M4 Mac mini review three months later: the perfect headless Mac

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Apple's Mac mini with M4 can fit into a lot of use cases, especially because of its new, smaller size, and three months later, it's proven to be one of the most versatile Macs yet.

Small silver Apple computer with rounded edges, featuring two USB-C ports and a circular power indicator on the front panel, logo on top, against a dark background.
M4 Mac mini review



Redesigns can be fun and eye-catching, but they don't always lead to fundamental changes in what's possible or desired from a platform. The Mac mini with M4 is an exception, as it is now small enough to slot into some unique use cases.

It's not that the previous Mac mini was large by any stretch, and there are certainly smaller desktop-class PCs out there, so a Mac being this small shouldn't be a big deal. Except, portability in Macs is more important than ever thanks to one product in particular -- Apple Vision Pro.

In this three-month review, I'll cover the usual stuff like specs and using the Mac mini, but I'm also going to dive deep into how I use it with Apple Vision Pro. It's not the most conventional use case, but I'm not exactly a conventional computer user here with my iPad Pro desk setup -- seen here.

That's right. For me, the Mac has become more of an accessory or appliance in my setup. Let's dive into how that works, why I bother working this way, and what I've learned from using a Mac mini as a modular headless desktop.

M4 Mac mini review: design



Previously, I used the 14-inch MacBook Pro, and for a while, it was my primary machine for work. As Stage Manager improved and Apple Vision Pro was released, the Mac took a back seat in my workflows.

White square device with rounded corners, featuring a black apple logo on top, connected by a braided cable looped upwards.
M4 Mac mini review: a tiny square computer that's easily portable with an attached battery



The MacBook Pro sat on a shelf in clamshell for months until the M4 Mac mini arrived. I realized I was wasting that beautiful display and decided to swap for the miniature Mac mini and what it could provide.

Of course, I'm aware that a MacBook with its built-in keyboard, trackpad, and battery might be a better companion to the Apple Vision Pro, but those aren't the components I want to use. I want to bring my own mouse and keyboard since I prefer Apple's Magic Trackpad and a mechanical keyboard, and the display was going to waste either way.

So, enter the Mac mini with M4 and its new, smaller design. It prompted me to try finding a tiny external battery to make it portable and act as a tiny headless Mac I could pair with Apple Vision Pro's virtual display mode.

Shedding a full 2.7 inches on each side and gaining only a squat 0.6 inches of height made the M4 Mac mini much more backpack-friendly. I found a square-ish battery with an AC outlet that lets the Mac mini be portable if needed, though it doesn't have power passthrough, sadly.

Wooden shelf with a small grey computer, possibly a Mac Mini, and large over-ear headphones on a stand.
M4 Mac mini review: a headless Mac on a shelf



Outside of portability, the Mac mini excels at fitting into tiny little spaces. It now occupies the bookshelf the MacBook Pro previously lived on, but with a lot more space around it.

I'm interested in seeing what kind of accessories companies can make similar to Satechi's Stand & Hub. If a company could include an integrated AC figure-8 cable and a battery that lasted about an hour with pass-through options, it would be the killer Mac mini accessory.

Really, the form factor is perfect on its own. The two front-facing USB-C ports make connecting accessories easy, and the three Thunderbolt ports allow for incredible expansion.

Close-up of a black circular Mac Mini with vented edges, featuring a power button icon in the upper right corner.
M4 Mac mini review: power button placement isn't a problem



Oh, and I don't care about the power button placement. I've used it a handful of times without even thinking about it.

M4 Mac mini review: specs



There's not much to say about the Mac mini's performance and specs that haven't already been said. The M4 is yet another incredible piece of Apple Silicon, and while it isn't a gamer's paradise, it allows some interesting use cases.

A black gaming controller with multicolored backlit buttons in front of a small, grey Apple device on a dark surface.
M4 Mac mini review: good for gaming, but not quite a 'gaming PC'



For reference, the M4 CPU scored 3,899 single and 15,012 multi-core versus the M2 scoring 2,642 single and 9,799 multi-core on Geekbench. The Metal benchmark shows a 57,914 for M4 versus 46,246 for M2.

The M4 is powerful on its own and has additional features like hardware-accelerated ray tracing. It does well with games offered on the App Store and some from Steam, but there's still room for improvement.



Since I primarily use the M4 Mac mini from the Apple Vision Pro, I've taken to testing it for gaming through the Virtual Display. This isn't particularly useful for games found on the App Store, but it is incredible for one form of gaming -- emulators.

