mac mini cruises 2023

Article updated on January 23, 2023 at 6:44 AM PST

Apple M2 Mac Mini 2023 Review: M2 and M2 Pro Chips Boost This Tiny Desktop

Better performance keeps the Mac Mini a top pick for podcasters and content creators.

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Mac Mini (2023)

• Low starting price
• Wide range of configuration options
• Adds Wi-Fi 6E
• Least expensive model has fewer ports, small storage
• RAM can only go up to 32GB
• Some component upgrades feel pricey

Editor's note: Our Mac Mini review was originally published on January 23, 2023. It's since been updated with new test results, including storage speed scores. 

Now available in a new, more powerful version, the Mac Mini desktop is one of Apple's longest-standing product lines, dating back to 2005 (in a pre-Intel version), a year before the first MacBook . All these years later, it retains the same basic shape and appeals to much of the same audience. Unlike MacBook Pro and Air laptops, or the iMac desktop, the Mini is designed to work behind the scenes, fitting into small spaces and pairing with your choice of display and input devices. 

Sometimes called the podcaster's favorite computer, that description still applies to this new iteration of the Mac Mini . And, with an optional M2 Pro processor from Apple's chip line, the new Mini can take on more complex multimedia assignments on par with the also-new M2 Pro MacBook Pro. 

Read more : M2 Pro MacBook Pro 16 Review: Apple Peps Up Its Creative Workhorse

At $599 (£649, AU$999) to start, the Mini also remains the least expensive way to get a MacOS computer by a large margin. The relatively ancient M1 MacBook Air from 2020 is the closest competitor price-wise, at $999. The M2 Pro version of the Mac Mini starts at $1,299. 

System configurations

As a long-time Mac reviewer , the relative affordability of the Mini line is still one of its most important selling points. Especially if you have your own display and maybe your own keyboard/mouse setup, the Mac Mini gets you all the advantages of MacOS, and its speciality chops in design, audio production, and photo and video editing, for a lot less. 

The last time I tested a new Mac Mini was the last time there was a new Mac Mini . That was in fall 2020, when the very first Apple Silicon products were released. They included the MacBook Air, the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the Mac Mini, each with the original M1 chip. 

Since then, the Mac Studio from early 2022 offered a bigger, more powerful take on the small-form-factor Apple desktop, with M1 Max and M1 Ultra chips. And that system, even without an M2 update, is still more powerful in many cases than the new Mac Mini, which only goes up to an M2 Pro. 

Apple's chip-naming system is clearer than some others but still confusing if you don't follow it closely. The M1 family has grown to include the M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max and M1 Ultra (basically a doubled-up M1 Max). The M2 family started with the stock M2 and has just added M2 Pro and M2 Max versions. It's the Pro/Max/Ultra suffix that really tells you which chip is more powerful. An M1 Pro is still more powerful than a base M2 and so on. But… the number of CPU and GPU cores available in some configurations can also juggle the rankings and relative performance. 

That means the Apple desktop ecosystem is very thinly sliced indeed. Right now, the Mac Mini offers M2 and M2 Pro versions, the Mac Studio has M1 Max and M1 Ultra chips, so I wouldn't say there's direct overlap. The higher-end M2 Pro Mac Mini starts at $1,299, while the least expensive Mac Studio, with the M1 Max, starts at $1,999. 

A tale of two Minis

The two new Mac Mini versions differ in both the chip and some configuration options. The M2 model starts with 8GB of RAM, which can be upgraded to 16GB or 24GB. Storage starts at 256GB and can go up to 2TB. The M2 Pro version starts at 16GB of RAM and 512GB storage and is upgradable to 32GB and 8TB. 

Another difference is that the M2 Pro model has four thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports on the back panel, while the M2 version has only two. And while the M2 Pro can support up to three displays, or one with 8K/60Hz resolution, the M2 model can support two displays and tops out at 6K/60Hz. 

The M2 Pro version on top has four Thunderbolt 4 ports; the M2 version below it has only two. 

The two models tested here are the base $599 Mac Mini with the 8-core CPU/10-core GPU M2 chip, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage; and an upgraded version with the 12-core CPU/19-core GPU M2 chip, 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, for a total of $1,799. 

A podcaster's dream

Where other Apple products have had their moment in the sun and faded into extinction, like the 27-inch iMac or  12-inch MacBook , the Mac Mini has always floated just under the radar. It's not the first Mac you think of, but it's always there. I attribute that to its second life, perhaps originally unintended, as the perfect computer for small production studios. 

That could mean a small to midsize recording studio for music and voice-overs, or a home office setup for audio or video podcasts. That's an area where dedicated computers are in danger of becoming obsolete, as popular new platforms like TikTok are built around shooting and editing directly from your phone. 

But as an occasional social media poster, and podcast guest and host, over the years, there's still no comparison between even advanced phone-based editing and using something like Final Cut or Premiere Pro on a desktop or laptop to produce your creator content, even if it'll eventually end up as a small vertical social video. 

And especially for audio, the Mac Mini still feels like an excellent all-around solution. I recorded some video voice-over on the Mac Mini for this review, using Audacity and an external mic. As expected, I had no problems, even running multiple sound-shaping plugins (although for a very basic task like this, a standard budget Windows machine could do the same). 

I asked one of my team's video editors to throw a decently chunky Premiere Pro project on both the M2 and M2 Pro versions of the Mac Mini. 

Video producer-editor Bobby Oliver loaded up a 4K/24 Premiere project with some graphics/titles and color correction. He said on the base $599 Mac Mini with the M2 chip, "It was doable, but while editing I had to play the video in the program window at the lowest quality setting to avoid stuttering, but even then I got some minor stuttering." He said the system would be fine for regular FHD video, but he thought the 8GB of RAM in the base model was a performance obstacle. The base-model Mac Mini with the 256GB SSD also has slower read/write speeds than other configs, similar to the M2 MacBook Air, because of how the storage is either split into two NAND chips , or uses just one. The results of a basic SSD speed test are below. 

Then he tried the same project on the M2 Pro version, which had 16GB of RAM. In that case, he said, "That one felt almost flawless. I could preview the video at full resolution and only had some minor stuttering when I hit the graphics. I could move easily around the timeline without any delay. Color correction didn't seem to be an issue. I would definitely use it as an editing machine." 

In our benchmark tests, the different levels of M1 and M2 chip performance are also clear, in part because the CPU and GPU core counts and clock frequencies have risen generation-over-generation. Generally, the Mac Studio desktop with the M1 Max chip from 2022 is the overall most powerful Mac we've tested – in situations where it has the most cores. The Mini and Air with M2 chips outperformed their predecessors with M1 chips, and similarly, the M2 Pro systems beat the M1 Pro systems. Apple's well-marked strata of chip versions generally tells you what to expect once you figure out the language, but it can still be tricky.

Overall, I appreciate how you can get similar performance in either a desktop or laptop by choosing the same chip/RAM combo, making for easier comparison shopping; but note that the desktops and larger laptops have some inherent thermal advantage with better cooling that can add a small performance boost. 

Is the Mac finally a gaming machine?

Well, no. Although in its promotional materials, Apple leans a little more heavily into promoting the gaming chops of the M2 chips. The company calls out performance for the upcoming Mac version of Resident Evil Village, saying the M2 Mac Mini has 35% faster performance in that game over the 2020 M1 version, and that the M2 Pro version is 2.8x faster. 

But your game experience is going to be greatly impacted by many factors, including choice of display, either the Apple Studio display, Apple's favored LG displays or something else; and by the still-limited game selection on MacOS , largely constrained by the desktop-friendly games in Apple Arcade, games in the Mac App Store and the MacOS section in online game stores like Steam. 

Right now, the top-selling MacOS games on Steam include Civilization VI (2016), Rust (2018), Project Zomboid (2013) and, of course, Baldur's Gate 3 (2020 in beta, but officially releasing summer 2023).

While there's nothing especially new on the gaming front for this hardware or the new M2 chips (besides faster performance), I decided to give it another shot as a game machine. Pre-Apple-Silicon, you could at least dual-boot into Windows to play PC games on Mac hardware. Now, you're mostly limited to native Mac games or cloud streaming – Nvidia Geforce Now is great paired with a big 24-inch iMac display, for example. 

Connecting a standard Xbox controller via Bluetooth (a Sony DualSense controller will work, too), I spent some time with Baldur's Gate 3 and Hades . The high screen resolution of the Mac Studio Display I used added some extra challenge, and I turned up the in-game graphic settings as high as possible. Mac versions of games often have fewer graphics options than the Windows versions. 

On the M2 Mac Mini, Baldur's Gate 3 needed to get its resolution pulled down to 2,560x1,440 pixels and graphics settings set to medium to feel playable. On the M2 Pro version, I used the same resolution but could play at Ultra settings. Hades ran great on even the base Mac Mini. In both the GPU-intensive 3D Mark and the GeekBench Metal test, we can see some additional daylight between the M2 and M2 Pro, as indicated in the charts below. 

Who should buy this?

A MacBook Air is easy to visualize in action – stick it in your backpack or shoulder bag and hit the coffee shop or airport. An iMac is a great centralized family room computer or a home office command center, especially if you spend a lot of time in Zoom or other video meetings. The Mac Mini is more specialized in some ways, but also has potentially broader appeal because of its low starting price. 

The base M2 version of the Mac Mini, starting at $599, feels like it's for entry-level buyers who want a MacOS system at the lowest possible price; audio and video producers who are already committed to a collection of external displays, input devices and storage drives; or anyone who needs a portable mini desktop that can be thrown in a bag and hooked up at an office or recording studio. Also worth noting, the Mac Mini has an Ethernet port, HDMI output and USB-A ports, which are great for expansion and hard to find in some other Macs, even very expensive ones. 

The main downside to that base model is the relative skimpy RAM and storage. Unlike a Windows machine, MacOS can actually get along fine in most mainstream cases with 8GB of RAM, but the included 256GB of storage feels like it'll get filled quickly. Jumping up to 512GB adds an extra $200, which is a big premium for a budget computer (but also offers potentially faster read/write speeds). 

The M2 Pro version offers a sizable raw performance jump, plus better RAM and internal storage options, but if you're considering that, then the MacBook Pro and even the Mac Studio should also be part of your comparison shopping.

I think the base M2 Mac Mini is going to be a smart, clear choice for a lot of people. The more powerful, more expensive M2 Pro version isn't as clear cut, but I appreciate the flexibility having both the M2 and M2 Pro versions adds, allowing you to spend anywhere from $599 to $4,499 on a new Mac Mini that meets your specific needs, whether that's creating pro-level YouTube videos or recording and producing the next great true crime podcast.

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Apple Mac Mini (2023) review: Mac Studio junior

With two processor choices — one for everyday computing, the other for conquering creative work — apple’s littlest mac has never been more appealing..

