Apple’s latest Mac Mini represents a significant evolution in the company’s compact desktop offering. With the introduction of the M4 and M4 Pro chips, a more compact design, and enhanced connectivity options, the 2024 Mac Mini series provides more choices than ever. But with prices ranging from PHP 36,990 to PHP 84,990 for the top configuration, selecting the right model requires careful consideration of your needs and budget.
Entry-Level
The base model Mac Mini comes equipped with a 10-Core CPU, 10-Core GPU, 16GB of unified memory, and 256GB SSD storage. This configuration represents excellent value for everyday computing tasks. The inclusion of 16GB memory as standard marks a significant upgrade from previous generations, ensuring smooth performance for years to come.
This model is particularly well-suited for students, home users, and those focused on general productivity tasks. It should handle web browsing and office applications with ease, while providing enough power for basic photo editing and music production in Logic Pro. The performance improvements over the previous generation are substantial, with up to 1.8x faster CPU and 2.2x faster GPU performance compared to the M1 model.
Mid-Range
Moving up to the mid-range option, this model maintains the same powerful M4 chip configuration but doubles the storage to 512GBm, which makes it an excellent choice for content creators and power users who work with larger files and need more room for their applications and projects.
The increased storage capacity proves particularly valuable for those maintaining extensive photo and video libraries, installing multiple professional applications, or for those working with music production software that requires substantial sample libraries. Whille performance should be identical to the base model, the extra breathing room in storage makes it a more versatile machine for creative work.
Enhanced
The enhanced M4 configuration steps up to 24GB of unified memory while maintaining the 512GB storage capacity. This increase in memory provides superior performance for memory-intensive tasks and improved multitasking capabilities. Creative professionals and developers will appreciate the additional headroom when running multiple demanding applications simultaneously.
This configuration should excel at handling more complex photo editing sessions, video editing projects, and software development. The extra memory also proves beneficial for running virtual machines and handling larger datasets in professional applications.
Pro-Level
At the top of the lineup sits the M4 Pro model, featuring a 12-Core CPU, 16-Core GPU, 24GB of unified memory, and 512GB of storage.
Professional creators and developers will find the M4 Pro particularly compelling, thanks to its exceptional performance in demanding tasks which include professional video editing, 3D rendering, complex software development, and machine learning applications. The inclusion of Thunderbolt 5 ports, exclusive to the Pro model, provides faster data transfer speeds and enhanced external device support.
Connectivity and Display Support
The entire 2024 Mac Mini lineup features a thoughtfully designed port selection, with front-facing ports for easier access to commonly used connections. The standard M4 models include three Thunderbolt 4 ports, while the M4 Pro model upgrades these to Thunderbolt 5 for faster data transfer speeds. All models come with Gigabit Ethernet, which can be upgraded to 10Gb for faster networking capabilities.
Display support varies between models, with M4 configurations supporting up to two 6K displays and one 5K display. The M4 Pro takes this further, enabling connection of up to three 6K displays at 60Hz, perfect for professional workflows requiring extensive screen real estate.
Environmental Considerations
The 2024 Mac Mini marks a significant milestone as Apple’s first carbon neutral Mac, achieving an over 80% reduction in emissions. The device features a 100% recycled aluminum enclosure and comes in completely fiber-based packaging, demonstrating Apple’s commitment to environmental responsibility.
Which Mac Mini Should You Get?
For home users and general productivity, the base M4 model priced at PHP 36,990 offers remarkable value, especially with its standard 16GB memory configuration. Content creators, however, may consider the PHP 48,990 model with 512GB storage or step up to the PHP 60,990 model with 24GB memory if their workflow demands more intensive multitasking.
Professional users who require the absolute best performance should opt for the M4 Pro at PHP 84,990, which provides superior processing power, enhanced graphics capabilities, and future-proof Thunderbolt 5 connectivity. The Pro model’s additional CPU cores and enhanced GPU make it particularly well-suited for professional creative work and development tasks.
Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.
