The Mac Mini remains powerful, but its price has increased.
The Mac Mini stands out in the realm of compact desktop computers, combining a remarkably small footprint with impressive performance. The 2024 redesign shrinks the Mini to just 0.82 liters, making it easy to tuck away behind a monitor or under a desk. In fact, I’ve encountered gaming laptop chargers that are bulkier and heavier than this entire machine. Despite its size, the Mini is equipped with a variety of fast ports, including a front-facing headphone jack.
The 2026 version introduces Apple’s new M6 chip, featuring more cores and a wider variety of core types compared to the previous M4 model. Additionally, there’s a more powerful option, the M5 Pro, which replaces the M4 Pro. While it’s a year of upgrades, it also comes with a price increase: the M4 Mac Mini started at $599, while the new model kicks off at $899. Nevertheless, the Mac Mini continues to offer the best value in the Mac lineup, especially as prices for everything else rise.
Since May, the most affordable M4 Mini was the 512GB storage variant at $799, as the $599 model with 256GB was discontinued due to supply issues, partly driven by high demand for Mac Minis for OpenClaw. So, while the base M6 model with 16GB RAM and 256GB storage is only $100 more than the last available M4 Mini, it effectively represents a $300 increase.
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Component report card
* Screen: BYO
* Webcam: BYO
* Keyboard: BYO
* Trackpad: BYO
* Port selection: A
* Speakers: D
* Number of ugly stickers to remove: 0
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We have two upgraded models for review. One is a $1,299 M6 variant with a 12-core CPU, 12-core GPU, 24GB of unified memory, 512GB of storage, and 2.5Gb ethernet. The M5 Pro configuration is a hefty $2,899, featuring an 18-core CPU, 20-core GPU, 48GB of RAM, 1TB SSD, and 10Gb ethernet. While the M5 Pro is incredibly powerful, it may be overkill for a Mac Mini, as that price point approaches the M5 Max Mac Studio range.
Both the M6 and M5 Pro Mac Minis are speed monsters, thanks to the latest M-series chips. They benefit from Apple’s recent enhancements to storage speeds, which have doubled compared to the M4 and M4 Pro models. The M6 chip leads the pack in single-core performance, not just among Macs but across the board. The upgrade to a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU from the M4’s 10-core setup results in significant performance gains.
The M6 incorporates all three of Apple’s core types: two super cores, four performance cores, and six efficiency cores. The M4 had four performance cores and six efficiency cores. The M5 Pro Mac Mini features six super cores, 12 performance cores, and no efficiency cores.
In single-threaded tasks, the M6’s super cores outperform the M5’s performance cores by about 10 percent and exceed the M4’s by over 20 percent. While the M5 Pro’s cores are slower than the M6’s, they compensate with a higher core count and greater memory bandwidth, making the M5 Pro 40 to 50 percent faster in multi-threaded CPU and GPU benchmarks.
In real-world scenarios, such as our Adobe Premiere 4K export test, the M6 Mac Mini completes the task in 2 minutes and 34 seconds—40 seconds quicker than the M4 tested in an iMac with the same RAM. The M5 Pro finishes in 1:51, nearly a third faster than the M6 and even outpacing our recent test of the 10-core M1 Max, which took 2:03.
What does this translate to in daily use? Both Mac Minis handle multitasking and content creation with ease, with the M5 Pro offering extra headroom. I imported a batch of 1,253 50-megapixel RAW images from my full-frame Sony camera into Lightroom Classic on the M6 in about 6 minutes and 13 seconds. The M5 Pro managed the same task only about 30 seconds faster. However, during heavy batch editing with AI subject detection on 188 photos, the M5 Pro showcased its performance advantage. The M6 was reasonably fast, but even with 24GB of RAM, it hit swap memory and slowed down mid-process. The M5 Pro, on the other hand, handled the task smoothly throughout.
If your work involves video editing, visual effects, or 3D rendering, the M5 Pro Mac Mini is the better choice—or even the Mac Studio if your budget allows. The M6 Mac Mini is ideal for generalists who engage in creative work occasionally or need a reliable everyday desktop that can last for years. When I purchased a Mac Mini in 2023, I went for the entry-level M2 Pro. While I envy the compactness of the current models, the M6 would likely suffice for my needs. Although I often work with high-res images in Lightroom Classic, photography isn’t my primary job. If I were editing thousands of photos daily, I would definitely consider the M5 Pro or M5 Max Mac Studio—plus, I’d want that SD card slot.