Apple won't approve emulators that require access to just in time compilation (JIT), so Gamecube, PlayStation 2, and others aren't available for iPhone and iPad to run, even if modern chips can handle them. However, there is no such restriction on Mac where I can download software from the web.

Cartoon character with green tunic and sword stands on a beach in a video game scene with a blue sky and ship.
M4 Mac mini review: a full screen emulator inside of Apple Vision Pro using Virtual Display



The Nintendo Gamecube emulator Dolphin allows users to run a game with a lot of upscaling options enabled. The M4 Mac mini did just fine running The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker at 5K resolution, with features like anti-aliasing turned on.

It gets even more interesting when paired with Apple Vision Pro. By enabling a software hack in Dolphin's settings, it can force the game to render into any aspect ratio.

It can stretch the game's UI, so use it with caution, but it worked great bringing a full-screened experience to my virtual Mac display. There's a hair of latency present, but I'm not a competitive gamer so millisecond-timing on trigger presses isn't necessary. The game audio is perfectly in sync on the Apple Vision Pro speakers, and that latency is barely noticeable.

I'm not much of a Steam gamer, but the same approach could be taken with Steam games. Set up a game to play, put it in the Virtual Display on the Mac natively, or from your PC with a few options we'll be talking about soon, and sit back to game in Apple Vision Pro.

A silver electronic device sits atop a black base with USB ports and a green indicator light in a softly lit room.
M4 Mac mini review: using an external battery isn't hard as long as it has an AC outlet



Another spec that's not discussed much is the Mac mini's power draw. It can run on a minimum of 4W and peaks at 65W. There was an average of 14W to 22W during regular use -- I noted 15W while playing Windwaker.

Knowing this information is crucial when finding a suitable external battery pack for making it portable. For comparison, the Intel Mac mini needed a minimum of 20W and maxed out at 122W for a fraction of the computational power.

The battery pack I used for testing had a 100W output, so that left me plenty of overhead from the 65W maximum draw. While the battery itself was a bit of a dud, it made me excited at the prospect of a company building something more bespoke for use with the Mac mini.

M4 Mac mini review: meet Apple Vision Pro



I keep talking about it, but seriously, my Mac mini time would be closer to zero if it weren't for Apple Vision Pro and the occasional monitor review. I like that I can pull an ultra-wide desktop into my immersive view and utilize macOS as needed within the Apple Vision Pro.

A sleek virtual reality headset rests against a compact silver computer on a dark base, set against a light brick wall background.
M4 Mac mini review: a better Apple Vision Pro companion



My uses for the Mac aren't too far-reaching. The iPad Pro is capable enough to take care of most of my needs, especially when paired with the Studio Display, however, there are some things better left to macOS today.

As I mentioned before, I like using the Mac mini for emulation and select games. Most of my gaming is on a PS5 console, but occasionally nostalgia sets in, and I want to play a Gamecube emulator -- something that can't be done on iPad yet.

Work-wise, I'm on the M4 Mac mini for podcast recording. The AppleInsider Podcast is recorded with the Apple Vision Pro on and the Mac virtual display in use.

When it comes to the HomeKit Insider Podcast, I record using the Continuity Camera feature on my iPhone. I've got a portable display handy to help set up that podcast, but beyond the actual recording, the Mac mini remains on its shelf. An iPad mini is kept nearby for reference to notes.

Open black backpack with orange interior containing a small silver computer against a white brick wall background.
M4 Mac mini review: small enough to fit in the tiniest places



I worked to make the Mac mini portable with a battery pack so I could easily move it to different locations for use with the Apple Vision Pro. Unlike with Sidecar, you don't need a connected display or spoofing dongle -- the Mac mini will just connect to the virtual display as long as it is awake and on the same network.

When not in portable form, I can access the Mac mini from across the office on the shelf by simply waking it with the Magic Mouse on the desk. As long as it hasn't been too long since the last wake, my Apple Watch unlocks the Mac, and I can address it within the Apple Vision Pro without issue.

It lets me use the power of M4 when necessary without having to worry about what chipset is in the Apple Vision Pro. I expect this will become more important going forward.

It's a mini world



Apple's redesigned Mac mini with M4 opens up a lot of potential use cases for the desktop. It's a smaller footprint for the desk, easier to carry in a backpack, and better suited for use in more compact spaces like a shelf or rack.

A sleek silver computer next to a monitor stand on a black and wood-textured desk surface.
M4 Mac mini review: a desktop that can fit in anywhere



I have really enjoyed the new Mac mini and the role it has taken as a replacement to my 14-inch MacBook Pro. It's my podcast machine, game emulator, and it is what provides me access to Apple Intelligence while using Apple Vision Pro.

