M4 Mac Mini vs Pro: I Picked the Wrong One! 🤦🏽

Summary

In this video, Alex reviews the M4 Mac Mini base model and M4 Pro after a month of testing. He explores the impressive value of the base model, handling everything from video editing to gaming and AI workloads. While the base model is fantastic for everyday tasks, the M4 Pro offers faster performance and better results for professionals, especially in AI and 3D rendering. The review highlights key strengths, limitations, and user scenarios to help viewers decide which model suits their needs best, all while praising the Mac Mini's affordability and versatility.

Takeaways

• 😀 The base model M4 Mac Mini is an incredible value for the price, offering strong performance for everyday productivity tasks, video editing, and casual gaming.
• 🚀 Despite being the base model, the Mac Mini handles complex tasks such as 4K video editing and AI workloads surprisingly well.
• ⏳ Export times for 4K videos can be slow in extreme scenarios, but for most users, the performance is more than sufficient for typical content creation workflows.
• 💡 For photography workflows, the base model can handle up to 200 raw image imports simultaneously, but struggles with larger batches (e.g., 1,500 raw images).
• 🎮 Gaming on the Mac Mini, while not at gaming-PC level, is surprisingly good for casual gaming, especially with native games like Resident Evil.
• 🖥️ The Mac Mini's portability, low energy consumption, and quiet operation make it ideal as a home entertainment hub or portable workstation.
• 📈 The M4 Pro version provides a significant performance boost, particularly in 3D rendering, video editing, and handling more complex AI models and Logic Pro sessions.
• ⚙️ The M4 Pro offers more memory and faster processing for heavy workloads, such as complex 3D scenes and large-scale raw image imports in Lightroom.
• 🔄 The base Mac Mini struggles with very heavy AI tasks, such as fine-tuning large models, but it still delivers smooth performance for many AI applications.
• 🔧 If you’re on a budget, the base model Mac Mini is unbeatable for most users. But for professionals working with large files or demanding software, the M4 Pro is a better option.
• 🎥 Alex plans to further test the Mac Mini by creating a portable run-and-gun workstation, using it with an external monitor for an on-the-go setup.

Q & A

What has been the most surprising aspect of using the M4 Mac Mini?

The most surprising aspect has been its ability to handle a wide range of tasks, from complex video editing and 3D rendering to gaming and running AI workloads, all at a relatively low price point.

How does the base model of the M4 Mac Mini perform with heavy workloads like video editing and rendering?

The base model handles heavy workloads, such as editing 4K video and rendering large 3D scenes, fairly well. It can easily process 4K video in editing, though export times are slower in more complex scenarios. It struggles with raw imports and massive workloads, like 1,500 RAW files in Lightroom.

Is the M4 Mac Mini suitable for gaming?

Yes, the M4 Mac Mini is surprisingly capable for casual gaming. It can run games like Resident Evil natively and even handle Cyberpunk 2077 with software like Crossover. While not on par with a dedicated gaming PC, it is good enough for light gaming.

How does the M4 Pro Mac Mini compare to the base model for AI workloads?

The M4 Pro offers better performance for AI tasks, with faster processing times and more accurate responses to prompts, especially in image generation using Stable Diffusion. It's particularly beneficial for larger models and more complex AI workloads.

What are the main limitations of the base model M4 Mac Mini?

The base model struggles with extremely heavy workloads, such as handling thousands of RAW files in Lightroom or running very large Logic Pro sessions with more than 150 tracks. It also lacks sufficient memory for more intensive AI fine-tuning tasks.

What upgrades should users consider for the M4 Mac Mini?

Users should consider pairing the M4 Mac Mini with an external SSD and a good hub, particularly for photographers who need SD card access. It's also recommended to avoid Apple's storage upgrades, as they tend to be overpriced for most users.

What are the key differences between the M4 Mac Mini base model and the M4 Pro version?

The M4 Pro version offers faster processing speeds, better memory handling, and improved performance in heavy workloads like video editing, rendering, and AI tasks. The base model is more budget-friendly and still very capable for most general tasks.

Can the M4 Mac Mini handle 3D rendering and Blender projects effectively?

Yes, the M4 Mac Mini can handle Blender for 3D rendering, even outperforming older devices like the M1 Max in some cases. The base model rendered a complex scene 30 minutes faster than the M1 Max, demonstrating its impressive rendering capabilities.

How does the Mac Mini perform in terms of storage and connectivity?

The Mac Mini offers Thunderbolt 4, which is more than sufficient for most tasks today, but Thunderbolt 5 is not yet available. It's important to pair it with a good external SSD, as internal storage upgrades from Apple tend to be overpriced.

What are some of the practical use cases for the Mac Mini that Alex discovered?

Alex discovered that the Mac Mini is not only a powerful productivity tool but also a great portable solution for on-the-go work, thanks to its compact size. It also serves as an excellent home entertainment hub, capable of running 4K content with ease.