If you buy more than you actually need the penalty is just financial If you buy less than you need the penalties can be numerous, including having to upgrade early I was replacing a 10 yr old iMac that was still working perfectly but no longer supported. I really like that by going M4 Mini I have split the hardware to enable future upgrade flexibility - oh and I still have a 27' screen. Crazy how little the iMac was worth given it had the 5k Retina display but my son has repurposed it as the screen for his Zwift bike I don't do anything Memory hungry so got the base M4 Mini but did upgrade the storage one notch because I was happy to be 'ripped off' to get simplicity. Very happy with my decision so far. In fact my favourite part is a new keyboard with touch ID!
I completely agree. I won't repeat my comments but I feel the same way. I got an incredibly good deal that allowed me to totally future proof and finally feel good about staying put. I'll not ever push my M4 Pro to its limits since I don’t do anything that demanding though it’s nice to know I could.
Exactly what I ordered.i did also upgrade the mini pro cpu as well. I didn't like paying the apple tax but I look at this as future proofing. My current machine is a 15 year old 5, 1 cheese grater. It still works fine for design but struggles under music production loads. I've also run into is upgrade issues which I know its possible to hack but its a lot of fiddling I don't want to deal with.
My choice is between the basement spec of the Pro at $1,399, or a non-pro tricked out with maximum RAM (32GB), more comfortable 512GB SSD (but still using external for bulk storage) and 10GB Ethernet (so I can use a fast NAS for that external storage), at $1,299. My heaviest workload is mostly CAD with some video editing. I have been paralysed with indecision between these two options for months now and have not found any real analysis of whether more RAM or more CPU/GPU is most valuable in different scenarios. Of course it would help a lot if Apple was not quite so predatory with its RAM pricing!
I'm in the same boat as you, but thinking of bumping up the SSD on the non-pro M4 to 1 TB, so with 32 GB ram it comes out to the same price as the base PRO at $1399. Decisions!
I got the M4 pro base. Huge leap in Adobe Lightroom Classic compared to my iMac M1 16 GB. But I had buyer’s remorse as I could have saved $400 with the non pro M4 with same storage and memory or upped either or both. A RUclipsr Serge compared video editing in Final Cut Pro in the M4 and M4 pro. Apart from the export time, the scrolling on the timeline, showing the audio waveforms in real time was so much better in the M4 pro. So I feel I made the right choice
Thanks for the video, I will get the M4 mac mini with 512 gb storage, and 24 gb memory FRIDAY, I cant wait! this is my second new mac, my first one was a 2006 mac mini from 2006! I Got a 2017 imac used from amazon, which works very well!
M4 Mac Mini Pro 64GB unified memory 512GB internal storage and 3 smaller external ssd's to organise tasks etc. Love the performance and great channel, keep it coming please.
I bought the M4 Mini with 24GB and 1TB. Did I upgrade? Yes. Do I wish it was cheaper? Yes. Do I know how to use the external storage? Of course. But I wanted what I wanted and bought it. :)
You are exactly the type of customer Apple marketing is designed to exploit: you buy the maximum you can possibly afford rather than the maximum you need. Saves having to think about it or risk choosing wrong! Customers like me, it backfires badly. We are paralysed by indecision and end up not hitting 'buy' but instead going back to RUclips for more research! 24GB is just ridiculous! In the PC world, we do not faff about with massively over-priced 8GB increments! In RAM, it is double or quits: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB.
@ here’s an idea for you. How about you buy what you wanna buy and I’ll buy what I wanna buy. I don’t need your permission to tell me what I should buy and what I shouldn’t buy. If I try it out in the first couple days I think it’s too much I always can return it because you have 14 days. But how about this focus on yourself
@@infinitedarkness9476 Was a criticism of Apple, not of you! We both dislike Apple's price gouging. It is just whether we pay and suffer or do not pay and suffer!
@@john_hindhow arrogant of you to think you know better than the OP what he needs, and to determine that he's been "exploited" by Apple. F'ing hell mate.
