M4 Mac Mini (Base) vs M4 Pro Mac Mini: What 5 Months of Use Taught Me!

Summary

In this long-term review, Alex dives deep into the performance of Apple's M4 and M4 Pro Mac Minis, highlighting their impressive abilities in tasks like 4K video editing, music production, and even AI work. Despite their compact size and low cost, these machines handle demanding workloads, exceeding expectations in day-to-day use. Alex also shares personal insights on memory and storage choices, the benefits of Thunderbolt 5, and the surprising potential for gaming. While the M4 Pro shines for heavy multitasking and creative work, Alex suggests that the M2 Mac Studio may be a better choice for extreme use cases.

Takeaways

• 😀 Apple's M4 and M4 Pro Mac Minis offer impressive value for money, especially in comparison to high-end computers, despite their small size and lower price.
• 😀 The M4 Pro Mac Mini has exceeded expectations in real-world tasks, handling complex Blender scenes, extensive video edits, and large-scale audio production projects smoothly.
• 😀 While the Mac Mini doesn't replace a high-end MacBook Pro for video editing, it performs impressively for editing 4K footage, even with multiple layers and effects.
• 😀 The M4 Pro's ability to handle Logic Pro projects with hundreds of tracks is particularly notable, offering a powerful tool for music production despite some quirks in performance core usage.
• 😀 The Mac Mini is highly capable for large language model (LLM) work, with fine-tuning even large models on the 24GB RAM M4 Pro being a surprising feat.
• 😀 Memory and storage upgrades should be considered carefully, as the cost of upgrading these components on the M4 Pro could bring the price close to that of the more powerful Mac Studio.
• 😀 The base model Mac Mini remains one of the best value computers for everyday use, with an affordable price for tasks like email, browsing, and basic productivity.
• 😀 External storage solutions, like Thunderbolt 5 SSDs, offer a more cost-effective and faster alternative to upgrading internal storage on the Mac Mini.
• 😀 Surprisingly, gaming on the Mac Mini, even with titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Resident Evil 4, is enjoyable, though Macs are still not ideal for intensive gaming.
• 😀 The M4 Pro Mac Mini is worth the extra investment for those with demanding workflows, including intensive multitasking, large projects, and creative applications like video editing, audio production, and AI work.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the review?

The review focuses on the long-term usage and performance of the M4 and M4 Pro Mac Minis, including how they handle tasks like video editing, music production, AI work, and large-scale projects.

How does the M4 Pro Mac Mini perform in real-world tasks?

The M4 Pro Mac Mini has exceeded expectations, handling tasks such as complex Blender scenes, extensive video edits, and large music production projects smoothly and efficiently.

Does the Mac Mini replace the reviewer’s primary device?

No, the reviewer’s primary device is still the M1 Max MacBook Pro. However, the Mac Mini impressed them with its performance and value.

What are some specific use cases where the M4 Pro Mac Mini excels?

The M4 Pro Mac Mini excels in video editing, large-scale audio production in Logic Pro, and performing advanced AI tasks like fine-tuning large language models with limited RAM.

What is the reviewer’s opinion on the Mac Mini’s value for money?

The reviewer believes the Mac Mini offers excellent value for money, especially considering its performance in tasks like video editing and music production, making it a great choice for those who need powerful computing at a lower price.

How does the Mac Mini handle video editing and 4K footage?

The Mac Mini handles video editing with multiple layers of 4K footage smoothly. While export times are slower compared to higher-end devices like the M1 Max MacBook Pro, the editing experience itself is lag-free.

What has the reviewer learned from using the M4 Pro Mac Mini?

The reviewer has learned that the M4 Pro Mac Mini can handle heavy tasks such as large Logic Pro sessions, complex Blender renders, and fine-tuning AI models, with surprisingly strong performance given its size and price.

How does the reviewer feel about the base model Mac Mini?

The base model Mac Mini is considered a great value, especially for light tasks like browsing and email. The reviewer even bought one for their home, replacing an old HP laptop, and recommended it as one of the best value Macs available.

Does the reviewer recommend upgrading the Mac Mini’s memory and storage?

The reviewer advises against spending too much on memory and storage upgrades, as external SSDs are a cheaper and faster solution. Upgrading too much on the Mac Mini might bring the price close to that of higher-end Macs, like the Mac Studio.

What are the gaming capabilities of the M4 Pro Mac Mini?

The reviewer found gaming on the M4 Pro Mac Mini to be surprisingly enjoyable, with games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Resident Evil 4 running well. However, they caution that Macs are not yet suitable for serious gaming, though casual gaming is becoming more viable.