By Chris Welch , a reviewer specializing in personal audio and home theater. Since 2011, he has published nearly 6,000 articles, from breaking news and reviews to useful how-tos.

Photography by Amelia Holowaty Krales

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Before the Mac’s resurgence a few years ago, the idea that Apple might produce a machine like the new Mac Mini was a distant dream. The company’s compact desktop was rarely updated and mostly ignored — we often waited many years between major refreshes. But things eventually started clicking for the entire Mac portfolio. The disastrous butterfly keyboard was retired. Real buttons replaced the MacBook Pro’s underused touch bar. And it all hit a fever pitch when Apple introduced its own processors — first in speedy laptops that also established new highs for battery life and then in desktops like the redesigned iMac and wicked-fast Mac Studio . 

The Mac Mini was part of the first wave of Apple silicon products in 2020, and it was a strong performer in a tiny package. But it was also a minimal effort release that came with some tradeoffs: namely, the M1 Mac Mini topped out at 16GB of RAM and had fewer ports than the Intel-powered model, which Apple continued to sell until the introduction of this Mac Mini last week. Now powered by either the M2 or M2 Pro chip, the 2023 version of the Mac Mini retains the same overall design but upgrades numerous specs, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and (optionally) HDMI and ethernet, depending on how much you spend. 

Of course, the biggest upgrade of all is performance.

How we rate and review products

The new Mac Mini is available with a choice of two processors: one is a great choice for a household Mac, while the other is clearly aimed at prosumers that will push the envelope a bit. The cheaper model starts at $599 ($100 less than the M1 model started at) and is powered by Apple’s M2 chip. Just like the 13-inch MacBook Pro , this version includes eight CPU cores and 10 GPU cores.

As my colleague Monica Chin wrote in their review of the MacBook Pro, single-core performance is extremely impressive and makes everyday tasks and apps feel ever so slightly faster than the already brisk M1. Apple says the M2 chip also puts up better multicore and graphics numbers. Assuming the regular Mini performs similarly to the 13-inch MacBook Pro, it should be able to handle all of the browser tabs you can muster and multitask with aplomb. As for other software, a majority of the apps I use now run natively on Apple silicon except for one or two outliers like Amazon Music. Those programs still work fine thanks to Apple’s Rosetta software, but you won’t find a need for it nearly as often as when the first M1 machines debuted in 2020.

Lined up against the M2 MacBook Air , the Mini should be able to sustain top performance for longer stretches of time without throttling. This is for a couple of reasons. First, it’s got a fan inside (unlike the Air), and there’s also a ton of open space in its enclosure , so the Mini just runs cool by design since its silicon isn’t tightly packed into a laptop frame. 

I’d recommend the standard M2 Mac Mini for anyone looking for a general purpose desktop Mac — assuming you’ve already got a monitor, keyboard, and mouse at the ready. It’ll offer robust performance and is perfectly capable of photo editing and light video work. Apple has given the new machine faster Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6E) and the latest Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. By default, the ethernet jack is capable of gigabit speeds, but you can opt for blistering 10-gigabit ethernet for an extra $100. Similar to the M1 Mac Mini, M2 models get two USB-C ports (now Thunderbolt 4) and two USB-A ports — plus a headphone jack and HDMI 2.0 output.

Wireless keyboard owners beware

Apple could really do a better job supporting third-party Bluetooth keyboards and mice during initial setup of the Mac Mini. As it stands, you either need wired peripherals or Apple’s own wireless products. I had a USB transceiver for my Logitech mouse and ergonomic keyboard, and thankfully, that also worked fine. But it’s possible to be caught in an annoying situation where you’ll need to borrow wired accessories from a friend to get started. That seems blasphemous in 2023. Apple should just let people set up their Bluetooth devices as soon as the Mini powers on for the first time.

However, as tempting as the $599 price tag on the entry-level Mini is, we generally recommend getting more than the base 8GB of RAM. Even without intensely pushing the machine, you’re likely to force the system to swap memory to the SSD. And while Apple’s unified memory architecture can make this mostly imperceptible while working, I’d still point most people toward the $799 configuration (with 256GB of storage and 16GB RAM) as the true “starter” option. It’s a better buy if you plan to keep your Mini for several years and through several new releases of macOS. And you’re still getting a price cut: an M1 Mac Mini with 16GB of RAM started at $899.

The new Mac Mini is more powerful but also more affordable

But I haven’t been testing the regular M2 Mini. Instead, over the last several days, I’ve been using the M2 Pro model with 12 CPU cores and 19 GPU cores. So far, it’s been an absolute screamer worthy of the “Mac Studio junior” moniker — and then some. In benchmarks, its Cinebench single-core and multicore CPU scores bested last year’s M1 Max MacBook Pro. And the added GPU cores over the standard M2 made a noticeable difference when exporting 4K footage or gaming. As our Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark shows, that graphics horsepower isn’t quite on the level of Apple’s Max chips since they have even more GPU cores to spare. But it’s a big step up from what the standard M2 Mini, MacBook Air, and 13-inch MacBook Pro are capable of. The M2 Pro Mac Mini flew through editing 40-megapixel RAW files from the Fujifilm X-T5, and while I’m no videographer myself, it didn’t show any strain when working with high-bitrate 4K test footage in our tests. I have yet to hear the fans whir up at any time — even during extended benchmark tests. 

The pricier M2 Pro Mini has other benefits beyond sheer speed. You get a total of four USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports — back on par with the old Intel model in quantity — plus a more modern HDMI 2.1 port. Its more powerful GPU can also support up to three external displays, one more than the M2 Mac Mini. Increased I/O and greater display flexibility will make the M2 Pro Mac Mini much more appealing to certain people. But great things never come cheap: you’ll pay a minimum of $1,299 for a Mini with the M2 Pro chip, and that one’s got 10 CPU and 16 GPU cores. The configuration I tested, with two more CPU and three more GPU cores, 1TB of storage, and 16GB of RAM, costs $1,799. 

Mac Mini (2023) benchmarks

At that point, you’re bumping up against the price of a base Mac Studio, which comes with that more graphics-capable M1 Max chip. The Mini I’d personally want, with a 2TB SSD, 32GB of RAM, and 10-gigabit ethernet, would run $2,699. Ouch.

But remember that there’s no such thing (yet) as an iMac with an M2 Pro inside. So for anyone who wants a Mac desktop but finds the Mac Studio to be overkill — and it’s exactly that for many use cases — this M2 Pro Mini could make a ton of sense. And it doesn’t cost anywhere near as much. The only port I’ve missed from the Studio and my MacBook Pro is the built-in SD card slot. But even without that, you’re left with a ton of possibilities from this generous helping of ports. I do wish one or two of those Thunderbolt 4 ports were on the front of the Mini; alas, you’ve still got to reach around back to get at everything.

Agree to Continue: Apple Mac Mini (2023)

Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it — contracts that no one actually reads. It’s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit “agree” to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don’t read and definitely can’t negotiate.

In order to get past the setup and actually use the Mac Mini, you are required to agree to:

• The macOS software license agreement, which includes Apple’s warranty agreement and the Game Center terms and conditions

These agreements are nonnegotiable, and you cannot use the Mini at all if you don’t agree to them.

There are also several optional agreements, including:

• Location services
• Using an iCloud account adds iCloud terms and conditions and Find My location services
• Sending crash and usage data to Apple to help app developers
• Allowing Apple to use your Siri transcripts to improve voice recognition
• Apple Pay terms and conditions

That’s three mandatory agreements and six optional ones.

Apple doesn’t offer any discounts on the Studio Display or the company’s keyboard and mouse accessories when bundled together with the Mini, which is a shame. Even so, part of the Mini’s charm dates back to that “BYODKM” phrase that Steve Jobs used when introducing it in 2005 : you’re free to bring whatever display, keyboard, and mouse you like best and pair them with this powerful Mac mini-tower. This can open up potential desk setups that aren’t possible with Apple’s own gear. You’re not constrained to a 60Hz monitor, for instance. I did feel the sting of losing Touch ID when I switched away from Apple’s Magic Keyboard in favor of my own, but I can live without it. The idea of phasing out my large, heavy MacBook Pro for a powerful Mac Mini rig at home — and a lighter M2 MacBook Air or 12.9-inch iPad Pro when on the move — is really growing on me.

It shouldn’t be surprising that the 2023 Mac Mini is the best version of the product that Apple has pulled off yet. It looks the same but benefits greatly from the M2 platform, and that’s true whether you choose the standard chip or invest in the powerful M2 Pro. Either way, you also gain better Wi-Fi and can expect very few bumps this far into the Apple silicon transition. Spend more on the M2 Pro, and on top of the mighty speed, you’ll get to take advantage of even more Thunderbolt 4 ports and more external displays. 

If you’ve been waiting for the in-betweener Mac that’s more capable than the iMac and less exorbitant than the Mac Studio, look no further. The new Mac Mini is still small and not the type of computer that calls attention to itself on your desk, but it’s never been more mighty.

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Apple Mac Mini (2023) review: Faster, cheaper, better

Apple Mac Mini M2

Pros and cons.

• $100 cheaper than its predecessor
• Just as capable as systems costing many times as much
• 10%-20% performance boost over M1 generation
• Storage is slower than previous-gen models
• Still limited to just two displays
• Prices jump quickly for upgraded configs

In November 2020, Apple introduced its first M1 Mac Mini . The $700-plus PC made a huge splash almost instantly thanks to the shocking capability of Apple's first-gen, first-party silicon to provide as much power as systems costing several times as much. The relatively inexpensive unit quickly became the darling of shoppers looking for an affordable second PC for the den, small businesses wanting a reliable desktop, and even creative professionals on a budget. 

Now, Apple is back a little over two years later with an upgraded M2 version of the same system that, to the surprise of many, launched at a $100 discount from the previous model.

Also:  Mac Mini (M2) vs. Mac Studio: Which is better?  

While the cheaper base configuration of the new system does include slower onboard storage (more on this later), it also provides processing performance superior to its already impressive ancestor. The result is a desktop system that makes it so that most other general-purpose desktops and midrange workstations will need to not only justify their pricing but also their need to exist at all. 

Specifications

Video review.

Build and features

This will be an easy section to get through for anyone familiar with the original M1 Mac Mini , as the M2 Mac Mini is, at least on the outside, physically identical. It has all of the same ports, the same size and weight (within a few ounces), and the same external features. 

Just like its predecessor, the M2 Mac Mini doesn't have an overabundance of ports, but it's got enough to handle nearly all home uses and the majority of professional workstation setups. The only limitation that still irks somewhat is the mere two display outputs (one HDMI and one Thunderbolt 4). 

Also:  This $75 dock turns your Mac Mini into a Mac Studio (sort of)

Thankfully, there are ways to  reconfigure this to add a second Thunderbolt monitor that will work with the M2 model, as well as some external docking stations that can support additional displays. 

