Over the weekend, I bought a newly-announced M4 Pro Mac Mini. I want to tell you what I bought and why.
Clearly, there are less expensive systems, but I had four specific goals in mind:
NOTE: Here’s an article that looks at all the new M4 systems and makes configuration recommendations for each of them.
Click to see larger image.
This is the system I bought. Here’s why.
NOTE: The M4 Mac mini is roughly double the performance of an M2 Mac mini from 2023 and the equal of an M2 Ultra Mac Studio. Here’s a review of that M2 Pro Mac mini so you can see what that older unit can already do. The new system will do more of it – faster.
RAM
RAM cannot be upgraded later. So, deciding how much RAM to buy is always a crap-shoot. If all you are doing is media editing, 24 GB is fine. If you are editing significant numbers of large frame size multicam clips, more RAM is better, but not required.
As an example, a 24 GB M2 Pro Mac mini was able to stream 25+ angles of ProRes 422 4K media. So, really, 24 GB on the M4 would be sufficient even for major multicam projects.
After 24 GB of RAM, the speed of your storage is a greater factor in determining multicam editing performance than the amount of RAM.
I bought 48 GB of RAM because, um, I didn’t need it, but I wanted it. Your budget may say differently.
STORAGE
Any internal storage above 2 TB of storage is an indulgence. All my media and projects are stored externally, on an 8 TB NVMe SSD RAID. As I write this, my internal drive – with over 135 applications and the latest macOS, is using less than 500 GB of internal storage.
So, while 512 GB is too small for media work, either 1 or 2 TB of internal storage is just ducky. If you are pressed for cash, 1 TB is fine. Truly.
THUNDEBOLT 5
Thunderbolt 5 requires a computer with an M4 Pro or M4 Max chip.
This is the main reason I got this unit. I can’t review or test Thunderbolt 5 devices if I don’t have a computer capable of supporting Thunderbolt 5. Not that I have any Thunderbolt 5 gear… yet. Let not reality interfere with your storage plans.
ETHERNET
My office network is optimized for 10G – mainly because I wanted to learn how to create a network with bandwidth that fast. I regularly get 600 – 700 MB/second data transfers between my local system and the server. (A 1G Ethernet network transfers data about 100 MB/second.)
However, while those speeds are great for file transfers and backups, I’ve not been able to successfully edit media directly from my Synology server. I’ve been told the Synology operating system is not optimized for media playback and editing. Every time I attempt to edit directly from the server, I get playback stutters and dropped frames.
If I need to edit, I transfer files from the server to my local SSD RAID. I use the server for long-term storage. So, my initial thoughts of using the server for editing didn’t work out. BUT, I have a really fast backup system.
SUMMARY
Now you know what I bought and why. The unit arrives the end of November. I’ll provide in-depth performance details when I can test it in person.
15 Responses to Why I Bought a M4 Pro Mac Mini
Hi Larry,
Great review and very interesting.
On a side note —
Can you offer any monitor recommendations?
Larry — as always — thank you.
Best,
Kevin
There are lots of monitor options.
I like BenQ for color accuracy and LG for quality at a lower price.
Larry
I am sure you are aware of the speed of Apple SSDs. Have you compared it to speeds on external SSDs? That speed difference might justify the added cost for some users.
I haven’t tested M4 systems – yet – but for existing M-series computers, Internal Apple SSDs are the same speed as Thunderbolt 5 and double that of Thunderbolt 3/4.
I should also mention that no current NLE – FCP, Premiere or Resolve – renders or exports media fast enough to fully fill a Thunderbolt 3/4 pipe. AT BEST, FCP exports at 2 GB/second, one-third the speed of the internal Apple storage. Premiere and Resolve are slower. No current NLE will come close to saturating Thunderbolt 5. Pending tests, my assumption is that file transfers using Finder or other third-party file transfer software will come close to filling a Thunderbolt 5 pipe – assuming the storage hardware is fast enough to support that speed.
Larry
Hi Larry…you did what I was thinking…..Mac Mini Pro. Thinking 32 Gb ram and 2 TB storage. Looking to but a gaming curved 34 inch monitor at a price point I can afford but is a gateway (chip) to new toys down the near road in 2025. Looking to buy in April. Thanks for holding my hand, wondering which upgrade path to go….your path is mine….thank you
I am thinking of replacing my present system iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015) with a newer system. My present business is converting Legacy video(Super a film VHS tape) two more modern format. In fact I just started converting homemade DVDs to flash drives and cloud finally formats. I’m thinking a Mac mini with two 4K monitors might do the trick for me what is your opinion?
Eric:
Given your current system, you’d probably see a 4- 5X performance increase in saving and converting media. The actual capture, because it happens in real-time would remain the same.
Larry
I always appreciate your thoughts in these areas – it always represents perspective for me.
Clayton
I enjoy thinking about and writing these. I’m glad you find them helpful.
Larry
Hi, Larry,
Your comment “The M4 Mac mini is roughly double the performance of an M2 Mac mini from 2023 and the equal of an M2 Ultra Mac Studio” Is that the M4 Mac PRO Mini or just the
M4 Mini? Just wondering since the M2 Ultra Mac Studio is about twice the price, Thanks
Bob:
According to the GeekBench stats I read over the weekend, the M4 is fast, but it requires the M4 Pro or Max to equal an Ultra.
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/10/31/m4-pro-chip-benchmark-results/
Larry
So glad to see the prices coming down on new Macs. I’ve held off buying a new one because I traditionally have used Mac Pro’s (mainly for audio editing, with a modicum of video editing) and altho I will probably segue to the Mac Studio, it least it won’t break the bank.
Just to make your decisions harder, the new M Pro Mac Mini is more powerful than the M2 Mac Studio Ultra or the M2 Ultra in the Mac Pro.
For a fraction of the price. Yes, the next Mac Studio will be faster, but it won’t be out for several more months.
Larry
I have the patience of Job 🙂
(Appreciate the add’l info! I won’t be buying until sometime next year at the earliest)
Thanks for sharing these insights. It tipped me to go with the MM Pro version. I mostly do graphics/digital illustration work so might be a bit over the top but rather have the ability to have more power if need be. Having more is not a problem only when you don’t it is.