M4 Mac mini [left], 2018 Intel Mac mini [right]
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The new M4 Mac mini is an incredible opportunity for Intel Mac owners to finally upgrade to Apple Silicon. Here's what's changed in the six years since the last Intel Mac mini.
Apple has achieved fourth-generation Apple Silicon Mac sales, and its custom chip has proven to be a hit with consumers.
It's been four years since Apple began its transition from Intel chips to its own designs, a move that was at least partly driven by Intel's inability to keep up with Apple's demands.
The Mac announcement week in October saw the introduction of a new Mac mini, updated with the M4 chip and an all-new design. It's only the third-generation Mac mini to use Apple Silicon, as Apple skipped the M3 for the entry-level model.
However, it has been more than six years since Apple released its last Intel-based Mac mini. However, Mac owners generally hold on to their hardware for three years or more, and that trend is getting stronger as time goes on.
Now is the time for Intel Mac users to start thinking about upgrading. With its relatively low price and compact size, the Mac mini is probably the best place to start for those upgrades.
Here's where the differences between the last release of the old guard and the newest option lie.
M4 Mac mini vs. Intel Mac mini – Specs
| Specifications | M4 Mac mini (2024) | M4 Pro Mac mini (2024) | Intel Mac mini (2018) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $599 Best M4 Mac mini Prices |
$1,399 | $799 |
| Dimensions (inches) | 5.0 x 5.0 x 2.0 | 5.0 x 5.0 x 2.0 | 7.7 x 7.7 x 1.41 |
| Weight (lbs) | 1.5 | 1.6 | 2.9 |
| Processor | Apple M4 10-core CPU | Apple M4 Pro 12-core CPU, Apple M4 Pro 14-core CPU |
8th Gen Intel Core i3 3.6 GHz Quad-core, 8th Gen Intel Core i5 3.0 GHz 6-core, Intel Core i7 8th Gen 3.2GHz 6-core |
| Graphics | 10-core GPU | 16-core GPU, 20-core GPU |
Intel UHD Graphics 630 |
| RAM | 16 GB, 24 GB, 32 GB |
24 GB, 48 GB, 64 GB |
8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB |
| Network | 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6E wireless network IEEE compliant 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.3, Gigabit Ethernet, upgradable to 10Gbps |
802.11ax Wi-Fi 6E wireless network compatible with IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.3, Gigabit Ethernet, 10Gig upgradable |
802.11ac Wi-Fi 6E wireless networking IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compliant, Bluetooth 5.0, Gigabit Ethernet, 10Gig upgradable |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB |
512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB |
256GB (Core i3 and i7), 512GB, 1TB, 2TB |
| Display support | Maximum 3: Two 6K 60Hz via Thunderbolt and one 5K 60Hz via HDMI, or one 5K 60Hz via Thunderbolt and one 8K 60Hz or 4K 240Hz via HDMI |
Maximum 3: Three 6K 60Hz via Thunderbolt or HDMI, or one 6K 60Hz via Thunderbolt and one 8K 60Hz or 4K 240Hz via Thunderbolt or HDMI |
Maximum 3: Three 4K 60Hz via Thunderbolt and HDMI, or one 5K 60Hz via Thunderbolt and one 4K 60Hz via HDMI |
| Ports | HDMI, Three Thunderbolt 4, Two USB 3 Type-C (front) Gigabit Ethernet, 3.5mm headphone jack (front) |
HDMI, Three Thunderbolt 5, Two USB 3 Type-C (front) Gigabit Ethernet, 3.5mm headphone jack (front) |
HDMI, Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C), Two USB-A, Gigabit Ethernet, 3.5mm headphone jack |
M4 Mac mini vs Intel Mac mini – Design, Weight, Size
One of the deceiving things about the Mac mini is that Apple has stuck with pretty much the same design for a very long time. Just looking at the 2018 Intel Mac mini and the M1 or M2 Apple Silicon versions can be confusing, even without looking at the back.
This is partly due to Apple’s habit of reusing designs for its products, offering refinements to the shape every now and then. But the Mac mini’s design has been pretty much perfect for Apple so far, and it’s had no real need to change its exterior design over the years.
It also helps that it makes it an instantly recognizable product.
Mac mini m4
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The Intel Mac mini uses Apple’s usual thin, curved aluminum case, with the back housing all the connections.
