Apple Mac mini M4 2024, 24GB, 512GB SSD, Silver

The Mac mini M4 is a tiny aluminum box that embarrasses desktops twice its size. If you don't need a gaming GPU, just buy this and move on with your life.

The M4 chip here is a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU combo paired with 24GB of unified memory in our test config. Boot times are nearly instant, apps launch before you finish clicking, and even heavy multitasking with Photoshop, Excel, and a dozen browser tabs doesn't make it sweat. The CPU sits around the middle of the pack compared to beefy gaming desktops, but that's misleading. For single-threaded tasks and everyday responsiveness, this thing feels faster than machines with twice the cores. The GPU is where you'll feel the ceiling. It's fine for light photo and video work, but don't expect to push high-refresh gaming or heavy 3D rendering. That's not what this machine is for, and Apple knows it.

Against the Lenovo Legion Tower 5a Gen 10 or HP OMEN GT16-0364, the Mac mini loses on raw gaming and GPU muscle. Those towers have dedicated graphics cards that will run circles around the M4's integrated GPU in games and 3D work. But for everything else, the Mac mini is quieter, smaller, and more efficient. The Dell Tower ECT1250 and MSI Aegis ZS are similarly outclassed in the compactness and noise departments. If you want a gaming rig, buy one of those towers. If you want a fast, silent, tiny workhorse, the Mac mini is the clear winner.

At USD 779 to USD 1,399 depending on the vendor, this is a steal for what you get. The best deal in our database is at Best Buy, where the 24GB/512GB config sits at the lower end of that range. For a machine this fast and this quiet, that's exceptional. The only real value trap is storage. If you need more than 512GB, Apple's upgrade pricing gets ugly fast. Buy an external SSD instead.

The Mac mini M4 is the best small desktop you can buy right now, full stop. Apple took the already excellent M-series formula, bumped the base RAM to 16GB, and stuffed it into a 5x5 inch box that costs less than most mid-range Windows towers. The one thing to know? This little slab of aluminum punches way above its weight class for everyday work, creative tasks, and anything that isn't serious gaming.

If you're looking to play modern games at high settings or do serious 3D rendering, this isn't it. Go get a Lenovo Legion Tower 5a or HP OMEN with a dedicated GPU instead. The Mac mini's integrated graphics are fine for casual use, but they'll choke on anything demanding.

Buy it. Unless you're a gamer or need serious GPU horsepower, the Mac mini M4 is the best desktop for most people. It's fast, quiet, tiny, and priced aggressively. The power button placement is a minor annoyance, not a dealbreaker. This is the machine I'd recommend to my own family without hesitation.