Available ports: two Thunderbolt 4, one HDMI, two USB-A 3.1 Gen 2, one Gigabit Ethernet, and one 3.5mm headphone jack.

Unlike the M1 generation, you also now have the option to upgrade to the M2 Pro model, which supports three displays. It still doesn't quite match the number of displays supported by older, Intel-based Mac Minis, but it is a step in the right direction if this is a limitation that concerns you.

Performance

The single most impressive thing about the M1 Mac Mini was its performance. While the M2 Mini doesn't provide the massive step up from its direct predecessor that the M1 provided over Intel-based Mac Minis, it does offer enhancements. Testing both systems using the well-respected Geekbench 5 benchmark (seen below) showed the single-core performance of the M2 is about 10% higher than the M1, while its multicore results jumped an even more impressive 22%.

The 2023 (M2) Mac Mini results are on the left, while the 2020 (M1) Mac Mini results are on the right.

Figures like this are great ways to quantify performance upgrades, but what's more important is how the system actually feels to the user. To that end, I'll note that there was a detectable, consistent benefit when performing a task on the M2 versus the older, otherwise identical, M1 model. 

Photoshop workflows, for instance, felt faster, with any action that required a load time seeming about 25% speedier to me, on average. Similar speed boosts were detectable across other photo, video, and sound editing software as well. General tasks like browsing the web showed fewer perceptible benefits, but mostly only because they were already so instant on the M1.  

Apple makes a point to highlight the performance boosts the M2 offers for Photoshop use over older M1 and Intel models.

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The only area where the M2 Mini actually saw any degradation in performance is the speed of its built-in storage. It's important to note that this primarily affects the  $599 base model  with 256GB of storage. Where Apple used dual 128GB SSD storage chips on the M1 Mini, the M2 model instead has a single 256GB chip. 

I won't go too deeply into things like raid arrays and NAND configurations. Instead, I'll just note that the general consensus across many testers and analysts is that this decision results in the overall read/write speeds of the onboard storage for the 256GB model being between 25% and 55% slower.

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There are two important things to note here. First, most saving and opening tasks, even on several-hundred-megabyte files, still happen pretty much instantly on the M2 Mac Mini. It's only when you get to files pushing 1GB or more that a loading bar tends to get involved. 

If you were wondering, the pairing process with any current-gen Apple peripherals is flawless and nearly instant.

Second, this difference in speed will mostly affect creators and professionals handling large video, sound, or image files. However, those types of users very likely would never be able to subsist on 256GB of storage anyway. This means they'll either have upgraded to the 512GB or higher models or would be using external storage solutions that have entirely separate read/write speeds. 

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In short, for the majority of the users who would choose the 256GB storage option, the reduction in speed won't impact them nearly as much as that 25% to 55% would seem to suggest. That said, make sure to determine what your specific performance needs are before you buy. As with all recent Macs , you're stuck with the specs you purchase, with no subsequent upgrades available once you take your new Mac Mini home. 

Should I buy one?

Getting this question answered is the entire reason why reviews exist. Unfortunately, us reviewers, myself included, often need to qualify the answer with conditionals and scenarios due to just how varied a given product's potential user base is. 

While I can't give you an absolute answer, I can say with about as much confidence as I possess that the answer in this case is almost certainly yes. Of course, there are still just a few of those nagging "buts" I have to address. 

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To be clear, it's only if you fall into one of the very specific categories below that I feel you should not buy the M2 Mac Mini. For literally everyone else, it's the first desktop I'd recommend for its incredible price-to-performance ratio, its perfect reliability during my testing, and that same simplicity and user-friendliness that has long been a trademark of MacOS systems.

The cases where I'd recommend against it are:

• The difference in storage speed really will impact you:  As mentioned above, if you frequently open or save massive files, consider either external storage options or an upgraded storage tier before purchasing. 
• You absolutely need access to software that's not available for MacOS:  Unlike older Intel-based Macs, the M2 (like the M1 before it) doesn't offer an easy way to run Windows-based software. This means if a Windows-only title is vital to your work or play, you're out of luck. 
• You're a gamer:  Macs are still bad at serious gaming, despite the massive performance improvements brought on by Apple silicon. The lack of a discrete GPU, poor MacOS support among game devs, and other technical factors mean this is just not the system to buy if you plan on serious gaming. 

Apple M2 Mac Mini

Bottom line .

The below image best sums up why the M2 Mac Mini is such an easy recommendation. In the background is a "small form factor" PC I built myself a couple of years ago. In the foreground is the M2 Mac Mini. The PC I built cost around $1,500 at the time, while the Mac Mini costs $599 today. Setting aside the bulleted exceptions above, there is absolutely nothing that the larger PC can do that the M2 Mac Mini can not only do, but do better. 

Apple's M2 Mac Mini sitting in front of a "small form factor" PC I built myself a couple of years ago.

It's less than half the price, takes up less than a quarter of the space, and uses a fraction of the power that PC does, but it's still a better home PC for all of that. The same superiority to competing home PC options holds true for a very large portion of professional settings as well. The M1 Mini totally disrupted the home PC industry for a reason, and its M2 follow-up just enhances its accomplishments by taking a level of performance that was already more than most users needed and boosting it even further.

The new Mac Mini starting price of $599 , even with the reduction in storage speed, makes this system more accessible and well-suited to a wider range of users  than ever. If you need a desktop for your home or business, this is almost certainly the one to get. 

Alternatives to consider 

Intel nuc 12 pro.

If you need access to Windows-only apps, but still want a tiny system that packs everything into a footprint similar to the Mac Mini, consider Intel's latest NUC release . Its base model is a little more expensive, but it's about the closest thing you can get in a Windows equivalent.

M2 MacBook Air

If you're only going to buy one system, you're likely better off with a laptop than a desktop. That's because a laptop can always become a desktop via a docking solution, while a desktop will always be tied to your home workstation. If portability is something you expect to need, and you don't want to buy two PCs, consider grabbing an M2 MacBook Air instead. It was our 2022 product of the year because it provides all the same benefits as the new Mac Mini, and throws incredible portability in for good measure.

HP Omen 40L

If you want a desktop that's mostly a match for the M2 Mac Mini in other areas, but also offers the option to get down to some serious gaming, HP's Omen 40L model fits that bill. Just be aware the addition of a discrete GPU means you'll be spending more and taking up more desk space. 

Featured reviews

Mac mini M2 review: More power for less

Apple's tiniest mac gets even better with an m2 upgrade.

Tom's Guide Verdict

Apple has outdone itself with the Mac mini M2, improving upon its predecessor's already excellent value by chopping $100 off the price and slotting in a speedy M2 chip. The option to upgrade it to an M2 Pro sweetens the deal, turning this pint-sized PC into a decent gaming machine.

Powerful, especially with M2 Pro

Small, quiet and looks good on a desk

$100 cheaper than predecessor

Not user-repairable or upgradable

Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.

Price: $1,799 Processor: Apple M2 Pro (12-core CPU, 19-core GPU) RAM : 16 GB Storage: 1TB SSD Ports: 4x Thunderbolt 4/USB4, 2x USB-A. HDMI out, Ethernet (up to 10GB), 3.5mm headphone jack Size: 7.7 x 7.7 x 1.4 inches Weight: 2.8 pounds

The Apple Mac mini M2 ($599) is faster and cheaper than its predecessor, sweetening what was already a pretty compelling deal on the best mini PC for most people.

You wouldn't know the difference by looking at it, since the Mac mini M2 appears almost identical to the Mac mini M1 Apple launched in 2020. But it's what's inside that counts. Like its predecessor, the Mac mini M2 is the first Apple desktop to get upgraded with Apple's latest slice of bespoke silicon: the M2 chip. And for the first time, you can choose to upgrade the Mac mini with an even more powerful version, the M2 Pro.

The M2 Pro offers better performance and more features than the M2, and both run circles around the old M1 chips. After testing and reviewing a new Mac mini M2 with M2 Pro I'm confident it's one of the best computers on the market, especially if you're looking for a pint-sized powerhouse that looks good on a desk.

Mac mini M2 review: Price and release date

The Mac mini M2 is available for order via Apple's website at a starting price of $599 (roughly £649 in the U.K. or AU $999 in Australia), and shipments start arriving January 24. The entry-level model packs an M2 chip with an 8-core CPU, a 10-core GPU, 8GB of memory and a 256GB SSD for storage.

If you want more power under the hood, you can pay extra for more memory, more storage, a faster Ethernet port or a more powerful M2 Pro chip. The Mac mini with M2 Pro has a starting price of $1,299, making the price of upgrading the chip roughly $700. Of course, you get more than just the upgrade to Pro at that price: the entry-level Mac mini with M2 Pro is not only more powerful (10-core CPU, 16-core GPU), it also has more memory and storage (16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) than the entry-level Mac mini, as well as more ports. 

If you want to kit a new Mac mini M2 out with all the bells and whistles, you can fully upgrade it with a top-of-the-line M2 Pro chip (12-core CPU, 19-core GPU), 32GB of RAM, an 8TB SSD and a 10Gb Ethernet port instead of the standard 1Gb. However, all those upgrades raise the price to a cool $4,499.

For review purposes, Apple sent us an upgraded Mac mini M2 with an upgraded M2 Pro chip (12-core CPU, 19-core GPU), 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. To buy the same machine, you'd pay roughly $1,799.

Mac mini M2 review: Design

The design of the Mac mini M2 appears almost identical to that of the Mac mini M1, and that's just fine by me. At 7.7 x 7.7 x 1.4 inches and just under 3 pounds, the low-slung Mac mini M2 fits easily into all sorts of desk arrangements.

It looks good, too, with rounded corners and a silvery aluminum chassis sporting a big black Apple logo on top. It resembles nothing so much as a metallic Apple icon extruded up out of your desk, and I like it.

Just like its predecessor, the Mac mini M2 can appear as though it's floating slightly above your desk thanks to the elevated base, which tapers down from the rounded rectangular chassis to a circular black plastic disc which covers the bottom. Don't expect to be opening up the case or upgrading the internals yourself — these machines are designed to be serviced by Apple alone.

Mac mini M2 review: Ports

There's a decent array of ports on the back of the Mac mini M2, and it gets even better if you upgrade to a Mac mini M2 Pro. On the base model, you get a pair of Thunderbolt 4/USB4 ports, another pair of USB-A ports, an HDMI out, an Ethernet port and a 3.5mm audio jack. 

Upgrade to the Mac mini M2 Pro and you get double the Thunderbolt 4 ports, for a total of four. You also get improved external display support thanks to the added power of the M2 Pro. 

This likely won't make much difference for most, but for true multi-monitor fiends the Mac mini with M2 Pro can support up to three external displays, two via Thunderbolt (at up to 6K resolution and 60Hz refresh rate) and one via HDMI (at up to 4K /60Hz). The HDMI port is also capable of supporting one 8K display with a refresh rate of up to 60Hz or a 4K display with a refresh rate of up to 240Hz, which is remarkably high on both counts. 

