REVIEW: M4 PRO MAC MINI REMARKABLY SMALL AND INCREDIBLY POWERFUL

IT'S EASY TO LOVE APPLE'S POWERFUL LITTLE DESKTOP COMPUTER, AS LONG AS YOU CAN AVOID BUYING MORE RAM OR STORAGE.

- JASON CROSS

Apple told us the new Mac mini was smaller. It showed us photos and videos. And still, when I took it out of the box, I was somewhat unprepared for just how small it actually is.

In this mighty little microcomputer is Apple's new M4 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. The performance and value in this base configuration, for just $599, are quite good. This is a desktop computer that will serve the average user well for years at a very affordable price.

But then you start to look at what it takes to do just a little more, and the value vanishes. Apple hasn't changed its memory or storage pricing structure in years and it stands out even more now with a better base model. Higher RAM configurations are shockingly expensive. Additional storage costs a small fortune. You can very quickly price yourself into a system that isn't a good deal at all.

We reviewed the version of the Mac mini that comes with the M4 Pro processor, a souped-up version with more CPU cores, double the GPU power, more than twice the memory bandwidth, and more. It, too, is a decent value at its starting price, but that cost quickly escalates thanks to Apple's terrible upgrade pricing.

If you want a great Mac desktop, the new M4 Mac mini should be high on your list, but only in certain configurations.

PROCESSOR AND UPGRADES

The base model Mac mini includes an M4 (with 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU), 16 GB of RAM, and 256 GB SSD, for $599. You'll need to add a monitor, keyboard, and mouse or trackpad, but it's a system that will serve someone well for general everyday tasks for years.

At $1,399 you can step up to an M4 Pro, albeit a cut-back version of the chip with 12 CPU cores (rather than 14) and 16 GPU cores (rather than 20). It has 24GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.