M1 vs. M2. vs. M4 Mac Mini Buyer's Guide: 25+ Upgrades Compared

Apple just unveiled the first Mac mini redesign in over a decade. The previous major updates to the device were the transition to Apple silicon in 2020 and the option of a Pro-grade chip in 2023, so how does the latest model compare to its two immediate predecessors?


The new ‌Mac mini‌ looks dramatically different to previous models thanks to a markedly smaller enclosure and two front USB-C ports, but it is also much more powerful thanks to the M4 and M4 Pro chips. All of the hardware differences between the 2020, 2023, and 2024 ‌Mac mini‌ models are detailed below:

‌Mac mini‌ (late 2020) ‌Mac mini‌ (early 2023) ‌Mac mini‌ (late 2024)
Height: 1.41 inches (3.58 cm) Height: 1.41 inches (3.58 cm) Height: 2.0 inches (5.0 cm)
Width: 7.75 inches (19.70 cm) Width: 7.75 inches (19.70 cm) Width: 5.0 inches (12.7 cm)
Depth: 7.75 inches (19.70 cm) Depth: 7.75 inches (19.70 cm) Depth: 5.0 inches (12.7 cm)
Weight: 2.6 pounds (1.18 kg) Weight (M2): 2.6 pounds (1.18 kg)
Weight (M2 Pro): 2.8 pounds (1.28 kg)
Weight (M4): 1.5 pounds (0.67 kg)
Weight (M4 Pro): 1.6 pounds (0.73 kg)
Thermal design with rear air intake and exhaust Thermal design with rear air intake and exhaust New thermal design that drives air up through the base
Rear power button Rear power button Bottom power button
Wi-Fi 6 Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth 5.3 Bluetooth 5.3
3.5mm headphone jack 3.5mm headphone jack with advanced support for high-impedance headphones 3.5mm headphone jack with advanced support for high-impedance headphones
HDMI 2.0 M2: HDMI 2.0
M2 Pro: HDMI 2.1
HDMI 2.1
Two rear USB-A ports Two rear USB-A ports Two front USB-C ports
Two Thunderbolt 3/USB4 USB-C ports M2: Two Thunderbolt 4 ports
M2 Pro: Four Thunderbolt 4 ports
M4: Three Thunderbolt 4 ports
M4 Pro: Three Thunderbolt 5 ports
Maximum of two external displays Maximum of three external displays Maximum of three external displays
256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB storage M2: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB storage
M2 Pro: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB storage
M4: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB storage
M4 Pro: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB storage

The chips offered across the three ‌Mac mini‌ generations are a key point of difference. These changes are outlined below:

‌Mac mini‌ (late 2020) ‌Mac mini‌ (early 2023) ‌Mac mini‌ (late 2024)
M1 chip (made with TSMC's 5nm (N5) process) M2 or ‌M2‌ Pro chip (made with TSMC's enhanced 5nm (N5P) process) M4 or M4 Pro chip (made with TSMC's enhanced 3nm (N3E) process)
8 CPU cores (4 performance + 4 efficiency) M2: 8 CPU cores (4 performance + 4 efficiency)
M2 Pro: 10 or 12 CPU cores (6 or 8 performance + 4 efficiency)
M4: 10 CPU cores (4 performance + 6 efficiency cores)
M4 Pro: 12 or 14 CPU cores (8 or 10 performance + 4 efficiency)
3.23 GHz maximum CPU clock speed 3.50 GHz maximum CPU clock speed 4.30 GHz maximum CPU clock speed
8 GPU cores M2: 10 GPU cores
M2 Pro: 16 or 19 GPU cores
M4: 10 GPU cores
M4 Pro: 16 or 20 GPU cores
Updated GPU architecture with improved efficiency
Hardware-accelerated ray-tracing
Dynamic caching
Video decode engine Higher-bandwidth video decode engine Higher-bandwidth video decode engine
Hardware-accelerated H.264 and HEVC Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW
ProRes encode and decode engine ProRes encode and decode engine
Support for AV1 decode
LPDDR4X memory LPDDR5 memory LPDDR5X memory
68.25GB/s memory bandwidth M2: 100GB/s memory bandwidth
M2 Pro: 200GB/s memory bandwidth
M4: 120GB/s memory bandwidth
M4 Pro: 273GB/s memory bandwidth
8GB or 16GB memory M2: 8GB, 16GB, or 24GB memory
M2 Pro: 16GB or 32GB memory
M4: 16GB, 24GB, or 32GB memory
M4 Pro: 24GB, 48GB, or 64GB memory
16-core Neural Engine, 11 trillion operations per second 16-core Neural Engine, 15.8 trillion operations per second 16-core Neural Engine, 38 trillion operations per second
Dedicated display engine

The M4 and M4 Pro ‌Mac mini‌ represent the most significant update to Apple's compact desktop in years, marking an evolution not only in performance but in design and functionality as well. The new, dramatically smaller enclosure, improved thermal design, and front USB-C ports are standout changes that make the M4 Mac mini much more versatile. For users who prioritize compactness and connectivity without sacrificing power, these design upgrades alone make the 2024 ‌Mac mini‌ an appealing choice.

In terms of performance, the M4 and M4 Pro chips offer substantial advancements. With higher clock speeds, more efficient core architecture, and memory bandwidth improvements, the ‌M4 Mac mini‌ brings noticeable gains in performance over the ‌M1‌ and ‌M2‌ models. The new chips also introduce hardware-accelerated ray-tracing, support for AV1 decoding, and an updated GPU architecture, which are particularly beneficial for users in graphic design, video editing, and other GPU-intensive tasks. Paired with LPDDR5X memory, these upgrades make the ‌Mac mini‌ more competitive than ever, even nearing the capabilities of the Mac Studio for many professional workflows.