The entry-level Mac mini is no slouch in this department either, and it can support up to two external displays at up to the same resolutions (6K via Thunderbolt 4, 4K via HDMI). However, the entry-level Mac mini can't support an 8K or 240Hz display — only the M2 Pro model can handle that.

Mac mini M2 review: Performance

In my time using the Mac mini M2 for work and play, I've found it (and the upgraded M2 Pro chip inside) to be more than capable of handling just about anything I throw at it. I had no trouble flipping between 30+ tabs in Chrome and Safari while listening to music and playing a game in windowed mode, with apps like Lightroom opening nigh-instantaneously. 

I was also surprised at how much fun I had playing games like Metro Exodus and Resident Evil Village , which run better than I expected on the upgraded M2 Pro chip. I'll talk a bit about actual performance numbers when gaming shortly, but first let's talk about the results we got from our in-house performance testing lab.

The Mac mini M2 is a capable gaming machine, especially when fully upgraded."

When we first tested Apple's M2 chip in the MacBook Air M2 and the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 , I was impressed but not blown away. The M2 chip proved meaningfully faster than the M1 in our performance tests, but it was an evolution rather than the revolution I was hoping for after seeing the incredible performance of the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips in Apple's 2021 MacBook Pros . Those upgraded M1 chips are absolutely beastly, and they gave me newfound respect for Apple silicon. 

That's why I was so excited to hear that Apple was sending us an upgraded Mac mini with an M2 Pro chip for review — I finally get to see what an upgraded M2 can do when it's in a desktop Mac, where you don't need to worry as much about cooling and power draw. 

Now that we've put the Mac mini with M2 Pro through our gauntlet of performance tests, I'm pleased to report it's more than powerful enough for just about anything save serious gaming and demanding content creation. If you just want a lightning-quick Mac for getting work done, browsing the web and playing games, the Mac mini with M2 Pro is plenty powerful for your needs.

When we put our review unit to the test using the Geekbench 5.4 multi-core CPU benchmark, it earned a score of 15,038. That's good, and better than what the M1 Pro chip earned (12,477) when we put the 2021 MacBook Pro through its paces. In fact, it's almost as good as the 17,229 earned by the 12th Gen Core i9 Intel CPU in a recent Acer Predator Orion 7000 gaming PC we tested, which shows you that Apple's latest mid-grade Mac chip is catching up to Intel's top-tier CPUs in terms of performance.

Of course, the M2 Pro in our Mac mini review unit can't keep up with the top tier of Intel's latest 13th Gen CPUs, which are just now hitting the market. I know because we recently tested a 13th Gen Core i9 CPU in an Origin PC, and it achieved a multi-core score of 24,054 in the same Geekbench 5.4 benchmark. 

Still, the M2 Pro delivers remarkable performance for a Mac mini, and in my experience it can handle multitasking between as many apps and browser tabs as you care to throw at it.

Of course, we didn't stop there. When we put the Mac mini M2's SSD to the test, we discovered it's faster than just about any Mac we've tested. In the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test, the Mac mini M2 earned a write score of 6,186 and a read score of 5,057, which are way better than what we saw from the original 2020 Mac mini M1 (2,233/2,772 write/read). It's also far faster than the SSDs in the 2022 MacBook Air and Pro, though it's just a bit slower than the SSD in the new 2023 MacBook Pro M2 Pro (6,502/5,309). 

If you care more about how fast you can crunch video or launch Adobe apps, I've got good news for you: the Mac mini with an M2 Pro is plenty fast enough at both. We timed how fast it took for our review unit to transcode a 4K video down to 1080p using Handbrake, and it managed the task in a speedy 4 minutes and 26 seconds. That's nearly twice as fast as the 2020 Mac mini with M1 (8:11) and just a bit faster than the 2021 MacBook Pro with M1 Pro (4:51).  

To evaluate its performance in Adobe's suite of apps, we put a copy of Pugetbench on our review unit and let 'er rip. This software is designed to test a PC's performance in the most popular Adobe apps, and the Mac mini M2 put up scores that are pretty beefy for its size. Our review unit earned a score of 964 in the Pugetbench Photoshop benchmark and 847 in the Premiere Pro benchmark, which is leagues better than the Mac mini M1 (which struggled to even run the tests, though that may have something to do with the fact that it was the first time we were running them on silicon from Apple instead of Intel or AMD). 

The M2 Pro chip in our Mac Mini M2 couldn't keep up with the M2 Max chip inside the 2023 MacBook Pro we tested (1,119 Photoshop/1,009 Premiere Pro), but that's to be expected given that the M2 Max is a more powerful chip and that MacBook Pro has double the memory (64GB) of our Mac mini M2.

Finally, let's talk gaming on the Mac mini M2. The top-tier M2 Pro chip Apple put in our review unit has a 12-core CPU and a 19-core GPU, and it's good enough to run many of the latest (macOS-compatible) games at solid framerates with graphics set to medium or higher. 

Anecdotally, I can tell you that I was able to play older games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive at 1080p with the graphical settings maxed out at 100+ frames per second with no trouble. I was also able to fire up Metro Exodus, a comparatively recent game that can demand a lot from your GPU, and play it at 4K on medium settings with an average framerate of 30 fps. I even managed to get it up and running at 5K on the Apple Studio Display , though even at medium settings I was unable to get more than 15-20 fps while playing at such a high resolution. 

Obviously this machine isn't built for gaming, but my hands-on testing suggests you can play a lot of the latest Mac-compatible games at 1080p or higher on the Mac mini M2, and you can get decent performance from one upgraded with a maxed-out M2 Pro chip and 16GB of memory.

When we ran some our favorite Mac-compatible game benchmarks on the Mac mini M2 with M2 Pro, we saw good results that back up my own experience. When we ran the Rise of the Tomb Raider graphical benchmark, our review unit managed to achieve 53.2 fps @ 1080p resolution and just 8.7 fps @ the Studio Display's native 5K resolution. We also ran the Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm graphical benchmark, and the Mac mini M2 managed 50.3 fps @ 1080p and 43.6 fps @ 4K. 

These aren't the latest and greatest games, but we use them to benchmark performance because they run on a wide variety of both Mac and Windows PCs. While these scores pale in comparison to the best gaming PCs, they're quite good for a desktop Mac and prove the Mac mini M2 is more than capable of playing the best Mac games , especially when fully upgraded. 

Mac mini M2 review: Verdict

After spending some time testing the Mac mini M2, it's not hard to recommend. The base model is faster and cheaper than its predecessor, making it the de facto best choice for anyone in the market for a pint-sized Mac desktop. 

Plus, the option to upgrade it with an M2 Pro chip is a welcome one that can turn this PC into a half-decent gaming machine. Sure, it can't compete with the best gaming PCs on the market, but it's far cheaper, smaller and quieter than they are. And really, the biggest limitation on the Mac mini M2's gaming potential isn't the hardware itself but the lack of official macOS support for many games.

While you can get better raw performance out of a Mac desktop if you splurge for a Mac Studio with M1 Ultra or an old-fashioned Mac Pro, both of those options will cost you several thousand dollars more than a fully upgraded Mac mini M2 Pro. They're great PCs for those that need (and can afford) them, but for most of us the new Mac mini M2 seems like a solid deal that delivers power and versatility at a great price. 

Alex Wawro is a lifelong tech and games enthusiast with more than a decade of experience covering both for outlets like Game Developer, Black Hat, and PC World magazine. A lifelong PC builder, he currently serves as a senior editor at Tom's Guide covering all things computing, from laptops and desktops to keyboards and mice. 

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Review: Apple Mac Mini (M2 Pro, 2023)

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it's easy to overlook the Mac Mini: Apple’s small, squarish PC isn’t particularly exciting. It’s not ultra-powerful like the Mac Studio , modular like the Mac Pro, or colorful like the 24-inch iMac . You can't quite tote it around and work anywhere like you can with a MacBook. But it’s Apple’s most utilitarian machine, and that's more evident with the 2023 refresh. 

The new Mac Mini is similar to its predecessor from 2020 except it now employs Apple's next-gen M2 and M2 Pro processors . That alone breathes new life into this compact system, as it's a low-cost plug-and-play solution that's still powerful enough for the likes of content creators. The base price is more affordable than ever, starting at $599, and the Mac Mini is the cheapest way to access the M2 Pro processor at $1,299. The only other M2 Pro-powered Macs are the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros , which start at $1,999 and $2,499, respectively. The closest desktop alternative is the base Mac Studio with an M1 Max chip for $1,999. But most people don't need that much power. 

It doesn't have to be showy. Whichever processor you get, the Mini is a smart and hassle-free way to get all the power most people need without emptying your wallet—and you actually have a say on what kind of peripherals to get. 

The Mac Mini still follows the BYODKM rule. The initialism, originally used by Steve Jobs when he announced the first Mac Mini in 2005, stands for “bring your own display, keyboard, and mouse,” because you get only the machine and a power cord in the box. You'll definitely want to add a pair of speakers for when you're not using headphones, because the built-in speakers aren't pleasant.  

This BYO design is great news if you already have those peripherals. Plug everything in and you're good to go. Even if you're starting from scratch and building your workspace, it doesn't need to be too expensive. There are tons of cheap and excellent keyboards , mice , and monitors you can snag that won't balloon the cost. The machine itself is tiny and unobtrusive, so it's easy to plan accessories around its footprint. And at 2.6 pounds it's lightweight and portable, which makes it great for hybrid workers splitting time between the home and the office. 

If you prefer tons of screens around your workspace, then you may be disappointed to learn that the base Mac Mini still only supports two external displays, just like the M1-powered model. That's enough for most people, but if you upgrade to the M2 Pro you can connect up to three displays to bask in all that blue light. 

My main gripe with the Mac Mini is its ports. The M2-powered model has two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, two USB-A, an HDMI, a 10-gigabit Ethernet connection, and a 3.5-mm headphone jack. If you upgrade to the M2 Pro version, you get two extra Thunderbolt 4 ports. But I wish Apple brought the same selection from the Mac Studio, with two USB-C ports and an SD card slot on the front of the machine. 

I tested the Mac Mini with the M2 Pro, Apple's newest chip in the M-series lineup. Compared to the M1 Pro, Apple says its successor has 20 percent faster CPU performance (than the 10-core M1 Pro) and graphics that are 30 percent faster. My configuration consisted of a 12-core CPU, 19-core GPU, 16 gigabytes of memory, and a 1-terabyte SSD. You can upgrade up to 32 gigabytes of memory and 8 terabytes of storage if you don't balk at the cost. 

My daily workflow involves simple tasks like word processing and web browsing, so I handed the Mac Mini over to my partner, who is a professional video maker, to give it a proper stress test. After importing multiple streams of RED 4K footage (about 300 gigabytes at about 8:1 compression) into Final Cut Pro, we applied 3D tracking, color correction, stabilization, and a few mild effects, plus moved clips around the timeline. The M2 Pro felt snappy and showed zero signs of choking.

