went for, it costs £2,899. Not sure where you've got £2,398.98 from, mate.

[@darthyautja3442]

@MarkEllisReviews literally opened up Apples website when you said that in your viid as didn't ring true and came out at the price I said.

[@darthyautja3442]

@@MarkEllisReviews Did you delete my reply? will try again mate, got that from the Apple website, just checked again, literally open in other tab as I type, selected the M4 pro starting at £999 then upgraded everything, so 32GB memory, 2TB storage, 10 GB ethernet, and the two programs comes in at £2,398,98, no other options for upgrades.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

@@darthyautja3442 I’m not sure what to say, buddy - my spec is exactly £2,899 on Apple’s website. Just checked it myself. I wouldn’t overthink this 😉

[@darthyautja3442]

@@MarkEllisReviews Hang on, there is another option I didn't notice Starting at £1399 and you can upgrade the chip set with higher cores and higher memory options going up to 64Gb memory and 8TB of storage which if you max out comes in at £4,699 without the two programs my bad, what spec did you get?

[@flexairz]

I turn my systems OFF when NOT in use. Saves a LOT of energy. Stop making excuses for a stupid design decision.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

I leave my Mac mini on. I guess we're never going out for that beer, are we?

[@JannisMetrix]

I've seen so many desk setup videos and I still can't comprehend how so many of y'all have only one monitor. I have two and use my iPad as a third one and I personally don't know a single person with less than 2 monitors. How do you live like that 😭

[@MarkEllisReviews]

I’ve gone back and forth with this but always settle with a single monitor. Each to their own, I guess!

[@JannisMetrix]

@ sure, 100%. It’s just for me that I often use 3-4 full screen application at one time that I wouldn’t want to use cropped side by side on one single screen.

[@dough.9241]

Why haven’t these KZbinrs figured out that of all ports a Mac could possibly have, the SD card slot is, by a wide margin, the most likely to fail. Which would you rather do, get a new dongle (or mini-dock) or take in the entire Mac for service. Duh.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Us KZbinrs are so annoying, aren't we.

[@NickPowellPhotography]

I am SO looking forward to getting my M4 Mac Mini. I ended up going for the M4 Pro 14/20, 64GB RAM and 512GB SSD, as I am going to be connecting a 4TB Nvme via Thunderbolt, and I also have a Synology DS423+ NAS with 48TB, so that's storage sorted! I am moving from PC which I am slightly daunted about as my current PC setup is an absolute beast with a Geforce RTX 4070ti, however I never utilise all of the power so I will hopefully be good. :)