Hi, I'm new to the Mac environment, and I'm moving from a dual Linux/Windows machine. Linux being Unix based as is Mac OS means the leap isn't that hard for me. The reason for my move was the need to upgrade my self build 4 year old PC. During those 4 years, my preferred CPU vendor has changed CPU socket, DDR Type and the PCIE has changed, USB4 is also new. So, my upgrade would need to be new motherboard, CPU, GPU, RAM, and a case, then there would be the Windows Operating system to buy. Those cost considerably more than the Mac mini M4 base or the Mac mini M4 pro. I went for the base Mac mini M4 and 2TB of external storage. I use my computer for photography (hobbyist) and having bought my photo software(s) directly from the developers have a minimum of a 2 seat licence, one even has a licence that works anywhere providing I log in using my account details. The base model Mac mini is a considerable upgrade on my PC, and provided Apple continues its aggressive system entry pricing structure, my upgrade costs per year will most likely halve. Needless to say, I'm very happy with my purchase. Malcolm
I’m guessing that you’re moving from AMD’s AM4 setup, right? I’m in the same boat (if I’m correct about your build), having fulfilled a lifetime goal of building a PC tower from scratch, which I finally did in March 2021 after using Macs for twelve years. I’ve taken chunks of my tax refund every year to upgrade it, winding up with an awesome AM4 combo for gaming. The issue is that all I’ve done is gaming for four years after work, and I’m more of a reading and content creation type. Lately, because I work in Windows 10 and 11 all day, I’d rather not have to deal with Windows when I get home, and in many cases I ignore my AM4 tower on weeknights and Sundays. Plus, after swearing that I wouldn’t fall into the annual GPU upgrade trap, I fell into it (RX 580 to 6600 XT to 7800 XT). I have to stop. The base M4 Mac mini with a RAM bump (to 24 GBs) along with a hub/enclosure with an extra 2TB of storage in March and I’ll be set for at least five years. No more annual GPU upgrades. No more having to worry about Windows 10/11. No more ignoring my gaming library. I can regain my creativity with iMovie and other software again. I can FaceTime my family from across the country using my desktop again. Shipping my AM4 gaming rig to my nephew after buying my Mac mini in two months, and I won’t even miss it.
I went with the M4 Mac Mini with 16gb, 256gb, 1Gb ethernet. I'm a Windows user and wanted to try out MacOS for cheap. ($579 from Amazon). I'll be comparing it to my Beelink SER8 mini pc (32gb ram, Ryzen 7 cpu, 1tb storage, Win11 ($652 from Amazon). The Beelink looks very similar to the M4 Mac Mini in size.
Currently using a base 2021 mbp14 pro m1 16/512, may get the new Mini M4 base 16/256 to supplement my mbp14. Just home user, only time I tax my cpu is during the morning stock trading session running 2 TOS instances, browsers, and OBS to record stock session so I can review later. Moment the markets open my fans spin up on the mbp14, I think the mini m4 base will be fine for a 2-3yrs and if ever get into content creation then I'll upgrade to the latest model/chips.
Great overview. I’m new to Mac (bought the mini in December) , having always had PCs in the past, though I have been using an ipad pro and iphone for some years so there is a bsic familiarity with the interface. I bought the base M4 mini after procrastinating about getting a pro with 48Gb. Ultimately I decided the base model is so cheap, relatively, that I may as well buy the base with a good external ssd (I went for graugear and 2Tb) so I can at least take my external drive on to a new mini if I feel the need to upgrade. The external drive using Thunderbolt 4 is reading at around the same speed as the internal drive, so performance there is also fantastic. When you compare drive speeds to broadband speeds, it’s really not worth worrying over a few Mbs in your internal/external drive when the real drag is wifi speed. I do some music production, some gaming, watch of a lot hd video. Probably a typical non-professional use - demanding enough to need a decent spec machine but not super demanding enough to warrant the highest specs. So far the base mini has been flawless and I have been very impressed with its performance in every area. My plan is to trade in the base mini before the end of the year and get a ‘future proof’ pro model at that time, giving me plenty of time to budget for the extra cost. To anyone who is a non-pro user I would say do the same - you may well find that the base mini performs perfectly for what you need, and you can consider the more costly upgrade later having invested a relatively small sum in your base model. I’m fortunate to not have significant money worries, so affordability is not the issue for me, but I don’t want to waste spending the additional £1000 if I can avoid it, or delay it.
As I wish I could have waited for the M1 Mac Mini I really wanted at the time I wouldn’t have upgraded now. It was a M1 512 & 8Gb ram plus an external 2T SSD in a dock. Oh that problem with that M4 Mac Mini dock is nothing new had the same problem with my M1 Mac Mini dock. So I paid the Apple tax this time around maxed out the memory and got 2T of internal storage I’m not messing about with docks this time around. I recon it’ll last me a long time as I can’t see the next few releases of Apple silicon being as big a jump as M1 to M4.