Our managing editor Mike Wuerthele who's doing the long-term review of the M4 Pro Mac mini soon might reconsider my employment here when I say this, but every time I buy a Mac, I wonder if it'll be the last one. This isn't because they are bad, but is because they don't represent much of my workflow.

I believe there will be a point where my iPad or Apple Vision Pro will be enough on their own. That isn't today, though.

The Mac mini with M4 can be the perfect companion to my primary computers for the next few years. Then I'll decide yet again if I can go without a Mac or if it's time for another upgrade.

M4 Mac mini review -- pros


  • Smaller design makes it more versatile

  • M4 efficient enough to run on a portable battery for hours

  • A perfect headless companion to Apple Vision Pro

  • The best desktop Mac for most people

M4 Mac mini review -- cons


  • Some people dislike the power button placement

  • Value drops quickly with SSD and RAM upgrades

Rating: 4.5 out of 5



A few months into the new Mac mini's life, I believe it is near perfect. I can't help but wish it were a bit smaller or able to be powered by USB-C, but I expect Apple will continue to iterate on this model for years to come.

Where to buy Apple's M4 Mac mini



Every Mac mini configuration is discounted now in our M4 Mac mini Price Guide, with instant and exclusive coupon discounts in effect at popular Apple resellers.

With coupon code APINSIDER, you can save on both retail and configure-to-order (CTO) models at Apple Authorized Reseller Adorama. A 3-year AppleCare plan is also $20 off with the APINSIDER code when added to the system at checkout at Adorama.

Those looking for the retail configs can also save up to $60 at Amazon, although inventory is limited at the time of this review.



Read on AppleInsider

dewme

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 16
    While there’s a lot of great things about this computer, it’s definitely not perfect. The power button is awkward (which some people care, some don’t, but so immediately disqualifies it from “perfect”). there’s growing reports of issues with the Wi-Fi when you plug into an external drive (which is a pretty big deal, and a major design flaw). Finally, I think we shouldn’t forget about the incredibly overpriced storage upgrades.

    I would give the new Mac mini a 3 out 5. To me, there’s many other Macs score higher, and we can’t let Apple off the hook on its flaws, or they’ll never fix them.
    edited January 22
    OctoMonkeywilliamlondonrob53watto_cobra
     1Like 3Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 2 of 16
    Mike Wuerthelemike wuerthele Posts: 6,956administrator
    While there’s a lot of great things about this computer, it’s definitely not perfect. The power button is awkward (which some people care, some don’t, but so immediately disqualifies it from “perfect”). there’s growing reports of issues with the Wi-Fi when you plug into an external drive (which is a pretty big deal, and a major design flaw). Finally, I think we shouldn’t forget about the incredibly overpriced storage upgrades.

    I would give the new Mac mini a 7 or 8 out of 10. To me, there’s many other Macs score higher, and we can’t let Apple off the hook on its flaws, or they’ll never fix them.
    The Wi-Fi thing appears to be more related to external hubs that sit underneath the Mac mini, or for that matter, any hunk of metal like a drive underneath the unit. This makes some sense, as the Wi-Fi module is at the bottom of the case.

    Out of curiosity, what other currently shipping Macs for you score higher?
    edited January 22
    appleinsideruserrob53Alex1Nwatto_cobra
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  • Reply 3 of 16
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,444member
    The Power Button is a nothingburger.   On such an efficient computer I'd rather have the button tucked away so that it's never inadvertently hit. 

    Wifi placement.  Wouldn't bother me as when I get my M4 Mini I'm upgrading to the 10G Ethernet version. 

    SSD Pricing -  Trivial since I can UPGRAYEDD the SSD when I want. 

    Solid update I'm buying probably 3 of them.  4.5/5.0 
    williamlondonrob53Alex1Nwatto_cobra
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  • Reply 4 of 16
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,765member
    Which RAM and storage configuration do you go with?
    watto_cobra
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  • Reply 5 of 16
    programmerprogrammer Posts: 3,490member
    My M4 Pro mac mini w/ 48GB RAM and 1TB SSD (plus the external USB3 storage I already had for previous machines) scores a 6.0/5.0 ... it is way beyond what I expected in terms of performance.  Its performance even with Rosetta or other forms of virtualization/emulation is astonishing.  Compile speeds are mind blowing, and its compute capabilities are really amazing, often greatly outperforming big iron servers I use regularly.  And the whole package was quite a bit cheaper than what I've spent on numerous previous computers over the decades.

