New Mac Mini with M4

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Specs & Architecture

  • CPU core layout clarified:
    • M4: 10 cores = 4 performance (P) + 6 efficiency (E).
    • M4 Pro: 12 cores = 8P + 4E; up to 14 cores = 10P + 4E.
  • Unified memory, base now 16 GB across the line; M4 up to 32 GB, M4 Pro up to 64 GB. Some wish for 96–128 GB.
  • Base SSD is 256 GB, with upgrades to multi‑TB capacities; M4 Pro can go to 8 TB.
  • M4 Pro model includes Thunderbolt 5; others have Thunderbolt 4. No AV1 hardware encode.

Pricing, Value & Upgrades

  • Many see the $599 base (and ~$499 education) as excellent value, especially versus big‑brand PCs and mini‑PCs at similar prices.
  • Strong criticism of storage/RAM upgrade pricing (e.g., $800 to go 256 GB→2 TB, $2,400 to reach 8 TB). Compared to retail NVMe, Apple is seen as heavily marking up mid‑tier configs.
  • 10 GbE add‑on for $100 is viewed as relatively reasonable versus OEM NIC pricing.

Storage, Expandability & Repairability

  • SSD and RAM are soldered; no internal upgrade paths. External NVMe via USB‑C/Thunderbolt is widely suggested and can reach ~2–3 GB/s, but is seen as aesthetically clunky and port‑consuming.
  • Concern that Apple Silicon Macs require a functioning internal SSD to boot, even from external storage, making SSD failure a hard brick.
  • Some discuss unofficial rework (desoldering NAND, third‑party NAND cards) but note it’s niche, fragile, and blocked by Apple’s component control.
  • Unified memory praised for bandwidth and simplicity, but criticized for locking out aftermarket RAM and tying GPU headroom to system RAM.

Performance & Use Cases

  • Considered a strong option for:
    • Home media servers (Plex, transcoding).
    • Light gaming (Mac‑native titles + cloud gaming).
    • General productivity and dev (Swift, web, some ML inference).
  • Debate over Apple Silicon for LLMs:
    • Pro side: huge unified memory pools and decent bandwidth; good for local inference, especially on Studio/Ultra.
    • Skeptic side: Nvidia multi‑GPU rigs offer far higher raw throughput and better software (CUDA, FlashAttention).

Linux & Ecosystem

  • Asahi Linux supports M1/M2 well; M3/M4 support is expected but not guaranteed and depends on volunteer interest.
  • Some argue Apple’s locked, non‑standard hardware makes long‑term Linux support and security more fragile than x86 PCs.

Displays, Form Factor & Misc

  • Supports up to three displays; some complain about hard limits on display count despite apparent bandwidth.
  • Several note macOS looks poor on sub‑4K monitors and recommend 4K/5K panels (often with third‑party scaling tools).
  • New, smaller case, bottom air intake and power button complicate rack mounts and raise dust‑ingress worries.
  • Apple’s “carbon neutral” claims draw both praise and skepticism: reliance on offsets and scope of accounting are questioned.