Apple debuts all-new smaller Mac mini and M4 Pro chip

The first thing you’ll notice about the Mac mini is its size. It’s now just a smidge larger than the Apple TV 4K. 

In terms of dimensions, it’s roughly 13cm by 13cm, which means its footprint is less than half its predecessor. However, at 5cm tall, it is thicker than the 3.58cm-thick old model. Still, the overall volume has been significantly reduced so I that's a win in my book. 

Connectivity has been improved. There are now two USB-C ports on the front along with a 3.5mm headphone jack, so users don’t have to go blindly poking around the back to connect devices. Round the back, there are three USB-C ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and an HDMI port. There are no USB-A ports. 

Inside, the Mac mini is powered by the new M4 chip. The base model comes with an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU. And for the first time, the base model Mac mini will also come with 16GB of memory as standard. No more having to fuss over whether to upgrade your memory or not. But if you wish to upgrade, the M4 chip can be equipped with either 24GB or 32GB of memory.

Also making its debut today is the M4 Pro chip, which, in its maximum upgraded form, comes with a 14-core CPU that consists of 10 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores, and a 20-core GPU. It can also be upgraded to a maximum of 64GB of memory.

Those deeply familiar with Apple Silicon will realise not only has Apple increased the number of cores, it also significantly altered the core configuration of the CPU, favouring performance cores over efficiency cores. 

Opting for the M4 Pro has a number of performance advantages. Not only is the CPU and GPU faster, but the M4 Pro Mac minis’ USB-C ports will also support the newer and faster Thunderbolt 5 standard. This new standard delivers 80Gbps of bi-directional bandwidth, which can go up to 120Gbps with the Bandwidth Boost function. This allows the Mac mini to drive up to three 6K external displays and also work with high-speed external storage devices. 

I’m sure most people will agree that 120Gbps and three 6K external displays are excessive for most people – not to mention very expensive. But it’s good to know that if you need the Mac mini to be a “serious” workstation, it can be one. For everyone else, it looks like the Mac mini is the most affordable way to get on the Mac and Apple Silicon bandwagon.

Availability and pricing

The new Mac mini is available to pre-order on 5 November, Tuesday, with prices starting at S$849. Apple did not say when they will be available in retail.

You can find them on You will be able to find them on Apple's official stores on Lazada, Shopee, and the Apple Online Store.

Here’s a handy table showing the four off-the-shelf configurations and prices.

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