M4 Mac Mini vs Intel and AMD Flagships – It's Not Even Close!

Summary

In this video, the new $600 M4 Mac Mini is compared to two flagship mini PCs equipped with Intel and AMD high-performance processors. Despite the Mac Mini's lower price, it excels in CPU performance, particularly single-core tasks, and outperforms competitors in productivity, creative work, and video editing. While it struggles with GPU-heavy tasks and gaming compatibility, it stands out for its impressive power efficiency and value for money. For users focused on productivity and content creation, the Mac Mini offers exceptional performance, but gamers and those seeking upgradeable systems may prefer other options.

Takeaways

• 😀 Apple's new M4 Mac Mini is priced at $600, offering significant value compared to competing mini PCs priced closer to $1,000.
• 😀 Despite its lower price, the M4 Mac Mini outperforms most mini PCs in CPU and single-core performance, according to benchmark tests.
• 😀 The Mac Mini's integrated GPU, while not as powerful as AMD's Radeon 890m, still performs competitively, though compatibility and game selection are limited.
• 😀 The M4 Mac Mini shines in creative applications like Photoshop and video editing, beating out competitors in tasks such as 2D photo editing and video rendering.
• 😀 Apple's M4 processor is nearly 69% more power-efficient than AMD's Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, and 14.6% more efficient than Intel's Core Ultra 9 185h.
• 😀 While the Mac Mini has fewer ports than some other mini PCs (lacking USB-A and an SD card reader), it offers Thunderbolt 4 and Gigabit Ethernet with an optional upgrade to 10 GbE.
• 😀 The base model Mac Mini includes 16GB of memory and 256GB of storage, which are not user-upgradable, but it supports external storage via USB.
• 😀 In real-world tasks, the Mac Mini is faster than many other mini PCs, such as rendering videos in Premiere Pro and Puget Bench tests, even with its lower price.
• 😀 The Mac Mini excels at energy efficiency and is ideal for productivity, development, and content creation but is not a strong choice for a primary gaming machine.
• 😀 The Mac Mini offers great price-to-performance value, especially at the $499 student discount, making it a highly attractive option for users in Apple's ecosystem.
• 😀 Despite the M4 Mac Mini's high performance, the Mac's lack of gaming support and limited AAA game compatibility can be a dealbreaker for users focused on gaming.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video?

The video focuses on comparing the new $600 base model M4 Mac Mini to two high-end mini PCs, one powered by Intel's Meteor Lake and the other by AMD's Strix Point processors, testing their performance in CPU, GPU, and real-world workflows.

How does the Mac Mini compare to other mini PCs in terms of ports?

The Mac Mini features two 10GB USB-C ports, a headphone jack, and three Thunderbolt 4 ports, as well as an HDMI 2.1 port. However, it lacks USB-A ports and an SD card reader, which are present in other mini PCs. Notably, it has an internal power supply, unlike most other mini PCs that use external adapters.

What are the key differences in memory and storage between the Mac Mini and other mini PCs?

The Mac Mini comes with 16GB of memory and 256GB of storage, both non-upgradable by the user. In contrast, most mini PCs offer user-upgradable memory and storage, including open M.2 slots for additional storage, although newer models like the BeLink SE9 and Intel's Lunar Lake use soldered memory.

How does the Mac Mini perform in CPU tests compared to its competitors?

In raw CPU power, the Mac Mini lags behind the Intel and AMD mini PCs in multi-core tests. However, it excels in single-core performance, outperforming both by 34% to 66% in Geekbench 6. This makes it one of the top-performing CPUs for single-core tasks.

In which specific applications does the Mac Mini excel?

The Mac Mini performs exceptionally well in creative tasks such as Photoshop, outperforming Ryzen-powered mini PCs by 28%. It also excels in video editing, with the M4 chip's media engine delivering impressive results in both PugetBench Premier Pro and DaVinci Resolve tests.

How does the Mac Mini handle 3D rendering and Blender tests?

The Mac Mini performs solidly in Blender, outperforming most competitors in CPU rendering. However, when it comes to GPU rendering, the Mac Mini's performance is significantly better using Apple's Metal API compared to the AMD and Intel GPUs that use OpenCL or other APIs.

What challenges does the Mac Mini face in gaming performance?

Although the Mac Mini's M4 GPU delivers good performance in games like Baldur's Gate 3 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, gaming on macOS faces compatibility issues. The visual experience can suffer due to limited support for technologies like FSR, and there are fewer AAA games available for macOS.

How does the Mac Mini perform in terms of power efficiency?

The Mac Mini is highly efficient, with the M4 processor being nearly 69% more power-efficient than AMD's Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. Intel's Core Ultra 9 is slightly more efficient than AMD but still lags behind the M4 in power efficiency by 14.6%.

What is the price-to-performance ratio of the base model M4 Mac Mini?

The base model M4 Mac Mini offers an exceptional price-to-performance ratio, costing just $600, compared to approximately $1,000 for the competing AMD and Intel mini PCs. Its performance surpasses these models in nearly every area, making it a great value for productivity and content creation.

Who is the ideal target audience for the M4 Mac Mini?

The M4 Mac Mini is ideal for users focused on productivity, content creation, or development, offering great performance at a lower price point. While it can handle casual gaming, those seeking a primary gaming machine should consider other options, such as a Steam Deck or gaming PC.