The same applies to gaming on the Mac Mini. I played some Resident Evil Village , and the spooky setting looked great and the gameplay felt fluid. ( So smooth that I started to feel nauseous after a while.) The Mini did get hot after some time, but it's not in your lap like a MacBook might be, so this wasn't really an issue. It also is pretty darn silent, which is always a plus. 

If you're wondering whether you should stick with the affordable M2 Mac Mini or splurge on the M2 Pro variant, let me break it down for you. If you intend to use this machine for basic tasks like browsing the web, sending emails, and taking video calls, the M2 is plenty. However, I recommend upgrading to the model with 512 GB of internal storage, as the Mac Mini reportedly features slower SSD speeds on the base model , just like the base M2 MacBook Air . 

The M2 Pro, on the other hand, is a great desktop option for most video and photo editors. It won't feel like you're pushing the machine beyond its boundaries. Plus, the extra ports are always nice. (Professionals working with heavy-duty tasks like 3D rendering and motion graphics should still opt for the M1 Max chip on the Mac Studio .) 

By offering a choice between an M2 or an M2 Pro, Apple is filling a crucial and seriously large gap that it previously ignored. But as simple as it is to use this machine, these Macs still don't offer many pathways for upgrades in the future, unlike a traditional desktop PC.

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M4 Mac mini: Everything you need to know

Apple’s M3 chip has been available since the end of October 2023. It features in the MacBook Pro M3 and iMac and was recently added to the MacBook Air, but it is still absent from the Mac mini. How long will we have to wait for Apple to roll out the M3 to the rest of the range? Or will Apple skip it and decide to release a new Mac mini with an M4 chip?

This article is designed to help you figure out what’s happening with the M3 and M3 Pro versions of the Mac mini–or if Apple skips the M3 series and goes straight to M4. We’ve gathered all the information from rumors and reports in one spot and will provide insight as to what’s feasible and what’s not.

We’ll update this article whenever new information becomes available.

Update September 1, 2024 : Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that the upcoming M4 Mac mini will have five USB-C ports and no USB-A ports.

See our MacBook Pro M3 review and our MacBook Pro M3 Pro review . We also have an iMac M3 review and M3 MacBook Air review.

New Mac mini: Skipping the M3, straight to M4?

An April 11 report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said that Apple plans to update the Mac mini with an AI-enhanced M4 chip in the second half of 2024. On Apple 21, Gurman stated that Apple will likely skip an M3 update for the Mac mini and go straight to M4 later this year. On August 4, Gurman reported that the M4 Mac mini will be released in 2024.

New Mac mini: Release date

• M3 Mac mini: May 7 event
• M4 Mac mini: Late 2024

Apple released the M2 & M2 Pro Mac mini over a year ago in January 2023. Before that, the M1 Mac mini was released in November 2020. That’s over two years between the M1 and M2 Mac mini, but the Covid pandemic affected production. There should be no reason for the launch of the M3 and M3 Pro Mac mini to be delayed, especially since the M3 and M3 Pro chips are available in other models.

If Apple does continue with an M3 Mac mini, we could see it at Apple’s spring event on May 7 , or at WWDC in June . In early August 2023, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple was performing preliminary tests on a M3 Mac mini , suggesting a new M3 model is in the pipeline.

In June, Mark Gurman reported that the Mac released schedule had not changed. The M4 Mac mini is not expected until the end of 2024 or early 2025. In August, Gurman reported that an M4 Mac mini will be released before the end of 2024.

Apple will hold an iPhone 16 / Apple Watch 10 launch event in September (see how to watch the Apple September event live stream ), but new Apple products launch throughout the year – see when is the next Apple event to learn more about the company’s product launch plans.

The M2 Pro Mac mini.

Jason Cross / Foundry

New Mac mini: Price

• Price drops outside the U.S. are somewhat likely.

Rumors about the M3/M4 Mac mini have not addressed prices and the price is unlikely to change inside the U.S. However, we do hope that there will be price drops outside the U.S. to reverse price hikes a few years ago.

Apple has been adjusting prices following previous price hikes. When Apple has updated Macs and iPhones since late 2023 it reduced some prices in locations outside the U.S. The U.K. prices of the M3 MacBook Air, for example, ‘match’ the U.S. prices. For example, the M2 MacBook Air now costs $999/£999. That’s a good sign for the M3 Mac mini–it could follow the same standard configuration prices of $599/£599 (currently £649) and $799/£799 (currently £849) when it is finally released. In 2020, the M1 Mac mini had prices of $699/£699 and $899/£899.

New Mac mini: Processor and specs

• M3: 3nm chip with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB unified memory (16GB and 24GB options)
• M3 Pro: 11 or 12 core CPU, 14 or 18 GPU cores, 18GB unified memory (36GB option)
• M4: AI enhancements

We have a fair idea of what to expect from the Mac mini M3 and M3 Pro because we have already seen those chips in the MacBook Pro, iMac, and MacBook Air. Apple is said to put an AI emphasis on the M4 so that it could have similar CPU and GPU specs as the M3 but with a larger Neural Engine and more unified memory.

The new 3nm process used for the M3 (and possibly for the M4) allows more transistors to fit on a chip, which should provide a performance boost. The M3 will also offer better power efficiency, so the temperature considerations required for the M1 or M2 Mac mini aren’t the same as the M3, which could allow it to run faster because it doesn’t get as hot.

In addition, the M3 GPU is faster and more efficient and features Dynamic Caching, a new technology that brings features like hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading to the Mac.

As for the amount of unified memory, Apple still offers the standard configuration of 8GB for the M3 and options for 16GB and 24GB, as with the M2. For the M3 Pr,o there is up to 36GB of unified memory available, but the standard configuration is now 18GB memory (up from 16GB).

For more information read about how the different generations of Mac processors compare .

New Mac mini: Ports/Connectivity

• Possibly five USB-C ports and no USB-A

When Apple released the M1 Mac mini in 2020, the company reconfigured the ports so that it had two Thunderbolt/USB-C ports instead of the four that were on the Intel-based Mac mini. Apple.

In September, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that the M4 Mac mini will have five USB-C ports, two on the front and three on the back. It will not have USB-A ports. He also said it will have ethernet and HDMI.

The M2 Mac mini already has Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, but Apple could opt for Wi-FI 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.

Apple will likely not change the port configuration on the M3 Mac mini.

New Mac mini: Design

• Hints of a possible Mac mini redesign with the M4 update.

The current Mac mini features a 7.75-by-7.75-by-1.41 inch (19.7-by-19.7-by-3.6 centimeter) external design. In August, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that one of the Macs will get a “dramatic change” in its design along with its M4 update. Though Gurman didn’t specifically say that the Mac mini was going to be the Mac with the new design, the Mac mini has had its design for six years, leading to speculation that the M4 Mac mini could be the Mac being referenced.

Author: Roman Loyola , Senior Editor, Macworld

Roman is a Macworld Senior Editor with over 30 years of experience covering the tech industry, focusing on the Mac and other products in the Apple ecosystem. He is also the host of the Macworld Podcast. His career started at MacUser, where he received Apple certification as a repair technician (when Apple did that kind of thing). He's also worked for MacAddict, MacLife, and TechTV.

Recent stories by Roman Loyola:

• Got a problem with your Mac, iPhone, or iPad? Macworld’s Mac 911 can help
• These 10 Apple event keynote moments changed everything
• The M4 Mac mini might finally have the courage to dump its USB-A ports

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Where can I go on a mini cruise in 2023 & 2024

Amsterdam, netherlands.

A true capital of culture, Amsterdam is a must-see city. Navigate its Golden age canals, explore the 'Dutch' way by bike, take in its vibrant arts scene, or venture out of the city and explore the Netherland's beautiful countryside and charming villages on our Amsterdam mini cruises.

Visit the Flower Auction at Aalsmeer

Immerse yourself in the fragrant aromas and dazzling colors, and learn about the sophisticated sorting process on the auction floor where millions of flowers are bought and sold daily. 

Explore Amsterdam by boat

Amsterdam has more than 160 canals and 1,500 bridges and there's nothing like seeing a city from the water. Discover the central canal area, or “Canal Belt,” which was built in the 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age, gliding by 400 year old warehouses, mansions and historic churches.

Discover iconic museums and galleries

Amsterdam has museums and galleries for every interest. From the Van Gogh museum boasting the largest collection of paintings by the artist to Anne Frank's house, to lesser know gems such as Electric Ladyland, dedicated to flourescent art. 

Bruges, Belgium

Cities don’t get much prettier than Bruges. Picture quaint cobbled lanes, fairy tale spires and mirror-like canals; a place where photogenic market squares give way to networks of secretive streets. Of course, don't forget to sample the region's signature beer and chocolate on a short cruise to Bruges.

Learn the art of chocolate making

Explore the charming old city of Ghent and delve into the history and production of the culinary staple it is most known for – chocolate. Best of all, you’ll be treated to a delicious tasting and demonstration.

Discover Bruges city highlights

Wander the streets of the old town, a UNESCO world heritage site, past the famous Belfry Tower and Market Square and Burg Square, the focal point of life in ancient Bruges. Climb all 366 steps to the top of the Belfry Bell Tower and be rewarded with panoramic views of the city.  For a different perspective sit back and relax as you weave through the city's canals to take in the sights. 

Cycle to Damme

Begin your journey in the scenic city center before leaving the city behind to journey into the magnificent Flemish countryside. As you make your way to Damme near the Dutch border, you'll pass charming villages, ride under the shade of lush trees, admire countryside farms, and view Belgium's windmills. 

Set sail on luxurious Celebrity Silhouette®

Elevating your holiday at sea to a whole new level, celebrity silhouette was revolutionised in february 2020. in this video go on an in-depth tour to explore every corner of this luxurious ship, including exciting new features such as the addition of the retreat®..

Celebrity Apex is a Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Rated resort at sea.

With an innovative outward-facing design and visionary spaces that stand apart from anything else at sea (with the exception of her equally stunning sisters, of course), Celebrity Apex will revolutionize the way you experience the world, all with the convenience of sailing directly from the UK.

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Apple Mac Mini (2023) Review

A brilliant, versatile desktop computer

The Apple Mac Mini (2023) remains an impressively compact yet powerful machine. It’s ideal for those who work at a desktop but want a Mac that doesn’t take up much room. Despite it’s small size, it’s got the power to get plenty of tasks done without blinking.

• Easily fits into existing setups
• Powerful, and with plenty of options to make it more powerful
• No SD card slot
• Higher-end M2 Pro models get close to Mac Studio’s price

Availability

• UK RRP: £649
• USA RRP: $599
• Europe RRP: €699
• Canada RRP: CA$799
• Australia RRP: AU$999

Key Features

• M2 or M2 Pro chipsets Versatile internals that can provide serious power
• HDMI port Easily plug into an existing monitor

Introduction

The Mac Mini (2023) is one of the easiest to recommend Apple computers I have ever reviewed. But, a new M3 version now hangs over making this purchase. Nevertheless, it remains excellent value for money.

