Apple is putting 14 computing cores in the M4 Pro, and doubling the GPU capabilities of the homebrew processor. The chip first appears in the new Mac Mini.
Apple is equipping its newly launched Mac minis with a homebrew M4 processor, or an M4 Pro. The Mac Mini looks recognizable, but is more compact than ever. The device is said to have a footprint of 12.7 inches by 12.7 inches. Apple boasts that the computer is produced carbon neutrally.
New chip
The M4 Pro chip in the new Mac Mini should win over prospects with its high performance. Compared to the M3 Pro, the new ARM-based CPU gets two additional processing cores, bringing the total to fourteen. The GPU also gets more cores (eighteen coming from sixteen). Note that there are two variations of the M4 Pro and only the top variant gets those specifications. The other M4 Pro keeps it at twelve CPU and sixteen GPU cores, respectively.
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All that should make for higher performance, although Apple is, as usual, sparse on details. The American computer maker itself speaks highly of the performance per thread, which should be high. The GPU is said to be twice as powerful in the M4 Pro than in the regular M4.
Apple for some reason is not comparing the new chip to its direct predecessor, but rather to the older M2 Pro. The M4 Pro is about 1.6 times faster at the CPU level, it sounds. Compared to the M1 Pro, performance nearly doubles.
Price and availability
Apple is integrating Thunderbolt 5 for the first time. That implies that the Mac Mini equipped with the M4 Pro can process data from external devices at 120 Gb/s. For creative professionals with compatible hardware, that could help with image loading, for example.
The new Mac Mini will be available starting Nov. 8. The base model with regular M4 chip (equipped with ten computing cores) and 16 GB RAM costs 719 euros inc. VAT. The model with the M4 Pro with all cores starts at 1,899 euros inc. VAT, and features 24 GB of RAM.