For my use case I typically keep my Mac for 8-10 years. So that is why I chose the up spec Pro, 64GB and 1TB SSD. My 3D printer slicer drove my M2 MBA 16GB to use 8GB swap and 4GB compressed.
I would like to know, using the SSD Enclosure to extend the storage for the mini, can the storage be unplugged or does it need to be constantly connected to the mini? I am sorta new to MacOS, I have been watching loads of video about extending the storage per your suggestion via the enclosure, but they never mentioned about after extending them it can be plugged / unplugged just in case for travel purpose. Hoping to get that clarification.
If you haven't made the external storage your startup disk (recommended), you'll be able to disconnect it (given there'll be no files on it needed for Mac's operation). If you HAVE made it your startup disk, I imagine you shouldn't/wouldnt unplug it. The entry level storage of 256gb is plenty for startup disk files.
I just bought the regular M4 with 32gb unified memory and 512gb storage.. only need it for home use, video downloads and the occasional video edit/export. Will it be beastly enough?
I got the 14 core M4 Pro Mac Mini with 16/20 GPU, 48gb RAM, 1TB SSD for no reason whatsoever. I'm just a PC guy. So, even a 1TB SSD sounds insanely small to me. My phone has 1TB. Hell, 4TB sounds so-so. I've got lots and lots of giant VST instrument libraries.
@@TheDudeWatches I use lots of plugins etc in Final Cut and I have affinity photo open at the same time which together can easily use 24gb+ ofc there’s always swap but I plan to have this machine for a while so it’s also future proofing
Can you explain why you're going back to Windows? I'm a Windows user now (and have been for the past 30+ years), and I'm just about ready to jump ship and go to Mac.
I'm not a Mac user (other than my phone), but I'm seriously considering switching from PC/Windows to Mac. I'm looking at it for game development and music creation, so mainly programs like Unreal, Unity, and Blender, along with Cubase, FL Studio, Ableton, etc. I'm looking at the M4 Pro with 64 GB of memory and either 512 GB storage or 1 TB (and, of course, it'll need more external storage). The cost is what's really holding me back right now (and the fact that I also have to replace my 6s phone, so that's another big expense). Does anyone have any advice on tutorials or anything similar for someone switching from PC/Windows to Mac?
Are there any other use cases for an Apple device EXCEPT exporting 4K-Videos? in my now nearly 45 years of digital life i exported exactly zero 4K-Videos. The only thing i did with videos was concatenating GoPro Videos as they were stored in chunks, but there i was limited by the storage speed (Network connection, internal disk speed). The overall question is the relevance of the 4K-exporting speeds! If it is relevant the Price of getting an higher tier device isn't relevant e.g. M4Ultra Mac Studio well specced (typical case for an Pro), if the price of the device is relevant the speed isn't relevant (typical case for an amateur). The definition of PRO (earns his monthly income with that work) , the definition of AMATEUR (spends parts of his income from other work for his hobby)
Thanks a lot. 🌷 Hey dear friends out there, I’m an 60+ young/old man but still Mac newbie😊 I like to start RUclips to share my travel experience. For one year I own a MacBook Pro Max M2, 64, 2TB and like to buy a Mac Mini M4 to work on desk. What do you recommend for my “new job”? I bought FCP but I’m complete swamped. 😮 Usually I can learn anything like an autodidact. But here… uffff If anybody has some good tips how I can start, I’m here, still in Germany until the end of this summer 2025. 😊 Have a happy year and Peace for everybody ❤ PS: I „still“ don’t play computer games. 😊
Your opinions, please. Which of the following configurations would you choose? Please add your reasoning for making your choice. Thanks for your input. A. M4 32GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 10GB ethernet or B. M4 Pro 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 10GB ethernet.
If I had to choose between the two , I’d get the M4 32Gb for the reason that I want to have the ability to run more apps and have the left open, usually when I have Finalcut and affinity photo open and running they take over 20gb of memory sometimes more than 24gb , I think it would a better trade off than the marginal improvement I’d see from getting a couple more cores but 8gb less memory. My personal choice👌🏼 both are great options tho
@@MrHtech Thank you for the response, I appreciate it. I considered the M4 Pro with the 48GB RAM upgrade, but the "Apple Tax" seemed ridiculous. How 'future proof' do you consider the M4 32GB configuration to be?