Available with either the M2 – just like the 13-inch MacBook Air M2 and the recently released MacBook Air 15-inch – or a more powerful M2 Pro chip , the Mac Mini (2023) is the most accessible way to jump into the M-series Mac ecosystem Apple has created. There’s been no word from Apple on when a new M3-powered Mac Mini will launch but, with the M3 series making its debuted with the iMac (2023) and MacBook Pro towards the end of last year, it seems likely the new model will crop up some time over the next year.

Having two very distinct internal options also makes this a very versatile machine and in many ways a much better choice for most than the iMac 24-inch – especially for those who already have a monitor, keyboard and mouse lying around. But, if you do need more performance grunt, the Mac Studio is on the market, with the new Mac Studio (2023) having been released since the M2 Mac Mini debuted.

• Simple, silver design
• All the ports on the back
• An SD card on the front would have been welcome

The Apple Mac Mini (2023) is a ridiculously simple machine to look at. This both goes in its favour, and against it.

The basic look and small dimensions allow the Mac Mini (2023) to easily fit into an existing setup. The computer stands less than 4cm tall and less than 20cm wide, making it roughly half the height of the Mac Studio which looked chunky in comparison. 

I managed to slide the Apple Mac Mini (2023) under an existing monitor I tended to use with a connected MacBook, and I didn’t have to rejig too much to make it fit. I think the Mac Mini in general is best for those who already own a screen and peripherals (keyboard, mouse, trackpad) as that ensures the only outlay is for the machine itself.

The front and sides of the Mac Mini (2023) are completely clean, with all the I/O around the back. After using the Mac Studio, I found it slightly annoying having to reach behind the Mac Mini to plug anything in and the lack of an SD card reader (either on the front or the back) means many will have to add a dongle into the mix too. But then Apple will still want to sell the Mac Studio, so I can see why some of the features have been restricted to that.

The number of ports differs depending on the Mac Mini (2023) model chosen. The standard M2 model boasts HDMI (4K out up to 60Hz), 2x USB-A (up to 5Gb/s), 3.5mm headphone port, Gigabit Ethernet (configurable up to 10Gb Ethernet) and a duo of Thunderbolt 4 -enabled USB-C ports. Move to the M2 Pro version and you get an extra two Thunderbolt 4 ports.

That’s a decent selection of ports, whichever way you look at it. I’m surprised USB-A remains, especially as it was ditched on the recent iMacs, and HDMI means it’s not just USB-C monitors that’ll work.

Don’t feel the Mac Mini (2023) is restricted to rigid desk use, though. This could be an awesome media machine plugged into the television or projector, while the 1.2kg weight means it can comfortably fit in a backpack for taking between home and an office.

For me, the Mac Mini (2023) is easier to recommend to more people than the quickly ageing M1-powered iMac 24-inch. Not only does it have a newer, slightly snappier chip (plus the option of a far faster one in the M2 Pro) but it has more ports and a more versatile design. With the iMac you’re stuck with a single 24-inch display – with the Mac Mini you can choose whichever screen size suits your space, be it smaller or bigger. 

Performance

• Both M2 and M2 Pro options are available
• The base version is one of the best value Apple products
• Plenty of performance in a small shell

There are three versions of the Apple Mac Mini (2023) available directly from Apple and they vary quite a lot. In fact, it’s clear they are aimed at very different people. 

The first two are powered by the M2 chipset (the same one you’ll find in the excellent MacBook Air) while the third swaps that for the M2 Pro – a faster chip that’s also found in the recent 2023 MacBook Pro 14-inch . 

Apple could have easily labelled the M2 Pro option as a Mac Mini Pro and it probably would have made more sense.

The basic M2 model comes with up to a 2TB SSD, 24GB memory along with an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU. Plump for the cheapest option and you’ll get a 256GB SSD and 8GB memory – enough power for basic use no doubt, and it should be fine for some light video and photo editing too. You’ll even get some decent gaming performance in titles like Football Manager 2023.

The M2 Pro model in its basic configuration comes with 512G storage, 16GB memory, a 10-core CPU and a 16-core GPU. This is the pick for those who want more grunt, and as a comparison, this is pretty much the same internal specs that power the base MacBook Pro 14-inch.

Spend a bit more (£300/$300) and you can upgrade to a 12-core CPU and a 19-core GPU, while the memory can be upped to 32GB and the SSD up to 8TB. Spec it up too much and you’ll get near the price of the base Mac Studio, which is still a better choice for true Pro users.

All models come with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 , plus they can be configured with faster Ethernet for another extra fee.

For this review, I have been using the M2 Pro version with a 12-core CPU, 19-core GPU and 16GB memory. This is very much a high-end model, costing around £1700/$1700. While it’s nice having so much power, I don’t see this particular model being the most popular here – most spending this much would pay a bit more for the Mac Studio (now available with an M2 Max and M2 Ultra chip). Instead, I can see the base model ($599/£649) being far more popular.

But, the M2 Pro configuration I have here is a seriously capable machine. It’s quiet too, with the fans rarely whipping up even when rendering video or exporting 4K footage. It benchmarks very closely to the MacBook Pro 14-inch, with seriously impressive graphics and CPU scores across the board. 

The benefits of the upgraded GPU are most notable, with scores on average of over 5000 in the Basemark GPU. As a comparison, something like the Lenovo Slim 7i Pro with the RTX 3050 scored 1766. However, this is still well below the performance of a Mac Studio powered by the M1 Max.

You can see all the benchmark scores below; I have also included the MacBook Air M2 which will give an idea of how the cheaper M2-toting Mac Mini will run.

I was also impressed by the read and write speeds of the Apple Mac Mini (2023), which were noticeably faster than the MacBook Air. This should ensure speedy boot up times, as well as decent pace when installing or opening applications.

Elsewhere, the onboard speakers are adequate for podcasts and audio from YouTube videos though I would recommend connecting some external speakers – or maybe a HomePod Mini – for listening to music.

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Should you buy it.

You don’t need a laptop

If you work a lot from home, and already have a monitor, this is a smarter choice than plumping for a laptop. Either go for the M2 version and save lots of money or go for the M2 Pro and get more power than you’d ever find in a similarly-priced portable machine.

Portability is key

However, if your use case is still very much working ‘on the go’ then a laptop remains a smarter choice and still gives you the ability to plug into a monitor if you need more screen.

Final Thoughts

The Apple Mac Mini (2023) is a stunning proposition for those who work in one spot and don’t want a cumbersome desktop machine. Having options when it comes to the processor makes this machine impressively versatile. If you decide to go for the regular M2 base model then you’re getting power similar to the MacBook Air M2 for around half the price. For added power from the M2 Pro , you can spend a bit more and get the juice for more serious creative tasking.

The key alternative to this device at launch was the iMac 24-inch with its M1 chip, and I’d recommend the Mac Mini out of the two. It’s a more capable machine and offers versatility when it comes to choosing your display, peripherals and where you place it in your home. However, with the upgraded M3-powered iMac (2023) now available, the gap is less stark, if you’re keen to get the latest and greatest chip. But, if that is of concern, then it may be worth waiting for the Mac Mini with M3 to come down the line. There is still value in the M1 version though, while offering that all-important versatility.

Having used the Mac Studio for so long, there are some design elements from that machine I would have loved to see trickle down here. The front-facing SD card slot, for example, is a tiny detail that makes a huge difference, while the front USB-C ports are welcome too for quickly plugging something without fiddling around the back. Sometimes the overly simple design here holds it back. With the new M2 Max and M2 Ultra version of the Mac Studio (2023) now on the market, the Mac Mini also no longer has the M2 edge over its larger sibling.

Still, the Mac Mini (2023) does enough to make it an easy choice for many people and it’s another example of how Apple’s M-series of chips is making worrying about performance in more affordable machines a thing of the past.

How we test

Every PC we review goes through a series of uniform checks designed to gauge key aspects including build quality, performance, and accessibility.

These include formal synthetic benchmarks and scripted tests, plus a series of real-world checks.

We used it as our main PC for at least a week.

We tested the performance via both benchmark tests and real-world use.

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There’s a single Silver colour available.

Nope, the only one included is a power cable.

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2020 vs. 2023 Mac Mini Buyer's Guide

Following the Mac mini 's recent hardware refresh that added the M2 and ‌M2‌ Pro chips, what exactly do the latest machines bring to the table and is it worth upgrading from the previous generation?

First-time ‌Mac mini‌‌ customers or those upgrading from a much older, Intel-based device may be wondering whether it is worth buying a previous-generation ‌Mac mini‌, so it will be important to weigh up exactly what was added with the latest models. Likewise, existing users of the ‌M1‌ ‌Mac mini‌ may be wondering if it is worth upgrading to the latest model or sticking with their current device.

See the detailed breakdown below for each new feature, change, and improvement that was added with each Apple silicon ‌Mac mini‌ compared to its direct predecessor:

2023: M2 and M2 Pro Mac Mini

• ‌M2‌ or ‌M2‌ Pro chip
• Eight-core CPU with four performance cores and four efficiency cores with ‌M2‌ or up to 12-core CPU with eight performance cores and four efficiency cores with ‌M2‌ Pro
• 10-core GPU with ‌M2‌ or up to 19-core GPU with ‌M2‌ Pro
• Media engine with video decode engine, video encode engine, and ProRes encode and decode engine for hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW
• 100GB/s memory bandwidth with ‌M2‌ or 200GB/s memory bandwidth with ‌M2‌ Pro
• 8GB, 16GB, or 24GB unified memory with ‌M2‌ or 16GB or 32GB unified memory with ‌M2‌ Pro
• 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB SSD storage with ‌M2‌ or 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB SSD storage with ‌M2‌ Pro
• Wi‑Fi 6E (802.11ax)
• Bluetooth 5.3
• HDMI 2.1 port
• 3.5mm headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones
• With ‌M2‌ models, support for one display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz via Thunderbolt and one display with up to 5K resolution at 60Hz via Thunderbolt or 4K resolution at 60Hz via HDMI with ‌M2‌. With ‌M2‌ Pro models, support for two displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz via Thunderbolt and one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz via HDMI, one display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz via Thunderbolt and one display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz via HDMI, or one display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or 4K resolution at 240Hz via HDMI.

