# Mac mini (M4): specs and price

**Price (US):** $599 at support.apple.com (MSRP, base config (M4, 16 GB, 256 GB SSD)), as of 2026-06-27. A sourced, dated price of record — other retailers (incl. Amazon) may be lower. Among the 9 mini pcs we track it is #4 cheapest of 9; category median $629.
**Brand:** Apple
**Released:** 2024-11
**Deskmark:** Bronze Deskmark — pay-blind category standing 14/100, #9 of 9 in class (independent, computed from sourced data, never for sale).
**Price tracked since:** June 2026

## Specifications

| Spec | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Price (US) | $599 |
| Brand | Apple |
| Released | 2024-11 |
| CPU | Apple M4 (10-core, 4P+6E) |
| Max RAM (GB) | 32 |
| Storage type | NVMe SSD (proprietary, soldered) |
| Wi-Fi standard | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) |
| Ethernet | Gigabit Ethernet (configurable to 10 GbE) |
| Ports summary | 3x Thunderbolt 4 (rear, 40 Gbps), 2x USB-C / USB 3 (front, 10 Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm audio |
| Dimensions (mm) | 127 x 127 x 50 |

## Where it stands

At $599, the Mac mini (M4) is #4 cheapest of the 9 mini pcs we track, where the median is $629. On the spec sheet, its max RAM of 32 GB is the lowest of the 9, and its release year of 2024 is at the median of the 9. By release date, it is among the newer of the 9 we date.

## What reviewers say

Three testers - Notebookcheck, Tom's Guide and TechRadar - each ran the base M4 Mac mini (not the M4 Pro) through their own benchmark suites and all three recommend it. Geekbench 6 single-core landed at 3,838 on all three, and multi-core at 14,838 on the two Future-owned outlets versus 15,072 at Notebookcheck. All three independently measured the same 5 x 5 x 2-inch chassis and all three fault the power button Apple moved to the underside. Only Notebookcheck instrumented power and acoustics, recording 2.6-2.7 W at idle against a 62.5 W peak. (Based on 3 reviews, 3 lab-tested, 2024-11–2024-11-16.)

Praised: Radically smaller 5 x 5 x 2-inch redesign, measured identically by all three; M4 delivers class-leading single-core speed and effortless everyday performance; 16GB of RAM now standard on the base model, double the M2's; $599 base price held from the previous generation; Front USB-C ports and headphone jack finally added; Supports up to three external displays; Retains a built-in power supply - no external brick; Extremely low power draw - measured 2.6-2.7 W idle.
Flagged: Power button moved to the underside, unreachable without lifting the machine; Expensive RAM and SSD upgrade pricing; No user-serviceable upgrades or repairs; Modern games still struggle - Total War: Warhammer III measured in the low-to-mid 20s fps at max settings; Measurably louder than the M2 predecessor under sustained load (45.1 dB(A) peak); Cramped 256GB base SSD, with a $200 surcharge to reach 512GB; Front USB-C ports are slower than the rear ones.
Disagreement: Noise is the real split, and only one outlet actually measured it. Notebookcheck titled its review 'Smaller, faster and louder' and recorded 45.1 dB(A) at maximum load - clearly audible and noisier than the M2 - while TechRadar wrote that through gaming 'the Mac mini remained completely silent,' and Tom's Guide never raised fan noise at all. Notebookcheck's own data largely reconciles this: it logged 24.1 dB(A) at idle, 24.9 dB(A) while gaming and 30.3 dB(A) at maximum CPU load, so only a sustained synthetic stress test surfaces the problem, and its verdict still grants the machine 'remains mostly silent during simple everyday tasks.' Gaming figures differ modestly between the two outlets that published them (Shadow of the Tomb Raider 40 fps at Tom's Guide at 1080p vs 44 fps at TechRadar on high; Total War: Warhammer III 24.6 fps vs 22.1 fps at Ultra), consistent with different settings presets rather than a genuine conflict. Note also that the two identical Geekbench 6.3 figures come from Tom's Guide and TechRadar, which share a corporate parent and a test lab, so they are not fully independent confirmations of each other.
Sources: Notebookcheck (2024-11-16, notebookcheck.net), Tom's Guide (2024-11, tomsguide.com), TechRadar (2024-11, techradar.com)

## Frequently asked questions

**What do reviewers say about the Mac mini (M4)?**

Three testers - Notebookcheck, Tom's Guide and TechRadar - each ran the base M4 Mac mini (not the M4 Pro) through their own benchmark suites and all three recommend it. Geekbench 6 single-core landed at 3,838 on all three, and multi-core at 14,838 on the two Future-owned outlets versus 15,072 at Notebookcheck. All three independently measured the same 5 x 5 x 2-inch chassis and all three fault the power button Apple moved to the underside. Only Notebookcheck instrumented power and acoustics, recording 2.6-2.7 W at idle against a 62.5 W peak. Praised: Radically smaller 5 x 5 x 2-inch redesign, measured identically by all three; M4 delivers class-leading single-core speed and effortless everyday performance; 16GB of RAM now standard on the base model, double the M2's; $599 base price held from the previous generation; Front USB-C ports and headphone jack finally added; Supports up to three external displays; Retains a built-in power supply - no external brick; Extremely low power draw - measured 2.6-2.7 W idle. Flagged: Power button moved to the underside, unreachable without lifting the machine; Expensive RAM and SSD upgrade pricing; No user-serviceable upgrades or repairs; Modern games still struggle - Total War: Warhammer III measured in the low-to-mid 20s fps at max settings; Measurably louder than the M2 predecessor under sustained load (45.1 dB(A) peak); Cramped 256GB base SSD, with a $200 surcharge to reach 512GB; Front USB-C ports are slower than the rear ones. (From 3 tester reviews, 3 lab-tested.)

**How much does the Mac mini (M4) cost?**

The Mac mini (M4) has a US price of $599 (MSRP, base config (M4, 16 GB, 256 GB SSD)), as of 2026-06-15.

**How does the Mac mini (M4) compare on price?**

At $599, the Mac mini (M4) is #4 cheapest of the 9 mini pcs we track, where the median is $629.

**When was the Mac mini (M4) released?**

The Mac mini (M4) was released 2024-11.

**What are the Mac mini (M4)'s key specs?**

Mac mini (M4) (Apple): cpu Apple M4 (10-core, 4P+6E), max ram gb 32, storage type NVMe SSD (proprietary, soldered), wifi standard Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), ethernet Gigabit Ethernet (configurable to 10 GbE). Full sourced spec sheet verified 2026-06-15.

Source: https://support.apple.com/en-us/121555 (support.apple.com, accessed 2026-06-15)
Corroboration: https://www.apple.com/mac-mini/specs/ (accessed 2026-06-15)
Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/product/mini-pcs/apple-mac-mini-m4/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, the Mac mini (M4) price of record was $599 as of 2026-06-15 — https://frontdeskreview.com/product/mini-pcs/apple-mac-mini-m4/
License: CC BY 4.0. Price history: https://frontdeskreview.com/data/price-history.jsonl