The Mac Minis are also well-suited for local AI computing, thanks to their fast unified memory, and Apple is emphasizing this with the new models. The announcement for the M6 and M5 Pro chips highlights AI capabilities extensively.
Hardware-wise, these Mac Minis are nearly identical to their predecessors, featuring the same port selection as the last-gen model, including two 10Gbps USB-C ports and a headphone jack on the front. The back includes three Thunderbolt ports (TB4 on the M6; TB5 on the M5 Pro), HDMI 2.1, and an ethernet port, which has been upgraded from 1 gigabit to 2.5Gbps, with an option to upgrade to 10Gb for an additional $100.
The power button remains on the bottom, but it’s not a major issue since the Mini is designed to consume minimal power when idle; you can simply put it to sleep instead of shutting it down. Apple has even added a software feature that allows the Mac Mini to power back on after a power cut.
However, the built-in speakers are still subpar. Having used the older, larger M2 Pro Mac Mini for years, I know they can suffice for basic notifications, but they’re not suitable for anything more demanding.
The 2026 Mac Minis also support Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, which is a nice incremental upgrade. Like annual phone releases, the new Mac Mini will be most beneficial for newcomers and those still using much older models. If you’re still on an Intel-based Mac that has run out of OS updates with the launch of macOS 27 Golden Gate, you’re in for a treat.
On the software front, I share the same sentiments about macOS 27 Golden Gate as I did during the developer beta: the visual tweaks that reduce Liquid Glass transparency, enhance sidebar legibility, and refine window corner radii are all positive changes. Golden Gate represents a solid improvement over macOS 26 Tahoe, even if Siri AI and Apple Intelligence on the Mac are just okay.
Since this year’s Mac Mini upgrade is primarily a chip enhancement, it’s disappointing that the price has increased significantly. However, this trend is affecting all manufacturers. Apple’s computers are pricier, and rumors suggest rising costs for Intel and AMD chips. Laptops are launching at one price only to change shortly after. In the mini PC market, Minisforum has raised its prices, and the Framework Desktop is now more expensive than at launch. While there are cheaper and smaller mini PCs available, none truly rival the Mac Mini’s blend of performance, price, and size—even with the price hike.
This is the new reality. The Mac Mini remains a solid deal; it just doesn’t feel as much of a bargain as it once did. With recent price increases on MacBook Airs and Pros, the new Mac Minis are still more affordable than similar chips in a laptop (especially if you already have a monitor, mouse, and keyboard). The base M6 Mac Mini is $400 cheaper than the lowest-priced M5 MacBook Air, and the base M5 Pro model is $800 less than the MacBook Pro with the same chip and memory.
It seems unlikely we’ll see a Mac Mini starting at $599 again. It’s still a strong recommendation for anyone seeking a compact desktop that outperforms similarly priced PCs and will last for years, but it may take time to adjust to the sting of these price increases.
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M6 / M5 Pro Mac Mini specs (as reviewed)
* CPU (M6): Apple M6 (12-core CPU / 12-core GPU)
* CPU (M5 Pro): Apple M5 Pro (18-core CPU / 20-core GPU)
* Unified memory (M6): 24GB
* Unified memory (M5 Pro): 48GB
* Storage (M6): 512GB SSD
* Storage (M5 Pro): 1TB SSD
* Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6
* Ports (M6): 2x USB-C (10Gbps), 3x Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C (DisplayPort 1.4), 1x HDMI 2.1, RJ45 2.5Gb ethernet, AC power
* Ports (M5 Pro): 2x USB-C (10Gbps), 3x Thunderbolt 5 / USB-C (DisplayPort 2.1), 1x HDMI 2.1, RJ45 10Gb ethernet, AC power
* Weight (M6): 1.5 pounds / 0.67kg
* Weight (M5 Pro): 1.6 pounds / 0.73kg
* Dimensions: 5 x 5 x 2 inches / 127 x 127 x 50mm
* Price (M6): $1,299
* Price (M5 Pro): $2,899
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