Apple’s compact desktop series Mac mini appeared with M4 and M4 Pro chip options in 2024, with a visible design and performance innovation. With this update, the new Mac mini, which offers significant changes in both hardware capacity and appearance, leaves the 2020 and 2023 models behind. So, what are the features that distinguish the 2024 Mac mini from other models and which model is ideal for you? Here’s a detailed guide to help you make the right choice by comparing the 2020, 2023 and 2024 Mac mini models.
Size and Design
The new 2024 Mac mini features the most compact Mac mini design Apple has ever offered. This model, which is both smaller in size and lighter in weight compared to previous generations, is very attractive for users who prioritize portability and saving desktop space. Here are the key size differences between models:
- Mac mini (2020 and 2023 models): Both models have dimensions of 19.7 cm in width and 3.58 cm in height. While the weight is 1.18 kg in the M1 and M2 chip versions, it is 1.28 kg in the M2 Pro chip models.
- Mac mini (2024 model): This model, which has been redesigned and reduced in size, is only 12.7 cm wide and 5 cm high. The device, which also makes a difference in terms of weight, is lighter than its predecessors with 0.67 kg in the M4 chip version and 0.73 kg in the M4 Pro chip version.
The compact structure of the 2024 Mac mini is a big plus, especially in a small workspace or for those who consider the advantage of portability. In addition, the power button, which was located on the back in previous models, has been moved to the base in the 2024 model, which makes the device more accessible.
| Feature | mac mini (Late 2020) |
mac mini (Early 2023) |
mac mini (Late 2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Height | 3.58cm | 3.58cm | 5.0cm |
| Width | 19.70cm | 19.70cm | 12.7cm |
| Depth | 19.70cm | 19.70cm | 12.7cm |
| Weight | 1.18kg | M2: 1.18 kg M2 Pro: 1.28kg |
M4: 0.67kg M4 Pro: 0.73 kg |
| Cooling Design | Rear air inlet and outlet | Rear air inlet and outlet | New thermal design that allows upward airflow over the base |
| Power Button | in the back | in the back | at the bottom |
| wifi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 6E |
| bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| 3.5mm Headphone Jack | Yes | Improved support for high impedance headphones | Improved support for high impedance headphones |
| HDMI | HDMI 2.0 | M2: HDMI 2.0 M2 Pro: HDMI 2.1 |
HDMI 2.1 |
| Rear USB-A Ports | two | two | two |
| Thunderbolt/USB-C Ports | Two Thunderbolt 3/USB4 ports | M2: Two Thunderbolt 4 ports M2 Pro: Four Thunderbolt 4 ports |
M4: Three Thunderbolt 4 ports M4 Pro: Three Thunderbolt 5 ports |
| External Display Support | Up to two screens | Up to three screens | Up to three screens |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB | M2: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB M2 Pro: 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB or 4 TB |
M4: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB M4 Pro: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB or 8TB |
Performance and Chip Comparison
Apple has improved performance in every model with chip updates in Mac mini models. In this process, M1 chips were introduced in 2020, M2 and M2 Pro in 2023, and M4 and M4 Pro chips in 2024. Here are the main differences in terms of performance:
- Mac mini (2020 M1): Apple’s M1 chip, produced with TSMC’s 5nm (N5) process, has an 8-core structure (4 performance + 4 efficiency). On the graphics side, it offers an 8-core GPU. This model, with a maximum CPU speed of 3.23 GHz, provides sufficient performance for basic users.
- Mac mini (2023 M2 and M2 Pro): These chips, which use the 5nm N5P process process, have 8 cores (4 performance + 4 efficiency) in the M2 and 10 or 12 core options in the M2 Pro. With a maximum speed of 3.5 GHz, M2 provides a significant speed increase compared to the M1 model. On the graphics side, there are 10 cores in the M2 and 16 or 19 cores in the M2 Pro.
- Mac mini (2024 M4 and M4 Pro): These chips, produced with TSMC’s 3nm (N3E) process, carry the most up-to-date technology offered by Apple. M4 has a 10-core structure with 4 performance and 6 efficiency cores. M4 Pro offers 12 or 14 cores. The M4 chip, which can reach a maximum speed of 4.3 GHz, provides a serious performance advantage, especially for professional workloads. Additionally, M4 Pro features advanced graphics features such as next-generation GPU architecture, ray-tracing acceleration and AV1 decoding.