The 7.7-inch by 7.7-inch Intel Mac mini hasn't changed in size in a long time, and it fits in very well with the M1 and M2 versions. At 1.41 inches thick, it's also about the same as subsequent models.
With the M4, that all changes, as Apple finally makes the Mac mini even smaller. It still has an aluminum body, but it has a much smaller footprint at five square inches.
At the same time, it has grown slightly in height, but not by much. The two-inch height is a bit more than the previous design, and also makes the Mac mini look like a small Mac Studio.
M4 Mac mini vs. Intel Mac mini: The new model is the smallest ever
Adding to this effect are the new ports on the front, which is a major change for the model. This makes it much easier for users to quickly connect devices without having to reach around the back.
The weight of the Mac mini has decreased over time, with the 2.9-pound Intel followed by the slightly lighter Apple Silicon. This has continued with the M4, which has increased in weight from 1.5 pounds to 1.6 pounds if you opt for the M4 Pro version.
This lighter weight could be beneficial for users who regularly need to press the power button, as it has moved from the back to the base of the device.
M4 Mac mini vs. Intel Mac mini – Performance
The last Mac mini with Intel chips actually offered users three configurations. All of them were eighth-generation Intel Core processors equipped with Intel UHD Graphics 630.
The lowest-end model was the Core i3, a quad-core chip with cores running at 3.6 GHz. Second was the six-core Intel Core i5 with a clock speed of 3.0 GHz, which could increase to 4.1 GHz using Turbo Boost.
Finally, the top model was the Core i7, a six-core chip, a base clock speed of 3.2 GHz and Turbo Boost up to 4.6 GHz.
This was a time when the Neural Engine was meant for mobile devices, not things like Macs. Things like machine learning weren't really possible on the Intel-powered Mac mini yet.
The M4 Mac mini has a 10-core processor, split into four performance cores and six efficiency cores.
M4 Mac mini vs. Intel Mac mini: The M4 and M4 Pro blow older Intel chips away.
The M4 Pro is available in two configurations, starting with a 12-core CPU with eight performance cores and four efficiency cores. The 14-core variant adds two more performance cores to the pile.
Apple Silicon benefits from the inclusion of the Neural Engine, which will be especially useful for Apple Intelligence. There’s also a Media Engine, which provides hardware acceleration for video encoding and decoding, offloading the CPU.
Memory options on the Intel Mac mini were more open, with a base consisting of 8GB of 2666MHz DDR SO-DIMM, with 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB options also available.
The memory used for the Intel Mac mini is significantly different compared to Apple Silicon’s Unified Memory. To start, Apple applies memory to the chip so it can run as fast as possible.
While DDR 2666MHz memory can move data at around 21.5GB/s, the memory bandwidth offered in the M4 is significantly higher. It’s 120GB/s for the M4, 273GB/s for the M4 Pro.
Secondly, the unified memory concept allows all elements of the chip, such as the CPU and GPU, to access the data stored in memory, rather than scattering it across different components. This is a more efficient way to use memory, as it reduces data duplication and conserves resources.
The M4 is available with 16GB of memory, with 24GB and 32GB configurations. The M4 Pro starts at 24GB, with options for 48GB or 64GB.
One of the unique features of the Intel Mac mini is that it was the last model in the series to allow users to upgrade the memory themselves, a feature that is not available on Apple Silicon desktops at all.
When it comes to graphics, both Apple Silicon and Intel use their own GPUs. All Intel chips use Intel UHD Graphics 630, which is integrated graphics.
As for the M4, it uses a 10-core GPU designed by Apple in-house. The M4 Pro has 12-core and 14-core versions.
M4 Mac mini vs Intel Mac mini – Benchmark Estimates
Discussing benchmarks for Apple's latest model is difficult because they don't currently exist. Instead of hard data, we have to rely on Apple's claims and draw conclusions from them.
Apple claims the M4 Mac mini has 1.8x the CPU performance and 2.2x the GPU performance of the M1. The company doesn't provide details about the M4 Pro's CPU, but says the 20-core GPU is twice as powerful as the M4's.
If those numbers are accurate, we'd estimate the M4 would score around 4,250 on Geekbench's single-core test and over 15,000 on the multi-core version.
M4 Mac mini vs Intel Mac mini: Geekbench Single-Core and Multi-Core Score
The Core i3 Mac Mini listings say it scored 1,208 in the single-core test, while the Core i7 scored 1,431. That’s nowhere near the M1’s 2,362, let alone the M4.
