Apple's Much Smaller M4 Mac Mini Has All-New Thermal Architecture to Maximize Speed

[MacRumors]

The Mac mini received a major update today, with Apple introducing a slimmed down design that shaves more than two inches off of the size so it takes up less space on a desktop or in a rack. Despite the size change, the Mac mini uses Apple's most powerful M-series chips, including the new M4 Pro.

Combining the smaller form factor and updated chips necessitated a redesigned thermal architecture. The foot of the Mac mini allows it to pull in air from the surrounding environment, and the air is able to circulate throughout before being vented back out through the bottom foot.

Apple says that air is guided to each level of the system, and that combined with the power efficiency of the M4 chips, the Mac mini can "breeze through intensive workloads at outrageous speeds."

The redesigned Mac mini measures in at five inches square and two inches tall. It's taller than the prior version, but it is 2.75 inches smaller. Rumors suggested that it could be as small as the Apple TV (which is 3.66 inches), but it ended up being a bit bigger than that.

The M4 Pro hasn't been benchmarked yet, but it has a 14-core CPU and up to a 20-core GPU, which is up to twice as powerful as the M4 GPU. 3D renders in Blender are up to 2.9x faster compared to the M2 Pro and motion graphics render up to 2x faster.

Article Link: Apple's Much Smaller M4 Mac Mini Has All-New Thermal Architecture to Maximize Speed

 

[iCyprus]

Okay this is what we expected! Count me in for the M4 PRO!! Well done Appleeeee

 

[rotvaldi]

Still not mini at all looks like a Mac Studio lmao

 

[Total Respray]

“It's taller than the prior version, but it is 2.75 inches smaller.”

So it’s taller but smaller. Got it.

 

[Macalway]

Still not mini at all looks like a Mac Studio lmao

You okay?

 

[dguisinger]

All new thermal architecture.

Great, so based on previous Apple successes in all new thermal architectures.... 8 years until the next update?

 

[gagaliya]

does it have an active cooling fan? The old Mac mini is fanless right? I don’t remember

 

[greenbreadmmm]

does it have an active cooling fan? The old Mac mini is fanless right? I don’t remember

And does it "whistle" like my M1 Studio?

 

[stiligFox]

does it have an active cooling fan? The old Mac mini is fanless right? I don’t remember

It does! And no, the previous generation also had a fan, but it was a more straightforward flow over a CPU heat sync.

 

[mikeboss]

Mac mini M4 and M4 Pro have different cooling (according to the environmental report).
M4 Pro is built with copper (heatpipe?) and the M4 has an aluminum heatsink.

https://www.apple.com/environment/pdf/products/desktops/Mac_mini_PER_Oct2024.pdf

 

[HJM.NL]

Is it the same price?

 

[cynegils]

And they stuck the on/off button on the bottom? I....wha.... Ok.

 

[ducknalddon]

does it have an active cooling fan? The old Mac mini is fanless right? I don’t remember

The Intel devices do although the only time I hear mine come on is when I run Windows via Bootcamp and do an update.

 

[Serqetry]

So much for all the panick about it throttling while falling off people's desks. Lol.

 

[cigz]

So they made new thermal system in M4 Macs while at the same time since Sonoma 14.7 and Sequoia they're blocking M3 Macs users to manually control fans AND they raised temperature threshold when the fans turn on to around 80C degrees. Wonder why 🤡

 

[smithrh]

M1 Mac minis absolutely have fans.

 

[MayaUser]

So they made new thermal system in M4 Macs while at the same time since Sonoma 14.7 and Sequoia they're blocking M3 Macs users to manually control fans AND they raised temperature threshold when the fans turn on to around 80C degrees. Wonder why 🤡

Turning fans at around 80C its ok...on Intel macs they vemp up when the 90C mark is hit

 

[Eorlas]

And they stuck the on/off button on the bottom? I....wha.... Ok.

you got a picture for this? of course apple show the top, front, back, no bottom

 

[wideEyedPupil]

sure hope they got this right. seems odd to vent back through the foot rather than back panel, especially given increased vertical dimensions. hopefully not the Apple aesthetics over function obsession.

 

[jayryco]

I only wish they would've added some sort of dust filter mesh that could be periodically removed and cleaned

 

[wideEyedPupil]

you got a picture for this? of course apple show the top, front, back, no bottom

there's a seperate story on it on MacRumours abut the power button on the bottom. I really use, can live with that, though seems unnecessarily annoying in a way.

 

[cigz]

Turning fans at around 80C its ok...on Intel macs they vemp up when the 90C mark is hit

Those are computers that have been build with fans to use them, not for them to turn on for few seconds when the whole computer is already hot.
If I want my Mac to constantly run fans even at the lowest settings, apple has no right to not let me do that especially when it was working fine UNTIL Sonoma 14.7 and Sequoia. They literally have done that on purpose with BOTH updates.
Funny enough it's right before new M4 Macs 😎

Also on Intel Macs you were able to turn fans on whenever you wanted and they didn't block that option.

 

[GumaRodak]

No egpu support with TB5 bandwitches?

 

[turbineseaplane]

I just hope they finally addressed the inconsistent BT reception and performance of the old design

 

[wideEyedPupil]

It does! And no, the previous generation also had a fan, but it was a more straightforward flow over a CPU heat sync.

I cant recall the last time I heard the fan on my M2 Pro — and I push that thing hard.