I went with the base M4 Pro because of price. I recently opened every app I have and still did not exceed 16GB much less 24! So, going to 32GB in my mind is unnecessary unless you have money to burn or have a ridiculous work load. If you’re using something like Davinci Resolve or Final Cut Pro and doing something huge, then just limit what you open to what you what you need and save your money. It turns out that 24GB goes a lot further than what you might think. The M4 Pro base model is really all you need unless you want bragging rights and have a lot of excess money laying around. I’m sure there are some exceptions out there but for 95% of us, the base model will do just fine without giving Apple more hard earned money.
i like that setup. I went for the M4 mini mac and there was no way i was paying that apple tax on the internal storage. Just waiting for 3rd parties come along with solutions so i can change out the laughable internal 256gb ssd
Great video… my only add is I wish the Industry would clarify TB5 facts because people are throwing around statements like TB5 “is” 3 times as fast as definitive Thunderbolt 5 has a standard data transfer speed in both directions of 80 Gbps. So yes this is double the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 4. It can reach up to 120 Gbps in what is called Bandwidth Boost but most people will never have the environment of server pipes able to carry that, that would be data factories for heavy computational processing. A portion of that 120 Gbps path is designed for Higher End Video Sources such as 6K or 8K Monitors. But Manufacturers will stay slightly unclear to maximize the cash grab before it becomes apparent to consumers that most will never need it for their personal use.
@@MrHtechgreat video here Brother, I meant no harm. I have multiple TB4 drives and now a few newly TB5 Enclosures for High End Weddings and Events data transfers and Editing. I originally went to College ended with a Degree in Computer Information Science… so I always do a deep dive. It just drives me crazy that the manufacturers are vague on purpose so most people only have that to go on. You like many are not lying or anything… 😂it’s just how many people will have over 1.6 TB of files to transfer 3 to 5 times per week like I have 😅 not many.
@@MrHtech😂the least I can do Brother…. It’s easy to come across as an A Hole 🕳️ pretty fast online 😂. I have the M2 Max Studio and picked up the M4 Pro MacBook 💻 14/20 48gb 1TB. I love what Apple 🍎 has done. You did a solid at the end about Exporting and walking away for most people 😅. Just Subscribed Brother.
First of all, I’m a lawyer and I don’t know what’s the best version mini Mac for me and to be honest I prefer to buy cheapest version and what need from mini mac it’s only save documents and Browse websites and Microsoft office , I don’t know what the best version for me help me 🤷
Unless your doing anything like software development , high level video and photo editing or anything of that nature the M4 Base Model will be more than enough for anything you need it for 👌🏼
dont make a mistake? go cheap or go performance. some are frugal. some want performance in a small package. either way much smarter choice than a MacBook pro with the same chip.
If you buy more than you actually need the penalty is just financial
If you buy less than you need the penalties can be numerous, including having to upgrade early
I was replacing a 10 yr old iMac that was still working perfectly but no longer supported. I really like that by going M4 Mini I have split the hardware to enable future upgrade flexibility - oh and I still have a 27' screen. Crazy how little the iMac was worth given it had the 5k Retina display but my son has repurposed it as the screen for his Zwift bike
I don't do anything Memory hungry so got the base M4 Mini but did upgrade the storage one notch because I was happy to be 'ripped off' to get simplicity. Very happy with my decision so far. In fact my favourite part is a new keyboard with touch ID!
I completely agree. I won't repeat my comments but I feel the same way. I got an incredibly good deal that allowed me to totally future proof and finally feel good about staying put. I'll not ever push my M4 Pro to its limits since I don’t do anything that demanding though it’s nice to know I could.
Coming from PC to first time Mac, as I Music composer I would buy a M4 Pro Mac Mini with 1TB and 64gb Ram
I went with an M4 Mini Pro with 48Gb, 1TB, 10Gb ethernet, and I love it. A little beast of a machine.
Defo a beast 👌🏼
Got same setup.
Exactly what I ordered.i did also upgrade the mini pro cpu as well. I didn't like paying the apple tax but I look at this as future proofing. My current machine is a 15 year old 5, 1 cheese grater. It still works fine for design but struggles under music production loads. I've also run into is upgrade issues which I know its possible to hack but its a lot of fiddling I don't want to deal with.
My choice is between the basement spec of the Pro at $1,399, or a non-pro tricked out with maximum RAM (32GB), more comfortable 512GB SSD (but still using external for bulk storage) and 10GB Ethernet (so I can use a fast NAS for that external storage), at $1,299. My heaviest workload is mostly CAD with some video editing. I have been paralysed with indecision between these two options for months now and have not found any real analysis of whether more RAM or more CPU/GPU is most valuable in different scenarios. Of course it would help a lot if Apple was not quite so predatory with its RAM pricing!