As for the multi-core tests, the Intel trio scored between 3,440 and 5,598. For reference, the M1 scored 8,448.
Since the cores tested are similar, you’d expect the M4 Pro to score similar to the M4 in single-core. Multi-core results could even be higher.
Obviously, there’s a huge performance jump going from Intel to Apple Silicon on the M1. For the M4, the performance jump is monumental.
M4 Mac mini vs. Intel Mac mini: Geekbench Metal scores
On the graphics side, this is a very painful comparison. Intel's UHD Graphics 630 is listed as having scored 5,798 in the Metal test.
The M1 Mac mini scored 32,730, which is several times higher than Intel. If Apple's claims are correct, the M4 should score around 72,000, and the M4 Pro should score over 140,000.
It was painfully obvious when Apple Silicon debuted that it was beating Intel's previous release. With several generations under its belt, the M4 and M4 Pro will be even better.
M4 Mac mini vs. Intel Mac mini – Storage, Connectivity, Audio
In terms of storage, the Intel-powered Mac mini initially started at 128GB with upgrade options including 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB.
The M4 has 256GB with 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB options. The M4 Pro starts at 512GB and goes up to 8TB.
Physical connections on the Intel Mac mini start with four Thunderbolt 3 ports, along with two USB-A ports, HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet, and a headphone jack.
On the back of the M4 Mac mini are three Thunderbolt 4 ports, along with an HDMI port and Gigabit Ethernet. The M4 Pro swaps out Thunderbolt 4 for Thunderbolt 5.
M4 Mac mini vs Intel Mac mini: The back of the new Mac mini
Around the front, Apple has placed two USB-C ports, along with a headphone jack on the M4 generation.
On the wireless side, the Intel Mac mini supported Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0. Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6E support on the M4 and M4 Pro, as well as Bluetooth 5.3.
Audio hasn’t changed much over the years. There’s an internal speaker that delivers decent sound quality, but it’s easily outdone by external audio options.
The headphone jack can be connected to speakers or headphones, but on the Intel side, it’s an older-style version with no support for high-impedance headphones. If you are using HDMI, you can also use it to output to a monitor.
M4 Mac mini vs Intel Mac mini pricing
At launch, the 2018 Intel Mac mini comes with a Core i3 chip, 8GB of memory, and 128GB of storage.
The base model M4 Mac mini starts at $599 with a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, 16GB of memory, 256GB of storage, and gigabit Ethernet.
Going from 16GB to 24GB of memory costs an extra $200, and 32GB costs another $200. Upgrading the storage costs $200 from 256GB to 512GB, another $200 to get 1TB, and another $400 for 2TB.
The base M4 Pro configuration with a 12-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 24GB of memory, 512GB of storage, and gigabit Ethernet will set you back $1,399.
Upgrading the chip to a 14-core CPU and 20-core GPU will cost you $200. Going from 24GB to 48GB of memory will cost you $400, and 64GB will cost you another $200.
Upgrading from 512GB to 1TB of storage costs $200, another $400 for 2TB, another $600 for 4TB, and another $1,200 again to a hot 8TB.
Gigabit Ethernet can be upgraded on the M4 models for $100.
M4 Mac mini vs. Intel Mac mini – Mini Size, Massive Upgrade
Every time Apple releases a new generation of Apple Silicon hardware, the performance gap widens a little. After four generations of Apple Silicon, the gap has widened significantly.
The M4 editions are the best option for Intel Mac mini users to finally upgrade to Apple Silicon.
M4 Mac mini vs Intel Mac mini: A top view of the new Mac mini
There are still some reasons to stick with the Intel versions, such as software compatibility or using Boot Camp without using virtualization software. Sure, some software hasn't been updated to use Apple Silicon, but that's rare.
The latest Mac mini is the best upgrade for those still clinging to their Intel Mac mini to finally upgrade. The smaller form factor won't necessarily make a big difference, but the performance gains certainly will.
Where to Buy Apple's Mac Mini at a Discount
Apple's latest Mac mini is already eligible for cash discounts in our M4 Mac mini Price Guide, and Adorama is knocking up to $50 off the systems with the promo code APINSIDER. The same APINSIDER coupon also gets $20 off three years of AppleCare, bringing the cost down to $79.
Those looking for a cheap Mac mini can also pick up the used Intel model from OWC for just $329.
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