Mac mini M4 vs M4 Pro: Which Apple Base Model is Actually Worth It?

Dale Rolph
May 24
5 min read

By Dale Rolph | Renewable Innovations LLC | Services by Dale Rolph

After spending two full weeks with each unit—first the base model Mac mini M4, then the base model Mac mini M4 Pro—I can honestly say this journey has been one of frustration, discovery, and clarity. My workflow isn’t theoretical, it’s real. I run 360-degree content editing, website development on Wix, AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, and heavy-duty uploading/exporting simultaneously. If your brain works like mine (ADD multi-tasking maxed), you need a Mac that can keep up. Here’s the honest truth, not Geekbench fluff or polished press releases—just real work and real results.

🌟 Quick Summary Table

Feature	Mac mini M4	Mac mini M4 Pro
Chip	Apple M4	Apple M4 Pro
CPU Cores	8	12
GPU Cores	10	18
Unified Memory	16GB	24GB
Storage	256GB SSD	512GB SSD
Ports	3x Thunderbolt, 2x USB-C, HDMI	3x Thunderbolt, 2x USB-C, HDMI
Fan Noise	Silent	Loud under load
Export Time (5.7K 60fps video)	~2+ hours	~90 minutes
Performance Mode	Not available	Available
Power Efficiency	Excellent	Great
Real-World Usability	Struggles	Reliable under pressure
Price (Approx.)	$599 (before tax)	$1299 (before tax)

The Journey of Testing: Not Your Typical Tech Review

This isn’t a review filmed over a cup of coffee. It’s the result of actual daily usage with hundreds of gigabytes of footage, real AI assistance, website building sessions, and all the random tasks that come with running multiple businesses. So when I say I put these machines to the test, I mean they lived on my desk, got pushed hard, and either kept up or tapped out.

I started with the base Mac mini M4 thinking, "Hey, it might just be enough." But within a day, I started seeing red flags. Video exports that used to take 30-40 minutes on my old gear were stretching into hours. At first, I thought it was the software. Maybe Insta360 was acting up. Maybe I hadn’t optimized my external SSD. Nope—it was the machine.

I opened Activity Monitor and boom: unified memory was maxed out, swap usage was through the roof, and even basic apps were fighting for RAM. I was working on a 360° reel from Avensole Winery at the time, trying to prep a YouTube Short and export the full version for 360 viewing. Something that should’ve been smooth turned into a chore.

Now let me be clear—the M4 chip is no slouch. It's incredibly efficient and fast... for basic tasks. Email? Fast. Safari? No problem. Apple Notes? It’s a dream. But the minute you add in real creative work with high-bitrate video, plugins, and external drives, the M4 hits its limits. And once it does, the performance falls off a cliff.

Memory, Storage, and Why Apple is Playing Games

The unified memory system is both genius and a trap. When it works, it works well—everything shares the same pool, so it's faster and more efficient. But Apple gives you just 16GB in the base M4. For creators? That’s laughable. Once your apps and macOS eat their share, you're left with crumbs. Final Cut Pro alone will eat up 4-6GB just prepping a 360 file.

The 256GB SSD? It was full before I even imported the second video from my Insta360 camera. That means you're leaning heavily on external drives. But guess what—when your internal SSD is full, macOS starts throttling. Exports take longer. Apps freeze up. System hangs.

It wasn’t just an inconvenience. It was a productivity killer. I couldn’t upload one file without pausing another process. It felt like I was trying to run a studio on a machine made for a college freshman.

Moving to the M4 Pro: The Shift Was Immediate

The M4 Pro was like breathing fresh air. Finally, I could export while uploading. I could open Wix and edit a site while Final Cut Pro worked in the background. Gemini and ChatGPT didn’t stall out when I asked them to write code or generate copy. Even Safari stopped beach-balling.

Yes, the fans kicked in. They were loud. Performance Mode was a must. But it didn’t crash. It didn’t stall. It didn’t frustrate me. And that’s the key difference.

The Pro also has better thermals. More ports. More headroom. Everything I wanted the M4 to be.

Still, it's not perfect. The cost doubles from the base model, and it still only comes with 24GB RAM. That’s fine for now, but futureproofing? Questionable. Especially when the Mac Studio M4 Max offers significantly more headroom at just a few hundred more.

The Mac Studio: Testing Has Just Begun

This wasn’t supposed to be a three-way showdown. But as we continue our journey through Apple’s silicon lineup, the Mac Studio with M4 Max is now officially on the bench. Testing has just begun, and while early impressions are promising, we’re holding off on conclusions until we run it through the same rigorous workflow: multi-cam 360 editing, AI integration, website builds, and batch uploads.

We're expecting a lot from the Mac Studio, especially given its price point and specs on paper. But we won’t jump to conclusions. A full head-to-head between the M4 Pro and the M4 Max is coming soon—be sure to subscribe and check back. This is going to be the real performance review that cuts through the noise.

The Studio has the soul of an old-school Mac Pro but in a compact, efficient package. If you're like me—a multitasking content creator who values time and sanity—this is your machine. Stay tuned for a full head-to-head of the M4 Pro vs. M4 Max because that one’s going to get detailed.

Software, Apple Confusion, and Captain Hook

Apple's product line is starting to feel bloated. Confusing. Even deceitful. What happened to simplicity? To knowing exactly what you needed and getting it? Now you’re forced to buy into Performance Mode. You’re forced to upgrade storage. You’re forced to use external drives. It’s not consumer-friendly anymore. It’s a funnel into higher margins.

Tim Cook, if you're reading this—what happened to the clean vision you and Steve had? We didn't ask for three versions of "mini." We didn’t ask for thermal throttling on $800 machines. We asked for consistency. Simplicity. Performance that matched the pitch.

Final Verdict: Who Should Buy What?

Buy the M4 if:

You literally just check email, write documents, and use iMessage.
You want a Mac for the Apple logo and nothing else.

Buy the M4 Pro if:

You do occasional content creation or development.
You need a Mac that can handle moderate loads without going nuclear.
You don’t mind fans, and you’re okay with pushing the limits.

Buy the M4 Max (Mac Studio) if:

You’re a creator, multitasker, or developer who values performance.
You want futureproofing and real headroom.
You’re tired of compromise.

Closing Thoughts: This Is Why I Review

These blog posts aren’t for clicks. They’re for people like you—business owners, creators, developers, freelancers—who need honest answers. I built Renewable Innovations and Services by Dale Rolph to empower growth. Sometimes that means marketing. Sometimes that means tech recommendations. Always, it means truth.

So subscribe. Stay tuned. This series is just beginning.

Next up: M4 Pro vs. M4 Max - The True Performance Review

(And yeah, we’ll figure out where that damn Performance Mode toggle is. WTF, Apple?)