I'm in the same boat as you, but thinking of bumping up the SSD on the non-pro M4 to 1 TB, so with 32 GB ram it comes out to the same price as the base PRO at $1399. Decisions!
I got the M4 pro base. Huge leap in Adobe Lightroom Classic compared to my iMac M1 16 GB. But I had buyer’s remorse as I could have saved $400 with the non pro M4 with same storage and memory or upped either or both.
A RUclipsr Serge compared video editing in Final Cut Pro in the M4 and M4 pro.
Apart from the export time, the scrolling on the timeline, showing the audio waveforms in real time was so much better in the M4 pro. So I feel I made the right choice
Thanks for the video, I will get the M4 mac mini with 512 gb storage, and 24 gb memory FRIDAY, I cant wait! this is my second new mac, my first one was a 2006 mac mini from 2006! I Got a 2017 imac used from amazon, which works very well!
M4 Mac Mini Pro 64GB unified memory 512GB internal storage and 3 smaller external ssd's to organise tasks etc.
Love the performance and great channel, keep it coming please.
Thanks for watching 😊👌🏼
Excellent real world news you can use, thanks!
I bought the M4 Mini with 24GB and 1TB. Did I upgrade? Yes. Do I wish it was cheaper? Yes. Do I know how to use the external storage? Of course. But I wanted what I wanted and bought it. :)
That’s what it’s all about , finding your own sweet spot 👌🏼
You are exactly the type of customer Apple marketing is designed to exploit: you buy the maximum you can possibly afford rather than the maximum you need. Saves having to think about it or risk choosing wrong! Customers like me, it backfires badly. We are paralysed by indecision and end up not hitting 'buy' but instead going back to RUclips for more research! 24GB is just ridiculous! In the PC world, we do not faff about with massively over-priced 8GB increments! In RAM, it is double or quits: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB.
@ here’s an idea for you. How about you buy what you wanna buy and I’ll buy what I wanna buy. I don’t need your permission to tell me what I should buy and what I shouldn’t buy. If I try it out in the first couple days I think it’s too much I always can return it because you have 14 days. But how about this focus on yourself
@@infinitedarkness9476 Was a criticism of Apple, not of you! We both dislike Apple's price gouging. It is just whether we pay and suffer or do not pay and suffer!
@@john_hindhow arrogant of you to think you know better than the OP what he needs, and to determine that he's been "exploited" by Apple. F'ing hell mate.
Hi,
I'm new to the Mac environment, and I'm moving from a dual Linux/Windows machine. Linux being Unix based as is Mac OS means the leap isn't that hard for me. The reason for my move was the need to upgrade my self build 4 year old PC. During those 4 years, my preferred CPU vendor has changed CPU socket, DDR Type and the PCIE has changed, USB4 is also new. So, my upgrade would need to be new motherboard, CPU, GPU, RAM, and a case, then there would be the Windows Operating system to buy. Those cost considerably more than the Mac mini M4 base or the Mac mini M4 pro.
I went for the base Mac mini M4 and 2TB of external storage. I use my computer for photography (hobbyist) and having bought my photo software(s) directly from the developers have a minimum of a 2 seat licence, one even has a licence that works anywhere providing I log in using my account details.
The base model Mac mini is a considerable upgrade on my PC, and provided Apple continues its aggressive system entry pricing structure, my upgrade costs per year will most likely halve.
Needless to say, I'm very happy with my purchase.
Malcolm
Oh
Welcome to MacOs😂👌🏼 I think you will enjoy it
I’m guessing that you’re moving from AMD’s AM4 setup, right? I’m in the same boat (if I’m correct about your build), having fulfilled a lifetime goal of building a PC tower from scratch, which I finally did in March 2021 after using Macs for twelve years. I’ve taken chunks of my tax refund every year to upgrade it, winding up with an awesome AM4 combo for gaming. The issue is that all I’ve done is gaming for four years after work, and I’m more of a reading and content creation type. Lately, because I work in Windows 10 and 11 all day, I’d rather not have to deal with Windows when I get home, and in many cases I ignore my AM4 tower on weeknights and Sundays. Plus, after swearing that I wouldn’t fall into the annual GPU upgrade trap, I fell into it (RX 580 to 6600 XT to 7800 XT). I have to stop.