2020: M1 Mac Mini

• ‌M1‌ chip
• Eight-core CPU with four performance cores and four efficiency cores
• Eight-core GPU
• Media engine with video decode engine and video encode engine for hardware-accelerated H.264 and HEVC
• 66.67GB/s memory bandwidth
• 8GB or 16GB unified memory
• 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB SSD storage with ‌M1‌
• 802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6
• Bluetooth 5.0
• Two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports
• HDMI 2.0 port
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• Support for one display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz via Thunderbolt and one display with up to 5K resolution at 60Hz via Thunderbolt or 4K resolution at 60Hz via HDMI

Final Thoughts

If you can get an ‌M1‌ ‌Mac mini‌ for a sufficiently low price compared to the ‌M2‌ model, it may still be worth buying, but given Apple's price drop for the new ‌M2‌ version to just $599, significantly better prices may be difficult to find. In most cases, it will be better to get the ‌M2‌ ‌Mac mini‌ over the ‌M1‌ one, especially if you want a future-proof device to keep for the long term, where slightly better performance, more memory bandwidth, and specifications like Wi‑Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and HDMI 2.1 are likely to be more beneficial through successive software updates and as connectivity needs with other devices evolve. That being said, existing ‌M1‌ ‌Mac mini‌ users are unlikely to get much out of upgrading to an ‌M2‌ model.

• New to Apple silicon ‌Mac mini‌ with no need for "Pro" capabilities: Buy ‌M2‌ model over discounted ‌M1‌ model
• New to Apple silicon ‌Mac mini‌ with need for "Pro" capabilities: Buy ‌M2‌ Pro model over discounted ‌M1‌ model
• ‌M1‌ ‌Mac mini‌ user with no need for "Pro" capabilities: Don't upgrade to ‌M2‌ or ‌M2‌ Pro models
• ‌M1‌ ‌Mac mini‌ user with need for "Pro" capabilities: Upgrade to ‌M2‌ Pro model

‌M1‌ ‌Mac mini‌ users who definitely need a more advanced machine will get a major upgrade with ‌M2‌ Pro configurations of the latest model. The ‌M2‌ Pro ‌Mac mini‌'s added performance and markedly more powerful GPU, doubled memory bandwidth, 32GB memory option, up to 8TB of storage, and two extra Thunderbolt ports make for a sizeable difference. For similar reasons, those considering the ‌M2‌ Pro ‌Mac mini‌ should not buy the ‌M1‌ model, even if it can be found for a much lower price.

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Mac mini (2023) with M2

• Mac mini (2023) with M2 - Quick Start Guide
• Mac mini Essentials
• macOS User Guide
• Mac mini (2023 with M2) Repair Manual
• Mac mini (2023) with M2 - Info

Apple introduces new Mac mini with M2 and M2 Pro — more powerful, capable, and versatile than ever

Even More Performance with M2 and M2 Pro

Mac mini with M2

• Up to 22x faster machine learning (ML) image upscaling performance in Pixelmator Pro.
• 9.8x faster complex timeline rendering in Final Cut Pro.
• Up to 2.4x faster ProRes transcode in Final Cut Pro.
• Up to 50 percent faster filter and function performance in Adobe Photoshop.
• Up to 35 percent faster gameplay in Resident Evil Village.

Mac mini with M2 Pro

• Up to 5.5x faster panoramic merge in Adobe Lightroom Classic.
• Up to 4.4x faster object tracking in Final Cut Pro.
• Up to 2.5x faster graphics performance in Affinity Photo.
• Up to 4.2x faster ProRes transcode in Final Cut Pro.
• Up to 2.8x faster gameplay in Resident Evil Village.

Advanced Connectivity

A Phenomenal Desktop Experience with Studio Display and Magic Accessories

macOS Ventura

Mac mini and the Environment

• The new Mac mini with M2 and M2 Pro is available to order today, January 17, on apple.com/uk/store and in the Apple Store app in 27 countries and regions, including the UK. It will start arriving to customers, and in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorised Resellers, beginning Tuesday, January 24.
• Mac mini with M2 and M2 Pro will be available in Australia , China , Hong Kong , Japan , Macau , and New Zealand beginning Friday, February 3.
• Mac mini with M2 starts at £649 and £539 for education. Additional technical specifications are available at apple.com/uk/mac-mini .
• Mac mini with M2 Pro starts at £1399 and £1289 for education. Additional technical specifications are available at apple.com/uk/mac-mini .
• Additional technical specifications and details on Studio Display and Magic accessories are available at apple.com/uk/store .
• Every customer who buys a Mac from Apple can enjoy a free Online Personal Session with an Apple Specialist; get their product set up in select stores, including help with data transfer; and receive guidance on how to make their new Mac work the way they want.
• With Apple Trade In, customers can trade in their current computer and get credit toward a new Mac. Customers can visit apple.com/uk/shop/trade-in to see what their device is worth.
• AppleCare+ for Mac provides expert technical support and additional hardware coverage from Apple, including up to two incidents of accidental damage protection every 12 months, each subject to a fee.

Text of this article

17 January 2023

PRESS RELEASE

Starting at just £649, Mac mini is even more affordable

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today unveiled the new Mac mini , supercharged by M2 and the all-new M2 Pro. With the M2 chip, Mac mini is even more powerful, capable, and affordable with a new starting price of just £649. The new M2 Pro chip delivers pro-level performance to Mac mini for the first time, enabling users to run high-performance workflows that were previously unimaginable in such a compact design. Mac mini with M2 and M2 Pro delivers faster performance, even more unified memory, and advanced connectivity, including support for up to two displays on the M2 model, and up to three displays on the M2 Pro model. Paired with Studio Display and Magic accessories, along with the power and ease of macOS Ventura, Mac mini provides a phenomenal desktop experience that will take users’ productivity and creativity to the next level. Customers can order the new Mac mini models today, with availability beginning Tuesday, January 24.

“With incredible capabilities and a wide array of connectivity in its compact design, Mac mini is used in so many places, in so many different ways. Today, we’re excited to take it even further with M2 and M2 Pro,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Bringing even more performance and a lower starting price, Mac mini with M2 is a tremendous value. And for users who need powerful pro performance, Mac mini with M2 Pro is unlike any other desktop in its class.”

Compared to the previous-generation Mac mini, M2 and M2 Pro bring a faster next-generation CPU and GPU, much higher memory bandwidth, and a more powerful media engine to Mac mini, delivering extraordinary performance and industry-leading power efficiency. Both models feature an advanced thermal system for exceptional sustained performance.

Mac mini with M2 features an 8-core CPU with four high-performance and four high-efficiency cores, along with a 10-core GPU — perfect for users looking for superfast performance and incredible productivity at an even more affordable starting price of £649. Everyday tasks are blazing fast — from launching and multitasking between apps to browsing the web. For users with more intensive tasks, Mac mini with M2 also powers through even more demanding workloads. With up to 24GB of unified memory and 100GB/s of bandwidth, activities like image editing in Adobe Photoshop are up to 50 percent faster 1 than the previous generation. M2 also adds ProRes acceleration to Mac mini, so tasks like video editing in Final Cut Pro are more than twice as fast. 1 The M2 model can also simultaneously play up to two streams of 8K ProRes 422 video at 30 fps, or up to 12 streams of 4K ProRes 422 video at 30 fps. With all this performance, Mac mini is up to 5x faster than the bestselling Windows desktop, 2 delivering incredible value to first-time computer buyers, upgraders, and PC switchers.

When compared to the Mac mini with Intel Core i7, 3 Mac mini with M2 offers:

When compared to the previous-generation Mac mini with M1, 1 Mac mini with M2 delivers:

M2 Pro brings pro-level performance to Mac mini for the first time. Featuring up to a 12-core CPU with eight high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores, along with up to a 19-core GPU, M2 Pro has 200GB/s of memory bandwidth — double the amount in M2 — and supports up to 32GB of memory. The next-generation Neural Engine is 40 percent faster than M1, speeding up ML tasks like video analysis and image processing. Designed to dramatically accelerate video playback and encoding while using very little power, M2 Pro offers a powerful media engine, which speeds through the most popular video codecs and can simultaneously play up to five streams of 8K ProRes 422 video at 30 fps, or up to 23 streams of 4K ProRes 422 video at 30 fps. The M2 Pro-powered model is up to 14x faster than the fastest Intel-based Mac mini. 3

When compared to the 27-inch iMac with Intel Core i7 and Radeon Pro 5500 XT, 4 Mac mini with M2 Pro offers:

When compared to the previous-generation M1 Mac mini, 1  Mac mini with M2 Pro delivers:

With M2 Pro, Mac mini users can run high-performance workflows that were previously inconceivable in such a compact form factor. Musicians can produce music with incredibly powerful plug-ins and effects without missing a beat, while photographers can adjust huge images in an instant. Creators can seamlessly work in multicam with multiple camera formats, including ProRes video, and gamers can play demanding titles in console quality. Gaming performance is up to 15x faster than the fastest Intel-based Mac mini. 3

Mac mini continues to deliver extensive connectivity with a wide range of ports. The M2 model features two Thunderbolt 4 ports and support for up to two displays. The M2 Pro model includes four Thunderbolt 4 ports and support for up to three displays. Additionally, the M2 Pro model can support one 8K display, a first for the Mac. Both models feature two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a Gigabit Ethernet port with a 10GB option, and an upgraded headphone jack to support high-impedance headphones. For wireless connectivity, both new models also feature the latest standards with Wi-Fi 6E 5 for up to 2x faster throughput than before, as well as Bluetooth 5.3.

Paired with Studio Display and Magic accessories, Mac mini delivers a phenomenal desktop experience. Studio Display completes the full Mac desktop setup experience with its expansive 27-inch 5K Retina display, 12MP Ultra Wide camera with Centre Stage, studio-quality three-mic array, and six-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio. Customers can add matching Magic accessories that complement the elegant design of Mac mini and Studio Display.

With macOS Ventura, Mac mini delivers even more performance and productivity. Powerful updates like Continuity Camera bring videoconferencing features to any Mac, including Desk View, Centre Stage, Studio Light, and more. Handoff in FaceTime allows users to start a FaceTime call on their iPhone or iPad and fluidly pass it over to their Mac, or vice versa. And tools like Stage Manager automatically organise apps and windows, so users can concentrate on the task at hand and still see everything in a single glance.

Messages and Mail are better than ever, while Safari — the world’s fastest browser on Mac — ushers in a passwordless future with passkeys. With iCloud Shared Photo Library, users can now create and share a separate photo library among up to six family members, and the new Freeform app provides a flexible canvas that helps users be more productive and expressive, whether they are planning or brainstorming on their own, or with others. With the power and popularity of Apple silicon, and new developer tools in Metal 3, gaming on Mac has never been better.

Mac mini is designed to minimise its impact on the environment, including 100 percent of the following recycled materials: aluminium in the enclosure, rare earth elements in all magnets, tin in the solder of the main logic board, and gold in the plating of multiple printed circuit boards. It also features 35 percent or more recycled plastic in multiple components and meets Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency. It is free of numerous harmful substances, and 96 percent of the packaging is fibre based, bringing Apple closer to its goal of completely removing plastic from its packaging by 2025.