While the 2024 model offers a serious advantage in terms of speed, efficiency and graphics processing capacity, it is especially ideal for users interested in graphic design, video editing and operations requiring high performance.
| Feature | mac mini (Late 2020) |
mac mini (Early 2023) |
mac mini (Late 2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
| chip | M1 chip (TSMC’s 5nm (N5) process) | M2 or M2 Pro chip (TSMC’s enhanced 5nm (N5P) process) | M4 or M4 Pro chip (TSMC’s enhanced 3nm (N3E) process) |
| CPU Cores | 8 CPU cores (4 performance + 4 efficiency) | M2: 8 CPU cores (4 performance + 4 efficiency) M2 Pro: 10 or 12 CPU cores (6 or 8 performance + 4 efficiency) |
M4: 10 CPU cores (4 performance + 6 efficiency) M4 Pro: 12 or 14 CPU cores (8 or 10 performance + 4 efficiency) |
| Maximum CPU Speed Frequency | 3.23GHz | 3.50GHz | 4.30GHz |
| GPU Cores | 8 GPU cores | M2: 10 GPU cores M2 Pro: 16 or 19 GPU cores |
M4: 10 GPU cores M4 Pro: 16 or 20 GPU cores |
| GPU Architecture | – | – | Updated GPU architecture with improved efficiency |
| Hardware Accelerated Ray Tracing | – | – | Yes |
| Video Decoding Engine | Yes | Video decoding engine with higher bandwidth | Video decoding engine with higher bandwidth |
| Hardware Accelerated H.264 and HEVC | Yes | Hardware acceleration for H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW | Hardware acceleration for H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW |
| ProRes Encoding and Decoding Engine | None | Yes | Yes |
| AV1 Decoding Support | None | None | Yes |
| Memory Type | LPDDR4X memory | LPDDR5 memory | LPDDR5X memory |
| Memory Bandwidth | 68.25 GB/s | M2: 100GB/s M2 Pro: 200GB/s |
M4: 120GB/s M4 Pro: 273 GB/s |
| Memory Capacity | 8GB or 16GB | M2: 8GB, 16GB or 24GB M2 Pro: 16GB or 32GB |
M4: 16GB, 24GB or 32GB M4 Pro: 24GB, 48GB or 64GB |
| Neural Engine | 16-core Neural Engine, 11 trillion operations per second | 16-core Neural Engine, 15.8 trillion operations per second | 16-core Neural Engine, 38 trillion operations per second |
| Custom Image Engine | None | None | Yes |
Connectivity Features and Other Hardware Improvements
The innovative design of the 2024 Mac mini also makes a difference in terms of ports. In this model, the user experience is taken to the next level with improvements such as the addition of front USB-C ports and the placement of the power button at the base:
- Mac mini (2020 and 2023 models): Both models have USB-A and USB-C ports only on the back. This required users to access the back of the device for connection. The 2023 model has two Thunderbolt 4 ports in the M2 chip versions and four Thunderbolt 4 ports in the M2 Pro chip versions.
- Mac mini (2024 model): This model has two front USB-C ports and a power button at the bottom of the device. The model with the M4 chip has three Thunderbolt 4 ports, and the model with the M4 Pro chip has three Thunderbolt 5 ports. In addition, advanced connection options are offered with support for three high-resolution external displays, HDMI 2.1 and 3.5mm headphone output.
Memory and Storage Capacity
The memory and storage capacities of Mac mini models also increase with each new model:
- Mac mini (2020): It comes with 8 GB or 16 GB LPDDR4X memory options and offers 68.25 GB/s memory bandwidth.
- Mac mini (2023): The M2 chip model has 8 GB, 16 GB or 24 GB LPDDR5 memory options, and the M2 Pro chip model has 16 GB or 32 GB options. There is 100 GB/s memory bandwidth in M2 and 200 GB/s memory bandwidth in M2 Pro.
- Mac mini (2024): This model, which uses LPDDR5X memory, offers 16 GB, 24 GB or 32 GB memory options in the M4 chip version and 24 GB, 48 GB or 64 GB memory capacity in the M4 Pro. Memory bandwidth reaches 120 GB/s in the M4 model and 273 GB/s in the M4 Pro model.
In terms of storage, Mac mini with M4 Pro chip provides more space with options that can expand up to 8 TB.
Conclusion: Which Model is Right for You?
The 2024 Mac mini stands out as a remarkable update, especially for professional users. With graphics performance, compact design, and advanced ports, this model is an ideal option for those who want to maintain portability while approaching the performance of the Mac Studio.
However, for basic usage needs, the 2023 model Mac mini with M2 chip still offers sufficient performance. The 2023 model is a strong alternative, especially for those looking for a more affordable option. On the other hand, the 2020 model Mac mini with M1 chip may be sufficient for entry-level needs, but switching to new models will be a better choice for users whose performance needs may increase in the coming years.
In short, the 2024 Mac mini features Apple’s most up-to-date technological features as a high-performance device that appeals to those looking for a compact and powerful desktop experience.