The base M4 Mac mini with a RAM bump (to 24 GBs) along with a hub/enclosure with an extra 2TB of storage in March and I’ll be set for at least five years. No more annual GPU upgrades. No more having to worry about Windows 10/11. No more ignoring my gaming library. I can regain my creativity with iMovie and other software again. I can FaceTime my family from across the country using my desktop again.
Shipping my AM4 gaming rig to my nephew after buying my Mac mini in two months, and I won’t even miss it.
@ nephew is gonna by hyped 👌🏼
I went with the M4 Mac Mini with 16gb, 256gb, 1Gb ethernet. I'm a Windows user and wanted to try out MacOS for cheap. ($579 from Amazon). I'll be comparing it to my Beelink SER8 mini pc (32gb ram, Ryzen 7 cpu, 1tb storage, Win11 ($652 from Amazon). The Beelink looks very similar to the M4 Mac Mini in size.
I bought the M4 Mini Pro with 48GB and 512 GB because I'm a heavy Lightroom user with big files.
Currently using a base 2021 mbp14 pro m1 16/512, may get the new Mini M4 base 16/256 to supplement my mbp14. Just home user, only time I tax my cpu is during the morning stock trading session running 2 TOS instances, browsers, and OBS to record stock session so I can review later. Moment the markets open my fans spin up on the mbp14, I think the mini m4 base will be fine for a 2-3yrs and if ever get into content creation then I'll upgrade to the latest model/chips.
Nice video. I subscribed!
Thanks I appreciate it 👌🏼
Great overview. I’m new to Mac (bought the mini in December) , having always had PCs in the past, though I have been using an ipad pro and iphone for some years so there is a bsic familiarity with the interface. I bought the base M4 mini after procrastinating about getting a pro with 48Gb. Ultimately I decided the base model is so cheap, relatively, that I may as well buy the base with a good external ssd (I went for graugear and 2Tb) so I can at least take my external drive on to a new mini if I feel the need to upgrade. The external drive using Thunderbolt 4 is reading at around the same speed as the internal drive, so performance there is also fantastic. When you compare drive speeds to broadband speeds, it’s really not worth worrying over a few Mbs in your internal/external drive when the real drag is wifi speed. I do some music production, some gaming, watch of a lot hd video. Probably a typical non-professional use - demanding enough to need a decent spec machine but not super demanding enough to warrant the highest specs. So far the base mini has been flawless and I have been very impressed with its performance in every area. My plan is to trade in the base mini before the end of the year and get a ‘future proof’ pro model at that time, giving me plenty of time to budget for the extra cost. To anyone who is a non-pro user I would say do the same - you may well find that the base mini performs perfectly for what you need, and you can consider the more costly upgrade later having invested a relatively small sum in your base model. I’m fortunate to not have significant money worries, so affordability is not the issue for me, but I don’t want to waste spending the additional £1000 if I can avoid it, or delay it.
Thanks for watching , Awesome insight 👌🏼👌🏼
As I wish I could have waited for the M1 Mac Mini I really wanted at the time I wouldn’t have upgraded now. It was a M1 512 & 8Gb ram plus an external 2T SSD in a dock. Oh that problem with that M4 Mac Mini dock is nothing new had the same problem with my M1 Mac Mini dock. So I paid the Apple tax this time around maxed out the memory and got 2T of internal storage I’m not messing about with docks this time around. I recon it’ll last me a long time as I can’t see the next few releases of Apple silicon being as big a jump as M1 to M4.
For my use case I typically keep my Mac for 8-10 years. So that is why I chose the up spec Pro, 64GB and 1TB SSD. My 3D printer slicer drove my M2 MBA 16GB to use 8GB swap and 4GB compressed.
That’s a beast of a machine , should last a long time
I would like to know, using the SSD Enclosure to extend the storage for the mini, can the storage be unplugged or does it need to be constantly connected to the mini?
I am sorta new to MacOS, I have been watching loads of video about extending the storage per your suggestion via the enclosure, but they never mentioned about after extending them it can be plugged / unplugged just in case for travel purpose. Hoping to get that clarification.
If you haven't made the external storage your startup disk (recommended), you'll be able to disconnect it (given there'll be no files on it needed for Mac's operation). If you HAVE made it your startup disk, I imagine you shouldn't/wouldnt unplug it. The entry level storage of 256gb is plenty for startup disk files.
Exactly what I would of said 👌🏼
@@tassykonto thank you so much for this clarification! I picked up the 512GB instead just in case. :D
@ no problem- that’s the same one I’m picking up
I just bought the regular M4 with 32gb unified memory and 512gb storage.. only need it for home use, video downloads and the occasional video edit/export.
