Apple’s Mac Mini M4 has become a popular mini-yet-mighty desktop computer for running local agentic AI 24/7—so much so that it’s been out of stock for months. But with the introduction of the new Mac Mini M6, the older M4 is no longer as scarce (there was no M5 Mac Mini), and the base model (256-GB hard drive, 16-GB unified memory) is on sale for $649—$150 off MSRP and $250 cheaper than the M6.
It’s a good deal for a computer that is plenty powerful for most people, and some M4 Mac Mini configurations can even handle AI tasks. But—and it’s a big but—shoppers should be aware that the M4’s original base price was $599 when it launched in 2024. However, with Apple raising prices on hardware across the board this year, driven by chip and memory shortages, the M4 ended up costing $799. In comparison, the new M6 starts at $899.
Depending on how you look at it, it’s either a discount or a hard pill to swallow, knowing that it used to be much cheaper. If you’ve been eyeing a new Mac Mini and don’t need the better performance of the M6, you’re unlikely to get a lower price than this M4.
Older but Still Capable
Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
The M4 Mac Mini may no longer be Apple’s most powerful tiny computer—that title now belongs to the M6 and M5 Pro models—but the M4 is still an incredibly strong and efficient processor. When it was discovered that it could easily run agentic AI locally, people gobbled up the Mac Mini as the affordable computing option.
Of course, for intensive tasks like AI or video editing, you really need more than 16 GB of memory; those who bought it for AI purposes loaded it up with 32 GB of RAM. For most users, however, this base-specs machine is more than capable. While the M6 system on a chip is extra powerful due to having more CPU and GPU cores, Neural Accelerators, and higher memory bandwidth, the M4 Mac Mini isn’t lagging far behind. For things like web browsing and general productivity, you won’t see much of a difference in performance.
If you need the performance, we recommend the newer M6. But for most people, the M4 Mac Mini is more than sufficient for everyday computing, and you’re unlikely to find a better deal than this one.
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