The Ultimate Showdown: M4 Mac Mini vs. M2 Mac Mini - Which Reigns Supreme?

An APPLE to Remember: M4's Intriguing Entry into the Mini World

Apple unveils the M4 Mac mini. A beautiful red and black Apple logo. Wow. Apple forces innovation. And Apple forces beauty. No one else can or will make as beautiful a computer as Apple. Wow. $599. M4 Mac mini. A stunning new Apple computer for $599. That’s a steal. Wow. Great for tiny. Wow, what a shock… Wow. Wow. Wow. That’s it.

SPECS Comparison: M4 vs. M2

Now, though, getting to the core of the M4 Mac mini, it’s hard to ignore the big base RAM increase and the new M4 Apple-made chip. Where the M2 Mac mini started off with only 8GB of RAM, the M4 sports 16GB by default, providing much more space for multitasking and smoother processing and general application use. An M4 can be scaled up to 2TB of storage and 32GB of RAM, with the highest configuration:

  • Apple M4 chip
  • 256GB storage
  • 16GB RAM

These specs give merely a hint of what the M4 offers. It’s only when you add the performance improvements speculated to be offered by the new M4 chip over the M2 (which I don’t have to do here, as you can simply plug the better specs into your own thought experiment) that the overall value proposition emerges.

Design Dynamics: The Sleek vs. The Slightly Bulkier

From its inception, Apple’s design ethos has been about creating the more beautiful object through paring away all that’s superfluous, and this is just as true for the Mac mini M4 as for its predecessors: the M4 is as much about what’s on the outside as what’s inside. The new minis are half the width of their M2 cousins, and a whole pound lighter. It’s 2 inches x 5 inches x 5 inches (HWD) – considerably smaller than its M2 sibling, which is 1.41 inches x 7.75 inches x 7.75 inches (HWD). The M2 is in fact shorter than the M4, but its reduced height is less striking than the M4’s broaching bulk, which is a whole pound lighter than before – which certainly makes for a leaner-looking and more manageable package. It’s a fit for the modern, minimalist desk.

Port-to-Port: A Close Examination

In their thoughtful port selection, Apple with the M4 Mac mini has created a milestone in the history of connectivity. The M2 Mac mini had an advantage over previous M1 models in having two USB type-A ports, while the M4 compensates for its lack of those with an expanded selection:

  • Two USB-C ports (front)
  • Headphone jack (front)
  • Three Thunderbolt 4 ports (back)
  • HDMI 2.1 (back)
  • Ethernet (back)

It matches and, in sheer quantity, even exceeds what can be found on the M2, but the most significant difference is that it’s current, via HDMI 2.1 (another Thunderbolt 4 port is added to the mix), and it’s plug-and-play, thanks to its front USB-C location and headphone jack. It’s clear that user friendliness is still important to Apple.

Performance Power Play

I’m not going to speculate about real-world benchmarks because I haven’t put my hands on an M4 Mac mini yet, but the M4 chip is largely the same as the one in the iPad Pro (which I have played with extensively). If that is any indication, we’re talking about a mini computer with significant processing power. The 10 CPU cores and the hardware-accelerated ray tracing portend a device that can easily satisfy most computing chores, and probably allow a not-shabby gaming experience on the minority of titles that will support it.

Why M4 Might Just Edge Out M2

All things considered, I’d say the M4 is likely a better choice for those who seek the latest and faster tech and are willing to pay the difference. If you don’t mind spending a little more for better performance and port flexibility, the M4 is certainly a more attractive choice than the M2 – especially considering the allure of Apple silicon – aside from possibly USB type-A-specific needs or steep price drops.

Understanding APPLE's Innovation through the Mac Mini

In this sense, the Mac mini evolution – from M2 to M4 – can be seen as a microcosm of Apple’s broader innovation philosophy. With the Mac mini, Apple has continually sought to do more with smaller packaging, with the changing sizes reflecting changing user needs and the shifting technological and market contexts.

To conclude, now that Apple’s M4 Mac desktop lineup is gaining traction – with the M4 Mac mini standing as the sveltest and most affordable member – we believe that Apple will continue offering superb performance paired with elegant design, not only in their laptop and desktop counterparts but also in every new device they release. If you’re in the market for a workhorse machine that you can do everything from doing multitasking web browsing, video editing, 3D modeling and gaming, to even coding, graphic design, or virtual and augmented reality applications, and don’t want to spend a fortune on flashy graphics, the M4 Mac mini should be a good choice, which is why Apple reigns supreme in Windows convertors’ hearts and on every desk across several countries.

Oct 29, 2024
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