Will it be beastly enough?
I got the 14 core M4 Pro Mac Mini with 16/20 GPU, 48gb RAM, 1TB SSD for no reason whatsoever. I'm just a PC guy. So, even a 1TB SSD sounds insanely small to me. My phone has 1TB. Hell, 4TB sounds so-so. I've got lots and lots of giant VST instrument libraries.
Why did you decide on the 48GB of memory?
@@TheDudeWatches I use lots of plugins etc in Final Cut and I have affinity photo open at the same time which together can easily use 24gb+ ofc there’s always swap but I plan to have this machine for a while so it’s also future proofing
I got the MAC Mini Pro base - 24GB, 512 SSD. More then enough for everyday use, using AI editors like cursor and running small LLM locally.
Happy with my PRO, went with 512gb internal and 4TB external in a Thunderbolt 5 enclosure, hitting 6100mb/s read and write!
That’s dope
Please tell me what enclosure and SSD you used to get this speed.
@@dragosman 990PRO in Acasis TB501 enclosure.
@@janplexy thanks
I went from Windows to Mac with the base M4, cost £600. Glad i did because it's less of a loss when i go back to Windows (asap).
Can you explain why you're going back to Windows? I'm a Windows user now (and have been for the past 30+ years), and I'm just about ready to jump ship and go to Mac.
which pro variant did you go with
@@djprominent 14CPU / 20GPU , 48GB Memory & 512GB Storage
Thank you so much!
You’re welcome
😊 Base M4 MM with a 2TB upgrade SSD coming.
I'm not a Mac user (other than my phone), but I'm seriously considering switching from PC/Windows to Mac. I'm looking at it for game development and music creation, so mainly programs like Unreal, Unity, and Blender, along with Cubase, FL Studio, Ableton, etc. I'm looking at the M4 Pro with 64 GB of memory and either 512 GB storage or 1 TB (and, of course, it'll need more external storage). The cost is what's really holding me back right now (and the fact that I also have to replace my 6s phone, so that's another big expense). Does anyone have any advice on tutorials or anything similar for someone switching from PC/Windows to Mac?
what about CalGigit TS4 AND SYNOLOGY Nas and ITS COMPATIBILITY with mac mini pro? Pro and CONS
Are there any other use cases for an Apple device EXCEPT exporting 4K-Videos? in my now nearly 45 years of digital life i exported exactly zero 4K-Videos. The only thing i did with videos was concatenating GoPro Videos as they were stored in chunks, but there i was limited by the storage speed (Network connection, internal disk speed).
The overall question is the relevance of the 4K-exporting speeds! If it is relevant the Price of getting an higher tier device isn't relevant e.g. M4Ultra Mac Studio well specced (typical case for an Pro), if the price of the device is relevant the speed isn't relevant (typical case for an amateur). The definition of PRO (earns his monthly income with that work) , the definition of AMATEUR (spends parts of his income from other work for his hobby)
That’s all the Mac reviews show is video editing like that’s what we all do
I will be getting a Mac min pro or m4 Mac Studio when it comes out
Thanks for this comparison - I am currently migrating away from Microsoft to Mac. So this information is very useful.
I’m glad I could help, you’re welcome 👌🏼
Thanks a lot. 🌷 Hey dear friends out there, I’m an 60+ young/old man but still Mac newbie😊 I like to start RUclips to share my travel experience. For one year I own a MacBook Pro Max M2, 64, 2TB and like to buy a Mac Mini M4 to work on desk. What do you recommend for my “new job”?
I bought FCP but I’m complete swamped. 😮 Usually I can learn anything like an autodidact. But here… uffff
If anybody has some good tips how I can start, I’m here, still in Germany until the end of this summer 2025. 😊 Have a happy year and Peace for everybody ❤
PS: I „still“ don’t play computer games. 😊
Your opinions, please. Which of the following configurations would you choose? Please add your reasoning for making your choice. Thanks for your input.
A. M4 32GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 10GB ethernet
or
B. M4 Pro 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 10GB ethernet.
If I had to choose between the two , I’d get the M4 32Gb for the reason that I want to have the ability to run more apps and have the left open, usually when I have Finalcut and affinity photo open and running they take over 20gb of memory sometimes more than 24gb , I think it would a better trade off than the marginal improvement I’d see from getting a couple more cores but 8gb less memory.
My personal choice👌🏼 both are great options tho
@@MrHtech Thank you for the response, I appreciate it.
