About the Apple Mac mini (M4)
At 599 the M4 Mac mini rewrote expectations for desktop value. The 10-core M4 with 16GB of unified memory and a 120GB/s memory bandwidth handles 7B-parameter quantised models smoothly, and the compact aluminium chassis is whisper quiet. For macOS users who want to dip into local AI without committing to Pro pricing, this is the obvious pick.
Key features
- 10-core M4 with 16-core Neural Engine
- 16GB unified memory (upgradeable to 32GB)
- 120GB/s memory bandwidth
- Runs 7B-parameter models locally
- Whisper-quiet aluminium chassis
- Front USB-C ports
- Compact 12.7cm square footprint
- Ideal MLX and llama.cpp host
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Apple |
|---|---|
| CPU | M4 |
| CPU family | Apple M4 |
| RAM | 16 GB |
| Storage | 512 GB |
| NPU performance | 0 TOPS |
| Graphics | M4 10-core |
| Operating system | macOS |
| Released | 8 November 2024 |