    Oh, and the power button is perfect.  Can't hit it by mistake when fiddling with the ports on the back by feel, and I have pressed it exactly _once_ in over two months.
    muthuk_vanalingamwilliamlondontiredskillsdewmeAlex1Nwatto_cobra
     5Likes 1Dislike 0Informatives
  • Reply 6 of 16
    Wesley Hilliardwesley hilliard Posts: 361member, administrator, moderator, editor
    Which RAM and storage configuration do you go with?
    16GB RAM and 512GB storage.
    canukstormAlex1Nwatto_cobra
     3Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 7 of 16
    While there’s a lot of great things about this computer, it’s definitely not perfect. The power button is awkward (which some people care, some don’t, but so immediately disqualifies it from “perfect”). there’s growing reports of issues with the Wi-Fi when you plug into an external drive (which is a pretty big deal, and a major design flaw). Finally, I think we shouldn’t forget about the incredibly overpriced storage upgrades.

    I would give the new Mac mini a 3 out 5. To me, there’s many other Macs score higher, and we can’t let Apple off the hook on its flaws, or they’ll never fix them.
    I can't think of a single Mac that would score higher. this thing is amazing. I like my base $499 better than my  $2400 Mac Studio m2 I use everyay  at work. The power button is no harder to hit than it was on the old Mac mini. you're still reaching around the thing and hunting for it.... for the few times ya might ever need to use it... and the wifi thing is just common sense... don't block the radios with more metal and ya won't have such probs....
    williamlondonthtAlex1Nwatto_cobra
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  • Reply 8 of 16
    Yes, the Mac mini with M4 does look appealing.

    To those complaining about the Power button: "bottom" is merely the side you have it rest on. Put it on its "plain" side! :-)

    Battery: yes, a great idea when using the Mac with an Apple Vision Pro. If none of the USB-ports can be used for charging, I would suggest Apple to implement that. (Converting low-tension DC to high-tension AC and back again seems wasteful to me. Note: "high-tension" and "wasteful" are rather relative...)
    This combination of Mac mini and Apple Vision Pro does look like a market opportunity to me. It reminds me of my own combination of a synthesizer with a power bank.
    Alex1Nwatto_cobra
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  • Reply 9 of 16
    Since you mention the Vision Pro a lot. A series of videos of how Vision Pros are actually useful would make for some interesting content. I'm into 3D on the creative side so you would think it would be an easy sell but Apple can't get beyond itself to actually work together with Epic so even though this device seems to make sense theoretically I'm not convinced it has enough reasons to buy one. So if y'all at Apple Insider are using them a lot do share some videos on what exactly you are doing that is productive and can warrant spending that kind of money. Thanks!
    Alex1Nwatto_cobra
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  • Reply 10 of 16
    Wesley Hilliardwesley hilliard Posts: 361member, administrator, moderator, editor
    cloudy said:
    Since you mention the Vision Pro a lot. A series of videos of how Vision Pros are actually useful would make for some interesting content. I'm into 3D on the creative side so you would think it would be an easy sell but Apple can't get beyond itself to actually work together with Epic so even though this device seems to make sense theoretically I'm not convinced it has enough reasons to buy one. So if y'all at Apple Insider are using them a lot do share some videos on what exactly you are doing that is productive and can warrant spending that kind of money. Thanks!
    There are a lot of articles on how I'm using Apple Vision Pro. Video wouldn't exactly be an easy medium to convey the information.


    I'll have more on it soon.
    williamlondonAlex1Nwatto_cobra
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  • Reply 11 of 16
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,862member
    I've been having all kinds of problems getting M2 Pro Mac mini to connect to my 5GHz WiFi. Tried different channels, tried different WiFi settings, contacted Apple support, etc., and nothing solved the problem. For the sake of expediency I settled on using using it with  2.4 GHz channels. Fast forward a few months and I decided to give it another shot today by trying moving or reorienting the Mac mini. I started off with the intention to flip it on its side, but I didn't have a good way to secure it, which would not be an issue with the new Mac mini. I started off by simply raising the Mac mini on a an upside down wooden organizer box in the same exact location where it has been sitting all along and  ... poof ... it connected instantly to my 5 GHz WiFi and with very good signal strength.  

    Moving the Mac mini a mere 2 inches higher off the desk solved my problem. I do understand the directionality issues with increasing radio frequencies. I figured with the closest access point being only 20 feet away and line of sight to my office chair at about a 30 degree incline,  connecting would not be an issue. In my case I don't think it was physical obstructions causing issues, it was the the electromagnetic interference from the surrounding devices, including a monitor and dock causing electromagnetic interference, probably from the higher harmonics from things like USB3/4, TB, DP, HDMI, etc., communication ports, switching power supplies, etc.