I considered the M4 Pro with the 48GB RAM upgrade, but the "Apple Tax" seemed ridiculous.
How 'future proof' do you consider the M4 32GB configuration to be?
The m4 is pretty future proof, combined with 32Gb memory should be solid👌🏼
I went with the base M4 Pro because of price. I recently opened every app I have and still did not exceed 16GB much less 24! So, going to 32GB in my mind is unnecessary unless you have money to burn or have a ridiculous work load. If you’re using something like Davinci Resolve or Final Cut Pro and doing something huge, then just limit what you open to what you what you need and save your money. It turns out that 24GB goes a lot further than what you might think. The M4 Pro base model is really all you need unless you want bragging rights and have a lot of excess money laying around. I’m sure there are some exceptions out there but for 95% of us, the base model will do just fine without giving Apple more hard earned money.
@@MrHtech What is your opinion on the 10 Gigabit Ethernet? Is it worth the $100? Thanks.
i like that setup. I went for the M4 mini mac and there was no way i was paying that apple tax on the internal storage. Just waiting for 3rd parties come along with solutions so i can change out the laughable internal 256gb ssd
Are the Thunderbolt 5 ports backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 4 devices?
Yes they are 👌🏼
Great video… my only add is I wish the Industry would clarify TB5 facts because people are throwing around statements like TB5 “is” 3 times as fast as definitive
Thunderbolt 5 has a standard data transfer speed in both directions of 80 Gbps. So yes this is double the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 4.
It can reach up to 120 Gbps in what is called Bandwidth Boost but most people will never have the environment of server pipes able to carry that, that would be data factories for heavy computational processing.
A portion of that 120 Gbps path is designed for Higher End Video Sources such as 6K or 8K Monitors. But Manufacturers will stay slightly unclear to maximize the cash grab before it becomes apparent to consumers that most will never need it for their personal use.
@@pureheartvisuals thanks for watching , I just meant in generally looking at the speed 40vs120 , good point tho
@@MrHtechgreat video here Brother, I meant no harm. I have multiple TB4 drives and now a few newly TB5 Enclosures for High End Weddings and Events data transfers and Editing.
I originally went to College ended with a Degree in Computer Information Science… so I always do a deep dive. It just drives me crazy that the manufacturers are vague on purpose so most people only have that to go on. You like many are not lying or anything… 😂it’s just how many people will have over 1.6 TB of files to transfer 3 to 5 times per week like I have 😅 not many.
@ no harm taken haha I completely get what you’re saying 👌🏼thanks for clearing it up
@@MrHtech😂the least I can do Brother…. It’s easy to come across as an A Hole 🕳️ pretty fast online 😂.
I have the M2 Max Studio and picked up the M4 Pro MacBook 💻 14/20 48gb 1TB. I love what Apple 🍎 has done.
You did a solid at the end about Exporting and walking away for most people 😅.
Just Subscribed Brother.
@ I appreciate it, I like Apple products but I still try to be realistic and critical in my videos where applicable 👌🏼 thanks for the sub 👍🏼
First of all, I’m a lawyer and I don’t know what’s the best version mini Mac for me and to be honest I prefer to buy cheapest version and what need from mini mac it’s only save documents and Browse websites and Microsoft office , I don’t know what the best version for me help me 🤷
Unless your doing anything like software development , high level video and photo editing or anything of that nature the M4 Base Model will be more than enough for anything you need it for 👌🏼
@ thanks man , but is unified memory more than 256GB it is necessary ?
Thinking of buying the basic model, I have zero experience with Mac. The dealkbreaker will probably be Dota 2, if it runs it well I will get one! 😀
Don’t think it should have issues with Dota 2 , but that depends on what settings you have it 👌🏼 great game
dont make a mistake? go cheap or go performance. some are frugal. some want performance in a small package. either way much smarter choice than a MacBook pro with the same chip.
Bro I just wanted to know which one to get but your video was tooooooooo long, I thought fuck it I just went and bought another brand all together.
I’ve got the base model with 24gb RAM
Good choice
I found 4TB NVMe for $215 on Amazon.
The Orico one I linked is under $200 currently with coupon and it’s fast.
✅ ORICO 4TB NVMe SSD - geni.us/CPRM5
The one you linked is now unavailable. 😢
It’s available now. Amazon strikes again.
👾 Based Model 🥰
👌
M4 Pro if you video edit
The pro a lot more$$$ Think everything you need with external storage about $100 sea gate 1 terabyte