Today, Apple is carbon neutral for global corporate operations, and by 2030, plans to be 100 percent carbon neutral across the entire manufacturing supply chain and all product life cycles. This means that every Apple device sold, from component manufacturing, assembly, transport, customer use, charging, all the way to recycling and material recovery, will have net-zero climate impact.

Pricing and Availability

• Results are compared to previous-generation Mac mini systems with Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 2TB SSD.
• Testing was conducted by Apple in November and December 2022 using preproduction Mac mini systems with Apple M2, 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB SSD, as well as production Intel Core i5-based PC systems with Intel UHD Graphics 730 and the latest version of Windows 11 available at the time of testing. The bestselling system is based on publicly available sales data over the prior 12 months. Performance tests are conducted using specific computer systems and reflect the approximate performance of Mac mini.
• Results are compared to previous-generation 3.2GHz 6-core Intel Core i7-based Mac mini systems with Intel UHD Graphics 630, 64GB of RAM, and 2TB SSD.
• Results are compared to previous-generation 3.8GHz 8-core Intel Core i7-based 27-inch iMac systems with AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT with 8GB of GDDR6, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD.
• Wi‑Fi 6E is not available in China mainland. It requires macOS 13.2 or later in Japan.

Press Contacts

Apple Media Helpline

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020 3284 6333

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Coming soon: Apple Event on 9/9 at 10 a.m. PT

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No Audio Input Device found - Mac mini M2 2023 Sonoma

My built in / default mic in my new Mac mini m2 was working fine until last week when suddenly I could not speak to colleagues in slack / teams calls. I tried restarting after long press Power button which takes me to recovery mode (is that also safe mode?) after Apple chat support suggested to do so but no joy. Any clue will be helpful, my OS is updated. Please note the speakers / Audio output is working fine.

Posted on Sep 7, 2024 3:41 AM

Posted on Sep 7, 2024 4:31 AM

OP wrote " My built in / default mic in my new Mac Mini m2 "

So, what External Microphone is / was being used ?

How is / was the external microphone connected to the computer

What changed on the computer from before this issue presented ?

The Mac Mini M2 does not have a Builtin Microphone

• Built-in speaker
• 3.5 mm headphone jack with advanced support for high-impedance headphones
• HDMI port supports multichannel audio output

Loading page content

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Sep 7, 2024 4:31 AM in response to murad_iqbal

Sep 7, 2024 6:02 AM in response to murad_iqbal

murad_iqbal wrote:

No external mic ever used.

as already explained by PRP_53, a Mac mini does not have a built-in mic. any chance that the monitor you are using with the mini has a mic?

Sep 7, 2024 7:14 AM in response to murad_iqbal

If I may respectfully say

I have the exact same Mac Mini M2

Let be assure you, there might be a builtin microphone on an attached Monitor as @jefferythefrog mentioned

But build into the Computer - Nope

All current Mac Minis are headless, keyboard-less and Mouse- less, microphone-less

The do have builtin speakers and the ability to use mice, keyboards and microphones , cameras

Thought the last 4 devices must be supplied by the user as External Devices

Sep 7, 2024 5:39 AM in response to PRP_53

Nothing changed.

Why did my built in mic disappear?

Sep 7, 2024 7:05 AM in response to jeffreythefrog

Go question 👍 which I overlooked 😔

Mac Mini M4: the latest rumors and everything we know so far

More power and a much smaller body could be on the way

• Release date & price
• News & rumors

What about other Apple devices?

The M2 Mac Mini from 2023 was a total surprise when it first came out. No one expected a new desktop and it was practically overshadowed by the two new MacBook Pros at that time. Unexpected (and maybe under-appreciated) or not, it ended up being a fantastic computer. The M2 chipset proved to be a powerful upgrade for the series. We even called it the “best PC you can buy” in our review.

Needless to say, future models have some big shoes to fill. Will the next Mac Mini be able to keep the title as one of the best desktop computers on the market? There’s a good chance it could. Rumors of a Mac Mini running on Apple ’s M4 SoC (system on a chip) have been circulating on the internet as of late.

The next-gen hardware could greatly improve the computer’s performance compared to previous generations. Not only that, M4 Mac Mini may also introduce a new design. 

If you’re interested in learning about the next-gen Mac, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve collected all the latest rumors and speculation in one place to help you decide whether this is something you’ll want someday or not.

Cut to the chase

• What is it?  A compact desktop computer that could run Apple’s new M4 chip.
• When is it out?  Rumors claim it’ll come out near the end of 2024 or early 2025.
• How much will it cost?  It’s too early to tell, although the current M2 Mac Mini costs $599 / £649 / AU$999.

Mac Mini M4 Rumored Release Date and Price

One of the sources for these rumors is a June 23 newsletter from industry insider Mark Gurman . He claims the computer will launch some time between the tail end of 2024 and early 2025. It'll come out before the new MacBook Air models which are supposed to roll out in Spring 2025. Gurman points out in a subsequent newsletter that 2025 will be the first time “Apple is bringing a new chip family to every Mac it makes” as new MacBooks Pro and Mac Studio devices are reportedly arriving in the second half of the year.

At the time of this writing, we haven’t found any other reports or claims contradicting this timeframe. Apple traditionally refreshes its Mac hardware in the fall – around October or November. Late 2024 falls within this range. However, there’s a good chance it’ll be early 2025 as the M2 Mac Mini came out in January 2023. A two-year gap between models is another possible scenario.

Prices were not mentioned in the initial report. However, Gurman says in a more recent newsletter that the new Mac Mini “may be cheaper to make.” This implies the new model could be cheaper although a similar or even higher price is not out of the question.

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Mac Mini M4 News, Rumors, and Features

Mac Mini hasn't had a major redesign in over a decade with the current look having been introduced back all the back in 2010. But that’ll soon change as, according to the rumors , the future device will be Apple’s “smallest computer ever”. Apparently, it’s going to be around the size of an “Apple TV set-top box”. 

The M2 Mac Mini measures 197 x 197 x 35.8 mm (7.75 x 7.75 x 1.41 inches). By comparison, the Apple TV 4K sits at 93 x 93 x 31 mm (3.66 x 3.66 x 1.2 inches). So it’ll be a considerable downsizing. Teardown videos of Mac Minis have shown the M-series chips allow Apple to utilize smaller components. Perhaps the company saw it could get rid of all the space and decided to opt for a more compact device. Reports say people close to development refer to it as “essentially an iPad Pro in a small box”. 

Although it's taking up less desk space, Apple may be designing the M4 Mac Mini to be taller but by how much is unknown. The current model is fairly short. A slight height increase shouldn’t ruin the computer’s portability by too much.

Apple has also reportedly tested versions with three USB-C ports at the rear. The case is said to include an input for the power supply and an HDMI port for connecting to an external display. No word on whether it’ll possess USB-A inputs, SD card slots, or even an ethernet port. We wouldn’t be surprised if the tech giant decided to charge people for an adapter housing other port types.

Features are also a mystery. The rumors primarily center around the hardware although we expect to see macOS Sequoia to be the device’s operating system . With it, Apple Intelligence and its many AI features will be present on the new Mac Mini. This includes text summarization, the Image Playground app for generating images, and smart photo editing.

Not much is known about the other M4 Mac devices however there are a few tidbits. Bloomberg said they recently saw developer test logs suggesting that Apple recently tested four models. They’re referred to, not by name, but by a numerical identifier: “16,1,” “16,2,” “16,3” and “16,10.” 

These numbers represent laptops housing the base M4 chip. Three of them possess 10-core processors while one MacBook sports an eight-core CPU. Bloomberg’s report states the “versions with 10-core CPUs also have 10-core GPUs” while the machine with the eight-core processor has an eight-core graphic engine. Apple’s future MacBook can have either 16 or 32 GB of memory.

What’s more, the laptops with a 10-core CPU possess the same specifications as the M4 iPad Pro, consisting of four high-performance cores and six efficiency cores. The fourth configuration is “split between four high-performance and four efficiency cores.”

We won’t have to wait for long to learn more about the Mac Mini M4 because Apple’s next big event is rumored to be held on September 10. It could be unveiled alongside the latest iPhones, AirPods, and more.

What we want to see

No one knows anything certain about the M4 Mac Mini at the moment. However, there are several things that we would love to see.

It’d be great to have multiple color options for the new desktop. The M3 iMac is available in seven different hues, so why not the Mac Mini? Imagine a bright yellow or stylish blue desktop computer sitting on your desk. If Apple decides against rolling out a rainbow array, then perhaps the company can choose space black much like the M3 Max MacBook Pro . It’ll be the second color alongside the standard silver. 

2. M4 Pro version

So far, only the Apple M4 chip has been mentioned in the rumors, but there could also be a M4 Pro SoC alongside; maybe even an M4 Max.  Previous generations had better-performing models so presumably, the M4 series will follow a similar trajectory.

We certainly hope this is the case. Having the option to choose the level of power you want is ideal. You can buy the model that best suits you without worrying about poor performance.

The higher-end chips were not found in developer logs. However, Gurman said in an earlier newsletter that Apple is working on two versions of the Mac Mini. One will have the base M4 while the other houses a M4 Pro. The latter possesses additional memory plus “more graphics horsepower.”

As great as the smaller design may seem, we do worry about the number of ports it’ll have. A more compact body could mean fewer ports. 

Hopefully, we're wrong about this as it would make the Mac Mini M4 tougher to use. It won't be as flexible since you may be unable to equip it with multiple accessories. Unless Apple plans on rolling out a special adapter that adds extra ports. But we don't want that. We want the desktop to already have everything it needs to support its user.

4. Upgradablility

This is probably a long shot, but it would be great if people could have a way to upgrade key components on the Mac Mini. It’s already possible to do this on the 2023 Mac Pro as you can install PCIe card slots expanding the computer's capabilities. For example, you can increase the storage capacity via these components.

It'd be great if this feature expanded to other hardware such as memory or graphics cards. Apple prefers having a walled-off garden ecosystem for their devices so it is unlikely Apple will budge on this. We would love to have the option though.

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Cesar Cadenas has been writing about the tech industry for several years now specializing in consumer electronics, entertainment devices, Windows, and the gaming industry. But he’s also passionate about smartphones, GPUs, and cybersecurity. 

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Other terms & conditions may apply. Any pre-paid extras including shore excursions and spa packages will be available at the current selling rates, payable by all guests under the same booking unless clearly stated in the offer. For general bookings terms & conditions, inclusions, cancellation charges and other information please visit www.msccruises.co.uk

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【Apple Event直前予想】iPhone 16と同時発表は、Apple Watch、iPad mini、AirPods、Mac!?

2024年09月07日 09時00分更新

文● 二子／ASCII

　9月10日2時（日本時間）から、iPhone 16が発表される（はずの）Apple Eventが開催されますが、このイベント内で発表される製品や技術を予想したいと思います！