M4 Mac mini ($599) - Too Good to Be True?

Reviewers have been raving about the new M4 Mac mini, the only problem is many of them have the specced out M4 Pro model and have not tried using the base level M4 model, so for $599 is this Mac mini too good to be true?

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[OldboyGamez]

Basic model is not "just for browsing, and simple task", are you kidding me. Its as fast as M3 Pro machine, which was for "full profesional workloads and serious users". There is no better workstation for that money, not even close. Storage part i agree.

[yorkanswd]

I still do not understand: How this mini can make "basic tasks" when it as fast as M3 Pro chip ?

[michaelelliott]

I have the base model for a work computer in my office. I work in marketing, I constantly have ads editor open, 20 chrome tabs and a zoom call. This use to make my 2019 MBP heat up like a stove. The base model chews through everything. It is definitely a powerful computer.
- Written on Mac Mini M4

[itsrob]

My 2015 MacBook Pro has 4 cores at 2.8 with 16Gb ram and a 2Gb graphics card. It can run a modern recording studio and has for 7 years. So tell me how the base model M4 isn’t good enough for an audio recording studio? I also edited 4k video on my 2015 iMac and never thought it was too bad. I’m a skeptic on modern computers and the endless need for more. My first studio was a windows 2000 computer and it did digital audio quite well. I think the M4 sounds great. I’m about ready to give in and upgrade the numerous programs I use.

[jonathanjones]

I hit Apple Store here in Bristol, UK on Saturday morning and within minutes was walking out with the base model Mac mini. It is sensational. Traded in the M1 and so a big step up, but the design of the Mac Mini is super! Really impressive.

[Rychiar]

Base model is an absolute beast. I sold my m2 and got this and I’ve been using them
Both as holdovers waiting for an m4 studio for design and photography… the m2 machine choked on raw photos but this one flies. It feels like it does everything better than my M2 Max studio I use at work

[niklassilen]

The M4 Pro Mac Mini is NOT more than double the price IF you take into consideration the bump up in storage and memory! It's well worth pointing that out. If you spec the regular M4 with 512gb ssd and the next step of RAM, it comes much closer in terms of price.

[TomaszMaraszkiewicz]

Just tested the basic model for 3 days, running Parallels Desktop for a few hours, and on it Windows + PRO100 for interior design with Rendering and 3D graphics enabled + additionally other programs, and it did not even sweat. Fans do not turn on or are so quiet that you cannot hear them, the temperature is lower than watching videos on YouTube. The decision was made to sell Mac Studio m2 Max.

[Videoeditor-kl]

As a video editor, i have MacBook air m2 2023 model, i am selling my MacBook to buy mac mini m4 base version and this even got cheaper for me with educational discount ❤

[EnglishMike]

The base Mac Mini m4 is such good value it's the first time I have every seriously considered buying an Apple device after being a PC user for over 30 years. Happy to let those who want to pay through the nose for upgrading the memory and/or storage pay the Apple tax for me!

[wookiee]

Glad to see you prosper and grow, you look super healthy and the hair is fire asf, great job man and keep up the great content.

[RichardServello]

I have the base model with a 2TB NVMe plugged in via tb4 and it’s LEGIT AF!

[dris]

In macOS 15.1 you can now set it to default to install large applications (1GB+) on an external harddrive.

[henryvaldillez]

I got my Crucial 2TB Drive at eBay for $120 and the drive works with both my Macpro & Microsolf PC

[glaucyaoliveira]

For a photographer that uses a lot of photoshop BUT also uses external forms of storage - do you think mac mini would be just enough? Or should i consider the PRO version?

[Sean]

amazon is offering the M4 at $579.99 with a $30 coupon or the M4 pro 12 core cpu 16 core gpu $1369.99 with a $20 coupon It's been awhile since I had a mac and the mini looks to be everything I want for a all-round machine

[johnchang]

Just sharing to y'all ... Got the M4 few hours after officially released in oz on Friday and the M4 with 24ram successfully halved Autodesk Maya rendering of M1 with 16ram from 2 hours down to 58 minutes. The basic M4 mac mini is amazing as long as the ram is boosted. Ended up paying aud$1497 instead of over aud$2000 of the pro version . The only gripe is the fan spinning noise ..

[amill]

So get this one? No get the other one, no, get the other one.

[lapcevics]

Thumbs up, you are among rare reviewers who said 120 gigaBITS.
I usually switch off video when they say gigabytes

[luf]

Couple things to add. The Pro version has a net loss of a port as the M2 pro mac mini M2 had 4 thunderbolt 4 ports. The graphics is also roughly 75% faster, not 55% as stated (using math and your own metal graphs). This translate into even better real life performance as it literally doubled Tombraider and Resident Evil frame rates.