Okay, folks, let’s dive into my little experiment comparing the Mac mini M4 and the M4 Pro. I’ve been itching to get my hands on these machines and see what they can really do.
First things first, I unboxed both of these bad boys. You know the drill – that satisfying peel of the plastic, the smell of fresh electronics… good stuff. I set them up side-by-side on my desk, connecting them to the same monitor, keyboard, and mouse, just to keep things fair.
My Setup Process
- Unboxing: Both machines, same process.
- Connections: Same monitor, keyboard, mouse for both. Fair is fair.
- Initial Boot: Got them both up and running, logged into my iCloud account.
- Software Install: Installed my usual suspects – my coding IDE, a couple of graphics editors, and, of course, a few games for “testing” purposes. 😉
Next, I started with some basic everyday tasks. You know, browsing the web, checking emails, streaming some videos. Honestly, both machines handled this stuff like a champ. No surprise there, really. They’re both packing some serious power.
Then, I kicked things up a notch. I opened up my coding IDE and started working on a small project I’ve been tinkering with. Both machines compiled the code quickly, but I did notice the M4 Pro finished just a hair faster. We’re talking a few seconds, nothing major, but noticeable.
The Real Test
The real test came when I fired up one of my graphics editors. I loaded a huge, multi-layered image and started messing around with it. Adding filters, making adjustments, that sort of thing. This is where the M4 Pro really started to shine. It handled the complex edits much smoother than the base M4. The M4 did okay, but there was definitely some occasional stuttering, especially when I applied a particularly heavy filter.
Finally, I decided to see how these things handled some gaming. (For science, of course!) I installed a couple of my favorite games and cranked up the settings. Again, the M4 Pro pulled ahead. It maintained a higher frame rate and generally provided a smoother gaming experience. The M4 was playable, for sure, but it wasn’t quite as buttery smooth.
My whole takeaway? Both machines are great. The standard Mac Mini M4 is a perfectly capable machine for most everyday tasks and can even handle some light creative work and gaming, But If you are like me, a power user and want to do some of the heavier stuff, like video editing, complex graphic design, or playing the latest games at higher settings, the M4 Pro is definitely worth the extra cash. My suggestion, think about what you really need, then pull the trigger. The M4 is no slouch, though!