In addition to announcing the M2 Pro and M2 Max processors, Apple also introduced an all-new Mac Mini to the lineup. But unlike the 2020 Mac Mini, which was powered by the M1 chip, the 2023 Mac Mini has a bit of a surprise up its sleeve.
When the 2020 Mac Mini was announced, it was one of the first two devices to ship with the Apple M1 chip. The Mac Mini has long been one of the most popular options in the Mac lineup, thanks to its small form factor and affordable price. But even with the M1 chip in-tow, the 2020 Mac Mini left a little bit to be desired for those who wanted a more powerful device without needing to spring for the Mac Studio.
And that’s where the 2023 Mac Mini comes in, as there are now a total of four different processor options available. It seems that Apple is intent on keeping the M1 Mac Mini around for the time being, but we don’t expect this to be the case for too long.
With the 2023 Mac Mini, the M2 processor announced at WWDC ’22 is now available in the base model. The M2 chip offers quite an impressive boost in performance, as Apple claims it provides up to 35% faster gameplay in Resident Evil Village, up to 50% faster performance in Adobe Photoshop, and 2.4x faster ProRes transcode in Final Cut Pro.
Apple even went so far as to state that the base model M2 is “up to 5x faster than the best-selling Windows desktop, delivering incredible value to first-time computer buyers, upgraders, and PC switchers.” In the footnotes of the announcement, these numbers are compared to a Windows 11 machine powered by the Intel Core i5 chip with Intel UHD Graphics 730.
There’s not much of a difference when it comes to port selection with the M2 Mac Mini compared to its predecessor. You’ll find two Thunderbolt 4 ports along with HDMI, 3.5mm audio-combo jack, Gigabit Ethernet, and dual USB-A ports. In fact, unless you opt for the M2 Pro Mac Mini, you’ll likely have a hard time differentiating the M2 and M1 Mac Mini models.
M2 Pro Comes To The Mac Mini
It’s great to see that the Mac Mini is finally getting its well-deserved upgrade to the M2 chip, but there’s, even more, to be excited about. Apple is finally providing a “middle-ground” option for potential Mac owners as the all-new M2 Pro SoC is coming to the Mac Mini.
With the M2 Pro SoC, you’ll have your choice of either a 10-core CPU / 16-core GPU or a 12-core CPU / 19-core GPU. This is pretty similar to what we saw with the 2021 MacBook Pro models, along with the Mac Studio, and quite frankly, the base model will likely be more than enough for most use cases.
If you opt for the higher-end 12-core CPU with the M2 Pro, you’ll have access to eight high-performance cores, along with four high-efficiency cores, and Apple’s incredible 19-core GPU. Apple claims that the M2 Pro Mac Mini is “up to 14x faster than the fastest Intel-based Mac Mini.”
These claims are backed by a bit of evidence, as the M2 Pro Mac Mini will offer 2.5x faster graphics performance in Final Cut Pro, 2.8x faster gameplay in Resident Evil Village, and 4.2x faster ProRes transcode in Final Cut Pro. All the while, being able to “simultaneously play up to five streams of 8K ProRes 422 video at 30 fps”.
With the M2 Pro Mac Mini, Apple also provides an upgrade to the available port selection. Instead of being limited to two Thunderbolt 4 ports, the M2 Pro Mac Mini instead features a total of four Thunderbolt 4 ports. Additionally, the M2 Pro provides support for up to three displays, compared to the two displays supported by the standard M2 Mac Mini. And for the first time on a Mac, the M2 Pro model includes support for a display with an 8K resolution.
Available Configurations
Apple M2
8-core CPU / 10-core GPU / 16-core Neural Engine
8GB / 16GB / 24GB unified memory (RAM)
512GB / 1TB / 2TB of storage
Gigabit Ethernet / 10 Gigabit Ethernet
Two Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI port, two USB-A ports, headphone jack
Supports up to two 2 displays (4K)
Apple M2 Pro
10-core CPU / 16-core GPU / 16-core Neural Engine
16GB / 32GB unified memory (RAM)
512GB / 1TB / 2TB / 4TB / 8TB of storage
Gigabit Ethernet / 10 Gigabit Ethernet
Four Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI port, two USB‑A ports, headphone jack
Supports up to two 3 displays (8K)
Apple M2 Pro
12-core CPU / 19-core GPU / 16-core Neural Engine
16GB / 32GB unified memory (RAM)
512GB / 1TB / 2TB / 4TB / 8TB of storage
Gigabit Ethernet / 10 Gigabit Ethernet
Four Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI port, two USB‑A ports, headphone jack
Supports up to two 3 displays (8K)
2023 Mac Mini Pricing and Availability
In addition to bringing the M2 Pro chip to the Mac Mini lineup, the next biggest surprise from Apple’s latest announcement comes in the way of the new pricing. The entry-level M2 Mac Mini with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage is priced at just $599. This is $100 cheaper than the previous iteration, however, it appears as though Apple won’t be keeping the M1 Mini around.
As for the M2 Pro Mac Mini, pricing for this model starts at $1,299 in its base configuration. This consists of the 10-core CPU / 16-core GPU combination, along with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. If you want the most powerful 2023 Mac Mini, with a 12-core CPU and 19-core GPU, pricing starts at $1,599.
All three configurations of the 2023 Mac Mini are available for pre-order starting today and will hit store shelves beginning on January 24.
Andrew Myrick is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US. He enjoys everything to do with technology, including tablets, smartphones, and everything in between. Perhaps his favorite past-time is having a never-ending supply of different keyboards and gaming handhelds that end up collecting more dust than the consoles that are being emulated.
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