Apple has updated its Mac mini once again, bumping the compact Mac up to M4 Apple Silicon as part of a total redesign. Here's what's changed since the last update, the M2 Mac mini.

To be fair, both of those other computers have significantly more memory bandwidth than the Mac mini, and both have better GPU performance. If maxing out as many GPU cores as possible is important to you, you’re probably better off with an M4 Max, which means either a MacBook Pro or waiting for an updated Mac Studio.

Apple's new Mac Mini offers a big performance boost thanks to the M4 chipset, but is it enough to warrant a purchase?

Just like iMac M4, the pricing is staying the same. The standard M4 Mac mini will set you back $599, whereas the M4 Pro variant will come in at a starting price of $1,399. Pre-orders are available now, with a launch date of November 8.

You can also configure the Mac Mini M4 with up to 32GB of memory and a 2TB SSD, which will cost you $1,799 or $1,899 if you add a gigabit Ethernet port. You can trick out the Mac Mini M4 Pro with a 14-core CPU, up to 64GB of unified memory, an 8TB SSD, and a gigabit Ethernet port. However, it will set you back a whopping $4,699.

When it was introduced during the white plastic heyday of peak iPod-era Apple, the Mac mini was pitched as the cheapest way to buy into the Mac ecosystem. It was $499. And despite some fluctuation (as high as $799 for the entry-level 2018 mini, $599 for this year's refresh), the Mac mini has stayed the cheapest entry-level Mac ever since.

Believe it or not, there's actually a distinct advantage to getting the M2 Mac mini: It has two USB type-A ports on the back, while the M4 model has none. That's really the only advantage, though, as the rest of the port selection on the M4 mini is solid:

For years, the Mini was the odd man out in the Mac desktop lineup. Apple has given plenty of love to the iMac over the years. The Mac Pro has had a few

Apple wants the Mac to become a gaming destination, and it has the perfect machine to take on consoles from Sony and Microsoft in the form of the M4 Mac mini.The Latest Tech News, Delivered to Your In