Apple debuted the M4-powered Mac mini in a special announcement on Tuesday, calling it a "tinier, mightier, and even more versatile Mac mini" and showing off its new Apple Intelligence capabilities.
With the arrival of this M4 Mac mini, many are wondering how it compares to the older M2 Mac mini. While both desktops are small and powerful, the M4 variant outpaces the M2 in almost every way.
If you're thinking of investing in a Mac mini, it's worth waiting for the M4 model to officially release on November 8 — here's why.
M4 Mac Mini vs. M2 Mac mini: Specs
| Header Cell - Column 0 | 2024 Mac Mini | 2023 Mac Mini |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $599 starting (M4); $1,399 (M4 Pro) | $599 starting (M2); $1,299 (M2 Pro) |
| Chip Variants | M4, M4 Pro | M2, M2 Pro |
| Unified Memory | 16GB (M4); 24GB (M4 Pro) | 8GB (M2); 16GB (M2 Pro) |
| Storage | 256GB starting (M4); 512GB (M4 Pro) | 256GB starting (M2); 512GB (M2 Pro) |
| Thunderbolt ports | 3x Thunderbolt 4 ports (M4); 3x Thunderbolt 5 ports (M4 Pro) | 2x Thunderbolt 4 ports (M2); 4x Thunderbolt 4 ports (M2 Pro) |
| Dimensions | 5 x 5 x 2 inches | 7.75 x 7.75 x 1.4 inches |
| Weight | 1.5 pounds (M4); 1.6 pounds (M4 Pro) | 2.6 pounds (M2); 2.8 pounds (M2 Pro) |
M4 Mac mini vs. M2 Mac mini: What are the biggest differences?
While its internal upgrades are objectively more important, it's worth noting the physical differences between Apple's M4- and M2-powered Mac mini models.
The M4 Mac mini is the smallest Mac mini we've seen so far from Apple, measuring just 5 x 5 x 2 inches. The M2 Mac mini is slightly larger, albeit thinner, measuring 7.75 x 7.75 x 1.4 inches.
Then, the M4 Mac mini shares the same Thunderbolt 4 ports as the M2 Mac mini, though it has one additional port in total. However, if you splurge for the M4 Pro Mac mini variant, you'll get three Thunderbolt 5 ports — a first for the Mac mini line.
With those two minor differences noted, let's dive into the performance comparisons.
M2 Mac mini vs M4 Mac mini: Performance
The base 2023 Mac mini features 8GB of unified memory, 256GB of SSD storage, and an M2 chip, consisting of an 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine. The base 2024 Mac mini keeps the 256GB of SSD storage, but gets a unified memory boost to 16GB and an M4 chip, with a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine — all for the same price of $599.
For Affinity Photo CPU performance, the M4 chip is 1.6 times faster than the M2 chip, according to Apple. Then, World of Warcraft performance is supposedly 1.4 times faster with Apple's M4 silicon compared to the M2.
In addition to its M4 upgrade, the new Mac mini will be available with an M4 Pro chip. This is the first device that'll be getting the M4 Pro chip treatment.
The M2 Pro chip found in the 2023 Mac mini features a 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, and 16-core Neural engine. It's paired with 16GB of unified memory and 512GB of SSD storage, and retails for $1,299. Comparatively, the new M4 Pro chip found in Apple's 2024 Mac mini features a 12-core CPU, 16-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine, gets paired with 24GB of unified memory and 512GB of SSD storage, and costs a little more at $1,399.
Apple says this new M4 Pro-powered Mac mini offers 1.6 times faster CPU performance and 1.5 times faster GPU performance compared to the M2 Mac mini. The company also claims it's "6x faster than the top-selling PC desktop in its price range," which is probably true of the incredibly powerful base M4 Mac mini as well.
For the same base price as the M2 Mac mini, it's absolutely worth waiting for the M4 Mac mini to launch. Similarly, for only $100 more, the M4 Pro Mac mini is a steal. You can pre-order both the M4- and M4 Pro-powered Mac mini models now.