For ‌M1‌ ‌Mac mini‌ users, the latest model is a compelling upgrade that delivers tangible improvements in speed, graphics capability, and future-proofing. The leap in Neural Engine performance alone, which now handles 38 trillion operations per second, will significantly enhance AI-driven tasks and applications. Even ‌M2‌ ‌Mac mini‌ users may find the M4 and M4 Pro models tempting, given the design overhaul and even more high-end configuration options.

However, ‌M2‌ Pro users who already have a higher-spec configuration may not find the jump to the latest model as essential, especially if their needs are already being met by their current machine's power and capabilities. For these users, it might be worth waiting for an even more transformative update later down the line.

What is clear is that the M4 and M4 Pro ‌Mac mini‌ provide a noteworthy upgrade for users seeking a high-performance, compact, and cost-effective desktop Mac. The latest generation blurs the line between the ‌Mac mini‌ and ‌Mac Studio‌, delivering substantial power and formidable specifications in a much smaller footprint. It stands out as one of the best-value options for desktop computing in Apple's lineup, making it an excellent choice for many users.

Related Roundup: Mac mini
Buyer's Guide: Mac Mini (Buy Now)
Related Forum: Mac mini

Popular Stories

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro With All-New Camera Bar Design Allegedly Revealed

Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech. iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
iphone air concept weis

iPhone 17 Air Could Look Like This in Real Life

Friday February 14, 2025 3:41 am PST by
There have been several alleged leaked details of the iPhone 17 Air, Apple's rumored new slim iPhone, but images have been limited to grainy shots taken in component factories. However, this hyper-realistic concept created by WEIS Studio gives us the best idea yet of what Apple's thin device might actually look like. The concept design is inspired by recent leaks indicating that the device...
Apple Maps 2024

Apple Maps Might Start Showing Ads

Sunday February 16, 2025 7:22 am PST by
Apple is "exploring" the idea of showing search ads in the Apple Maps app, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Back in 2022, Gurman said software engineering was "already underway" to display ads in the Apple Maps app, but Apple did not move forward with the idea at the time. Today, he said Apple is "giving this notion more thought" again. This time around, he said Apple has yet to...
m2 pro mac mini

Apple is Now Selling a Refurbished Mac Mini for Just $319 (!)

Saturday February 15, 2025 9:58 am PST by
A few days ago, we reported that Apple's refurbished Mac mini pricing had a problem, and it appears that Apple has taken note. Apple was offering a refurbished Mac mini with the M2 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $559, which was $50 more than a refurbished Mac mini with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. All other key specifications were equal. That's no longer...
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
Tim Cook Apple Park

10+ Announcements Apple Could Have Rolled Into a February Event

Saturday February 15, 2025 8:00 am PST by
Apple appears to have enough upcoming product announcements to justify a full event this month, yet all signs indicate these reveals will be handled through a series of press releases instead. There are a multitude of rumors from reliable sources about specific announcements in the coming weeks, so here's everything that Apple could have feasibly included in a hypothetical February event: ...

Top Rated Comments

Return Zero Avatar
16 weeks ago
Base model being 499 on edu pricing (I work for a school) and the unbinned (10-core) chip and 16GB RAM is absolutely the best value Mac ever, IMO.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
familychoice Avatar
16 weeks ago
The big surprise for me is price: I paid £1049 for my M1 16/512 combo, back in the day. The same M4 combo is now £799, £250 cheaper for more power and an extra port.

I seriously didn’t expect the new one to be that much cheaper. It’ll be interesting to see if the new entry level MBP’s get the same treatment….
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SteveJobs2.0 Avatar
16 weeks ago
This is a good upgrade hardware-wise. Nothing revolutionary, but a welcome advancement in terms of positioning this as a stylish, affordable and powerful option for the general public.

They can probably create a MacMini Pro the size of the previous generation MacMini for those who need even greater performance and I/O availability.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ShufromChina Avatar
16 weeks ago
One correction: The Mac mini 2023 isn't HDMI 2.1 across the board. M2 is still HDMI 2.0. Only M2 Pro is HDMI 2.1; whereas the new Mac mini has HDMI 2.1 across the board, including the base model.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Allen_Wentz Avatar
16 weeks ago
This upgrade is actually quite substantial, but folks do not really seem to be noticing. The new availability of 64 GB RAM is huge. MR said "The latest generation blurs the line between the ‌Mac mini‌ and ‌Mac Studio‌," which is misleading because the past generation already fully blurred the line between the ‌Mac Mini‌ and ‌Mac Studio‌.

This new Mac Mini jumps the line between the ‌Mac Mini‌ and ‌the Mac Studio. Clock speed, ray tracing and 64 GB RAM ‌will have a new Mini outperforming the Studio lower end for many tasks that fit under 64 GB RAM [until the M4 Studio is released]. Tasks that optimize using more RAM will remain Studio or MBP territory.

Edit: The availability of 64 GB RAM in Apple's low end desktop product the Mac Mini extends the low end product choices upward, and really makes me wonder what the M4 Studios will bring us. I very much look forward to seeing the coming M4 generations of Studios and Mac Pros.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
madmax14304 Avatar
16 weeks ago
Bummer that it's taller because this kills the ability to put them into a 1U chassis. you'll have to occupy 2U now. Otherwise, it looks like a winner.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)