Apple · Updated June 2026
Mac mini (M4): price, specs & release date
Mac mini (M4), released 2024-11. Every price and spec below is linked to its source and dated — no guesses.
Source: support.apple.com verified ✓ corroborated verify in ledger
The Mac mini (M4) is listed at $599 on support.apple.com as of 2026-06-27, #4 cheapest of 9 mini pcs (median $629); other retailers may be lower. It earns a Bronze Deskmark — 14/100 pay-blind standing, #9 of 9 in class.
Verified Jun 27, 2026 · figures linked to their source in the table below
- Best for 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.
- Skip if Power button moved to the underside, unreachable without lifting the machine is a dealbreaker.
Is the Mac mini (M4) a good buy?
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.
Evidence of Record
Our data- Independent labsmeasured it
- 3
- Physical metricsrecorded
- 16
- Outlets on recordall tested
- 3
3 independent labs measured this product, logging 16 distinct physical metrics between them — geekbench 6.7 single-core, geekbench 6.7 multi-core, cinebench 2024 cpu and 13 more. That is how much independent evidence stands behind any claim about it — not a rating of the product.
geekbench 6.7 single-core · geekbench 6.7 multi-core · cinebench 2024 cpu · noise · speed · power · wi-fi iperf3 receive · weight · geekbench 6.3 single-core · geekbench 6.3 multi-core · handbrake encode time · shadow of the · sid meier's civilization · borderlands 3 @1080p · total war: warhammer · blender monster
Review consensus · sourced & dated
What 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.
Based on 3 reviews · 3 lab-tested · 2024-11–2024-11-16
Tested by Notebookcheck, Tom's Guide, TechRadar
Consistently praised
- Radically smaller 5 x 5 x 2-inch redesign, measured identically by all three · 3 sources
- M4 delivers class-leading single-core speed and effortless everyday performance · 3 sources
- 16GB of RAM now standard on the base model, double the M2's · 3 sources
- $599 base price held from the previous generation · 2 sources
- Front USB-C ports and headphone jack finally added · 2 sources
Commonly flagged
- Power button moved to the underside, unreachable without lifting the machine · 3 sources
- Expensive RAM and SSD upgrade pricing · 2 sources
- No user-serviceable upgrades or repairs · 2 sources
- Modern games still struggle - Total War: Warhammer III measured in the low-to-mid 20s fps at max settings · 2 sources
Where reviewers disagree 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.
The sources (3)
Geekbench 6.7 single-core: 3838 Points · Geekbench 6.7 multi-core: 15072 Points · Cinebench 2024 CPU multi-core: 958 Points · Noise level, idle: 24.1 dB(A) · Noise level, maximum load (stress test): 45.1 dB(A) · Maximum fan speed reached during stress test: 2,950 rpm · Power consumption, idle: 2.6-2.7 Watt · Power consumption, maximum load: 62.5 Watt · Wi-Fi iperf3 receive (AXE11000): 1755 MBit/s · Maximum speaker loudness: 83.5 dB · Weight as tested: 648 g
the M4 boasts extremely high single-core performance and the Mac Mini is often completely silent during everyday use
Overall, the new Mac Mini M4 is noticeably louder under high load than the Mac Mini M2 and the configurations with the M4 Pro are likely to be even louder.
Moreover, 256 GB of SSD storage isn't very up-to-date anymore and the surcharge for the 512-GB model ($200) is simply ridiculous.
Geekbench 6.3 single-core score: 3838 · Geekbench 6.3 multi-core score: 14838 · BlackMagic Disk Speed (read): 3437.8 · BlackMagic Disk Speed (write): 3017.3 · Handbrake encode time (Mins:Secs): 4:42 · Shadow of the Tomb Raider @1080p: 40 fps · Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm @1080p: 52.48 fps · Borderlands 3 @1080p: 25.10 fps · Total War: Warhammer III @1080p: 24.6 fps
The Mac mini M4 is an excellent mini PC and besides being the smallest, it's also the most powerful one Apple has released yet.
its power button is completely unreachable without lifting the computer up off your desk
Apple hasn't changed how it prices RAM and storage upgrades at all
Cinebench 2024 CPU single-core: 161 · Cinebench 2024 CPU multi-core: 833 · Geekbench 6.3 single-core: 3,838 · Geekbench 6.3 multi-core: 14,838 · Blender Monster: 391 · Shadow of the Tomb Raider, high settings: 44 fps · Total War: Warhammer 3, Ultra: 22.1 fps · Total War: Warhammer 3, low settings: 55.4 fps
best small form factor PC even better thanks to a more compact design
For almost all of my time using the new Mac mini, it was virtually silent.
While it's a shame that the front USB-C ports are slower than the rear ones
Specifications
| Price (US) | $599 MSRP, base config (M4, 16 GB, 256 GB SSD) |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Source: support.apple.com (verified 2026-06-15) · corroborated by apple.com. Verified on Apple Support tech-spec page (121555): dimensions Height 5.0 cm / Width 12.7 cm / Depth 12.7 cm = 127x127x50 mm; max unified memory 32 GB for M4 (24/32 GB options); Wi-Fi 6E; Gigabit Ethernet configurable to 10 GbE; 3x Thunderbolt 4 rear, 2x front USB-C (USB 3, 10 Gbps); base $599. HDMI clarified to 2.1 per Apple/MacRumors. Release Nov 8 2024.
Is the Mac mini (M4) worth it vs cheaper mini pcs?
Mac mini (M4) against its closest cheaper and pricier mini pcs on the specs that matter — every value sourced. See all 9 ranked
| Product | Price | CPU | Max RAM (GB) | Storage type | Wi-Fi standard | Ethernet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mac mini (M4) this | $599 | Apple M4 (10-core, 4P+6E) | 32 | NVMe SSD (proprietary, soldered) | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) | Gigabit Ethernet (configurable to 10 GbE) |
| Asus NUC 14 Pro | $434 | Intel Core 3 100U (base); up to Core Ultra 7 155H | 96 | M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 NVMe + M.2 2242 PCIe 4.0 + 2.5" SATA (tall chassis) | Wi-Fi 6E (Intel AX211) | 2.5 GbE (Intel I226-V) |
| Beelink SER8 | $629 | AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS (8C/16T, up to 4.9 GHz) | 64 | M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 NVMe (dual slots) | Wi-Fi 6 (Intel AX200) | 2.5 GbE (single port) |
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.
Price of record: $599 at support.apple.com, 2026-06-27. Other retailers may be lower — check the current price:
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