    Is this vulnerability a design issue? Hard to say. It's up to decide for yourself, but I have a Mini PC sitting right next to the Mac mini and I've never had any 5 GHz WiFi issues at the same exact location. It is a consequence of where the designer placed the antenna inside the chassis and the RF environment in my space. I'm not losing any sleep over this. Just be aware of how sensitive these tiny devices are to placement and orientation, especially with higher frequency channels. I would not be surprised at all if 6 GHz WiFi is even more sensitive.
    muthuk_vanalingamAlex1Nwatto_cobra
     2Likes 0Dislikes 1Informative
  • Reply 12 of 16
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,330member
    When talking about the plain M4 Mac mini my biggest issue is getting a monitor that compares to the M4 iMac. Here's the list prices for a comparable M4 mini and M4 iMac:

    Mac mini 10/10/16GB/256GB $599 (Pro option 12/16/24GB/512GB $1399) (no keyboard with TouchID ($149) or mouse ($79) on any Mac mini configuration ($228 extra))
    iMac 10/10/16GB/256GB $1499 (no Pro option)

    What 4.5K 24" Retina display (4480-by-2520 resolution at 218 pixels per inch with support for 1 billion colors) with 12Mpixel camera (1080p HD video recording), 500 nit, P3, true tone, high-fidelity six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers, Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beam-forming, 4 Thunderbolt 4 ports (M4 mini has 3 Thunderbolt 4 ports) is available for the Mac mini? Don't give me a display that's almost as much as the iMac has for $672 ($900 less $228 kbd/mouse)? I know there are 4K monitors less than this but most of these spread their pixels across a 32" or more diagonal. In other words, the pixel density isn't as good. Apple's 27" Studio Display is $1599 or $100 more than a complete 24" M4 iMac.

    I was thinking about getting a Mac mini but now that I do the numbers, an iMac still is the best cost. I know I could use a third-party keyboard and mouse or an old Apple keyboard and mouse but Apple's Touch ID keyboard is worth the extra $50. Of course it still upsets me that Apple is overcharging for memory and storage but I'd simply use my OWC Express 4M2 (loaded with 8TB of NVMe storage) as much as I can. Thankfully Apple actually upped the memory to 16GB, which was nice.
    watto_cobraAlex1N
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  • Reply 13 of 16
    thttht Posts: 5,805member
    I find 160 PPI is good for Apple’s font rendering and scaling. So 3840x2160 at 27” works. There’s only a tiny difference to a 220 PPI monitor. 

    I use the 250 PPI MBP display side by side with 220 PPI, 160 PPI, 120 PPI and 80 PPI fairly often, and 160 PPI is acceptable.

    A 4K 27” for $250 monitor will be fine. It’s only $250. In the meanwhile, wait for a 220 PPI monitor to drop down to the $500 to $800 range. There might be a 50% off deal somewhere. 
    watto_cobraAlex1Nmuthuk_vanalingam
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  • Reply 14 of 16
    • Value drops quickly with SSD and RAM upgrades
    This is the problem with the Mac mini, and it does not take much of an upgrade either to de-value the Mac mini.  Take the M4 Pro non-binned version, 48GB of RAM and 512GB SSD, and you are now at $1,999, the same price of the far superior Mac Studio with M2 Max CPU, similar config, but more ports.  This will be even better, at the same price, when Apple finally gets around to releasing the M4 Max Mac Studio.  That will really de-value the Mac mini.

    Buying a Mac used is the best bet these days because Apple's excessively high mark-up for memory and SSD is lost in the used market.  

    Since the Mac mini has such a terrible almost non-existent speaker, powered speakers are a necessity, so the front panel audio out is a poor placement choice.  People buying a Mac mini for less than $1,000 are not going to blow $1600 on a studio display with speakers.
    watto_cobra
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  • Reply 15 of 16
    Rogue01rogue01 Posts: 213member

    SSD Pricing -  Trivial since I can UPGRAYEDD the SSD when I want. 

    That is one way to void your warranty, and it is limited to the M4 version only, not the M4 Pro model.  And there is nothing stopping Apple from doing a firmware update to render those upgrades dead.
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 16 of 16
    How in the world does apple insider on 15-Jan share that the device has a glaring USB problem, then a week later say the device is perfect?

    https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/01/15/m4-mac-mini-may-have-a-usb-c-connectivity-problem
    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255857058
    muthuk_vanalingam
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
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